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Anna J. Park

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.

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Foreign Affairs

Presidential chief of staff’s UAE visit signals push to bolster Middle East defense ties

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, named last month as Korea’s special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, departed for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday afternoon for a high-level mission aimed at strengthening Seoul’s economic and defense presence in the region. Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 1 before boarding his flight, Kang underscored the growing significance of the Middle East for Korea’s long-term economic strategy. “The Middle East is an indispensable region for our economy,” he said. “To keep expanding and advancing the achievements we’ve made so far, both the methods and areas of cooperation must evolve in line with the changing international landscape.” Kang emphasized that his visit will focus on developing practical, results-driven partnerships across a wide range of fields. “During this trip, I plan to meet with senior government officials and key decision-makers from sovereign wealth funds to discuss concrete cooperation models in areas such as AI, defense, advanced manufacturing, K-food and K-cu

Nov 13, 2025By Anna J. Park
Presidential chief of staff’s UAE visit signals push to bolster Middle East defense ties
Foreign Affairs

Hundreds of Korean workers detained in Georgia to file lawsuit against ICE

Hundreds of Korean engineers who were arrested and detained during an immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant in Georgia in September are preparing to sue U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging unlawful detention and mistreatment. According to industry sources and a report by ABC News earlier this week, roughly 200 of those detained in the weeklong ordeal are preparing to file a lawsuit against ICE, alleging racial discrimination, human rights violations and excessive use of force during their arrests and detention. They are seeking compensation for damages. The group was among roughly 317 Korean workers out of 475 people arrested by ICE agents in a surprise raid on Sept. 4 (local time), an operation that officials said was targeting undocumented workers. However, many of those detained — most of whom are skilled engineers — held valid work visas and were legally employed at the nearly 3,000-acre electric-vehicle battery plant in Georgia. “To this day, we still don’t know why we were detained like that. There has been no apology or explana

Nov 12, 2025By Anna J. Park
Hundreds of Korean workers detained in Georgia to file lawsuit against ICE
Politics

Korea’s survival strategy: Lee’s high-stakes bet on balanced regional development

Since taking office, President Lee Jae Myung has emphasized decentralization and regional growth, repeatedly highlighting the need for balanced regional development to address the growing concentration of people and capital in the Seoul metropolitan area. Among other problems, this overconcentration has fueled extreme housing inequality — the OECD notes that Korea has the widest gap among its member countries, with home prices in the largest cities exceeding those in smaller cities by more than 200 percent as of 2023. To address this issue, Lee pledged during his election campaign to establish a National Assembly branch and a second presidential office in Sejong, located in the central region of the country, as part of his plan to turn the city into a fully functional administrative capital. Lee acknowledged that although Sejong has grown steadily since its establishment in 2012 through the partial relocation of central government ministries, it continues to face criticism as an incomplete administrative capital. “Sejong is the heart of Korea’s administration and the center of bala

Nov 10, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea’s survival strategy: Lee’s high-stakes bet on balanced regional development
Foreign Affairs

Korea-US joint fact sheet delayed amid final wording adjustments on security issues

Final adjustments to the joint fact sheet summarizing recent Korea-U.S. summit talks and related negotiations on tariffs and security are taking longer than expected, mainly due to ongoing “language coordination” in the security section, Seoul officials said Friday. A senior presidential official told reporters that the release of the document, which had been expected this week, has been delayed amid continued fine-tuning of the text. According to the official, the document comprises two major parts regarding security and tariffs, with a near-complete draft being prepared. However, “recently, on the U.S. side, there has been an additional interagency review process required by their system, during which some departments requested further input, and that review process has caused some delays," the official said. “In particular, we needed to incorporate new security-related discussions raised during the Gyeongju summit,” the official added, referring to the bilateral talks between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in

Nov 7, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea-US joint fact sheet delayed amid final wording adjustments on security issues
Politics

Korea to launch ‘national scientists’ program to curb AI talent exodus

As the outflow of Korea’s top science and engineering talent accelerates, the presidential office has announced the launch of a “national scientists” program aimed at nurturing future leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) and science. The initiative seeks to provide promising researchers with stronger support and national recognition. According to Ha Jung-woo, senior secretary to the president for AI and future planning, the government plans to select about 20 scholars annually, totaling 100 over the next five years. Designated "national scientists," the recipients will receive a presidential certificate, research grants and travel and institutional support to aid their work. The goal is to create a cohort of elite scientists who can serve as role models for younger generations. Ha acknowledged that the accelerating “brain drain” stems in part from significantly higher compensation offered in some countries. However, he underscored that it was not the "whole story." "It’s also crucial who you work and conduct research with, the quality of the research environment, and, abov

Nov 7, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea to launch ‘national scientists’ program to curb AI talent exodus
Politics

Presidential policy chief highlights safeguards in Korea-US tariff MOU

Presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom emphasized Thursday that the Korean government has made strong efforts to include multiple safeguard clauses in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) being prepared with the United States over ongoing tariff negotiations. Kim, who led the negotiations, noted that the first article of the MOU will include the phrase “commercial viability” to help protect Korea’s economic interests. He made the remarks during a parliamentary audit of the presidential office at the National Assembly in response to questions from Rep. Kim Nam-geun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) about the risks of recovering principal and interest from investments in the U.S. “The definition of ‘commercial reasonableness’ will also appear later in the MOU,” Kim said. “It stipulates that the investment committee shall, in good faith, determine whether there is a reasonable cash flow to recover the invested capital.” He added that Article 1 of the MOU will also contain a provision ensuring that “projects with uncertainty in recovering princip

Nov 6, 2025By Anna J. Park
Presidential policy chief highlights safeguards in Korea-US tariff MOU
  • Seoul and Washington agree on details of tariff deal
North Korea

Ruling party bets on thaw as Pyongyang signals potential ‘big deal’ with US

Following the death of Kim Yong-nam, former president of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are calling for a condolence delegation to be sent to Pyongyang — a gesture some hope could help ease the long freeze in inter-Korean relations. The idea aligns with what the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has described as Pyongyang’s "strategic timing," with the agency believing that North Korea may be testing the potential for a "big deal" with Washington early next year. Even so, experts on North Korea remain doubtful that such an outcome is likely. Park Jie-won, a five-term DPK lawmaker who served as chief of staff to former President Kim Dae-jung and played a pivotal role in arranging the first inter-Korean summit on June 15, 2000, has publicly offered to visit Pyongyang as a special envoy to pay his respects. In a Facebook post and a radio interview earlier this week, Park expressed condolences over Kim’s death and volunteered to lead the delegation. “I have already spoken with Unification Minister Chung Dong-young

Nov 5, 2025By Anna J. Park
Ruling party bets on thaw as Pyongyang signals potential ‘big deal’ with US
Politics

Former President Moon Jae-in to debut on YouTube book show this month

Former President Moon Jae-in will launch a YouTube program later this month from his Pyeongsan Bookstore, where he plans to introduce and discuss books in what will be the first regular YouTube series hosted by a former Korean president. The venture is a unique blend of cultural outreach and political soft power, with Moon utilizing the massive reach of the streaming platform to connect with a wider audience, long after leaving the presidential office. The news was revealed by Tak Hyun-min, a special professor at Mokpo National University and former presidential protocol secretary for the Moon administration, during an appearance on CBS Radio earlier this week. “I am currently preparing a YouTube program where former President Moon and I will introduce books together," Tak said during the radio interview. Tak explained that he will serve as the host, while Moon will select and introduce books from Pyeongsan Bookstore, located in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, where Moon retired after leaving office. “We plan to feature about one or two books each week,” he added. Filming will ta

Nov 5, 2025By Anna J. Park
Former President Moon Jae-in to debut on YouTube book show this month
Politics

President unveils record annual budget, emphasizes AI as national priority

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called on the National Assembly to approve next year’s budget, unveiling a record 728 trillion won ($525 billion) spending plan — an 8.1 percent increase from this year — amid what he described as sweeping changes in global trade and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The proposal represents the Lee administration’s first full-year budget and the largest in Korea’s history. Delivering a policy address at the Assembly, Lee underscored that the 2026 budget will prioritize the AI industry. He announced that 10.1 trillion won will be allocated to accelerate Korea’s leap toward becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers, more than tripling this year’s AI-related budget of 3.3 trillion won. “This is a strategic investment that balances future growth with fiscal sustainability in the age of artificial intelligence. I ask for the National Assembly’s active cooperation,” Lee said. Of the 10.1 trillion won, the president said 2.6 trillion won will be invested in integrating AI across industries, daily life and public servi

Nov 4, 2025By Anna J. Park
President unveils record annual budget, emphasizes AI as national priority
Politics

Lee to deliver address seeking bipartisan support for $510 bil. budget

President Lee Jae Myung is set to deliver a policy address Tuesday on next year’s 728 trillion won ($510 billion) budget proposal, calling for bipartisan cooperation among lawmakers. According to the presidential office, Monday, Lee will use the address to outline his administration’s key priorities for next year’s budget. With the National Assembly set to begin budget deliberations Wednesday, the president plans to explain the rationale behind next year’s spending plan and urge lawmakers across party lines to engage constructively in the review process. Delivered amid political division and rising living costs, the address is seen as a key test of the president’s leadership, with a focus on curbing inflation and aiding the socially vulnerable. The Lee administration’s first full-year budget represents an 8.1 percent increase from the previous year, surpassing the 700 trillion won threshold for the first time in history. Key highlights of next year’s budget include a massive 72 trillion won investment in the government’s so-called “super-innovation economy” initiatives

Nov 3, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee to deliver address seeking bipartisan support for $510 bil. budget
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