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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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Politics

Lee calls gaming 'defining force' of Korea's future

President Lee Jae Myung tested Krafton’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven life simulation game inZOI on Wednesday at PUBG Seongsu, a game and cultural hub operated by Krafton, the creator of PUBG: Battlegrounds, in eastern Seoul. But his message was anything but virtual: Korea, he said, must embrace gaming as a defining force for its cultural and economic future. In the first-ever presidential on-site visit to a gaming industry discussion event, Lee vowed to make K-games a cornerstone of Korea’s cultural exports and to dismantle the “repressive” policies of the past, signaling a major policy shift in how the government views gaming. The visit underscored his broader plan to position gaming as a key pillar of K-culture and a driver of Korea’s global competitiveness, as he urged a move away from restrictive regulations and toward innovation-led growth. “It’s time to change our policy direction,” Lee said during the meeting. “The government’s aim is to make Korea a leading global cultural industry nation, and I believe the game industry is a vital part of that.” The

Oct 15, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee calls gaming 'defining force' of Korea's future
Foreign Affairs

Seoul to send task force to Cambodia following abductions of Koreans

The Korean government plans to send a joint response team to Cambodia, led by the second vice foreign minister and including officials from the National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service, to oversee the repatriation of Koreans held against their will there and to prevent further harm. According to presidential spokesman Kim Nam-joon, President Lee Jae Myung expressed a firm resolve to address the Cambodian case during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. At the session, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Agency briefed the president on the situation and outlined their plans to respond to job scams and unlawful confinement cases involving Koreans in Cambodia. “On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Korean government will send a joint task force team to Cambodia, led by the second vice foreign minister and joined by officials from the National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service,” Kim said during a press briefing at the presidential office. “To prevent additional incidents, the government is considering raisin

Oct 14, 2025By Anna J. Park
Seoul to send task force to Cambodia following abductions of Koreans
Politics

Gov't eyes K-food, K-beauty to drive growth in AI age

The Lee Jae Myung administration reiterated its strong commitment to advancing Korea’s culture industry and enhancing the nation’s standing as a global cultural powerhouse through the expansion of K-culture exports, including K-food, K-beauty and other creative sectors. The topic took center stage during the 13th Senior Secretaries’ Meeting, held Monday at the presidential office in central Seoul's Yongsan District and presided over by the president. During the meeting, Lee described culture as “the core of a nation’s dignity, competitiveness and power in the 21st century.” Expanding on the traditional definition of culture, Lee said, “When we talk about culture, we often think of music or fine arts. But today, culture encompasses a much broader scope — dramas, films, food, beauty and more.” “At its heart, in the most comprehensive sense, culture is a value system rooted in democracy," he said. "The world now admires Korea not just for K-pop, K-dramas and K-movies, but also for K-food, K-beauty and even K-democracy.” Lee also emphasized that Korean culture is beginn

Oct 13, 2025By Anna J. Park
Gov't eyes K-food, K-beauty to drive growth in AI age
Politics

President seeks to move presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae this year

Presidential staff are working to move the presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae this year, more than three and a half years after it was relocated to Yongsan District. Although restoration and refurnishing work at the compound may take time due to aging facilities and damage caused over the past three years, officials from the presidential office said on Friday that the return is expected to take place no later than the end of this year. Since his election campaign, Lee has repeatedly emphasized that the presidential office should be in Cheong Wa Dae, citing its long history, symbolic and cultural value and its superiority in terms of security. Former president Yoon Suk Yeol moved the presidential office in May 2022 from Cheong Wa Dae to what was previously the defense ministry building in Yongsan District, and opened Cheong Wa Dae to the public as a cultural and historical site. Public tours of the compound were suspended as of Aug. 1. Following Lee's pledge, the government has been carrying out extensive repair work on the compound, with the Cabinet approving 25.9 billion won ($18

Oct 10, 2025By Anna J. Park
President seeks to move presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae this year
Foreign Affairs

Seoul-Tokyo relationship faces uncertainty with Japan’s new right-wing PM

Officials in Korea are paying keen attention to how Seoul-Tokyo relations will develop after a right-wing politician is set to lead Japan as its new prime minister. Sanae Takaichi has expressed right-leaning views on historical and territorial issues, and concerns are rising that her hardline approach toward those matters could weigh on the relationship between the neighboring countries, which has been improving in recent years. Takaichi, a former internal affairs minister, won in the leadership race of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and is expected to replace current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after a parliamentary vote later this month. She has previously criticized former leaders who voiced apologetic sentiments regarding Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of Korea and other Asian nations and supported politician visits to Yasukuni Shrine where Japan’s war dead — including Class-A war criminals — are honored. She also claimed Japan should set up structures on the Dokdo islets, which are under Korea’s effective control. Based on these stances, Takaichi’s rise to

Oct 9, 2025By Anna J. Park
Seoul-Tokyo relationship faces uncertainty with Japan’s new right-wing PM
Defense

FULL TEXT Address by President Lee Jae Myung on the 77th Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Korea

Address by President Lee Jae Myung on the 77th Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Korea October 1, 2025 My fellow Korean citizens, and proud members of the Armed Forces, I sincerely congratulate you on the 77th anniversary of our Armed Forces Day. Here at Gyeryongdae, home to the Army, Navy, and Air Force headquarters, I am filled with pride as I stand before the full strength of our military that defends Korea’s land, sea, and air. I am filled with emotions. I extend my deepest gratitude and heartfelt applause to all the courageous service members who dedicate themselves to protecting our territory and our sovereign people. I also pay tribute and express deep appreciation to the independence fighters and Liberation Army participated in the Korean independence movement, to the fallen heroes, war veterans, and reservists who sacrificed and dedicated themselves to the nation. My sincere thanks as well to the U.S. Forces Korea and the United Nations Command for standing with us to preserve peace on the Korean Peninsula. Fellow members of the armed forces, Today marks the 77th Armed Forces Day

Oct 1, 2025By Anna J. Park
[FULL TEXT] Address by President Lee Jae Myung on the 77th Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Korea
  • President emphasizes recovery of OPCON, defense budget boost on Armed Forces Day
Defense

President emphasizes recovery of OPCON, defense budget boost on Armed Forces Day

At a ceremony Wednesday marking South Korea’s 77th Armed Forces Day, President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed his commitment to regaining wartime operational control (OPCON), calling it essential for building a self-reliant defense capable of meeting rapidly evolving security challenges. The transfer of OPCON has long been a central issue between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea (ROK). While the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff holds peacetime OPCON, the U.S.-led Combined Forces Command assumes authority in the event of war. Speaking at the ceremony at the Gyeryongdae military compound in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, home to the headquarters of the ROK Army, Navy and Air Force, Lee emphasized that “for the peace and prosperity of the Republic of Korea, we must not depend on anyone else, but instead strengthen our own power.” He cautioned that defense self-reliance has become all the more urgent at a time when “the longest era of peace and coexistence in human history is drawing to a close, the forces of cooperation and shared prosperity are waning, and conflict and confronta

Oct 1, 2025By Anna J. Park
President emphasizes recovery of OPCON, defense budget boost on Armed Forces Day
Foreign Affairs

Leaders of Korea, Japan agree to cooperate in addressing social challenges

BUSAN — President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed Tuesday to cooperate in tackling pressing social challenges, including low birthrates, aging populations and regional development. They released a joint announcement on how to operate a joint consultative body for the initiative, which reflects a broader effort to strengthen ties between the two neighbors by deepening both the scope and intensity of their bilateral cooperation. The agreement was reached during their summit held in Busan. The summit was the two leaders’ third such meeting in person, following talks at the G7 summit in June in Canada, and a bilateral meeting held in Japan's capital Tokyo late last month. During their meeting, Lee and Ishiba underscored the geographical closeness of Korea and Japan. “I came down here from Seoul on a special train, and I imagine the time it took for the prime minister to fly from Japan to Busan was almost the same, if not shorter,” Lee said. “Just as our countries are physically close, I hope we can become even closer emotionally, economically, social

Sep 30, 2025By Anna J. Park
Leaders of Korea, Japan agree to cooperate in addressing social challenges
Foreign Affairs

Lee, Ishiba to hold summit in Busan, reviving bilateral diplomacy

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are set to meet in the southern port city of Busan on Tuesday, just a month after Lee’s trip to Tokyo in late August. The meeting marks an attempt to reinvigorate and institutionalize “shuttle diplomacy” — which in Korean refers to bilateral state visits — initiated in 2004 by then-President Roh Moo-hyun with his Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi. After a decade-plus freeze prompted by historical disputes, the practice was revived in 2023 under then-President Yoon Suk Yeol. His administration, prioritizing a united front on security and economic issues over historical grievances, took decisive steps to restart high-level dialogue with Japan. The presidential office said Monday that the Busan summit was arranged at Lee’s invitation, with the Japanese prime minister nearing the end of his term. The meeting is expected to focus on broadening Korea-Japan cooperation and strengthening ties with the United States in a trilateral framework. “This will be the first time in 21 years that a Japanese prime ministe

Sep 29, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee, Ishiba to hold summit in Busan, reviving bilateral diplomacy
Politics

President Lee returns to Korea after 5-day US visit for UN General Assembly

President Lee Jae Myung returned to Korea Friday evening after a five-day trip to New York, where he attended the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Lee arrived at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at around 8:30 p.m. aboard the presidential jet, concluding his first attendance at the U.N. since taking office. During the visit, Lee shared South Korea’s vision of peace and democracy for the Korean Peninsula, while also showcasing leadership in emerging global issues such as artificial intelligence (AI). His visit further served as a platform to promote Korean equities and investment opportunities, and to advance pragmatic diplomacy through economic cooperation and bilateral talks. In his inaugural keynote speech at the General Assembly earlier this week, Lee declared South Korea’s “return as a democratic nation” and introduced his administration’s signature North Korea policy, the “END" initiative — focused on exchange, normalization of relations and denuclearization — as a road map for peace on the peninsula. In a historic first for a Korean

Sep 26, 2025By Anna J. Park
President Lee returns to Korea after 5-day US visit for UN General Assembly
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