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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

Lee outlines vision to end hostility on Korean Peninsula

NEW YORK CITY — President Lee Jae Myung outlined a sweeping vision to move beyond decades of hostility on the Korean Peninsula, Tuesday, calling for a new era of peaceful coexistence between South and North Korea. In a keynote address to the 80th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Lee underscored South Korea’s newly adopted slogan, "END," and laid out a series of steps aimed at advancing peace on the Korean Peninsula. “The most certain peace is a state where there is no need to fight. Through comprehensive dialogue centered on ‘Exchange, Normalization, and Denuclearization’ — that is, ‘END’ — we must bring an END to the era of hostility and confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and open a new era of peaceful coexistence and joint growth,” the president explained in his address. He said that breaking the cycle of military tension and provocation on the Korean Peninsula is a central priority for his administration. Citing steps taken shortly after his inauguration in June, he pointed to the suspension of anti-North Korea leaflet campaigns and loudspeaker broad

Sep 24, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee outlines vision to end hostility on Korean Peninsula
  • FULL TEXT S. Korean President Lee Jae Myung's UN General Assembly address
Foreign Affairs

Lee urges US lawmakers to reform visa system, citing worker detention case

NEW YORK CITY — President Lee Jae Myung called for changes to U.S. visa policies to prevent incidents like the recent detention of Korean workers in Georgia, during a meeting with members of Congress. On Monday, the presidential office said Lee met with four lawmakers from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee — Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.). The discussions covered ways to strengthen bilateral security, expand economic cooperation and address challenges on the Korean Peninsula. Lee expressed hope that incidents like the detention of Korean workers in Georgia would not be repeated, emphasizing the need for visa reforms. The U.S. lawmakers acknowledged the importance of improvement to the system. Following a major immigration raid at the construction site of a Hyundai-LG plant in Georgia, the detainment of hundreds of Korean workers sparked diplomatic tensions. U.S. immigration authorities accused the workers of violating the terms of their B-1 business visas or v

Sep 23, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee urges US lawmakers to reform visa system, citing worker detention case
Foreign Affairs

Addressing Koreans in New York, Lee vows to strengthen national pride

NEW YORK CITY — Speaking to a gathering of overseas Koreans in New York on Monday evening, President Lee Jae Myung said Korea is emerging as a global model and pledged to bolster national pride among citizens both at home and abroad. “I will make sure the Republic of Korea is a country where overseas Koreans can proudly and confidently say, ‘I am a citizen of Korea,’” Lee said during a community meeting held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan. Calling this a moment for Korea to take another leap forward, he stressed both the nation’s democratic and economic achievements. “Among the countries liberated from colonial rule, Korea is the only one to achieve successful industrialization and, on top of that, democratization,” Lee said. “Although the world once had concerns, Korea has returned as a model democracy, a cultural powerhouse and a strong military and economic nation.” Lee also pledged to expand voting rights for overseas citizens, criticizing the current system as overly cumbersome. “I often hear how difficult it is to vote,” he said. “Some people travel

Sep 23, 2025By Anna J. Park
Addressing Koreans in New York, Lee vows to strengthen national pride
Policy

Korea, BlackRock forge partnership to build Asia’s AI hub in Korea

NEW YORK CITY — Korea and BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, have formed a strategic partnership to position the country as the "artificial intelligence (AI) capital in Asia" through large-scale joint investments in data centers and renewable energy. The agreement was made on Monday during a meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Larry Fink, interim co-chair of the World Economic Forum and CEO of BlackRock. The president is visiting New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. During the talks, the Korean government and BlackRock signed an investment partnership memorandum of understanding, which highlighted a three-pronged approach to exploring combined development of data centers, establishing Korea as an Asia-Pacific base that can serve both domestic and regional needs and enabling Korea to participate in international AI infrastructure projects. "President Lee welcomed the opportunity to cooperate in making Korea the AI capital of the Asia-Pacific region, calling for close collaboration to deliver tangible results. The president also extended an invitat

Sep 23, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea, BlackRock forge partnership to build Asia’s AI hub in Korea
Foreign Affairs

Lee arrives in New York for UN General Assembly

NEW YORK CITY — President Lee Jae Myung arrived in New York on Monday (local time), beginning his four-day visit to the city centered on the U.N. General Assembly and a series of multilateral diplomatic engagements. The presidential aircraft, carrying Lee, first lady Kim Hea Kyung and accompanying officials and reporters, landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport at around 11:35 a.m. The president was greeted and welcomed at the airport by Cha Ji-hoon, Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, and Kang Kyung-wha, nominee for ambassador to the United States. Later in the day, Lee was scheduled to meet with Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, as well as members of the U.S. Congress. Talks are expected to cover the role of Congress in advancing Korea-U.S. relations, along with pressing issues such as the recent mass detention of Korean nationals in at a plant in Georgia and the ongoing challenges in tariff negotiations. On Tuesday, the president is set to address the United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to cast his country

Sep 23, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee arrives in New York for UN General Assembly
Foreign Affairs

President heads to New York to address UN, meet Wall Street investors

President Lee Jae Myung departed Seoul Monday for a five-day visit to New York, where he is set to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly and host a Korea investor relations event on Wall Street. The trip, part of a series of high-level diplomatic engagements, will see Lee spend three days in the city before returning to Seoul on Friday. The centerpiece of his trip will be his first keynote address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday (local time); Lee is scheduled to be the seventh speaker. In a 15-minute address, he is expected to underscore universal values such as freedom, human rights and peace, while also addressing the ongoing security situation on the Korean Peninsula. His participation in the U.N. event is widely seen as an effort to restore Korea’s international standing after months of domestic political turmoil, including a failed martial law attempt by and subsequent impeachment of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol. On Wednesday, Lee will also make history as the first Korean president to chair an open debate of the U.N. Security Council as leader

Sep 22, 2025By Anna J. Park
President heads to New York to address UN, meet Wall Street investors
Policy

Lee vows continued push for stronger capital markets as KOSPI soars

President Lee Jae Myung reiterated his campaign pledge to bolster the stock market, emphasizing the need to promote equities as a viable investment alternative and curb the public’s heavy reliance on real estate, as the benchmark KOSPI surged to a record high Thursday. The remarks came during a luncheon at the presidential office with the heads of research centers from 16 domestic and international securities firms. The president emphasized the need to eliminate unfair trading practices and foster a transparent, rational and predictable market environment to maintain investor confidence. “When I was a presidential candidate, I suggested that even a change in government leadership would push the KOSPI above 3,000 points, and fortunately, that came true,” Lee said. “Now that I hold the reins of government and economic policy, I realize more than ever the importance of normalizing the capital markets, including the stock market.” Lee emphasized that financial markets must be both predictable and stable, urging continued institutional reforms in the securities sector. He highlight

Sep 18, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee vows continued push for stronger capital markets as KOSPI soars
Foreign Affairs

FM holds talks with China's top diplomat, urges Xi Jinping to visit Korea

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, expressing hopes for a visit by President Xi Jinping to Korea later this year and for deeper bilateral cooperation between the two countries. It was Cho's first official visit to China since taking office — a move widely seen as an effort by Seoul to revitalize diplomatic ties amid a shifting regional landscape. During the talks, Cho highlighted the significance of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, at the end of next month. “It is very meaningful that APEC is being hosted in Northeast Asia — Korea this year and will be held in China again next year," he said. "I hope this will serve not only as an opportunity to advance APEC itself but also to deepen Korea–China relations. I look forward to President Xi attending the Gyeongju summit and visiting Korea, which would contribute to the further development of bilateral ties.” In response, Wang underscored the importance of sustained e

Sep 17, 2025By Anna J. Park
FM holds talks with China's top diplomat, urges Xi Jinping to visit Korea
Foreign Affairs

Education leaders, envoys urge Korean universities to expand global reach

University leaders and foreign diplomats underscored the importance of international cooperation in higher education at the 2025 Korea Times Global Conference in Seoul Wednesday, calling it vital for both Korea’s competitiveness and the global exchange of experts. While Korea’s soft power has made its culture an increasingly sought-after commodity, experts at the conference argued that the country’s universities must do more to compete for the best and the brightest around the globe. With a demographic cliff looming and the nation’s economic future hanging in the balance, failure to attract and retain foreign professionals could stifle innovation and threaten Korea’s long-term prosperity. Ewha Womans University President Lee Hyang-sook said the event comes at a time when Korean universities are drawing growing global attention. “I heard that The Korea Times is planning evaluation programs to raise the global standards of domestic universities,” she said. “As Korea becomes more globalized and attracts more inbound and outbound students, I believe this forum will play a ro

Sep 17, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin and Anna J. Park
Education leaders, envoys urge Korean universities to expand global reach
Global Community

Brazilian AI innovator among 17 named honorary citizens of Seoul

Luis Filipe Ferreira Fraga, a Brazilian artificial intelligence (AI) engineer, was among 17 foreign residents from 16 countries named “2025 Honorary Citizens of Seoul,” recognized Wednesday for advancing multicultural understanding and bolstering the city’s global standing. According to the city government, candidates were nominated between March 24 and May 16 through recommendations from embassies, social organizations and the public. The final selection was made after a review by an evaluation committee and approval from the Seoul Metropolitan Council. All of this year’s honorees have lived in Seoul for at least five years, achieving professional success in their respective fields while consistently engaging in community service and international exchange. Ferreira was recognized for his work at a domestic company developing AI-based medical imaging solutions for disease diagnosis. In addition, he has promoted Seoul internationally through media appearances, Portuguese-language education and mentoring for international students. The city explained that being an honorary citizen

Sep 17, 2025By Anna J. Park
Brazilian AI innovator among 17 named honorary citizens of Seoul
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