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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 vows to speed up decentralization with regional hubs, Sejong office

In a signal of his commitment to decentralizing power, President Lee Jae Myung pledged to fast-track the construction of a presidential office and National Assembly building in the administrative city of Sejong. Chairing his first Cabinet meeting there on Tuesday, he called balanced national development “not a matter of choice, but an essential task” for Korea's future. Sejong, located 120 kilometers south of Seoul, was established in 2012 as a new administrative capital to address the severe overconcentration of power and population in Seoul. “The greatest challenge for Korea today is sustainable growth, and the strongest foundation for that growth is balanced development,” Lee emphasized. Lee reaffirmed his promise to advance the construction of the Sejong presidential office and Sejong Assembly building. “I want to once again stress that creating a nation where all regions enjoy equal opportunities for development is the surest path to building a sustainable Republic of Korea,” the president said. He acknowledged that Korea’s past focus on concentrated investment in the Se

Sep 16, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee vows to speed up decentralization with regional hubs, Sejong office
Politics

Tensions escalate between ruling party and judiciary

The presidential office on Monday appeared to side with the opposition-controlled National Assembly, saying the nation’s top judge should consider calls for his resignation if they reflect the will of the legislature. The remarks, made by a presidential spokesperson, marked a rare and pointed intervention in an escalating standoff between the executive and judiciary. With the presidential office effectively backing the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which holds a legislative majority, pressure is mounting on Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and the confrontation over judicial independence is entering a more contentious phase. The DPK, seeking to pass a judicial reform bill before the Chuseok holiday in early October, has clashed with the judiciary over proposals that include a special tribunal and an expanded Supreme Court. The move has prompted a counter-response from the National Judges’ Association, which announced its own forum on appeals system reform, fueling speculation that resistance to the Assembly’s agenda may be spreading throughout the courts. Presidential spokesper

Sep 15, 2025By Anna J. Park
Tensions escalate between ruling party and judiciary
Foreign Affairs

Police mobilize full-scale security operations for APEC meeting in Gyeongju

With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting set to open Oct. 31 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, police have begun full-scale preparations to ensure the highest level of security. To safeguard key venues during the global event, security authorities plan to eliminate potential threats by deploying thousands of personnel and state-of-the-art counterterrorism equipment throughout the summit. According to police officials Sunday, up to 18,500 officers will be mobilized daily during the event to handle security, traffic management and prevention of surprise protests. The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, which launched a dedicated APEC task force in March, its security command center has been established in Gyeongju to oversee on-site readiness, with units drafted from across the country, including mobile patrols, SWAT teams and investigative squads. On Sept. 8 and 9, police conducted a large-scale motorcade security drill at the Bomun Tourist Complex — home to both the summit venue and participating leader accommodations — involving 593 officers and arou

Sep 15, 2025By Anna J. Park
Police mobilize full-scale security operations for APEC meeting in Gyeongju
Foreign Affairs

Korea pushes back against US tariff demands

Korea is pushing back against mounting U.S. pressure to sign a contentious bilateral trade deal, saying it will not accept "unfair" negotiations, after a senior U.S. official warned that Seoul must sign or face steep tariffs. “We will not hold negotiations that lack rationality or fairness. The government will proceed with talks with the national interest as the top priority,” a presidential office official said Friday. The remarks come after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick warned that Korea should either accept the trade deal or pay tariffs during an interview with CNBC earlier this week, underscoring the impasse in monthslong talks. Lutnick stressed that Washington’s position was firm, noting that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s Aug. 25 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington produced no trade announcement. “The Koreans didn’t sign when the president was in,” Lutnick said during the interview. “You remember that he came to the White House. Notice how we didn’t talk about trade because he didn’t sign the piece of paper,” he said. “The K

Sep 12, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea pushes back against US tariff demands
Foreign Affairs

President stresses dialogue with N. Korea, US role in peninsula affairs

President Lee Jae Myung highlighted the importance of persistent dialogue and trust-building with North Korea, despite Pyongyang’s cold responses, during a press conference Thursday marking his first 100 days in office. Lee said that as the world’s only divided nation, South Korea has a clear interest in reducing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, not only for security reasons but also for its economic well-being. "From North Korea’s perspective, it would be foolish for South Korean officials to expect the North to suddenly soften its stance or greet them with smiles just because the government has changed, halted loudspeaker broadcasts or has taken a few conciliatory steps,” the president said. He acknowledged that Pyongyang has so far responded indifferently to Seoul’s continued outreach efforts, but emphasized that the South must keep trying. “Even if there is no visible progress, we continue to make efforts for dialogue, and we hope that consistent effort will eventually bring change,” he said. Lee cautioned against mirroring North Korea’s hostility. “If they

Sep 11, 2025By Anna J. Park
President stresses dialogue with N. Korea, US role in peninsula affairs
Politics

Gov't expands national growth fund to $120 bil. to boost AI, strategic industries

The Lee Jae Myung administration announced an expansion of the so-called National Growth Fund, a government-led public-private initiative for strategic economic growth, increasing its scope from the originally pledged 100 trillion won ($72 billion) to 150 trillion won. The fund is designed to accelerate long-term support for 10 key advanced industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and biotechnology, aiming to revitalize Korea’s economy through industrial restructuring. Speaking at a livestreamed public briefing on the National Growth Fund in Seoul Wednesday — attended by government ministries, industry leaders, startups, venture firms and financial institutions — the president said the initiative would inject new vitality into Korea’s stagnant industries. “Korea is at a critical turning point: whether to continue in prolonged low growth with weakened competitiveness in our key industries, or to leap forward as a developed nation. The National Growth Fund will inject new energy into our stagnant industries,” Lee said. “We had initially discussed a

Sep 10, 2025By Anna J. Park
Gov't expands national growth fund to $120 bil. to boost AI, strategic industries
Politics

DPK leader warns opposition of party dissolution in first Assembly address

Rep. Jung Chung-rae, leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), delivered his first address at the National Assembly since becoming the party’s chief negotiator. In his speech, he called for an end to what has been dubbed the “internal rebellion” — a reference to the political turmoil sparked by former President Yoon Suk Yeol ’s surprise declaration of martial law. He also advocated for reforms of the prosecution, judiciary and media. Jung’s remarks came a day after he met with President Lee Jae Myung and main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyeok, raising hopes for a new era of bipartisan cooperation. However, in his speech, Jung maintained a hard-line stance toward the PPP, even mentioning the possibility of filing a constitutional petition to dissolve the nation's largest conservative party. He denounced Yoon’s Dec. 3 declaration of martial law as “the result of privatizing power and undermining the Constitution.” Addressing the PPP, he framed calls to root out an internal rebellion — directed at Yoon — as “defending the Consti

Sep 9, 2025By Anna J. Park
DPK leader warns opposition of party dissolution in first Assembly address
Politics

Korea aims to become top 3 AI power with new presidential committee

Aligned with President Lee Jae Myung’s goal of making Korea one of the world’s top three AI powers, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee was officially launched Monday afternoon under his direct leadership. As the country’s highest-level policy council on artificial intelligence (AI), the joint government-private committee will oversee the deliberation and coordination of national AI strategy. Its mandate includes reviewing policies, ensuring cooperation across ministries and advancing initiatives to carry out the administration’s AI agenda. A launching ceremony and the first plenary session were held in Seoul, attended by 34 newly appointed private sector members — mostly AI and technology experts — along with government officials and presidential aides. The members from the private sector will serve across eight subcommittees, overseeing areas such as AI infrastructure, data, applications, social adaptation, global cooperation, science and skill development, and defense and security. Additional members will be appointed later to support policy planning,

Sep 8, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea aims to become top 3 AI power with new presidential committee
Foreign Affairs

Poor conditions at Georgia detention center raise alarm for detained S. Korean workers

The facility in Georgia where more than 300 South Korean workers detained by U.S. immigration authorities are being held has a documented history of poor hygiene and unsafe conditions, raising concerns about potential health risks if detention periods are prolonged. Most of the South Koreans detained Thursday (local time) during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid targeting undocumented workers at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia are currently being held at the Folkston ICE Processing Center. The detention center has previously been flagged for substandard conditions in unannounced inspections by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. A report released in June 2022, based on an inspection conducted from Nov. 16–18, 2021, identified “numerous violations that compromised the health, safety and rights of detainees.” The report, titled “Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Folkston ICE Processing Center and Folkston Annex,” highlighted several areas in need of improvement. “According to

Sep 7, 2025By Anna J. Park
Poor conditions at Georgia detention center raise alarm for detained S. Korean workers
North Korea

Kim Jong-un holds summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un praised China’s “fair stance” on Korean Peninsula issues during a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday, marking their first bilateral meeting in more than six years. According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, Kim expressed hope that the two countries would “continue strengthening coordination on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations to safeguard shared and fundamental interests.” The North Korean leader also stressed that “no matter how the international situation changes, the friendship between North Korea and China will remain unchanged.” During the talks, Xi emphasized the need to “strengthen strategic cooperation and safeguard common interests,” reiterating that China would “maintain an objective and fair position on the Korean Peninsula issue and enhance coordination with North Korea.” Chinese state media, including CCTV and Xinhua, reported that Kim arrived at the Great Hall of the People Thursday afternoon. His motorcade was seen en route at approximately 5:45

Sep 4, 2025By Anna J. Park
Kim Jong-un holds summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing
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