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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

President, Bill Gates discuss global health, future cooperation

President Lee Jae Myung and Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation, discussed Korea's role in global health and the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) during a meeting in Seoul Thursday. Gates has been meeting with politicians and business leaders during his visit to Korea, seeking Korea's collaboration on his philanthropic endeavors. "I pay tribute to these collective efforts for the Earth and all humankind, and the Korean government will also look for ways to participate as much as possible," Lee told Gates during the meeting at the presidential office. Gates said rapid shifts in geopolitics and technology offer Korea an opportunity to expand its role in developing solutions. He recalled founding Microsoft before creating the Gates Foundation in 2000, saying that while his software career had been rewarding, his focus was now on the foundation. "I started a foundation in year 2000, so we just celebrated our 25th anniversary. And as part of the anniversary, I committed to take all the resources that I have and the foundation has and spend them over the next 20 years. So

Aug 21, 2025By Anna J. Park
President, Bill Gates discuss global health, future cooperation
Politics

Prime minister vows seamless preparations for Gyeongju APEC Summit

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said preparations for the APEC Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, are “proceeding smoothly,” with logistical arrangements for the late-October event nearly finalized. Speaking at his first press briefing since taking office 47 days ago — and 77 days into the Lee Jae Myung administration — Kim said accommodations for visiting delegations are in place and that the government expects leaders of member economies to attend, in line with diplomatic conventions. His comments follow reports of a “tighter” preparation schedule and lingering questions about whether the city could host all guests, including heads of state, business representatives, government officials and members of the press. “I have been personally reviewing progress on a weekly basis, and related embassies have already made broad accommodation choices for their delegations,” Kim said. “There are no significant issues at this stage.” The prime minister emphasized that infrastructure and facilities are moving forward according to plan, with accommodations, media centers

Aug 19, 2025By Anna J. Park
Prime minister vows seamless preparations for Gyeongju APEC Summit
North Korea

Lee signals conciliatory shift on N. Korea, moves to revive past accords

President Lee Jae Myung directed government ministries, Monday, to prepare for the phased implementation of existing inter-Korean agreements, in a significant shift from his predecessor's hard-line stance toward Pyongyang. Presiding over a Cabinet meeting, Lee urged officials to begin with steps that could be implemented immediately, signaling his administration’s intent to ease tensions and take a more conciliatory stance toward Pyongyang. The call came on the day that South Korea and the United States launched their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise. Lee emphasized that inter-Korean relations remain critical amid a rapidly shifting security landscape. The directive marks a distinct departure from the policy of the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, which had largely dismissed previous accords with North Korea as nonbinding and often counterproductive. While Yoon had prioritized strengthening the alliance with Washington and confronting what he saw as Pyongyang’s increasingly bellicose behavior, Lee’s directive signals a pivot back toward engagement and a w

Aug 18, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee signals conciliatory shift on N. Korea, moves to revive past accords
Politics

Full Text Address by President Lee Jae Myung on Korea’s 80th Liberation Day

My fellow 52 million Korean citizens, and 7 million Koreans overseas, decorated independence activists and relatives of the dearly departed, Eighty years ago today, we reclaimed the light that had been wrested from us. The light that once again touched our hearts and brightly illuminated every corner of the Korean Peninsula was not freely obtained. It was won through the dedication and sacrifices of countless individuals who risked their lives with an indomitable will for the sake of national liberation and a fervent desire to restore our sovereignty. Liberation Day is not simply the day we regained our independence. It is also the day we reclaimed the freedom and the right to determine our own future and choose the course of our lives. Over the past 80 years, the Republic of Korea has made remarkable progress. Among all the countries that gained independence from colonial rule, only Korea managed to achieve both industrialization and democratization simultaneously. We are now standing tall as an advanced democracy that has the world’s fifth strongest military and 10th largest economy.

Aug 15, 2025By Anna J. Park
[Full Text] Address by President Lee Jae Myung on Korea’s 80th Liberation Day
  • Lee vows no ‘unification by absorption’ in Liberation Day address
Foreign Affairs

Lee vows no ‘unification by absorption’ in Liberation Day address

President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea will not seek to absorb North Korea for unification, in an address marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule, Friday. This conciliatory message is the latest in the Lee administration's conciliatory overtures toward Pyongyang, signaling a commitment to peaceful dialogue and indicating a softer approach to inter-Korean relations. "We affirm our respect for the North’s current system, aver that we will not pursue any form of unification by absorption and assert that we have no intention of engaging in hostile acts," Lee emphasized in the speech. His remarks came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, said in a statement that South Korea has a “delusion for unification by absorption” in its Constitution. Lee stressed that decades of confrontation stemming from the Korean Peninsula’s division have threatened people’s lives, restricted economic development and posed serious obstacles to the nation’s future. "Now is the time to move beyond outmoded Cold W

Aug 15, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee vows no ‘unification by absorption’ in Liberation Day address
Politics

Ceremony set for Friday to mark launch of Lee gov't

The presidential office will hold an event Friday at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul where dignitaries and citizens can celebrate the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Thursday that the event, dubbed a “people’s appointment ceremony,” is intended to celebrate the beginning of the “people’s sovereignty government,” formed through the public’s resilience against “unlawful martial law and insurrection.” The event, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day, was planned because Lee’s inauguration on June 4 took place without the usual ceremony featuring dignitaries from home and abroad as well as citizens. Lee took office just one day after winning the snap presidential election, bypassing the typical two-month transition period. "During the ceremony, 80 citizen representatives will present the president with certificates of appointment they have authored themselves, symbolically designating him as the people’s faithful servant,” Kang said. An additional 3,500 citizens, selected through a

Aug 14, 2025By Anna J. Park
Ceremony set for Friday to mark launch of Lee gov't
Foreign Affairs

Lee to meet Japanese PM during his Tokyo visit Aug. 23-24

President Lee Jae Myung will hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo during his two-day visit to Japan on Aug. 23 and 24, the presidential office announced Wednesday. The trip will take place immediately before Lee departs for Washington, D.C., for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for Aug. 25. “President Lee will visit Japan from Aug. 23 to 24 ahead of his trip to the United States, where he will hold a South Korea–Japan summit and a state dinner with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a press briefing at the presidential office. “Through the talks, the two leaders are expected to strengthen the foundation for forward-looking cooperation between the two countries, explore ways to enhance trilateral South Korea–U.S.–Japan coordination and exchange candid views on regional peace, stability and other global issues.” While the presidential office did not state the exact date or time of the summit talk, it is expected to take place on Aug. 23, followed by a dinner hosted by the Japanese

Aug 13, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee to meet Japanese PM during his Tokyo visit Aug. 23-24
Foreign Affairs

Korea-US summit set for Aug. 25

President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump will hold their first summit talks in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 25, the presidential office announced Tuesday. It will be Lee's first visit to the United States since taking office in early June, and the two leaders' first one-on-one, in-person meeting. The summit will also take place about a month after the two nations reached a deal on the U.S. tariff on Korean goods on July 31. “President Lee Jae Myung will visit the United States from Aug. 24 to 26 at the invitation of President Donald Trump to attend the Korea-U.S. summit scheduled for Aug. 25,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul. “This meeting will be the first face-to-face talks between the two leaders. They are expected to discuss ways to advance the Korea-U.S. alliance into a future-oriented comprehensive strategic partnership in response to the changing international security and economic environment,” the spokesperson added. She noted that Lee and Trump will also hold a working lunch together on

Aug 12, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea-US summit set for Aug. 25
Politics

Presidential office introduces sign language interpretation for press briefings

In a step toward greater inclusivity, the presidential office has begun offering sign language interpretation for its press briefings, starting Monday. The initiative was first launched during the joint press conference between President Lee Jae Myung and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. This is the first time in Korea’s history that a presidential administration has provided regular sign language interpretation for official briefings. The office explained that this decision is aimed at reducing barriers for people with hearing and speech disabilities, ensuring their participation in national affairs and enhancing accessibility to critical information. The move is also part of efforts to promote social integration and increase transparency in governance. “We are committed to creating a society where no citizen, including those who use sign language as their primary language, is excluded or faces inconvenience,” the presidential office stated. The office further emphasized plans to expand the interpretation service gradually to include major national event

Aug 11, 2025By Anna J. Park
Presidential office introduces sign language interpretation for press briefings
Foreign Affairs

S. Korea, Vietnam vow to expand trade to $150 bil. by 2030

Korea and Vietnam have pledged to deepen economic ties with the ambitious goal of expanding bilateral trade to $150 billion, committing to further cooperation in both countries' large-scale infrastructure, technology and nuclear energy sectors. They also agreed to broaden the scope of cooperation into future-oriented fields such as artificial intelligence, high-speed rail, renewable energy and critical minerals. The agreement came during a bilateral summit in Seoul on Monday between President Lee Jae Myung and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who has been on a four-day state visit to Seoul since Sunday. This marks the first state visit received by the Lee administration since taking office in early June. “Marking the 10th anniversary of the Korea-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement this year, the two countries have agreed to intensify efforts to reach the $150 billion trade target by 2030,” Lee said during a joint press conference at the presidential office in Seoul. The target will be about double the two countries' current trade volume, as last year's figure r

Aug 11, 2025By Anna J. Park
S. Korea, Vietnam vow to expand trade to $150 bil. by 2030
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