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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

President Lee returns from vacation to packed agenda of summits, pardons

President Lee Jae Myung is set to resume state affairs this week after a weeklong summer vacation, with high-profile tasks ahead including National Liberation Day special pardons, preparations for an upcoming Seoul-Washington summit and key personnel appointments. The presidential office said Sunday that Lee returned to the official residence in Seoul the previous day after completing his holiday at the official presidential retreat residence on Jeodo Island in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. Upon his return on Saturday, he immediately resumed his official duties, receiving backlogged reports from aides. He ordered all fatal industrial accidents to be reported to him directly and without delay, and instructed the labor ministry to present preventive measures at the next Cabinet meeting. On Monday, Lee will hold a summit with To Lam, general secretary of Vietnam’s Communist Party. The Vietnamese leader began his four-day state visit to Korea on Sunday. The summit talks are expected to focus on strengthening bilateral ties, with economic and cultural cooperation at the forefront. This

Aug 10, 2025By Anna J. Park
President Lee returns from vacation to packed agenda of summits, pardons
Foreign Affairs

Korea-US summit expected to take place Aug. 25

The first summit between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to take place on Aug. 25 in Washington, D.C. According to multiple local media reports and government sources, Lee is likely to arrive in the United States on Aug. 24, with the summit scheduled for the following day at the White House. While final arrangements for the summit schedule are reportedly underway with U.S. officials, the possibility of changes to the date during final negotiations cannot be ruled out. The presidential office has remained tight-lipped about the summit schedule, underscoring the importance of diplomatic protocols and joint coordination between the two countries. “The summit date will be determined through diplomatic coordination between the two countries, and due to diplomatic practices, we cannot provide advance details at this time,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters during a press briefing at the presidential office Thursday. “Once the date is finalized and mutual agreement is reached, we will of course inform the media first.” If the

Aug 7, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea-US summit expected to take place Aug. 25
Politics

Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk considered for pardon as Liberation Day review looms

Cho Kuk, former justice minister and previously the leader of the progressive-leaning minor Rebuilding Korea Party, has been named as a candidate for a special pardon on Aug. 15 Liberation Day, sparking media speculation over whether he will receive clemency. According to local media and legal sources, the Ministry of Justice convened a pardon review committee meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday to deliberate on candidates for the special pardon to be granted next Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of Korea's independence from Japanese colonial occupation. Cho was included on the candidate list. The committee, chaired by Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho, comprises senior officials from the ministry and prosecution, along with at least four external members. Once internal deliberations are complete, the justice minister will submit the list of final recommendations to President Lee Jae Myung for approval. If granted, Cho would become the first prominent beneficiary of the special pardon under the Lee administration. He would also be released roughly eight months after beginning a two-year prison sen

Aug 7, 2025By Anna J. Park
Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk considered for pardon as Liberation Day review looms
Politics

President Lee to take first weeklong summer vacation starting Monday

President Lee Jae Myung will take his first summer vacation since assuming office, with a five-day break starting Monday, the presidential office announced Friday. The announcement comes shortly after a significant breakthrough in the South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, one of the administration's key diplomatic priorities. The agreement was finalized early Thursday, just before the Aug. 1 deadline, which enabled Lee to confirm his vacation plans. While the president had long been considering the first week of August for his break, delays in the tariff talks had postponed the scheduling. With the tariff issue now resolved, Lee intends to use the vacation both as an opportunity to recharge and to prepare for the next phase of his domestic and foreign policy agenda. The presidential office explained that Lee is scheduled to stay at the presidential retreat on Jeo Island near Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, starting Saturday. During the break, he plans to relax by reading, watching films and taking time for personal rest, but will remain engaged with key state matters. The presidential o

Aug 1, 2025By Anna J. Park
President Lee to take first weeklong summer vacation starting Monday
Foreign Affairs

Lee-Trump summit expected in US within 2 weeks

President Lee Jae Myung is set to have a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump soon, as the two nations agreed on the meeting while reaching a deal over the U.S. tariff on Korean goods, Thursday. It will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. They are expected to discuss further details about the tariff agreement as well as security issues that were not addressed in the deal. Trump announced the upcoming summit via his Truth Social account, disclosing plans to host Lee in Washington in the coming days. Mentioning the agreements of Korea's $350 billion investment and $100 billion worth of liquefied natural gas and other energy purchases, the U.S. president said further details of the tariff deal would be finalized and announced during the upcoming summit. “This sum will be announced within the next two weeks when the President of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, comes to the White House for a Bilateral Meeting,” Trump wrote. “I would also like to congratulate the new President on his electoral success.” Korea's presidential office also confirmed the summ

Jul 31, 2025By Anna J. Park
Lee-Trump summit expected in US within 2 weeks
Society

After fatal accident, father of 2 becomes lifesaving organ donor

A devoted father in his 40s, who died after a workplace accident, went on to save numerous lives through the donation of his organs and tissue. According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, Jang Sang-bin, 44, was declared brain dead following a workplace accident in May. On June 6, at Gyeongsang National University Hospital, he donated his liver, both kidneys and right eye, offering a second chance at life to four patients in critical need of transplants. In addition to his organs, Jang also donated his skin, bones, cartilage and blood vessels — gifts that offered more than 100 patients the hope of restored function and a path toward recovery. Jang had worked for a private security firm for more than 15 years. On May 3, while performing a safety inspection at a factory, he fell from a height of approximately 5 meters. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition but never regained consciousness. Faced with an unimaginable loss, his family made the difficult decision to donate his organs, hoping his final act would save lives. His wife, who had donated a kidney to her sister in he

Jul 31, 2025By Anna J. Park
After fatal accident, father of 2 becomes lifesaving organ donor
Foreign Affairs

US lowers tariffs on Korea to 15% in return for $350 bil. in investments

Korea and the United States agreed to lower the latter's planned blanket duties on Korean products from 25 percent to 15 percent, Thursday, in return for a $350 billion investment in American industries. The revised tariff rate is at the same level that Japanese and European products will face in the U.S. market. The two nations also agreed on a 15 percent tariff on Korean car imports to the U.S., down from the 25 percent which has been already imposed. In addition, Korea will purchase $100 billion worth of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other energy products from the U.S. The tariff deal was signed after an unexpected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and negotiators from the Korean government at the White House on Wednesday (local time), two days before the beginning of Washington’s imposition of the “reciprocal” tariffs on Korean imports. "I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has agreed to a Full and Complete Trade Deal with the Republic of Korea. The Deal is that South Korea will give to the United States $350 Billion Dollars for Investments own

Jul 31, 2025By Anna J. Park and Park Jae-hyuk
US lowers tariffs on Korea to 15% in return for $350 bil. in investments
Foreign Affairs

Tariff deal hindered by ‘excessive US demands’: source

The ongoing trade negotiations with the U.S. are facing headwinds, as American demands have emerged as difficult to accommodate, a source familiar with the discussions said Wednesday. The explanation comes as top Korean government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, engage in last-minute talks with their counterparts in Washington ahead of the Donald Trump administration’s planned imposition of a 25 percent “reciprocal” tariff on Korean products, expected for Aug. 1. "The U.S. demands are proving particularly challenging," the source said, adding they are complicating efforts to reach an agreement. The official did not specify how much investment the U.S. is requesting. With Japan and the European Union pledging investments of $550 billion and $600 billion respectively, Korea now finds itself under mounting pressure to increase its own commitments. Bloomberg recently reported that the Korean government suggested $100 billion in investments plus additional incentives, but Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick talked of $400 billion. The increas

Jul 30, 2025By Anna J. Park
Tariff deal hindered by ‘excessive US demands’: source
Foreign Affairs

Can US-North Korea denuclearization talks be revived?

The prospect of renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang is once again capturing headlines, fueled by a rare and forceful statement from Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Her remarks also underscore a markedly changed landscape for U.S.-North Korea engagement compared to the years of direct leadership engagement in 2018 and 2019. According to North Korean state media on Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong's message unequivocally dismissed the idea of denuclearization talks with the United States, even while acknowledging a continued personal rapport between the two nations' leaders. The statement followed closely on the heels of a similar pronouncement directed at South Korea, suggesting a concerted effort by Pyongyang to reassert its diplomatic positions amidst evolving regional dynamics. Kim Yo-jong's statement notably began by addressing recent comments from a White House official, who, reflecting the continued stance of the Trump administration, had expressed that the U.S. remains open to engaging with the North Korean leader to achieve a "fully denu

Jul 29, 2025By Anna J. Park
Can US-North Korea denuclearization talks be revived?
Society

Summer mentoring for math scholars

Woongjin Foundation Chairman Shin Hyon-ung, front row sixth from left, poses with dignitaries and the foundation's scholarship students at the annual summer mentoring program at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Friday. The dignitaries include, from front row fourth from left, Kim Min-hyong, professor at University of Edinburgh; Lee Tae-sik, former ambassador to the U.S.; Shin; Oh Se-jung, former president of Seoul National University; Kim Do-han, professor emeritus of Seoul National University; and Choi Yong-ki, former vice president of Mongolian National University. Courtesy of Woongjin Foundation

Jul 28, 2025By Anna J. Park
Summer mentoring for math scholars
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