The Korea Times

Price of unification: Lessons from Germany for a divided Korea

Germany’s experience with reunification offers sobering but valuable lessons for the Korean Peninsula, speakers said Thursday at a roundtable in Seoul hosted by The Korea Times, emphasizing the need for careful preparation, sustained engagement and a willingness to bear long-term costs. Georg Schmidt, Germany’s ambassador to South Korea, and Kim Hyo-joon, former chairman of BMW Group Korea, said that although the political circumstances surrounding Germany’s reunification in 1990 differ markedly from those confronting the Korean Peninsula today, the costs of continued division — including the risk of armed conflict — must be weighed against the formidable economic and social burdens that reunification would entail. Kim said that reunification with North Korea remains a long-term objective for South Korea, but warned against abrupt political change or unrealistic expectations driven by emotion rather than feasibility. “This is a matter of timing,” he said during the event at the German ambassador’s residence. “Eventually we want reunification, because there is clear syn

Mar 5, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

Price of unification: Lessons from Germany for a divided Korea

Foreign Affairs

Ghana’s envoy finds surreal homecoming in the land of his birth

Ghana’s Ambassador to Korea Choi Ko-jo says his appointment carries a deeply personal meaning as someone born in Korea and raised in Ghana — a life shaped, he says, by “two mothers.” Speaking in an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of Ghana in Seoul on Feb. 25, Choi said becoming Ghana’s top envoy to the country of his birth was something he never imagined. “It is personally hard to believe,” he said. “I never dreamed of this or worked toward it deliberately. When it happened, it felt surreal — I’m just relieved this is not a TV program.” Choi moved to Ghana in 1992 with his missionary parents and spent most of his formative years there. That experience, he said, defined his identity and worldview. “I truly have two mothers,” he said. “Korea gave birth to me, and Ghana raised me. When I think of these two nations, they are both mothers to me.” Serving as ambassador, Choi said, means becoming a living bridge between the two countries he loves most — a role he described as both an honor and a heavy responsibility. “To connect my two mothers is an

Mar 3, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

Ghana’s envoy finds surreal homecoming in the land of his birth

Politics

Korea names new ministers, commission chiefs in leadership reshuffle

Korea announced a slate of nominations for cabinet posts and key oversight bodies on Monday, drawing on senior bureaucrats, lawmakers, legal professionals and academics in a sweeping leadership reshuffle. Hwang Jong-woo, a career civil servant, was nominated as minister of oceans and fisheries. Born in 1967 in Busan, Hwang has held several senior posts within the ministry, including as spokesperson, maritime safety director general and chief of its planning and coordination office. He currently chairs the International Cooperation Committee at the Korea Maritime Cooperation Center. The government also named four-term lawmaker Park Hong-keun as minister of planning and budget. Park, born in 1969 in South Jeolla Province, has served as floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party and previously chaired the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. He also led the policy planning subcommittee of the presidential transition team. Jung Il-yeon, a former senior judge who previously headed the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Court and served as a presiding judge at seve

Mar 2, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

Korea names new ministers, commission chiefs in leadership reshuffle

Foreign Affairs

Leaders of Korea, Singapore agree at summit to upgrade FTA

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday described the current global climate as one of “hyper-uncertainty,” finding common ground with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as the two leaders met for a summit in the city-state and pledged to deepen economic, technological and security ties. They also formally opened negotiations to modernize their two-decade-old free trade agreement, a concrete step toward reshaping their partnership around artificial intelligence (AI), nuclear energy and supply chain security. Speaking during the meeting at Singapore’s government complex, Lee said that navigating intensifying geopolitical tensions and economic volatility required “true partners who can be trusted to overcome difficulties together.” He added that he hoped to work closely with Wong during his term to “set a new milestone” in bilateral relations, reaffirming Korea and Singapore as strategic partners bound by mutual trust and a shared long-term vision. “Through this visit, I look forward to elevating cooperation in trade and investments, which have driven the development of ou

Mar 2, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

Leaders of Korea, Singapore agree at summit to upgrade FTA

Foreign Affairs

Korea, Serbia discuss trade expansion

The Korea Importers Association said Tuesday it discussed ways to expand bilateral trade and strengthen economic cooperation with Serbia during a meeting with Nemanja Grbic, Serbia’s ambassador to Korea. During the meeting at the association’s headquarters, Grbic said Serbia has a competitive agri-food industry that is well recognized in the European market and expressed hope for expanding exports to Korea, including organic corn and vegetable oils. He added that interest in the Korean market among Serbian companies continues to grow, noting that Serbia plans to participate again this year in the Korea Import Expo. Grbic said the event would serve as a key platform for expanding business ties between companies from both countries. Grbic also requested the dispatch of a Serbian import delegation to Korea, saying such exchanges would help further invigorate bilateral business cooperation. In response, Korea Importers Association Chairwoman Youn Young-mi said Serbia has strong quality competitiveness in food products such as frozen fruits and vegetables, adding that greater brand awaren

Feb 26, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

Foreign Affairs

EU envoy criticizes Russian Embassy banner as glorification of unlawful war

The European Union’s ambassador to Korea on Tuesday denounced a controversial banner displayed at the Russian Embassy in Seoul, calling it a breach of diplomatic responsibility and a reflection of Moscow’s broader pattern of intimidation and propaganda linked to its war in Ukraine. In an interview with The Korea Times at the EU Delegation office in Seoul, Ugo Astuto said the banner — written in Russian and reading “Victory is ours” — was unacceptable, particularly as it appeared ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “I think it is simply preposterous that the Russian Embassy glorifies its unlawful war of aggression, and on top of it against the explicit wishes of the host government,” Astuto said. “I find this preposterous, but I am not surprised.” The banner, mounted on the outer wall of the Russian Embassy in central Seoul, features Russia’s tricolor flag and echoes a slogan widely used by the Soviet Union during World War II. In recent years, the phrase has been used in Russia to justify and promote its invasion of Ukraine. The embass

Feb 25, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

EU envoy criticizes Russian Embassy banner as glorification of unlawful war

Foreign Affairs

Embassy of Denmark to present Danish Pavilion at 2026 Seoul Living Design Fair

The Embassy of Denmark in Seoul will present the Danish Pavilion at the 2026 Seoul Living Design Fair (SLDF), to be held from Feb. 25 to March 1 at COEX Hall A in Seoul. Located at Booth A-226, the pavilion will bring together 10 Danish brands under the theme “Room for Danish Design,” highlighting the country’s design philosophy and sustainable lifestyle through furniture, lighting, textiles and home goods. The participating brands include &Tradition, Eilersen, ester & erik, Fauske Marble by Moser, FRIENDS & FOUNDERS, Georg Jensen Damask, J.L. Moller, REEVEIN STUDIOS, Silkeborg Uldspinderi and The Fine Bedding Company. The lineup combines brands already familiar to Korean consumers with others making their debut in the Korean market. The pavilion and its related programs are co-organized by the embassy, Dansk Industri (DI) and Creative Denmark. In addition to the exhibition, the embassy will host a series of side events, including social media giveaways and live music performances. From Feb. 11 to Feb. 20, the embassy ran a giveaway event through its official Instagram account, sel

Feb 23, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

Embassy of Denmark to present Danish Pavilion at 2026 Seoul Living Design Fair

Foreign Affairs

Korea, Poland deepen strategic partnership beyond defense

Poland and Korea’s rapidly expanding relationship rests on years of accumulated trust, economic integration and cultural exchange that go far beyond headline-grabbing defense deals, Poland’s ambassador to Korea said in an interview with The Korea Times. Bartosz Wisniewski said the two countries, formally designated strategic partners in 2013, are now “reaping the benefits of decisions made many years ago,” pointing to long-term investments in connectivity, business and cultural cooperation that have steadily drawn the two societies closer. “Strategic partnership is written into documents, but it is also a continuum of decisions,” Wisniewski said during the interview at the Polish Embassy in Seoul. “What we are seeing today did not happen overnight.” One early milestone was the launch of direct flights between Warsaw and Seoul’s Incheon airport in 2016, a link Wisniewski described as transformative for trade, tourism and people-to-people ties. The route operated by Poland's national carrier is marking its 10th anniversary this year. “Despite the geographical distance,

Feb 20, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

Korea, Poland deepen strategic partnership beyond defense

North Korea

N. Korea overhauls inner circle, removing old guard

North Korea reshuffled the leadership of its ruling party’s highest decision-making body at its ninth party congress, the North's state media reported Friday, signaling changes within the power elite and a recalibration of its approach toward South Korea. According to Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency, the executive presidium of the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea consists of 39 members, including leader Kim Jong-un, the same number as at the Eighth Congress five years ago. However, 23 of them — roughly 59 percent — have been replaced. The order in which senior officials were announced also changed. Prime Minister Pak Thae-song was listed ahead of Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, reversing the protocol observed at the previous gathering. The reshuffle swept out several longtime power brokers who were considered part of the old guard, most notably Kim Yong-chol, the hard-line former intelligence chief and nuclear negotiator whose influence has waned since the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit. Also

Feb 20, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

N. Korea overhauls inner circle, removing old guard

Politics

Parties shift into high gear for June local elections after Lunar New Year break

As the Lunar New Year holiday ends, Korea’s political parties are shifting into full campaign mode for nationwide local elections in June, sharpening strategies based on voter sentiment and accelerating preparations for candidate nominations. The elections will be the first nationwide vote since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year and are widely viewed as an early test of his political momentum — one that could help determine control of the national agenda in the years ahead. Both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) are activating internal election committees and refining campaign messages, even as each grapples with internal tensions that could complicate plans. The DPK said public sentiment over the holiday underscored demand for political reform and relief from everyday economic strains. Party officials said they would anchor their campaign around those themes. DPK leaders said reform legislation — including bills tied to changes in the judiciary — would remain a priority during February’s extraordinary parlia

Feb 18, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin

Kim Hyun-bin

Read more

Price of unification: Lessons from Germany for a divided Korea

Ghana’s envoy finds surreal homecoming in the land of his birth

Korea names new ministers, commission chiefs in leadership reshuffle

Leaders of Korea, Singapore agree at summit to upgrade FTA

Korea, Serbia discuss trade expansion

EU envoy criticizes Russian Embassy banner as glorification of unlawful war

Embassy of Denmark to present Danish Pavilion at 2026 Seoul Living Design Fair

Korea, Poland deepen strategic partnership beyond defense

N. Korea overhauls inner circle, removing old guard

Parties shift into high gear for June local elections after Lunar New Year break

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