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Kim Ji-soo

Korea Times Editorial Reporter

Kim Ji-soo joined The Korea Times in 2006, and worked on such desks as culture and politics and is currently a member of the Editorial Board. Previous workplaces include The Korea Herald and the Korea JoongAng Daily.

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South Korea

By-elections turn into GNP vs. unified opposition

By Kim Ji-soo Opposition parties have agreed to field unified candidates in key electoral districts in the April 27 by-elections to compete against the ruling Grand National Party. As candidate registration began Tuesday, opposition parties decided to put forth Lee Bong-soo of the People’s Participation Party as their unified candidate in Gimhae B district in South Gyeongsang Province. He will run against ruling party candidate Kim Tae-ho, a former governor of the province. If Lee wins, he will secure a valuable National Assembly seat for his party and its chief, Rhyu Si-min, who is expected to run in the 2012 presidential election. The People’s Participation Party currently has no seats in the unicameral parliament. On Monday opposition parties said they would not field a candidate in Bundang B district, throwing all their weight behind Sohn Hak-kyu, candidate and chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party. Choi Moon-sun, the DP’s candidate for the Gangwon governorship will appear as a unified opposition candidate against Ohm Ki-young of the ruling party. Both Choi a

Apr 12, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Lee speaks out on Dokdo

By Kim Ji-soo Breaking his silence on new Japanese textbooks that once again lay claim to Dokdo, President Lee Myung-bak said that the islets are South Korean territory no matter what happens. “I have refrained from saying much as President, but I share the same sentiment as the public,” said Lee, in reference to Tokyo’s claim to the rocky islets in the East Sea. “We effectively control (Dokdo) … which is different from claiming from afar that its theirs,” the President said, as he asked for a calm but stern response. He said, “We are asked why Korea does not respond directly, but such a response is not a wise way.” The President added that “We will continue to strengthen our effective control (over Dokdo).” He said that Seoul should ignore Tokyo’s attempts to take the dispute over Dokdo to the International Court of Justice, as Seoul effectively controls the islets located 87 kilometers southeast of Ulleung Island. On Wednesday, Japanese education authorities approved 18 middle-school history, geography and ethics textbooks, 12 of which contained territorial claims

Apr 1, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

N. Korean parliament to convene in April

By Kim Ji-soo North Korea said Friday it will call its parliament next month, heightening speculation on whether heir apparent, Kim Jong-un, will further solidify his power base. The North’s official media, Korean Central news Agency said that the Supreme People’s Assembly will be held on April 7 for its fourth session. The North’s parliament is largely ceremonial, held in spring to assess the North’s spending for the previous year and set the next year’s budget. But North Korea watchers will keenly be alert for any possible changes in the status of 20-something heir including a position within the powerful National Defense Commission. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, 69, currently serves as chairman of the National Defense Commission. The post of first vice chairman of the commission remains vacant after Jo Myong-rok passed away in November 2010. Since suffering a stroke in 2008, the North Korean leader’s health is fragile and Pyongyang has been taking steps toward a power transition to his youngest son. Jong-un made his political debut when he was elected vice c

Mar 18, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Ex-consul general claims conspiracy

Kim Jeong-ki, the former consul general of Shanghai who is facing further investigation into the “Shanghai Scandal,” has raised the possibility of a conspiracy in the case involving several Korean diplomats and a Chinese woman. In an interview with local dailies, Kim said an intelligence agency was trying to discredit him. He reportedly had a fractious relationship with the deputy consul general of Shanghai, who was an officer of the National Intelligence Service. Korean consulates in foreign missions usually are comprised of officials dispatched from various government agencies. Kim is a political appointee. A renowned English teacher in the 1980s and 1990s, Kim worked for President Lee Myung-bak as a campaign strategist during the 2007 presidential election. Kim was appointed as Shanghai consul general on June 13, 2008. Recently the President also named a former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Agency as consul general to Osaka. Kim said that files leaked to the 33-year-old Chinese woman named Deng were not confidential but a directory he drafted personally four or

Mar 9, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

4 N. Koreans to stay here, 27 to return

By Kim Ji-soo Four of the 31 North Koreans — 11 men and 20 women — who drifted into South Korean waters last month near Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea have said they want to remain in the South, the Ministry of Unification said Thursday. Initially all of them had expressed their wish to return to the North. With the four having changed their minds, the ministry said it will repatriate the remaining 27 overland via the truce village of Panmunjeom today. A government source speaking on condition of anonymity said two women and two men wanted to defect. North Korea watchers speculated that the defections would further cast a dark cloud on chilly inter-Korean relations. The South will also return the boat in which they arrived to the North across the western sea border. The ministry also notified the North, through Red Cross channels, that the North Koreans would be going home. The group arrived aboard a wooden fishing boat on Feb. 5. The group was spotted through the fog by South Korean military personnel and towed to the western port city of Inch

Mar 3, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Partisan wrangling over EU FTA to continue in March session

By Kim Ji-soo A relatively shorter March extra session at the National Assembly is likely to pit the governing and the opposition camps over pending issues such as the Korea-EU free trade pact and the savings banks. The session will open on March 3 and continue through March 12. Partisan wrangling is expected over the submitted motion to ratify the Korea-Eu free trade pact, the recent turmoil among savings banks and the break-in of spy agency officials into the Indonesian delegation’s hotel room in Seoul. Conflict is likely to arise also in the bills including one for an international business belt, which were railroaded last year by the governing Grand National Party. “We will give priority to legislating bills that are related to the betterment of people’s livelihood,” said Kim Moo-sung, GNP floor leader, strongly suggesting that the GNP will push through the Korea-EU free trade agreement and increase the protection of savings account holders. His counterpart Park Jie-won, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said “We will focus on public livelih

Feb 27, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
Foreign Affairs

North Korean leader’s two younger sons have children

By Kim Ji-soo North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s two younger sons ― Kim Jong-chul, 29, and the heir Kim Jong-un ― reportedly 28 ― both have children, Japanese TV Asahi has reported. The news is the latest in the barrage of information or rumors about the third-generation in the isolated regime’s royal family. Earlier this week, both South Korean and Japanese media released photos of the second son, Jong-chul, at an Eric Clapton concert on Valentine’s Day. He was accompanied by a young woman who was speculated to be either his wife, or his younger sister, Yo-jong, 24. Jong-chul’s child was born last August, while Jong-un’s child was born sometime between fall and winter last year, a TV Asahi report said. There was no mention of who the mothers were or whether the children were male or female. The speculation was that the ailing Kim Jong-il, 69, was pushing for his children to create offspring as he looks to secure a power transfer to his heir and youngest son, Jong-un, 28. More details are emerging about the third-generation of North Korea’s royal family since Jong-

Feb 18, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Seoul, Tokyo agree to seek military pact

Defense chiefs meet to discuss exchange of info on NK nukes By Lee Tae-hoon Top military officials of South Korea and Japan agreed to bolster security ties between their countries Monday, amid a growing call for a regional alliance framework from the United States. The discussion between Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa took place in Seoul at a time when U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is holding talks with his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie in Beijing to boost bilateral military exchanges. Defense officials say Kim and Kitazawa reached a consensus on further strengthening military ties between the two neighbors, which still have uneasy relations following Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. “The two defense chiefs shared the need for stronger bilateral military ties for the peace and security of Northeast Asia,” the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement. The statement also noted that the two military chiefs decided to push for the signing of the first-ever military pact between

Jan 10, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
South Korea

Politician carries on donation of wealth

By Kim Ji-soo Has former President Kim Young-sam started a chain reaction of donating wealth? In an echo, Rep. Won Heeryong of the governing Grand National Party has said that he will donate all of his wealth to society when he dies. The three-term lawmaker wrote on Thursday via Twitter of his intention to donate, saying that “It’s not a shame to be born rich, but it is a shame to die rich.” The 46-year-old legislator’s wealth is estimated to be about 900 million won including a house in Seoul, his aides said. Won’s decision to donate his wealth to society is the second by a politician in the first week of the new year. Former President Kim Youngsam said Wednesday that he will give away an estimated 5 billion won ($4.44 million) to society when he passes away. More specifically, Kim said that he would donate his house in Sangdo- dong, Seoul, and his real estate on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province to a private foundation named after him “Kim Young-sam Democracy Center.” His birth home on the island is expected to be donated to the city there. Other former and

Jan 7, 2011By Kim Ji-soo
Opinion

Disarming intellectual

By Kim Ji-soo There is usually something different about people who are so-called “leaders.” Some inspire. Some are so intellectually superior it’s hard to not be persuaded. Some are charismatic. And some ― and this group I think is the most persuasive ― are the ones who disarm. It’s people with clarity in insight and warmth. I am sure we have all met several of these disarming leaders, which was the case of my meeting with the late Rhee Young-hee. It was in the year 2006 when we went for an interview with the dissident in his residence in Seoul. He was not in the best of health, having suffered a stroke in 2000. He was in a wheelchair, and his speech was slightly slurred. Perhaps it was because of his turbulent life. He was fired twice as a journalist, and twice as a professor for his writings and ideas. But he spoke emphatically and in length about his thoughts and ideas. Admittedly I have not read all of his books, just his most representative “Logic in the Era of Transition.” After reading that book, I experienced a certain sense of liberation, a notion that I could thi

Dec 8, 2010By Kim Ji-soo
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