The Korea Times

Kim Jong-un seeking internal regime strength in latest speech

Members of the Ministry of People's Security join others as they pay their respects before the statues of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, Monday, on the 67th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice agreement. / AFP-YonhapBy Do Je-hae Questions are rising about what North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meant with his focus on nuclear deterrence at a veterans' event held this week to mark the 67th anniversary of the 1953 Korean War armistice.“Thanks to our reliable and effective self-defensive nuclear deterrent, there will no longer be such a word as war in this land. Our national security and future will be firmly guaranteed forever,” Kim was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the North Korea's state media, Tuesday.The remarks came amid rising concerns about North Korea's economy, which is believed to have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this week, Pyongyang announced the closure of Gaeseong, a border city with South Korea, after a former defector to South Korea who, according to the North

Jul 28, 2020By Do Je-hae

Kim Jong-un seeking internal regime strength in latest speech

Politics

Korea's G7 participation in limbo

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a weekly meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. YonhapGermany opposes Trump's move to expand G7By Do Je-hae Doubts are rising over whether President Moon Jae-in will be able to take up an invitation to participate in the Group of Seven (G7) meeting slated for September.Cheong Wa Dae has claimed that the invitation was a stepping stone for Korea to later become a member of an expanded version of the group, an idea floated by U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Moon's participation is becoming increasingly unclear due to the negative reaction from the other G7 members.During a phone call with Moon, June 1, Trump invited Moon to take part in the meeting of the leaders of the most developed economies, along with leaders from Australia, India and Russia, when the meeting is held in the U.S. in September. Moon accepted the invitation at the time. But Germany has become the latest country to protest Trump's move to expand the G7.“The G7 and G20 are two sensibly coordinated formats. We don't need a G11 or a G12,” German Foreign M

Jul 27, 2020By Do Je-hae

Politics

Senior officials subjected to infringement on personal property

Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun, left, President Moon Jae-in, center, and Moon's Chief of Staff Noh Young-min arrive at a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, July 21./YonhapBy Do Je-haeIt's tough to be a senior official at Cheong Wa Dae or a government ministry these days. After being pressured to donate their emergency disaster relief fund, they are now being told to sell some of their houses.These officials, who have often been the subject of public envy for status and job stability, are facing intense pressure to adhere to the one-house-per-person rule recommended by Presidential Chief of Staff Noh Young-min and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun.At government ministries, the rule is applicable to director-general level and above. And at Cheong Wa Dae, senior presidential aides have undergone intense scrutiny over how many homes they own. Cheong Wa Dae has said that it will announce the results of Noh's recommendation made earlier this year that senior aides should sell houses they own, other than their main residence, by the end of this month.Noh himself became a victim of his own recomme

Jul 26, 2020By Do Je-hae

Senior officials subjected to infringement on personal property

Politics

Ruling party seeks to move Cheong Wa Dae, Assembly to Sejong

Sejong Mayor Lee Choon-hee speaks during a meeting at the National Assembly, Tuesday. The mayor has called for support from Cheong Wa Dae and the Assembly to complete an administrative capital in Sejong. / YonhapBy Do Je-hae The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is trying to revive a push to move Cheong Wa Dae and the National Assembly to Sejong to complete a stalled plan to build an alternative administrative capital for “balanced development” of the country.The renewed proposal for the Sejong administrative capital was among the highlights of DPK floor leader Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon's speech at the National Assembly, Monday. The speech has renewed public attention to an old debate about the feasibility of moving the capital outside Seoul, after the Constitutional Court had ruled in 2004 that Seoul being the capital was an established fact according to the “customary Constitution.”Not only the DPK floor leader but other party heavyweights such as Rep. Lee Nak-yon, President Moon Jae-in's first prime minister and candidate for the DPK leadership, have declared

Jul 23, 2020By Do Je-hae

Ruling party seeks to move Cheong Wa Dae, Assembly to Sejong

Politics

Cheong Wa Dae seeks breakthrough with reshuffle

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in is likely to reshuffle some of his key aides soon as a part of efforts to rebuild public trust and strengthen his administration, following continuing public criticism over his policies including on housing.According to ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) officials, Cheong Wa Dae is likely to replace Kim Jo-won, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and Kang Ki-jung, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, and several others in a reshuffle that could take place as early as next week. But Moon is likely to retain chief of staff Noh Young-min, who has become one of the symbols of the Moon administration's failing housing policy after controversy erupted surrounding his ownership of two houses in southern Seoul and Cheongju, South Chunngcheong Province. He belated announced a decision to sell both houses after his initial announcement to sell the less expensive home in Cheongju caused a public uproar. Earlier this year, Noh recommended mult

Jul 22, 2020By Do Je-hae

Cheong Wa Dae seeks breakthrough with reshuffle

Politics

Moon's silence on sexual harassment raises questions

President Moon Jae-in, center, poses with employees at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family during a visit to the ministry on Dec. 20, 2018. He is joined by Rep. Jin Sun-mee of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), second from left in the front row. She was serving as gender equality minister at the time. Courtesy of Cheong Wa DaeBy Do Je-haeQuestions are rising over why President Moon Jae-in is not making any mention of a series of sexual harassment scandals involving high profile politicians of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).His silence on the issue is considered unusual, given that he had pledged to be a “feminist President,” and has underscored the need for supporting and empowering women, and put a special emphasis on raising the proportion of female leaders in his Cabinet and the presidential office.There was an expectation that Moon, during Monday's meeting with senior aides, would mention the death of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and the allegations that he sexually abused his secretary ― a case that has made headlines in the local media since

Jul 20, 2020By Do Je-hae

Moon's silence on sexual harassment raises questions

Cheong Wa Dae seeks breakthrough with reshuffle

Politics

Concerns growing over possible reduction of US troops

In this Jan. 9, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump points as he arrives to speak at a campaign rally, in Toledo, Ohio. AP-YonhapBy Do Je-haeThe latest U.S. media reports are hinting at a possible reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Korea.In an article titled “Trump administration weighs troop cut in South Korea,” The Wall Street Journal reported on July 19 that the Pentagon had reported options to “reduce the American troop presence in South Korea” to the White House.The WSJ report comes amid the rocky bilateral negotiations on the Korea-U.S. Special Measures Agreement (SMA) to determine Korea's share of the costs for maintaining U.S. forces here, raising speculation that Trump is willing to seriously consider a troop reduction as leverage to extract a better deal with Korea. Quoting a U.S. military official, the WSJ reported that the Pentagon has “reviewed the structure of U.S. forces in South Korea as a part of a broader re-examination of how to reposition and potentially reduce military deployments world-wide,” including the Middle East,

Jul 19, 2020By Do Je-hae

Concerns growing over possible reduction of US troops

Politics

More Koreans disapprove of President Moon

People enraged by Moon government's 'two-faced' attitudeBy Do Je-haeOne of the things that has set President Moon Jae-in apart from his predecessors is that his popularity rating has enjoyed a stable level throughout his presidency since May 2017.But latest surveys reflect a noticeable loss of public confidence in President Moon and his administration in the past few weeks due to some glaring policy missteps, including those related to real estate.However, the increased disappointment is not with the missteps themselves but the “two-faced” attitude and discordance between words and actions by some of the President's key aides and ranking government officials. The disappointment stems from the fact that the Moon administration was launched under the banner of “fairness and justice.”This hypocrisy was highlighted by the recent controversy surrounding chief of staff Noh Young-min, who belatedly followed his own recommendation he had made late last year for senior presidential aides owning more than one home to sell off all properties other than their main residen

Jul 19, 2020By Do Je-hae

Politics

Moon calls for Assembly's support in opening speech

President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech to mark the opening of the 21st National Assembly, Thursday. YonhapPresident pledges all-out efforts to fight property speculationBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in has stressed the importance of cooperation between the ruling and opposition blocs in order to overcome socio-economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to carry out other state affairs smoothly.He made the request at the National Assembly during a speech to mark the official opening of the 21st Assembly, Thursday, while emphasizing its role in state affairs and underlining his resolve to push for new growth initiatives in the post-coronavirus world.Moon initially planned to give the speech earlier last month, but it was delayed due to the parties' rivalry over contentious issues, such as the appointment of the heads of the Assembly's standing committees. The new Assembly, elected through the April general election, was inaugurated May 30 and it has taken 48 days for the official opening ceremony to take place ― the longest delay since 1987. “The 21st National Asse

Jul 16, 2020By Do Je-hae

Moon calls for Assembly's support in opening speech

Moon's approval rating lowest in 9 months

Politics

Moon introduces Korean version of 'New Deal'

President Moon Jae-in speaks during an event at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday, to introduce his Korean New Deal initiative for economic growth. YonhapBy Do Je-hae Information technology and low-carbon initiatives will be key factors to transform Korea into a global pacemaker in the post-coronavirus world, President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday. The President announced a package of measures dubbed the “Korean New Deal” designed to create jobs and spur growth to revive an economy that is struggling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this, the government will spend 160 trillion won ($130 billion) with the aim of providing 1.9 million jobs by 2025Moon underscored that his administration will use the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to upgrade the nation's economy by promoting digital industries, pledging to make utmost efforts to help the country better adapt to socio-economic changes.“No one should be left behind in the face of a crisis. Everyone needs to be able to coexist,” he said in a keynote speech while announcing the plans at Cheong Wa Dae, part

Jul 14, 2020By Do Je-hae

Do Je-hae

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Kim Jong-un seeking internal regime strength in latest speech

Korea's G7 participation in limbo

Senior officials subjected to infringement on personal property

Ruling party seeks to move Cheong Wa Dae, Assembly to Sejong

Cheong Wa Dae seeks breakthrough with reshuffle

Moon's silence on sexual harassment raises questions

Concerns growing over possible reduction of US troops

More Koreans disapprove of President Moon

Moon calls for Assembly's support in opening speech

Moon introduces Korean version of 'New Deal'

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