The Korea Times

Commemorating Thai sacrifice

Members of the Korea Military Song Choir (KMSC) pose in front of a Korean War Memorial in an army compound in Chonburi, Thailand, Thursday, after paying respects to fallen Thai soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted the conflict, the KMSC performed at the Royal Thai Army Club in Bangkok the following day. Thailand dispatched a total of 6,326 troops to help South Korea, with 129 killed and 1,139 wounded. Courtesy of Korea Military Song Choir

Jun 25, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Foreign Affairs

KOICA signs MOU with USAID for Pacific Islands region

From left, Charge d'Affaires Tony Greubel of the U.S. Embassy in Fiji, USAID Deputy Mission Director Betty Chung, KOICA Fiji Office Director Ra Kap-chae and Ambassador of Korea to Fiji Park Young-kyu attend an MOU signing ceremony for a partnership between KOICA and USAID in the Pacific Islands region at the KOICA Fiji Office, Monday (local time). Courtesy of KOICABy Kang Seung-wooThe Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has teamed up with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen cooperation in the Pacific Islands region, with goals to enhance medical systems, clean up the marine environment and manage waste, and transition to renewable energy. KOICA Fiji Office held a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony with USAID for comprehensive cooperation in key development areas in the Pacific Islands region including health care, the environment and renewable energy, Monday (local time), at the KOICA Fiji Office. This MOU is based on the Korean government's Indo-Pacific Strategy, and is also closely related to the U.S. government's Strategic

Jun 13, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

KOICA signs MOU with USAID for Pacific Islands region

Defense

Senior Pentagon official to visit Seoul

By Kang Seung-wooColin Kahl, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, is scheduled to visit South Korea later this week to discuss pending bilateral issues between Seoul and Washington, such as U.S. extended deterrence and the envisaged Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG). Colin Kahl / Courtesy of Department of DefenseAccording to the Ministry of National Defense, Monday, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup plans to hold a meeting with Kahl, Wednesday, during which they are expected to talk over follow-up measures for last month's summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden, including U.S. commitment to extended deterrence.The U.S. Department of Defense also issued a release, Sunday (local time), to announce a senior official's trip to South Korea as well as the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Japan.“In the Republic of Korea (ROK), he will meet with senior officials and counterparts from the ROK government, visit the Joint Security Area (JSA) within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and attend a U.S.-ROK combined exercise,” it said. The Republic of Korea ref

Jun 12, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Opinion

Time to ease tensions

By Kang Seung-wooThere are no signs yet of efforts in the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to de-escalate rising tensions with North Korea despite the northern neighbor's escalation in provocations, including an expansion of its nuclear capabilities.The Kim Jong-un regime ended 2022 with a record number of ballistic missile launches, firing missiles on 38 separate occasions. Last September, it also legalized the use of its nuclear weapons preemptively against foes threatening its leadership. Entering this year, its saber-rattling has continued as Pyongyang test-fired a new solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in April and it launched a military spy satellite, Wednesday ― although its rocket crashed into the sea. It vowed to conduct another launch as soon as possible. The satellite launch is seen as a disguised ballistic missile test because both use the same technology. Amid growing North Korean threats, the South Korean government has responded by strengthening extended deterrence with the United States, as evidenced by the deployment of U.S. strategic assets

May 31, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Law & Crime

Actor faces arrest

Actor Yoo Ah-in answers questions from reporters at the Seoul Central District Court, Wednesday, after the court's hearing to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for him over allegations of illegal drug use. He is accused of illegally using five different drugs for nonmedical purposes since 2020. Yonhap

May 24, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Defense

KAI finalizes FA-50 deal with Malaysia

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) CEO Kang Goo-young, left, shakes hands with Dato' Sri Muez bin Abd Aziz, fourth from left, secretary general of the Malaysia defense ministry, during a signing ceremony in Malaysia, Tuesday, for KAI's export of the FA-50 light combat aircraft to Malaysia. In February, Malaysia agreed to purchase 18 FA-50s worth $920 million. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, second from left, and his Malaysian counterpart Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, third from left, were also present. Courtesy of Korea Aerospace Industries

May 23, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Health

Nurses protest presidential veto

Members of the Korean Nurses Association stage a rally in downtown Seoul, Friday, to protest against President Yoon Suk Yeol's veto of the controversial opposition-initiated Nursing Act, Tuesday. Yonhap

May 19, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Society

Sand festival in Busan

A woman takes a picture of a sand sculpture at the 2023 Haeundae Sand Festival in Busan, Friday. The annual event will run through Monday. Yonhap

May 19, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Foreign Affairs

KOICA Exhibition Hall opens

The interior of the KOICA Exhibition Hall / Courtesy of KOICABy Kang Seung-wooThe Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Exhibition Hall, which offers information and activities on development cooperation, was opened at the agency's headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, with an opening ceremony, Wednesday.The KOICA Exhibition Hall was established to promote official development assistance (ODA) and KOICA to the Korean people and emphasize the role of development cooperation in addressing global challenges. The hall seeks to raise interest in sustainability and encourage people's participation. The KOICA Exhibition Hall consists of five sections: Prologue, Permanent Exhibition, Special Exhibition, Multimedia Experience and Epilogue. The space is designed to display KOICA's growth along with the ODA history of Korea, global issues linked to KOICA's main sectors and the importance of values, the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and international development cooperation in solving global problems. The KOICA Exhibition Hall was previously operated since June 2010 a

May 18, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Politics

Black Eagles depart for Malaysia

The Black Eagles, an aerobatic display team of the Republic of Korea Air Force comprised of KAI's T-50B Golden Eagle supersonic advanced trainer jets, take off from an air base in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Wednesday, to participate in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), scheduled for May 23 through 27. The Air Force has mobilized nine T-50B jets and three C-130 transport planes. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Air Force

May 17, 2023By Kang Seung-woo

Kang Seung-woo

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