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Kang Seung-woo

Korea Times Business Reporter

Kang Seung-woo is the Business Desk editor at The Korea Times. Prior to this position, he covered politics, national affairs, finance and sports.

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Politics

President vows to reform labor market at meeting with public

President Yoon Suk-yeol holds a meeting to check the progress of his key policy tasks at Yeongbingwan, a reception hall at the former president's office and residence, Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. Joint Press Corps Yoon meets public to check progress of key policiesBy Kang Seung-wooPresident Yoon Suk-yeol reaffirmed his decision to reform the labor market during a meeting with the public, Thursday, saying such changes are a must and not an option.“Reforms are not popular, but we have to pursue them and must not avoid them,” Yoon said at the meeting, whose purpose was to check the progress of his administration's key policy tasks and communicate with the public about their implementation. Describing the three major reforms in pension and education as well as labor as “indispensable” for the nation's sustainable growth and the future generation, the president said, “Unless the government is successful in reforming the labor market, the labor issue could turn into a political matter, which would spoil the economy and politics.”As for the direction of the

Dec 15, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
President vows to reform labor market at meeting with public
  • Korean economy to worsen next year; gov't to push new growth strategy: finance chief
  • Korea to crack down on drug-related crimes
Foreign Affairs

Seoul, Africa seek win-win cooperation

Participants in the fifth Seoul Dialogue on Africa pose at a hotel in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of the Korea-Africa FoundationSeoul Dialogue on Africa seeks mutual cooperation in technology, healthcare, among othersBy Kang Seung-wooThe fifth Seoul Dialogue on Africa was held, Wednesday, during which experts explored ways to seek co-prosperity between Korea and Africa. The dialogue, co-hosted by the Korea-Africa Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was launched in 2018, becoming an annual international conference seeking to gather policy proposals toward building a strategic partnership between Korea and Africa. In addition, the forum helps facilitate research on Africa in Korea by strengthening networks between scholars, researchers and various other stakeholders from both sides.“The objective of the Seoul Dialogue on Africa ― which looks for ways to seek the co-prosperity of Korea and Africa through the dialogue of global experts on Africa ― is aligned to the vision of the foundation,” Lyeo Woon-ki, the president of the foundation, said in his opening remarks

Dec 14, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Seoul, Africa seek win-win cooperation
Defense

Air Force's new squadron to boost Korea's space operations capabilities

Maj. Kim Jong-ha, commander of the Air Force's Space Operations Squadron / Courtesy of ROK Air ForceSpace unit to beef up cooperation with US space unit By Kang Seung-wooWith the space emerging as a new warfighting domain today, the Republic of Korea Air Force has also joined the race, as evidenced by the establishment of its Space Operations Squadron earlier this month. Although the Air Force has had space-related units under its wing, they have been all operated separately, raising questions over their effectiveness. Maj. Kim Jong-ha, the inaugural commander of the squadron, expected that their incorporation will help strengthen the nation's space operations capabilities. “The integration of separated space operations organizations and space domain awareness will contribute to enhancing space operations capabilities and developing that of the national defense,” Kim said in a written interview with The Korea Times.The squadron is an organization born by integrating existing units, including the Space Operations Unit launched in 2019, to carry out various missions such a

Dec 13, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Air Force's new squadron to boost Korea's space operations capabilities
Defense

Korea to develop air-launched cruise missile by 2028

A KF-21 fighter jet / NewsisBy Kang Seung-wooSouth Korea's arms procurement agency will launch a program to develop a long-range, air-launched cruise missile (ALCM), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said, Monday. DAPA said it will spend 190 billion won ($145 million) to produce the nation's first domestically developed ALCM by 2028, and that it will be mounted on the KF-21 fighter jet, currently under development by Korea.The ALCM is anticipated to be capable of hitting a target up to 500 kilometers away with pinpoint accuracy, and will become a core asset of the KF-21, DAPA added.The ALCM is a completely new endeavor for South Korea, due to a lack of technologies involving the safe mounting of missiles on an aircraft and separating them for use. But research from 2019 to 2021 has confirmed the feasibility of the development project, according to DAPA. Under the supervision of the Agency for Defense Development, the nation's defense companies, including Korea Aerospace Industries, LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Aerospace, will participate in the production of a prototype m

Dec 12, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Korea to develop air-launched cruise missile by 2028
Defense

Korea becomes world's 8th-largest arms exporter

A security officer checks K9 self-propelled howitzers as Poland receives the first delivery of Korean K2 Black Panther tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers at the port in Gdynia, Poland, Tuesday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap By Kang Seung-wooKorea made the list of the top-10 arms exporters over the last five years, while its defense expenditure was the world's 10th-largest, according to a state defense research agency, Friday. The Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT) released the Global Defense Market Yearbook 2022, showing that its exports from 2017 to 2021 accounted for 2.8 percent of the world's total defense exports after increasing 177 percent from the 2016-20 period. The report cited data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.According to the research, the United States topped the list with a share of 39 percent, followed by Russia with 19 percent and France with 11 percent. China and Germany rounded out the top five with 4.6 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively. Taking a closer look at top export destinations duri

Dec 9, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Korea becomes world's 8th-largest arms exporter
North Korea

South Korea warns of NK IT workers operating under false identities

gettyimagesbankForeign currency earnings finance weapons development By Kang Seung-wooThe South Korean government, Thursday, released a joint advisory warning about local companies inadvertently hiring North Korean nationals in the guise of foreign-born information technology (IT) workers, as the reclusive state has increasingly dispatched highly-skilled people around the world to generate revenue to fund its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.It also advised South Korean companies to beef up background checks when hiring IT specialists. The rare joint advisory came as South Korea reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recognizes the importance of IT workers as a key source of foreign currency and revenue and supports their operations. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, adopted in 2017, stipulated that member states had to repatriate all North Korean workers abroad by December 2019. However, they have illicitly and skillfully bypassed surveillance by ditching their work visas to obtain different documents when they enter a foreign c

Dec 8, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
South Korea warns of NK IT workers operating under false identities
Defense

First batch of K2, K9 arrives in Poland

This photo shows a ceremony in Gdynia, Poland, Tuesday (local time), celebrating the arrival of the first batch of South Korean K2 battle tanks, with Polish President Andrzej Duda, third from right, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak, center, Hyundai Rotem President Lee Yong-bae, second from left, and Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il, fourth from right. Courtesy of Hyundai RotemBy Kang Seung-wooThe first batch of 24 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 10 K2 battle tanks was delivered to Poland, Tuesday (local time), according to South Korean defense companies. The shipment came after Poland signed a purchase agreement in July for 980 K2 battle tanks from Hyundai Rotem and 648 K9 self-propelled howitzers from Hanwha Aerospace as well as 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft from South Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The deal was among South Korea's most important and largest defense orders in recent years. They also signed with Warsaw's Armament Agency a follow-up arrangement to the “framework” contract in August. The follow-up contracts call for the delivery of 180 K2 tanks

Dec 7, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
First batch of K2, K9 arrives in Poland
Foreign Affairs

Japan's stance may blow chance to mend ties with Korea: experts

The photo shows Battleship Island, where it is believed between 500 and 800 Koreans were forced to work between 1943 and 1945, with 122 of them dying. Korea Times fileDomestic politics also affect Korea-Japan relationsBy Kang Seung-wooJapan's refusal to recognize the forced mobilization of Korean laborers on the UNESCO-listed Battleship Island during World War II is feared to throw cold water on a long-awaited reconciliatory mood between Seoul and Tokyo, according to diplomatic observers. Historical and territorial issues had caused Korea-Japan relations to sink to the lowest level since the postwar period. But the two countries recently started to show signs of rapprochement behind new Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's “future-oriented” approach toward the neighboring country to get bilateral ties on track, as evidenced by two summits that took place between Yoon and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, in less than four months.But the Japanese government is risking undermining the tentative detente with Korea by simply dismissing calls from Seoul to face up to histor

Dec 6, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Japan's stance may blow chance to mend ties with Korea: experts
Politics

Operation Christmas Drop

Crewmembers of the Air Force's 15th Special Missions Wing engage in the U.S.-led Operation Christmas Drop, the U.S. Air Force's humanitarian airlift mission, inside a C-130 transport aircraft at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, Saturday (local time). The Korean Air Force team, comprised of some 30 pilots and crewmembers, is participating in the event for the second straight year, with a mission to deliver food, medicine and other items necessary for survival to residents of 10 islands in the Micronesia region until Friday. Courtesy of ROK Air Force

Dec 5, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Operation Christmas Drop
North Korea

North Korea remains quiet on new sanctions

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, presides over a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Nov. 30. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea has yet to take any actions against a series of independent sanctions it has called“hostile acts” by South Korea, the United States and Japan for its recent missile tests.Pyongyang watchers say the North Korean regime's focus on holding a party meeting later this month to discuss next year's state policies may discourage the country from responding to the fresh punishment. In addition, given that the unilateral sanctions are more symbolic, it may not feel the need to respond, they added.The foreign ministry came up with the second sanctions package on North Korea under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, Friday, blacklisting eight individuals and seven institutions for their involvement in the country's nuclear and missile programs. The punitive measure came hours after the U.S. Department of Treasury had imposed sanctions on three senior North Korean officials for their connections to its unlawful b

Dec 5, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea remains quiet on new sanctions
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