The Korea Times

Deputy prime minister may attend Beijing Winter Games

By Kang Seung-wooDeputy Prime Minister Yoo Eun-hae, who doubles as education minister, is expected to lead the South Korean diplomatic delegation to next month's Beijing Winter Olympics. The government believes she is the best fit not to displease either the United States or China amid their intensifying rivalry.Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Eun-hae / Korea Times photoAccording to sources, Yoo is tentatively emerging as the right person to serve as an official representative to the quadrennial sporting event, scheduled to kick off, Feb. 4, after Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum was ruled out from the candidate list given that a premier is regarded as de facto a state leader, whose visit could disgruntle the United States.In protest against China's ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), the Joe Biden administration has decided not to send an official U.S. delegation to Beijing, followed by some of its allies, including Australia, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom. Along with Kim, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hwang Hee, who traveled t

Jan 24, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

Deputy prime minister may attend Beijing Winter Games

North Korea

Moon's peace initiative destined to fail

gettyimagesbank North Korea waits for result of South Korea's presidential electionBy Kang Seung-wooIn his New Year speech on Jan. 3, President Moon Jae-in said he will pursue an “irreversible path to peace” on the Korean Peninsula until his term ends in May, with many believing that he referred to his drive to formally end the Korean War.However, his ambitious pledge appears to have been dampened as North Korea has threatened to lift its moratorium on nuclear and inter-continental ballistic missile tests ― a pause that has served as both a feat in the South Korean leader's inter-Korean peace initiative and a motive for his end-of-war declaration push.Last September, Moon proposed declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War at the United Nations. And since then, Seoul has promoted it as a catalyst for peace talks with Pyongyang. But the totalitarian state announced, Thursday, that it had decided to restart all temporally-suspended activities in light of what it calle

Jan 22, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

Moon's peace initiative destined to fail

North Korea

North Korea set to return to brinkmanship

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Wednesday, in this photo provided by the North's Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap Pyongyang hints at resuming nuclear, ICBM testsBy Kang Seung-woo North Korea is dusting off the old playbook of provocations to capture the attention of the U.S. and gain the upper hand in future talks by hinting at lifting a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, according to diplomatic observers.Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KNCA) reported, Thursday, that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un decided to reconsider resuming “all temporarily-suspended activities” at a political bureau meeting held the previous day.“We should make more thorough preparations for a long-term confrontation with the U.S. imperialists,” it said, criticizing the U.S.' hostile policy of reaching a dangerous level.The North Korean leader declared a halt to all nuclear and ICBM tests in April 2018, while engaging in tal

Jan 20, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

North Korea set to return to brinkmanship

US, 7 other nations urge full implementation of sanctions on North Korea

Politics

Bad blood between Lee Jun-seok, Ahn Cheol-soo remains obstacle for unified candidacy

Ahn Cheol-soo, left, and Lee Jun-seok / Korea Times photoBy Kang Seung-wooEven though fielding a unified candidate for the opposition bloc is regarded as a winning formula in the March 9 presidential election, it remains to be seen whether it can really happen due to animosity between Lee Jun-seok, the chairman of the main opposition People Power Party, and Ahn Cheol-soo, an emerging candidate of the minor opposition People's Party. While PPP candidate Yoon Suk-yeol was caught up recently in internal divisions within the party, Ahn saw his approval ratings reach double digits in many public surveys, some of which found that he was a better fit as a unified opposition candidate than Yoon, as the former software tycoon was projected to have the best chances at defeating Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. However, Lee, who has long been critical of Ahn, was dismissive of the presidential candidate once again, dismissing the recent surge in Ahn's approval rating.“Ahn is excessively fired up about a temporary upward trend in his approval, so he is asserting himse

Jan 19, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

Bad blood between Lee Jun-seok, Ahn Cheol-soo remains obstacle for unified candidacy

Retired professor critical of President Moon joins Ahn Cheol-soo camp

Politics

Lee, Yoon in neck-and-neck presidential race

Lee Jae-myung, center, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a press conference at its headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday, about his election pledges to create jobs. Yonhap20-something males, unified candidacy among factors determining upcoming election By Kang Seung-wooWith 50 days left before the March 9 presidential election, the race for the top job in government is still too close to call, as shown in polls that show mixed results.Some surveys found Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is ahead of his main opposition rival Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party (PPP), but others show opposite results. Lee has seen his approval ratings remain entrenched in the low 30 percent range, while Yoon's approval has widely fluctuated in accordance with issues linked to his family and election committee as well as himself. According to a Kantar Korea poll commissioned by the Chosun Ilbo that interviewed 1,010 adults from Saturday and Sunday, Yoon and Lee are competing within the margin of error. Th

Jan 18, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

Lee, Yoon in neck-and-neck presidential race

North Korea

North Korea's border opening no guarantee for vaccine offers by South Korea, US

People at Seoul Station watch a TV screen showing a news report about a North Korean missile launch, Monday. AP-Yonhap By Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea's long-awaited border opening is not likely to extend to Pyongyang accepting vaccine offers from South Korea or the United States, according to diplomatic observers, Monday. Additionally, the border opening will not clear the ground for any possible progress in nuclear talks or improvement in inter-Korean ties, they added.In the wake of China's COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019, the reclusive state quickly closed its borders to prevent the spread of the disease, but the move has been dealing a heavy economic blow to the country.On Sunday, a North Korean freight train crossed the Yalu River railroad bridge from Sinuiju into China ― the first time that the North open its land border with China in two years ― and the same train is expected to return home with medical supplies and everyday necessities, probably as part of p

Jan 17, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

North Korea

North Korea's missile launches aimed at diversifying arsenal: experts

This photo, provided by the North Korean government, Saturday, shows a missile test from a railway in North Pyongan Province, North Korea, Friday. AP-Yonhap US expected to remain committed to diplomacy with Pyongyang By Kang Seung-wooThe recent series of North Korean missile tests ― three times in two weeks ― indicate that its leader is doubling down on his country's nuclear arms buildup, rather than seeking more concessions before re-engaging in nuclear negotiations, according to diplomatic observers.Despite the increasing frequency of missile tests, the U.S. government, already preoccupied with a difficult domestic situation as well as other diplomatic issues, is expected to maintain its commitment to diplomacy with Pyongyang, they added. The Kim Jong-un regime fired hypersonic missiles on Jan. 5 and 11, followed by two short-range ballistic missiles launched from a train, Friday ― something unusual for the country, which had not conducted missile tests in January

Jan 16, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

North Korea

'Favorable environment set for end-of-war declaration'

Unification Minister Lee In-young speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulUnification minister urges North Korea not to miss out on 'golden time'By Kang Seung-wooIt is the right time to declare an end to the Korean War, as an unprecedentedly favorable environment for the implementation of the declaration has been set up among relevant countries, according to Unification Minister Lee In-young.In this regard, he also believes the first half of the year could be a “golden time” to make strides in frayed inter-Korean ties and stalled nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the United States, citing a heap of political events in the second half of the year that could disrupt efforts toward Pyongyang-related issues. Strongly believing such an agreement could serve as a catalyst for negotiations on the denuclearization of North Korea, President Moon Jae-in resurrected his proposal of declaring a formal end to the 1950-53 conflict in a speech at the United Nations last September. Since then, South K

Jan 9, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

'Favorable environment set for end-of-war declaration'

Politics

Bald voters root for Lee's pledge of health insurance coverage for hair loss treatment

Lee Jae-myung, left, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, holds hands with the party's former chief and runner-up in its primary, Lee Nak-yon, during a meeting with party members in Gwangju, Wednesday. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooLee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is receiving ardent support from voters who are suffering hair loss, thanks to his campaign pledge to expand national health insurance coverage to include hair regrowth treatments. According to an online community platform for people with thinning hair, Tuesday, a number of posts have been uploaded to express their support for the DPK candidate.“Lee Jae-myung is a Propecia-like figure,” an online user wrote on dcinside, referring to the popular medication for people with thinning hair. Another wrote, “I will 'implant' Lee in Cheong Wa Dae.” A third online user said, “Despite paying health insurance premiums for more than 20 years, I have rarely seen the doctor (for hair loss), which I think is unfair. However, now I

Jan 5, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

Bald voters root for Lee's pledge of health insurance coverage for hair loss treatment

People & Events

Tattooing is a different form of drawing, giving precious memories: tattoo artist

Tattooist Kim Dong-hwa works on flower tattoos. Courtesy of Kim Dong-hwaBy Kang Seung-wooIn modern Korea, tattoos had been stigmatized until recent years as associated with gangsters. However, for Kim Dong-hwa, a tattoo artist who is known for her colorful flower tattoos, tattooing is another type of drawing that uses a “different canvas,” while offering precious memories to someone. “I hope that people see tattooing as drawing on the human body instead of drawing on paper, rather than something related to organized crime,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times at her workplace in Yeonnam-dong, western Seoul, Tuesday. “When I began this job in 2017… my parents strongly disagreed with me working as a tattooist and I could continue this work only after promising to quit immediately if something bad happens.”To her relief, tattoos have been increasingly accepted as a form of self-expression as time has gone by, with more ordinary people getting tattooed ― despite not fully curbing the negative feelings about them among some. “In t

Jan 5, 2022By Kang Seung-woo

Kang Seung-woo

Read more

Deputy prime minister may attend Beijing Winter Games

Moon's peace initiative destined to fail

North Korea set to return to brinkmanship

Bad blood between Lee Jun-seok, Ahn Cheol-soo remains obstacle for unified candidacy

Lee, Yoon in neck-and-neck presidential race

North Korea's border opening no guarantee for vaccine offers by South Korea, US

North Korea's missile launches aimed at diversifying arsenal: experts

'Favorable environment set for end-of-war declaration'

Bald voters root for Lee's pledge of health insurance coverage for hair loss treatment

Tattooing is a different form of drawing, giving precious memories: tattoo artist

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