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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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Foreign Affairs

INTERVIEW KOICA earns ODA stripes and sets sights on becoming global aid agency

KOICA President Sohn Hyuk-sang speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in his office in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, March 22. Courtesy of KOICA By Kang Seung-wooKorea is a “unique” player in the official development assistance (ODA) landscape.Following the 1950-53 Korean War that devastated its economy, Korea fell into the abyss of poverty, becoming heavily dependent on international emergency relief. But on the strength of its remarkable economic development, the country has been giving back what it once received from the global community.Plus, it became a member state of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2010, an international forum of the 30 largest providers of aid. Korea is the 15th-largest donor country, with its ODA spending reaching $2.5 billion (2.84 trillion won) in 2019.Its case of jumping from the rank of the least developed countries (LDCs) to a significant donor st

Mar 27, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
[INTERVIEW] KOICA earns ODA stripes and sets sights on becoming global aid agency
North Korea

North Korea likely to escape punishment for rocket launches

A new type of a tactical guided missile was launched from the North Korean town of Hamju, South Hamgyong Province, Thursday, in this photo released by the North's Korean Central News Agency. YonhapExperts call for stronger actions to stop the situation from getting worse By Kang Seung-wooThe international community expressed concerns over North Korea's test-firing of two short-range ballistic missiles last Wednesday, in defiance of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. But Pyongyang is likely to avoid fresh punishment, based on recent history, in which the international community has been generous about short-range weapons.However, some experts believe that there should be a stricter response to the North Korean provocations, regardless of their size or range, in order to avoid giving the North the impression that short-range launches are tolerable. According to the North's Korean Central News Agency, Friday, the totalitarian state test-fired two “new-type tactical guided missiles” that flew 600 kilometers off its east coast to hit their targets. South

Mar 26, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea likely to escape punishment for rocket launches
  • Biden, Trump in stark contrast on North Korea
  • North Korea says Biden's remarks on recent missile launches a 'provocation'
  • North Korea may be ready to roll out new ballistic missile submarine: 38 North
North Korea

Is North Korea returning to brinkmanship?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Joe Biden / Korea Times filePyongyang's missile test aims to gain edge over US in nuke talksBy Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea's launch of short-range missiles over the weekend is set to pressure the new U.S. administration to come up with a policy review favorable to the totalitarian state, according to diplomatic observers. However, they added that Pyongyang staged a toned-down provocation without defying international sanctions or shutting the door to diplomacy with the U.S., although it also means the country can go further should the U.S. mount its pressure on the regime. According to the South Korean and U.S. military authorities, Wednesday, the Kim Jong-un regime fired two cruise missiles off the west coast, Sunday, the first such launches since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration in January.“We detected two projectiles presumed to be cruise missiles fired from the North's western port county of Onchon early Sunday,” a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official told reporters without elaborating on other details,

Mar 24, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Is North Korea returning to brinkmanship?
  • North Korea conducted short-range missile test
  • Latest North Korean missile launches not covered by UN resolutions: US officials
  • North Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles into East Sea: JCS
  • South Korea holds emergency National Security Council meeting on North Korea's projectile launch
North Korea

Is US pressure on China, North Korea leading to new Cold War?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping wave to people on a street in Pyongyang, June 20, 2019. Korea Times fileChinese, Russian top diplomats demonstrate unity against USBy Kang Seung-wooThe U.S.' moves to rally its allies against North Korea and China are raising the specter of a new Cold War, according to diplomatic observers, with the totalitarian states, along with Russia, teaming up to address the “hostile policy,” Tuesday. The new era of geopolitical rivalry is putting South Korea in the hot seat, given that Seoul is maintaining deep partnerships with both Washington and Beijing.The latest sign of a second Cold War came, Tuesday, the day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged verbal messages, which confirmed the two countries' bilateral cooperation. According to Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim “stressed the need to strengthen the unity and cooperation between the two parties and two countries to cope with the hostile forces' all-round challenges and obstructive moves

Mar 23, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Is US pressure on China, North Korea leading to new Cold War?
North Korea

Uncertain future ahead for US-North Korea dialogue

gettyimagesbankBy Kang Seung-wooDespite the highly hyped visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to South Korea last week, there were no major new initiatives for how to deal with North Korea, probably because the Joe Biden administration hasn't finished the review of its policy toward the country.Ahead of their arrival in Seoul, the United States attempted several ways to get in touch with North Korea, but the officials were more focused during their stay on the North Korean regime's nuclear program and human rights abuses, a move questioning the diplomatic undertone in its “two-track” approach to engaging Pyongyang. North Korea sought to insert itself in the secretaries' trip to South Korea by announcing that it will ignore the U.S.' overtures unless it drops its hostile policy toward the country, but it did not opt for any expected provocative actions, a decision hinting that the North may take a wait-and-see approach to the new American administration until the policy review process is finished in a few weeks.“Althou

Mar 21, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Uncertain future ahead for US-North Korea dialogue
  • US-China tensions give North Korea an opportunity to strengthen its position in nuclear talks
Foreign Affairs

South Korea, US remain split over China, North Korea issues

From left are U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, Thursday, after holding a two-plus-two ministerial meeting. Joint Press CorpsDisagreement between Seoul, Washington exposed in 2+2 meetingBy Kang Seung-wooThe much-heralded two-plus-two ministerial meeting between South Korea and the United States, Thursday, highlighted that the long-time allies are not on the same page on several issues, including North Korea and China. Foreign and Defense Ministers Chung Eui-yong and Suh Wook sat down with Secretaries of State and Defense Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the first meeting of its kind in over four years. Blinken and Austin also had respective ministerial meetings, Wednesday, upon their arrival from Japan, where the secretaries also had a two-plus-two talks.Since the arrangement of the first Cabinet-level overseas trip of the Joe Biden administration was made earlier this

Mar 18, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
South Korea, US remain split over China, North Korea issues
  • North Korea, China reviving economic cooperation
  • Pyongyang wants Washington's 'concession' before denuclearization talks
  • Moon vows to improve ties with Japan during meeting with Biden's key officials
Foreign Affairs

Blinken emphasizes S. Korea-US alliance to counter China's influence

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, right, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken bump elbows ahead of their talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his bashing of China for its use of “coercion and aggression” on the international stage during his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Seoul, Wednesday. Blinken, along with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, arrived here earlier in the day for a so-called two-plus-two ministerial meeting with Chung and Defense Minister Suh Wook as well as their respective face-to-face meetings following their three-day visit to Japan. Their Asian tour is the first Cabinet-level overseas trip of the Joe Biden administration that was inaugurated in January, a sign of the new U.S. government's commitment to reinvigorating alliances in Asia after four years of neglect under former President Donald Trump.“It's critical that we stand up to the values especially now because we are witnessing a dangerous erosion of demo

Mar 17, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Blinken emphasizes S. Korea-US alliance to counter China's influence
  • US defense chief calls on Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation
  • North Korea says will ignore contact from US unless Washington withdraws hostile policies
  • Blinken stresses China's 'clear self-interest,' 'critical' role in North Korean denuclearization
North Korea

North Korea strongly criticizes combined exercise

By Kang Seung-wooPyongyang watchers gave mixed responses to North Korea's denunciation of an ongoing combined military exercise between South Korea and the United States, Tuesday, with some saying it had toned down its usual rhetoric against the annual drill to keep possible dialogue with the U.S. alive, while others claimed it indicated a return to confrontational inter-Korean relations.Kim Yo-jong / Korea Times fileAccording to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement critical of the joint military exercises that were launched March 8 for an 11-day run through Thursday. She warned of no replay of inter-Korean detente and an end to a military tension-reducing agreement.“We have stressed it several times and offered ample opportunity to them, exercising patience,” said Kim, who is in charge of dealing with Seoul and Washington.“Nevertheless, they opted for War in March and Crisis in March again under the eyes of all Koreans, instead of Warmth in March … the South Korea authorities

Mar 16, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea strongly criticizes combined exercise
Society

Probe into land speculation on Jeju

Jeju Gov. Won Hee-ryong announces the self-governing provincial office's plan at its premises, Monday, to launch an investigation into allegations of its officials' purchases of land at the planned site for the second airport on the island and its vicinity, following a land speculation scandal involving employees at the Korea Land and Housing Corp (LH). Yonhap

Mar 15, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Probe into land speculation on Jeju
Health

COVID-19 testing

People wait in line at a makeshift virus testing station on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province, Monday, after the city uncovered infection clusters at a public bath and an entertainment spot. Yonhap

Mar 15, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
COVID-19 testing
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