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.
Rep. Joo Ho-young, right, floor leader of the main opposition United Future Party, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday, urging President Moon Jae-in to express his position on the sexual harassment allegations against late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. Park died last week in an apparent suicide following a complaint from his former secretary accusing him of sexual harassment. / Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands ahead of their summit in Singapore in this June 12, 2018, photo. / AP-YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooDespite North Korea's rejection of another summit with the United States, the Donald Trump administration has been floating the idea ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. However, doubting its sincerity, diplomatic experts say it is a U.S. ploy to preserve the status quo and prevent the isolated state from interfering in the vote.U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo did not rule out the possibility of a summit between U.S. President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the election.“I think that's unlikely,” he said at the Economic Club of New York, Wednesday. “But in the event that it was appropriate ― we thought we could make material progress and the best way to do that was to put President Trump with Chairman Kim to do it ― I'm confident that the North Koreans and President Trump would find that in our best interests.”His remarks came less than 10 days after Trump t
President Moon Jae-in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their first inter-Korean summit at the truce village of Panmunjeom, April 27, 2018. / Korea Times file By Kang Seung-wooPresident Moon Jae-in recently shook up his national security team in a bid to double down on his inter-Korean peace initiative, but the ambitious reshuffle may fall short of his expectations, with few gambits to curry favor with North Korea, according to Pyongyang watchers.Earlier this month, Moon reshaped the team that is filled with so-called pro-North Korea figures such as National Intelligence Service (NIS) director nominee Park Jie-won, a key figure in arranging the first inter-Korean summit in 2000, and former presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok who has called for independent yet aggressive actions to improve stalled inter-Korean relations. In addition, Suh Hoon, a former NIS chief who contributed to inter-Korean summits between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Hae-chan, right, issues an apology to the people over the sexual harassment allegations involving the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooDemocratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan apologized to the people, Wednesday, for the sexual harassment allegations made against the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, and expressed his sympathies to the alleged victim.He promised to come up with “special countermeasures” soon to stop inappropriate conduct by DPK members elected as government officials, including the creation of a body to review claims of misbehavior made against them, and to revise party regulations enhancing education on “gender sensitivity.”The belated apology came as the ruling camp is facing an intensifying backlash for its leniency toward Park as well as a series of #MeToo scandals involving other local government heads who were party members. Park was the third high-profile DPK member accused of sexual harass
U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams, second from right, inspects an artillery drill at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Paju, Gyeonggi Province in this Oct. 23, 2019 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooAmid growing speculation that joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States are likely to be called off in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and appease North Korea, diplomatic experts believe a cancellation as an olive branch to Pyongyang is not a good idea, saying there will be no “reciprocity” from the isolated country.Currently, the government is in a quandary over whether to cancel the annual drills as the COVID-19 pandemic shows no sign of abating. The exercises will bring hundreds of American troops here, raising concerns over possible new infections.In addition, further deepening Seoul's calculations is the possibility of military retaliation from the Kim Jong-un regime, as the totalitarian state describes the exercises as hostile action by the U.S. against the North. The government also wants the exercises to be focused o
By Kang Seung-wooContrary to initial expectations, President Moon Jae-in's choices for the intelligence agency chief and the unification minister ― both of whom need to undergo National Assembly reviews ― may not breeze through their confirmation hearings, as some “risk factors” are popping up that give ammunition to those that oppose their nominations.Park Jie-won, nominee for National Intelligence Service director / Korea Times fileEarlier this month, Moon nominated veteran former lawmaker Park Jie-won to lead the National Intelligence Service (NIS), while picking Rep. Lee In-young, a former floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), to serve as the unification minister in an apparent bid to normalize soured inter-Korean relations. On Wednesday, the President asked the National Assembly to undertake confirmation procedures regarding their appointments. The Assembly is legally required to complete the confirmation procedures within 20 days of the President's request, meaning that July 27 is the deadline. Even if lawmakers fail, or refuse, to approve thei
A forum is held at the National Assembly's Members' Office Building in Seoul, Thursday, to find ways to root out abuse and violence in sports and reform the sector, following the suicide of Choi Suk-hyeon. The former triathlete took her life in late June after enduring years of alleged physical and verbal abuse by her former coach, two senior teammates and a physiotherapist. / Yonhap
By Kang Seung-wooThe justice ministry's internal discussion about its response to the top prosecutor's suggestion regarding a blackmail investigation was allegedly leaked to some pro-President Moon Jae-in lawmakers before its official announcement, including Rep. Choe Kang-wook of the minor liberal Open Minjoo Party.Rep. Choe Kang-wook of the minor liberal Open Minjoo Party / YonhapChoe is President Moon's former secretary for civil service discipline who won a National Assembly seat after creating the liberal Open Minjoo Party with some other pro-Moon figures who failed to get candidacy from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) for the April 15 general election.Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl have been at odds over various issues including an investigation of blackmail allegations. Choo ordered Yoon not to exercise his right to supervise investigation into the case, as the case involved Han Dong-hoon, a close ally of Yoon's, who allegedly colluded with a journalist in an attempt to frame a leading liberal figure as corrupt.As the issue was sen
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, right, talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, Wednesday. / Joint press corpsUS envoy has no intention to contact NK side during Seoul visitBy Kang Seung-wooU.S. special representative to North Korea Stephen Biegun said Wednesday that the Trump administration “strongly” stands behind the government's efforts to promote inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation.His remarks came amid lingering speculation that Washington is uncomfortable with Seoul's independent push for inter-Korean ties, as the U.S. government has repeatedly insisted that such cooperation proceed in lockstep with progress in denuclearizing North Korea.Biegun, who doubles as the deputy secretary of state, also said contacting North Korean officials was not the purpose of his Seoul visit this time, brushing away speculations of any possible contact.“The United States strongly supports inter-Korean cooperation and we believe this plays an important component in creating a more stable environment on the Korean pe
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun / Korea Times fileNK rules out talks ahead of US diplomat arrivalBy Kang Seung-wooU.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun's three-day visit to Seoul from Tuesday to Thursday will be focused on showing the strength of the South Korea-United States alliance, according to diplomatic experts. They say the secretary and his counterpart will have to demonstrate that South Korea and the United States are on the same page about pending issues, including North Korea, rather than extending new offers to Pyongyang amid stalled nuclear negotiations.Hours ahead of Bigun's arrival here, the North repeated its inflammatory rhetoric against the South's attempt to facilitate another U.S.-North Korea summit, reiterating that it has no immediate intent to resume dialogue with Washington. “President Moon Jae-in is in the process of updating his foreign policy team. So Biegun's visit isn't about a breakthrough with North Korea, but rather alliance coordination with South Korea,” Leif-Eric Easley, an associate professor of international studi