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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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North Korea

North Korea likely to cancel military accord as next step

A South Korean Marine patrols the beach of Yeonpyeong Island bordering North Korea in the West Sea, Wednesday. / YonhapS. Korean government lodges strong protestBy Kang Seung-wooFollowing through on its previously made threats, North Korea is now inching toward nullifying an inter-Korean military agreement, which may lead to tension-stoking incidents.After its unilateral demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office in the border city of Gaeseong, Tuesday, the reclusive state announced Wednesday that its military would enter the Mount Geumgang tourist area and Gaeseong Industrial Complex, and rebuild sentry posts along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The North also said its military will resume exercises in border areas, including seas off its southwest coast.If carried out, any of these would abrogate the military agreement signed during a 2018 inter-Korean summit to reduce tensions along the heavily fortified border. The agreement bans all hostile acts in this region.Since Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and probably the second-most powerful person in the N

Jun 17, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea likely to cancel military accord as next step
  • Gyeonggi designates 'danger zones' to block anti-NK leaflets
  • Gaeseong Industrial Complex businesses call for swift government measures
  • Moon pressed to replace security, diplomatic team
Foreign Affairs

Japan fails to recognize Korean victims of forced labor

The Industrial Heritage Information Center in Tokyo, which introduces 23 sites of the Meiji Industrial Revolution. Contrary to the Japanese government's earlier promise to UNESCO and the international community, the exhibition fails to recognize the Korean victims who were forced to work at some of the sites during World War II. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooJapan is still refusing to acknowledge its wartime atrocities, with its newly opened UNESCO facility linked to its use of forced labor during World War II failing to commemorate its victims.In response, the Korean government plans to review all available countermeasures, including filing a complaint with UNESCO against Japan, while issuing a statement expressing regret over the situation. In addition, non-government-level efforts have also been launched to protest the Shinzo Abe administration's flawed perception of history. Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koji Tomita arrives at the foreign ministry in Seoul, Monday, after the ministry summoned him in protest against Japan's failure to recognize wartime forced labor victims at the Indust

Jun 17, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Japan fails to recognize Korean victims of forced labor
North Korea

Inter-Korean relations on the line after North Korea's threat

A visitor walks in front of a sign showing the distance to the North Korean city of Gaeseong and the South Korean capital of Seoul near a wire fence decorated with ribbons written with messages wishing for unification of the two Koreas at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. / AP-YonhapKim Yo-jong warns Pyongyang will take ‘next step’ against SeoulBy Kang Seung-wooRather than celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first-ever inter-Korean summit that pledged increased dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas, bilateral ties are now reverting almost to the situation before the historic event. There has been a buildup of tense confrontation and the possibility of war after Pyongyang recently threatened to end its relationship with Seoul and take military action. The development comes after Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister and first vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, issued a statement Saturday night following hostile rhetoric from two other senior officials against the Moon Jae

Jun 14, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Inter-Korean relations on the line after North Korea's threat
  • Moon to N. Korea: 'Don't backtrack on agreed-upon peace efforts'
Foreign Affairs

Courtesy visit

Qatari Ambassador to Korea Mohammed Alhayki, center, poses with Oh Young-jin, second from left, President and Publisher of The Korea Times, during his courtesy visit to the paper's newsroom in Seoul, Thursday. From left are politics desk editor Kim Rahn, Oh, Alhayki, finance desk editor Kim Jae-kyoung, and management planning director Cho Jae-hyon. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Jun 11, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Courtesy visit
North Korea

NK increases aggression against South, US

Officials and members of North Korean women's unions stage a mass rally outside a museum in Sinchon, South Hwanghae Province, Tuesday, to denounce the South Korean government and North Korean defectors here for their anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea is ratcheting up its hostile rhetoric against South Korea in its latest expression of anger over the latter's “failure” to curb North Korean defectors' anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns.Now, its fury has expanded to the United States as the Kim Jong-un regime has threatened to interfere in its presidential election in November if Washington continues to meddle in inter-Korean affairs. The threat came after the U.S. State Department expressed disappointment, Tuesday, over Pyongyang's decision to cut off all communication lines between the two Koreas.“They (South Koreans) have never abandoned their ugly intentions to destroy our country,” the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North

Jun 11, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
NK increases aggression against South, US
North Korea

Moon's peace drive buffeted by NK offensive

By Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea's decision to sever all official communication channels with South Korea is further weighing on President Moon Jae-in, who was already frustrated by Pyongyang's lack of response to his inter-Korean peace initiative.President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. / YonhapExperts advise Seoul to take a “timeout” from repeatedly offering something to engage the Kim Jong-un regime, while bracing for any possible fallout from increasing tension on the Korean Peninsula.On Tuesday, the North cut off all cross-border communication lines, including the hotline between Moon and Kim, due to its apparent anger over the South's “failure” to prevent North Korean defectors and activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border tethered to balloons. In addition, the North said “the work toward the South should thoroughly turn into the one against an enemy.” At the start of the year, the Moon administration emphasized the importance of inter-Korean exchanges and cooperati

Jun 10, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Moon's peace drive buffeted by NK offensive
  • Main opposition party presses for realignment of Seoul's N. Korea policy
  • Unification ministry to file legal complaint against leaflet-sending defector groups
  • S. Korea vows to fully implement inter-Korean military deal despite NK threats
  • Legal complaint against leaflet-sending defector groups still in process
Sports

KBO legend appointed GM for cadet baseball team

By Kang Seung-wooLee Man-soo, a Korean baseball great, has been named the general manager of the Korea Military Academy's (KMA) baseball team.Lee Man-soo / Korea Times file“At the request of KMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Chung Jin-kyung, with whom I have kept up an acquaintance for years, I have accepted the offer,” Lee said.The 61-year-old believes baseball and military spirit have something in common.“Given that baseball is the only sport to use the term sacrifice (such as sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly), baseball and the military are alike,” he said. “I plan to teach players five things that make up the spirit of baseball ― sacrifice, consideration, cooperation, patience and manners ― and they will be able to learn the value of sacrifice.”Lee, who played for the Samsung Lions from 1982 to 1997, was one of the best hitting catchers in the league. He's famous for hitting the very first home run in the Korea Baseball Organization's (KBO) history in 1982. Lee was also the first player to reach 100 and 200 career home runs and to win the batting Tri

Jun 10, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
KBO legend appointed GM for cadet baseball team
Politics

Calling for tighter job security

President Moon Jae-in bangs the gavel to begin a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. He emphasized the need to strengthen the employment safety net in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken a toll on the job market. / Yonhap

Jun 9, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Calling for tighter job security
North Korea

Inter-Korean tension heightening as North Korea shuts communication channels

A phone set up at Cheong Wa Dae as a hotline between leaders of two Koreas. North Korea said, Tuesday, it would cut all communication lines with the South, including the hotline. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooInter-Korean relations are again returning to the era of constant tension, with North Korea cutting all communication lines with the South and defining the country once more as an “enemy.” Experts think that the North may take further measures as it has vowed, including military provocations.The tension-stoking move came days after Pyongyang strongly complained about Seoul failing to stop North Korean defectors and activists from flying anti-North leaflets across the border tethered to balloons.“The disgusting riff-raff has committed hostile acts against North Korea by taking advantage of the South Korean authorities' irresponsible stance and with their connivance. They dared to hurt the dignity of our supreme leadership and mock the sacred mental core of all our people. This was a sign of hostility to all our people,” the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCN

Jun 9, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Inter-Korean tension heightening as North Korea shuts communication channels
  • North Korea voices frustration over slow progress: experts
  • North Korea's fury over leafleting shows it can never take mudslinging of Kim's leadership
North Korea

Kim Yo-jong emerges as N. Korea's No. 2

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooKim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, seems to have established herself as the de facto “No. 2” in the reclusive state as she receives treatment almost equal to that of her older brother. In addition, she has officially become the leader's top person on inter-Korean affairs ― superior to the spokesman ― which helps her exert more influence in state affairs across the board.The Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling Workers' Party, reported Sunday, that students held a mass rally in Pyongyang the previous day and read a statement issued by the younger Kim rebuking South Korea's failure to stop anti-North Korea propaganda leaflet campaigns. In the statement released Thursday, the North threatened to end a military agreement with South Korea made in 2018 unless Seoul prevents North Korean defectors and activists from flying leaflets into its country via balloons. In addition, the newspaper published contributions written by residents and s

Jun 8, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Kim Yo-jong emerges as N. Korea's No. 2
  • Kim Jong-un's sister promoted to key politburo member
  • S. Korea's liaison phone call to NK goes unanswered: ministry
  • North Korea refuses to answer calls from South Korea after vowing to sever phone lines
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