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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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Defense

Honoring fallen military men

President Moon Jae-in listens to a bereaved family member during a ceremony at the Daejeon National Cemetery, Friday, to honor soldiers who died in clashes with North Korea in the Yellow Sea. The three incidents were the sinking of naval ship Cheonan in March 2010, the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in November 2010 and the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong in 2002. Moon participated in the ceremony for the first time since his inauguration in 2017. / Yonhap

Mar 28, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Honoring fallen military men
Foreign Affairs

Korea increases presence in global health crisis

President Moon Jae-in speaks with other leaders of major industrialized and developing economies during the Group of 20 special teleconference summit, at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooKorea is gaining international attention amid the global health crisis, becoming an example of success in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The latest case showing the nation's elevated status was acknowledged during the G20 summit, held through an unprecedented 100-minute special video conference on Thursday night, following President Moon Jae-in's proposal for the special meeting on cooperation in the global fight against the virus.In the conference, Moon stressed the need to exempt “essential figures” from entry bans that many countries have implemented to curb the spread of the deadly virus, and the call has been reflected in the joint statement of the G20 leaders.Korea has received rave reviews from around the globe for its handling of the novel virus by managing to lower the number of new infections while preserving its healthcare system.“We

Mar 27, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Korea increases presence in global health crisis
Politics

Overseas voting suspended in 17 countries over coronavirus

A Korean living in Australia votes at the Consulate General of Korea in Sydney for the general election in 2016. / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooVoting of overseas Koreans for the upcoming general election is facing major setbacks as the nation's election watchdog has decided to suspend polling activities in 17 countries hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.According to the National Election Commission (NEC), the voting process will be put on hold at 23 diplomatic missions in 17 countries, meaning 18,392 Koreans living in those countries will not be able to cast their ballots for the April 15 general election.Earlier, more than 177,000 Koreans in 119 countries applied to register to vote in the proportional representation election, with the voting initially being scheduled from April 1 to 6.The 17 are Germany, Spain, Ireland, Britain, the Kyrgyz Republic, France, Ghana, South Africa, Nepal, India, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Ecuador, Honduras, Colombia, the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and Italy ― the countries where lockdowns and movement restrictions have been implement

Mar 26, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Overseas voting suspended in 17 countries over coronavirus
Foreign Affairs

Korea seeks furlough answer for USFK Korean workers

By Kang Seung-wooAs the deadline nears, the stalled defense cost-sharing talks between Korea and the United States have left Korean staff at U.S. military bases here on the brink of taking unpaid leave.Unless the allies agree on Seoul's share of costs for stationing U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) by the end of this month, many of the 9,000 Korean workers will be forced into an indefinite furlough starting April 1. If this happens, the mandatory leave of absence would be the first of its kind since 1991 when Korea started partially funding the U.S. troops' stay.The two countries have had seven rounds of negotiations for the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) since last September, only to confirm the gap between them. According to reports, U.S. President Donald Trump wants Korea to pay nearly $4 billion (5 trillion won) annually ― a fourfold increase from the amount paid last year ― but the Korean government is maintaining its offer of 1.2 trillion won. “Furlough of Koreans may occur from April,” Jeong Eun-bo, Korea's chief negotiator for SMA, said, Saturday, upon his return from L

Mar 25, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Korea seeks furlough answer for USFK Korean workers
North Korea

North Korea unlikely to take Trump's offer

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is not expected to accept an offer from U.S. President Donald Trump to help Pyongyang combat the coronavirus pandemic, without Washington's sanctions relief. / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooThe U.S. offer to help North Korea fight the coronavirus pandemic is unlikely to be accepted by Pyongyang, according to pundits, Tuesday. In addition, the U.S. humanitarian approach to the North is not likely to give South Korea leeway for inter-Korean quarantine cooperation, they added.On Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister and close adviser, announced U.S. President Donald Trump had written a personal letter to his brother about cooperation on the fight against the virus ― although the reclusive country claims there are no cases of the COVID-19. “At this point in time, I doubt it,” said Terence Roehrig, a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College.“Though North Korean statements have recognized the severe threat COVID-19 is for the country, it does not acknowledge any cases though tha

Mar 24, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea unlikely to take Trump's offer
Foreign Affairs

Government in dilemma over charter flights

Koreans, evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran on a Korean government-chartered flight, arrive at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooThe government faces a quandary over whether to send charter flights to retrieve Koreans from coronavirus-hit countries amid growing calls for rescues. Some Koreans who reside in countries that have currently suspended direct flights to Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are calling on the government to arrange charter flights despite having alternative options.According to the Consular Assistance for the Protection of Overseas Korean Nationals Act, assistance is provided only if an overseas Korean national faces problems from an incident or accident that cannot be settled by any other means, such as by themselves, with the help of a relative or through the laws of the country they are in.The government initially chartered three flights to evacuate about 850 Korean nationals from the city of Wuhan, China, in January and February. Since then, the government has also chartered flights for Korean passengers on a cruise ship do

Mar 23, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Government in dilemma over charter flights
North Korea

Is Trump's second letter to NK leader for dialogue or status quo?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump meet at Panmunjeom in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, June 30, 2019. / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooU.S. President Donald Trump's personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to offer cooperation in fighting the coronavirus is raising speculation that Washington may be seeking to reopen nuclear disarmament dialogue with Pyongyang.At the very least, some critics say he is trying to preserve the status quo with the country ahead of the presidential election in November in order to portray the North Korea talks as a major foreign policy win.Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between the two leaders in February 2019, nuclear diplomacy between the two countries has stalled. The North has carried out a series of short-range missile tests, the latest of which occurred Saturday, while Trump is now focused on his reelection. And what the two countries pay have in common is containment of the COVID-19 outbreak, as per Trump's letter.“We regard it as a good judgment and proper action for the U.S. president to make effo

Mar 22, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Is Trump's second letter to NK leader for dialogue or status quo?
Foreign Affairs

Furlough of USFK Korean workers looming

U.S. Army Garrison Daegu / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooUnpaid leave for Korean staff at U.S. military bases here is looming large as the ongoing round of defense-cost sharing talks between Korea and the United States is likely to end without any progress.In response to the potential furlough, the USFK Korean Employees Union is seeking countermeasures, including holding a press conference in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Jeong Eun-bo, Korea's chief negotiator for the Special Measure Agreement (SMA), sat down with his U.S. counterpart James DeHart in Los Angeles for two days from Tuesday, but they failed to narrow their differences on Seoul's share of costs for stationing U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). The SMA determines the amount of money Korea will contribute toward the costs for the USFK.Although the scheduled two-day talks ended, an additional session will be held Thursday before the Korean team's departure for Seoul, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday. Korea's SMA contributions are used to cover the wages of 9,000 Korean workers at U.S. military bases a

Mar 19, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Furlough of USFK Korean workers looming
Global Community

Korean-American business leader committed to Korea-US friendship

By Kang Seung-wooSunny Park, founder of U.S.-based janitorial service company General Building Maintenance, has endowed a scholarship of $220,000 (273 million won) to Berry College in Georgia, which will fund two American students to study in Korea, a move to promote better cultural understanding.Sunny Park, president of the American Korean Friendship Society / Korea Times filePark, who also serves as president of the American Korean Friendship Society, has funded the General Davis Korean-American Friendship Scholarship for 11 years, named after the late Korean War veteran. “I intend to play a role in helping Korea and the United States build friendly cooperation,” Park said in a media interview.“Many students of Berry College will be able to learn about Korea and the scholarship program is a way to express gratitude to the deceased Korean War veterans and their descendants.”Under the scholarship program, two seniors of the college will participate in the Bahrom International Program at Seoul Women's University or another similar program in Korea, which is exp

Mar 18, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Korean-American business leader committed to Korea-US friendship
Politics

Coronavirus likely to disrupt overseas voting

Korean living in Australia line up at the Consulate General of Korea in Sydney to vote for the general elections on April 25, 2017 photo. / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooThe fallout from the coronavirus outbreak could affect the upcoming election as Koreans living abroad may struggle to reach their polling stations due to many countries restricting the movement of residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the general election scheduled for April 15, Koreans living abroad can cast their ballots for proportional representations from April 1 to 6 at 206 diplomatic missions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the National Election Commission (NEC). Among a total of 2.14 million people eligible to vote, 176,960 applied to register to vote at overseas polling stations, the election watchdog added.The biggest challenge to overseas voting is more countries across the globe imposing a lockdown that prevents people from going to the polls. Italy and Spain have placed lockdowns, requiring people to stay home unless it's essential for them to leave, while the United States also urges

Mar 17, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Coronavirus likely to disrupt overseas voting
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