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Lee Hyo-jin

Korea Times Finance Reporter

Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.

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Politics

What's next for ex-president after special prosecutor's death penalty request?

A special prosecutor's request for the death penalty against impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his 2024 martial law fiasco has turned the spotlight to what comes next, as the court prepares to issue a ruling in the coming weeks. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Feb. 19. The closely-watched ruling will come more than a year after Yoon was indicted in January 2025 on charges of leading an insurrection. Legal experts say an actual death sentence is unlikely and that the case is almost certain to move through a lengthy appeals process. Still, they note that the prosecution's decision to seek the death penalty carries significant symbolic weight. In a 38-minute closing argument on Tuesday, prosecutors under special counsel Cho Eun-seok urged the court to impose the harshest punishment available. They described Yoon's abrupt martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, not simply as an unlawful exercise of authority but as a long-planned attempt to dismantle the nation's constitutional order through the mobilization of military and police forces. Deputy special counsel P

Jan 14, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
What's next for ex-president after special prosecutor's death penalty request?
Foreign Affairs

Korea speeds up preparations for nuclear energy talks with US

The Korean government appears to be speeding up preparations for nuclear energy talks with the United States after Washington gave Seoul the green light to pursue uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful purposes. According to diplomatic sources Tuesday, an internal task force on nuclear energy negotiations within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seeking to hold weekly meetings. A director-general-level task force is expected to meet at least once every three months. Officials are said to be pushing to quickly hold an inaugural meeting with the U.S. side, reflecting a shared understanding between the Korean and U.S. leaders that the process should move forward swiftly. On Friday, the government held the inaugural meeting of a pan-government task force on nuclear energy negotiations with the U.S. Chaired by Rim Kap-soo, the government's representative for Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation, the task force includes officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Officials from t

Jan 13, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea speeds up preparations for nuclear energy talks with US
North Korea

N. Korea unlikely to respond to request for joint probe into drone incident

North Korea is unlikely to respond to calls from South Korea for a joint investigation into an alleged drone incursion, analysts said, dimming hopes in Seoul that the incident could help break a deadlock in inter-Korean relations. Pyongyang has accused South Korea of sending drones into its territory on two occasions — once in September last year and again on Jan. 4 — claims Seoul's military immediately denied. South Korean officials said they will continue efforts to de-escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. On Monday, South Korea's police and military launched a joint task force of about 30 members to investigate the incident. The move came two days after President Lee Jae Myung ordered a swift probe, warning that any drone flights carried out by civilians pose a serious threat to national security. Later in the day, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said he was considering proposing a joint investigation with North Korea. "I am considering proposing a joint inter-Korean investigation through the United Nations Command," Ahn said during a National Assembly session, adding that at t

Jan 12, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
N. Korea unlikely to respond to request for joint probe into drone incident
Foreign Affairs

IOM deputy chief warns against fear-based narratives in migration policies

When Lee Sung-ah speaks about migration, she does not begin with statistics or policy debates. Instead, she starts with people. As immigration debates grow increasingly polarized around the world, Lee, deputy director general for management and reform at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, said the conversation needs to move away from fear-based narratives and toward a more balanced understanding of migrants. "In the end, it's the people we are talking about. When someone feels they have no opportunities, or when they live in a conflict zone, they naturally leave in order to survive. Stopping them does not mean people will stop moving across borders," she said during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul on Friday. "Safe, orderly and regular migration pathways benefit everyone. And that is the message we are trying to send as we communicate with our partners." Like many international organizations, IOM — which works with governments on migration policy and humanitarian assistance — is navigating new challenges amid shifting global politic

Jan 10, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
IOM deputy chief warns against fear-based narratives in migration policies
Foreign Affairs

Korea launches gov't task force for nuclear energy talks with US

The Korean government said Friday that it had formed a pan-government task force ahead of nuclear energy talks with the United States on uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for peaceful use. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rim Kap-soo, the government's representative for Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation, chaired the inaugural meeting, which was attended by officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. Officials from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control also took part. Rim, a former ambassador to Romania, is widely regarded as an expert in nuclear energy and nonproliferation. He previously worked as a nonproliferation specialist at the International Atomic Energy Agency. The closed-door meeting reviewed the respective roles of each organization on key issues and potential challenges related to upcoming consultat

Jan 9, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea launches gov't task force for nuclear energy talks with US
Politics

Civic groups denounce proposed bill to release crime data on foreign nationals

Migrant rights and other civic groups have condemned a bill proposed by conservative lawmakers that would require immigration authorities to publish crime statistics on foreign nationals, broken down by nationality and visa status, warning that the measure could fuel xenophobia. Civic organizations said Thursday that the proposal would stigmatize immigrants by singling them out as potential criminals, despite evidence showing that foreign residents are less likely to commit crimes than Koreans on average. "Crime statistics based on race or nationality carry a strong stigmatizing effect and can reinforce social discrimination against specific groups," a coalition of migrant rights organizations said in a statement. The groups noted that law enforcement agencies already collect such data, arguing that there is no reason for the justice ministry to carry out similar measures. "Prosecutors and police already compile crime statistics by nationality, and the crime rate among foreign nationals is roughly half that of Korean citizens. Given this, it is difficult to see what public benefit would

Jan 8, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Civic groups denounce proposed bill to release crime data on foreign nationals
Foreign Affairs

Acting US envoy departs Seoul with possible new role on NK issues

Kevin Kim, who had been serving as the acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea for roughly two months, has departed the post, further prolonging the lack of a formally appointed American envoy in Seoul. Kim recently informed Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs of his departure, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. He is said to have traveled to the United States for Christmas and did not return to Seoul. Kim took up the post in October last year and played a key role in coordinating U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later that month, as well as a bilateral summit with President Lee Jae Myung held on the sidelines of that event. Following Kim's departure, James Heller, the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, will serve as charge d'affaires for the time being, the embassy said in a notice posted on its website. "For the time being, Deputy Chief of Mission James Heller is expected to continue close communication with our side as acting charge d'affaires," a foreign ministry official said. The official declined to comment

Jan 7, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Acting US envoy departs Seoul with possible new role on NK issues
Politics

PPP leader issues belated apology for martial law fiasco

Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), issued a formal apology Wednesday for the 2024 martial law fiasco, a move widely seen as an effort to distance the party from former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The apology came more than a year after Yoon, who entered office as the party's candidate, abruptly imposed martial law — a decision that led to his impeachment and criminal prosecution. "The emergency martial law declared on Dec. 3, 2024, was an inappropriate and misguided measure that did not fit the situation. It led to significant confusion and inconvenience to the public, and inflicted deep wounds on our party members who have upheld the constitutional order of liberal democracy," Jang said at a press conference at the party's headquarters. "As the ruling party at the time and a key pillar of state governance, we failed to fulfill our responsibilities," he added. "We take that responsibility very seriously. I offer my deepest apologies to the public." The belated apology comes as the PPP continues to grapple with internal turmoil stemming from the

Jan 7, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
PPP leader issues belated apology for martial law fiasco
Foreign Affairs

Lee-Xi summit exposes differences on key security issues

A high-stakes summit between the leaders of South Korea and China exposed lingering gaps on key security issues, analysts said Tuesday, even as the two neighbors agreed on the importance of restarting dialogue with North Korea. President Lee Jae Myung met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, in the first visit by a South Korean president to China in a little over eight years, as both sides moved cautiously to stabilize relations after a prolonged period of strain. Lee’s trip, a reciprocal visit following Xi’s trip to Korea last November, signaled what officials in Seoul described as "a full restoration of bilateral ties" after relations had grown chilly in recent years amid security and trade friction. Following the meeting, the two leaders oversaw the signing of 14 memorandums of understanding covering areas such as science, technology and trade. On the security front, however, progress appeared limited. South Korea’s presidential office said the two leaders reaffirmed that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula — an apparent reference to the denuclearizat

Jan 6, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Lee-Xi summit exposes differences on key security issues
Foreign Affairs

Trump won't use 'Venezuela model' on Kim Jong-un: experts

The U.S. government's recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has prompted a question in Seoul: Could the Donald Trump administration attempt a similar operation against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un? U.S. forces seized Maduro in a surprise overnight operation early Saturday (local time) and flew him to New York, where he is set to stand trial on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. Some South Korean politicians argue that the precedent could, at least in theory, be extended to North Korea. Rep. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the minor opposition Reform Party, pointed to Washington's decision to label Maduro not as a "head of state" but as the "leader of a transnational crime ring." "The logic applied to President Maduro could also be applied to the North Korean leader," Lee wrote on Facebook. He noted that the U.S. Department of Justice previously indicted North Korean hackers in 2021, describing them as the "world's leading bank robbers." Security experts, however, say a similar operation against Kim is highly unlikely. Cheong Seong-chang, vice president of the Sejong Institute,

Jan 5, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Trump won't use 'Venezuela model' on Kim Jong-un: experts
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