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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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North Korea

N. Korea fires ballistic missiles as US capture of Maduro unnerves Kim Jong-un

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Sunday, a move analysts said underscored its leader Kim Jong-un's unease after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a surprise overnight military operation. Pyongyang's military provocation also appeared to be timed before a South Korea-China leaders' summit set for Monday, at which North Korea was expected to be on the agenda as Seoul presses Beijing to play a more active role in denuclearization efforts. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were launched from an area near Pyongyang at about 7:50 a.m. and flew roughly 900 kilometers before landing in the East Sea. The military said it was maintaining a heightened state of readiness. The launches marked North Korea's first missile provocation of the year. Its most recent test occurred on Nov. 7, 2025, when it fired a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea. Analysts said the timing appeared carefully calculated, coming a day after the Donald Trump administration launched a surprise military operation in Venezuela. The o

Jan 4, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
N. Korea fires ballistic missiles as US capture of Maduro unnerves Kim Jong-un
Foreign Affairs

What's at stake for Lee in upcoming visit to China?

President Lee Jae Myung is set to visit Beijing next week for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, drawing attention to whether the rare trip by a South Korean leader will yield tangible results as long-strained bilateral ties show signs of improvement. Analysts say that while the two sides are unlikely to reach concrete agreements on sensitive security issues, progress could be made in economic and cultural areas. According to the presidential office, Lee will depart on Sunday for a four-day visit to China. He will spend three days in Beijing, where the summit with Xi will be held, before traveling to Shanghai on Tuesday. The trip will mark the first visit by a South Korean president to China in nine years. Relations between Seoul and Beijing have been cool for much of that period, though signs of improvement emerged after the two leaders met in November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Still, Lee's visit comes at a sensitive moment, with the two countries remaining far apart on key security issues. South Korea

Dec 31, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
What's at stake for Lee in upcoming visit to China?
North Korea

S. Koreans allowed to access N. Korean propaganda newspaper starting Tuesday

South Koreans can now read Rodong Sinmun, the main newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, without prior approval from the authorities, following the government's relaxation of a decades-long restriction on Pyongyang's publications, the Ministry of Unification said Tuesday. Under the new policy, Rodong Sinmun — long classified as a "special publication" — has been reclassified as a "general publication," allowing the public to access issues at libraries without special approval procedures. "Starting today, visitors to institutions authorized to handle the newspaper will be able to access Rodong Sinmun in the same manner as general publications, without the need for separate identity verification or application procedures," Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung said at a briefing. Kim said the change is intended to guarantee the public free access to information about North Korea, moving away from the current system in which the government controls and selectively provides that information. According to the ministry, 181 institutions nationwide hold copies of Rodong Sinmun,

Dec 30, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
S. Koreans allowed to access N. Korean propaganda newspaper starting Tuesday
Defense

CFC commander stresses South Korea's expanding regional security role

Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), reiterated the need to expand South Korea's role in regional security as the allies modernize their alliance to address evolving threats. Brunson, who also heads the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and the United Nations Command (UNC), made the remarks at the 2nd ROK-US Combined Policy Forum in Seoul, Monday. The forum was organized by the CFC. ROK is an acronym for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official full name. "Korea is not simply responding to threats on the peninsula," Brunson said in his keynote speech. "Korea sits at the crossroads of broader regional dynamics that shape the balance of power across Northeast Asia." He cited the recently published U.S. National Security Strategy, saying the document reflects South Korea's growing importance in preserving stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Brunson also said alliance modernization "should be more than a slogan," adding that the allies should actively adjust how they plan and operate across multiple domains. "Across the UNC, CFC and USFK,

Dec 29, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
CFC commander stresses South Korea's expanding regional security role
Politics

Ruling party to launch inter-Korean peace strategy committee

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) will launch an internal committee focused on inter-Korean peace to support the government's engagement efforts with North Korea, party chairman Rep. Jung Chung-rae said Friday. The liberal party leader said the move is intended to support the Lee Jae Myung administration's push for rapprochement with Pyongyang. "President Lee needs a variety of cards to normalize the South Korea-U.S. alliance and inter-Korean relations. The DPK will not hesitate to play a leverage role," Jung said at his first press conference since taking office in August. "To that end, we will establish a new strategy committee for peace on the Korean Peninsula within the party by inviting distinguished experts." The committee, to be launched in the near future, will be led by former Unification Ministers Chung Se-hyun and Lee Jae-jung, as well as former special adviser for security affairs Moon Chung-in. The three figures named to lead the committee are widely seen as representing the "autonomy-minded" camp within South Korea's foreign and security policy circles, in contrast

Dec 26, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Ruling party to launch inter-Korean peace strategy committee
Defense

Gov't to tap seasoned N. Korea hands for new task force on inter-Korean dialogue

South Korea is formalizing preparations for potential inter-Korean dialogue, moving to establish a specialized task force of veteran negotiators despite North Korea’s continued silence. The Ministry of National Defense said Friday that the new task force will focus on maintaining “professionalism and continuity” in future military talks, including stalled discussions over the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Defense officials also held a workshop with the Ministry of Unification at the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue to bolster preparedness for potential talks with North Korea. "The ministry plans to form a preparatory task force centered on officials with prior experience to enhance the professionalism and continuity of inter-Korean military talks," the defense ministry said in a statement. The ministry also expressed hope that a communication channel aimed at easing military tensions between the two Koreas can be established soon. As part of efforts to reinforce institutional legitimacy, the ministry said it plans to revive its North Korea Policy Division, which is currently name

Dec 26, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't to tap seasoned N. Korea hands for new task force on inter-Korean dialogue
Politics

Presidential office holds urgent Christmas meeting over Coupang data breach

The presidential office on Thursday convened an urgent meeting of senior officials and ministers over a massive customer data breach at Coupang, amid intensifying criticism of the U.S.-listed e-commerce giant's slow response to the incident. The meeting, convened by Presidential Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom on Christmas, was widely seen as signaling President Lee Jae Myung's intent to pursue swift follow-up measures. Attendees included Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon; Song Kyung-hee, chair of the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC); Kim Jong-cheol, chair of the Korea Communications Commission; and Ju Biung-ghi, chair of the Fair Trade Commission. Officials from the National Police Agency were also present. Notably, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and officials from the Office of National Security joined the meeting, reflecting concerns that the controversy could spill over into broader Korea-U.S. relations amid Coupang's extensive lobbying activities in Washington. Officials in Seoul appear increasingly wary of the company's suspected ties to U.S. officials and lawmakers. A

Dec 25, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Presidential office holds urgent Christmas meeting over Coupang data breach
North Korea

N. Korea touts nuclear submarine under construction as S. Korea's plan advances

North Korea has vowed to strengthen its nuclear submarine capabilities as South Korea advances plans to build a nuclear-powered submarine, a move analysts say could fuel a naval arms race between the two Koreas and complicate Seoul's push to revive peace talks. According to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Seoul's submarine plan would pose a direct threat to Pyongyang. "Saying that the nuclear submarine development plan of the ROK, which Washington has agreed on at the solicitation of Seoul recently, will worsen the instability in the region of the Korean Peninsula, he stressed that the DPRK regards it as an offensive act severely violating its security and maritime sovereignty and a threat to its security that must be countered," KCNA reported, using acronyms for the Republic of Korea and Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official names of South Korea and North Korea. The North Korean leader made the remarks during a recent on-site inspection of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submar

Dec 25, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
N. Korea touts nuclear submarine under construction as S. Korea's plan advances
Defense

ROKS Dae Jo-yeong named Navy's 'top gunnery' ship for 2025

The Navy's destroyer ROKS Dae Jo-yeong has been named the service's top gunnery combat ship for 2025, an annual honor recognizing units that demonstrate the highest level of combat readiness and firepower proficiency. The 4,400-ton destroyer earned the title after receiving the highest score in a fleet-wide evaluation conducted from August to September. It marked the ship’s first time receiving the award in 15 years following its previous win in 2010. Assessment categories included surface and air gunnery drills, teamwork between gunnery crews and system operators and tactical training involving anti-ship guided missiles. The evaluation placed particular emphasis on coordination across the entire ship, the Navy said, noting that naval gunnery requires close teamwork among all crew members under constantly changing sailing environment and weather conditions. According to the Navy, the ROKS Dae Jo-yeong achieved top performance through carefully planned training, including test firing, live-fire exercises, missile tactics training and torpedo countermeasure drills. In preparation for the

Dec 22, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
ROKS Dae Jo-yeong named Navy's 'top gunnery' ship for 2025
Defense

South Korea to pursue multifront nuclear submarine talks with US starting next year

South Korea will pursue multifront discussions next year with the United States on building its first nuclear-powered submarine, including talks on uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, according to security officials Sunday. During National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac's latest visit to Washington, the two sides agreed to forge a separate bilateral agreement under Section 91 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, which authorizes the U.S. president to approve the transfer of nuclear materials for military use. "Rather than setting priorities, we will launch all of them at once," Wi was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. "Talks on uranium enrichment, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and nuclear-powered submarines will all be pursued simultaneously between South Korea and the United States starting early next year." The two countries have reached a shared understanding on the need for follow-up consultations to implement agreements reached at the summit level, he said, adding that substantive, sector-specific talks will begin in earnest next year. During his two-day t

Dec 21, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
South Korea to pursue multifront nuclear submarine talks with US starting next year
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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.