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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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Foreign Affairs

President expresses concerns over 'unjust' detention of Koreans in US immigration raid

President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that he felt a deep responsibility for the detention of hundreds of Korean workers in a U.S. immigration raid, emphasizing that the activities of those contributing to Seoul-Washington cooperation should not be obstructed unfairly. "I feel a deep responsibility as the president who bears the full responsibility for the safety of the people," Lee said during a Cabinet meeting, referring to those held by U.S. immigration authorities. "We must ensure that the activities of our citizens and companies in advancing the Korea-U.S. alliance are not hindered unjustly," he said, pledging to work closely with Washington to prevent further incidents and to seek reasonable improvements in U.S. visa rules. Lee also ordered relevant ministries to closely manage the situation until all the Korean detainees return home safely. The president's remarks came as a chartered Korean Air flight was set to depart for Atlanta at 11 a.m. Wednesday to bring home the detained Korean nationals. More than 300 Koreans are being held at a detention center in Folkston, Georgia, followi

Sep 9, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
President expresses concerns over 'unjust' detention of Koreans in US immigration raid
Foreign Affairs

Koreans detained in US may face reentry limits despite voluntary departure

Around 300 Koreans detained in Georgia during a U.S. immigration raid will leave the country under a “voluntary departure” agreement, Korea’s foreign ministry said Monday. The group is expected to return home on chartered flights in the coming days. Still, under U.S. administrative procedures, it remains unclear whether detainees who choose voluntary departure will be able to avoid disadvantages when seeking to reenter the United States in the future. "We are in detailed talks to arrange the safe return of all detained individuals at the earliest possible date via chartered flights," a foreign ministry official said during a briefing. The official declined to provide a detailed timeline for the flights, amid speculation that it may take place as early as Wednesday. The Korean companies involved are reportedly covering the cost of the chartered flights. The repatriation will be carried out with the consent of the individuals involved, the official explained, noting that this arrangement followed urgent consultations between Seoul and Washington after the raid last Thursday (local ti

Sep 8, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Koreans detained in US may face reentry limits despite voluntary departure
Foreign Affairs

Seoul voices regret after about 300 Koreans detained in US immigration raid at Hyundai-LG plant

The Korean government expressed regret on Friday over a U.S. immigration raid that is believed to have resulted in the detention of about 300 Korean citizens at a Hyundai and LG Energy Solution construction site in Georgia. The detainees reportedly included a mix of Hyundai Motor Group affiliate employees and LG Energy Solution headquarters staff who were in the United States on business. Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the business operations of Korean companies should not be disrupted by American law enforcement actions. "The economic activities of our investment firms and the rights of our citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement operations," ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said during a briefing. Lee added that the ministry is taking active measures, including dispatching consuls from the Korean Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in Atlanta to the site and setting up an on-site task force. "We have also conveyed our concerns and regret through the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, urging them to ensure that the legitimate right

Sep 5, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Seoul voices regret after about 300 Koreans detained in US immigration raid at Hyundai-LG plant
Foreign Affairs

Kim Jong-un returns home with economic aid from China, security backing from Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s three-day visit to China secured key assurances from Pyongyang’s traditional allies: economic backing from Beijing and a security guarantee from Moscow. With China and Russia apparently expanding their influence on Korean Peninsula affairs, observers say South Korea faces an increasingly complicated diplomatic landscape, needing to balance its alliance with Washington while managing relations with Beijing and Moscow in the face of Pyongyang’s nuclear threats. Kim concluded his rare visit to Beijing on Thursday night, returning to Pyongyang aboard his armored train after attending a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. On the final day of his visit, Kim held a bilateral summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first meeting in nearly seven years. The two leaders reaffirmed that the friendship between their countries would remain unchanged "no matter how the international landscape evolves," according to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Friday. Xi described the nations as "good neighbors

Sep 5, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Kim Jong-un returns home with economic aid from China, security backing from Russia
Foreign Affairs

Korea to boycott Japan’s Sado mine memorial for second year

For the second year in a row, Korea will boycott a memorial ceremony in Japan honoring forced labor victims, including Koreans, after talks with Tokyo broke down over the wording of the memorial speech. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday, the decision was made after the two sides could not agree on expressions that acknowledge the coercive nature of the labor at the Sado gold mines. The ceremony is expected to be held Sept. 13 near the mine site in Niigata Prefecture. "We held serious discussions with the Japanese side over the matter, but ultimately failed to narrow differences on critical issues and decided it was difficult to participate," a ministry official told reporters during a briefing. The official declined to specify the sticking points, saying only that the two sides engaged in "sincere discussions." Another factor in the decision, the official said, was the limited time before the ceremony, which would have made it difficult to arrange logistics for the families of forced labor victims to attend. Seoul notified Tokyo of its decision earlier in the day. The of

Sep 4, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea to boycott Japan’s Sado mine memorial for second year
Foreign Affairs

Kim Jong-un’s overtures to Xi and Putin complicate S. Korea’s denuclearization goal

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's high-profile debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage alongside the leaders of China and Russia poses fresh challenges for Seoul’s pursuit of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, analysts said Thursday. Kim stood shoulder to shoulder with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the leaders of two nuclear-armed powers, at China’s massive military parade in Beijing on Wednesday. This display is widely seen as a de facto acknowledgment of North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, a long-sought goal of the reclusive regime. Experts say this recognition by Pyongyang's traditional patrons could give North Korea leverage in future nuclear negotiations, complicating South Korea's position amid rising speculation that Kim may seek to reopen nuclear negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump. Seoul's Ministry of Unification declined to comment directly on Kim's trip to China, but acknowledged that Beijing extended the North Korean leader its highest level of diplomatic protocol. "During the parade, Putin was seated to Xi's right as the top-ranked guest, with Kim

Sep 4, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Kim Jong-un’s overtures to Xi and Putin complicate S. Korea’s denuclearization goal
Foreign Affairs

Korean American trailblazer finds political voice in Washington state

Cindy Ryu had never imagined a career in politics. When her family immigrated to the United States from Korea in 1969, she was 12. Like many immigrant children, she spent her days learning English, adjusting to a new school system and helping her parents make ends meet. Decades later, Ryu made history in 2008 as the first Korean American woman to be elected mayor of Shoreline, Washington, and now she is currently serving her eighth term as a state representative for Washington’s 32nd Legislative District. Her first steps into politics in the early 2000s were far from carefully planned. "I was just having a normal life as an immigrant. I was working hard, educating my kids, trying to pay my mortgage," Ryu said in an interview with The Korea Times, in Seoul Tuesday. At the time, she and her husband ran an insurance business and had purchased a building near a planned road project in Shoreline. A dispute over the project drew her into local politics. After attending meeting after meeting, she grew increasingly frustrated with the way city officials were handling the project. "If you can't b

Sep 4, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Korean American trailblazer finds political voice in Washington state
Foreign Affairs

Seasoned expert takes helm of top S. Korean security think tank

Seasoned security researcher Kim Sung-bae was appointed the new chairman of the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS) Tuesday, the Seoul-based think tank said. Kim is the first chairman in the institute's 48-year history to be promoted from within. He is expected to make significant contributions to the research center's capacity development and international standing. "The core mission of a national research institute is to provide policymakers with accurate analyses of current affairs, and to lead the future through creative and innovative research," Kim said during his inauguration ceremony. "As a small but strong organization, a single research paper can significantly influence national policy and shape the course of events," he added. A graduate of Seoul National University's Graduate School of Diplomacy, Kim is a national security policy expert with extensive experience. He served as a senior research fellow at INSS from 2007 to 2025. His areas of expertise include national security strategy, intelligence and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. His experience in governme

Sep 3, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Seasoned expert takes helm of top S. Korean security think tank
North Korea

Kim Jong-un stands with Xi, Putin at Beijing military parade in rare display of unity

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a large-scale military parade in Beijing, Wednesday, in a striking display of ties that trace back to the Cold War. During the mass military parade at Tiananmen Square, Kim was seen at Xi’s left and Putin to his right. Beijing’s show of military might marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a date China observes as its victory over Imperial Japan. It was the first time in 66 years that the leaders of North Korea, China and Russia stood shoulder to shoulder. The last such moment came in 1959, when North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung, stood alongside China’s Mao Zedong and the Soviet Union’s Nikita Khrushchev at a military parade in Beijing. Even at the time, Kim Il-sung did not stand next to Mao. The rare attendance of the three leaders together, as well as the display of their close relationship by standing side by side, projected an image of solidarity and cooperation against the West. The occasion also marked Kim’s first attendance among such a

Sep 3, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Kim Jong-un stands with Xi, Putin at Beijing military parade in rare display of unity
North Korea

All eyes on solidarity between Pyongyang, Beijing, Moscow

The heads of North Korea, China and Russia are set to meet during a major military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, during which they are expected to display trilateral solidarity and strengthen ties between the three nations, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and experts Tuesday. The NIS, however, saw little chance of Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin meeting for a trilateral summit, which would be a first for them. Kim arrived in Beijing late Tuesday afternoon via his private train, nearly a day after departing from Pyongyang. In one of the photos of the North Korean leader emerging from his armored train, his daughter Kim Ju-ae was visible behind him, fueling speculation that he may be grooming her as his heir. It marks her first time joining her father on a visit to China, let alone at a multilateral gathering. Accompanied by senior party and government officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Kim will attend the large-scale military parade in China to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a date Beijing commemorates as its victor

Sep 2, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
All eyes on solidarity between Pyongyang, Beijing, Moscow
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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.