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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

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
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
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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.