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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

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
Defense

Debate rises over jurisdiction of DMZ for nonmilitary access

South Korean lawmakers are pushing legislation that would give the government control over civilian access to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), prompting a clash with the United Nations Command (UNC) over the scope of legal authority in the heavily fortified inter-Korean buffer zone. However, it remains unclear whether the proposed legislation, if passed, would actually force the UNC to hand over that authority to the South Korean government, as legal debates over jurisdiction persist. Two similar bills, introduced separately by ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers Lee Jae-gang and Han Jeoung-ae, aim to grant Seoul the power to approve civilian entry and other peaceful uses of areas within the DMZ. Currently, any such access requires approval from the U.S.-led UNC, whose authority derives from the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement. Supporters of the legislation argue that the UNC's mandate is limited to military administration, not civilian activity, and that the armistice does not stand above domestic laws. “The role of the UNC immediately after the war in the 1950s cannot be vie

Dec 18, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Debate rises over jurisdiction of DMZ for nonmilitary access
Foreign Affairs

Foreign ministry vows not to repeat failures of 2018 NK working group

A newly launched South Korea-U.S. consultative body on North Korea policy differs fundamentally from the 2018 bilateral working group, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday, pushing back against concerns that the new framework could repeat past mistakes. The clarification came a day after Seoul and Washington held the inaugural meeting of the consultative body amid concerns that it could mirror the earlier working group, which was widely seen as giving the United States excessive influence over South Korea's approach on North Korea. "Both South Korea and the U.S. clearly recognized that the purpose and background of the discussions were entirely different from those of the previous working group, and this understanding remains unchanged," a foreign ministry official said during a closed-door briefing. The meeting was co-chaired by Jeong Yeon-doo, vice minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence at the foreign ministry, and acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim. During the talks, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization

Dec 17, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Foreign ministry vows not to repeat failures of 2018 NK working group
Foreign Affairs

S. Korea, US launch consultative body on NK policy amid inter-ministry feud

South Korea and the United States on Tuesday launched a new consultative body on North Korea policy, amid persistent tensions between Seoul's foreign and unification ministries over who should take the lead on inter-Korean affairs. The consultative group, led by Jeong Yeon-doo, vice minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence at the foreign ministry, and acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim, held its first meeting at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul. Defense officials from both countries also attended. Known formally as "Follow-up discussions on the South Korea-U.S. joint fact sheet," the body marks the first bilateral consultative mechanism on North Korea to be launched under the Lee Jae Myung government, which took office in June. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea during the meeting, according to the foreign ministry. They also pledged to cooperate on the implementation of the 2018 Singapore Joint Statement between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The allies also urged Pyongyang

Dec 16, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
S. Korea, US launch consultative body on NK policy amid inter-ministry feud
North Korea

Foreign, unification ministries at odds over consultative body on NK issues

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification appear to be at odds over the planned launch of a new South Korea-U.S. consultative body on North Korea's nuclear issues. The unification ministry said Monday that it will not participate in the group, even as the foreign ministry moves ahead with plans to launch regular consultations on Tuesday. The differing positions underscore a subtle power struggle between the two ministries. Officials at the unification ministry, which is in charge of inter-Korean affairs, appear concerned that the consultative body could be heavily influenced by U.S. decision-making. The talks are intended to fine-tune the pace and direction of Seoul and Washington’s North Korea policy as the allies seek to revive dialogue with Pyongyang. According to the foreign ministry, Jeong Yeon-doo, vice minister for intelligence and North Korean nuclear issues at the ministry, and acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim will lead the regular consultative meeting. “As the consultations will focus on bilateral diplomatic agreements, our ministry has decid

Dec 15, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Foreign, unification ministries at odds over consultative body on NK issues
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