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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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Defense

Veterans ministry highlights collective efforts for global peace with 22 countries

Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-shik, right of center in the rear, and government representatives of the 22 countries that helped South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, observe a moment of silence before the Ministerial Summit on Veterans Affairs at a hotel in Busan, Tuesday. YonhapMajor ceremony marking 70th anniversary of armistice set for todayBy Lee Hyo-jinMinister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-shik proposed a joint declaration, Wednesday, with 22 countries that helped South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, pledging collective efforts toward maintaining global peace and values of freedom. “Through the joint declaration, we hope to share the value of prosperity and freedom achieved through 70 years of solidarity with our ally nations, and I hope this will serve as a new starting point of an alliance for the 70 years to come,” Park said. Park's proposal was made during the Ministerial Summit on Veterans Affairs with the 22 countries in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement that halted the inter

Jul 26, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
Veterans ministry highlights collective efforts for global peace with 22 countries
  • Remains of 7 S. Korean troops killed during Korean War handed over to Seoul
  • Rare archival footage sheds light on post-war reconstruction efforts in Korea
  • Remains of 7 South Korean troops killed during Korean War return home
Defense

I would fight for South Korea again, says foreign veteran of Korean War

Korean War veterans raise their arms together during a joint interview with local media at a hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. From left are William Word from the United States, Edward Buckner from Canada and Colin Thackery from the United Kingdom. Yonhap3 veterans from US, Canada, UK reflect on service with prideBy Lee Hyo-jin William Word, a 91-year-old American, is among the tens of thousands of foreigners who answered South Korea's call for help when the Korean War broke out in 1950. Word, who grew up on a farm in Booneville, Ark., joined the military after he graduated from high school. And after receiving basic military training, he was given a choice to be deployed either in Europe or the Far East.Although he didn't even know where South Korea was, he volunteered to go there, a choice he does not regret seven decades later.“If I had to do it again, I'll do it all over again. I would come over here again. I really would. It's so different here and the people are wonderful people,” he said during a joint interview with local media at a hotel in Seoul, Tuesday.The American vet

Jul 25, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
I would fight for South Korea again, says foreign veteran of Korean War
  • Delegates from 22 countries gather in South Korea for war anniversary
  • S. Korea to hold 70th armistice anniv. ceremony in Busan this week
  • Dalai Lama wishes peace on Korean Peninsula ahead of Korean War armistice anniv.
Defense

Top US military commander's remarks on war on Korean Peninsula inappropriate: experts

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrives for a press briefing after participating in a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., July 18. AFP-YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jinChairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Gen. Mark Milley's recent remarks that the Korean Peninsula could be “in a state of war within a few days” were inappropriate, diplomatic observers said, Monday. Local experts, who viewed that Milley's intention was probably to highlight Washington's commitment to maintaining peace and security on the peninsula, said that he should have been more prudent in his choice of words.Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, called Milley's remarks “inappropriate.”“Such remarks, coming from the chairman of the U.S. JCS, not only create concerns among the South Korean public but also give an impression that the U.S. is being swayed by North Korea's strategy of creating tensions on the Korean Peninsula through continuous military provocations,” he said. &

Jul 24, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
Top US military commander's remarks on war on Korean Peninsula inappropriate: experts
Society

South Koreans shocked, confused over US soldier's defection

South Korean soldiers stand guard during a media tour at the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, March 3. Reuters-YonhapExpert points out lack of communication between USFK and UNCBy Lee Hyo-jin South Koreans are shocked and embarrassed over American soldier Travis King's deliberate border-crossing to the North, with some people drawing connections between this event and what they perceive as a lack of discipline in U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) personnel.A former Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) soldier in his 30s, who wished to be identified only by his surname Kim, said he couldn't believe that a U.S. soldier fled north.“I've seen some U.S. soldiers with behavior issues getting into trouble, but not to this scale,” he told The Korea Times. “I noticed that a lot of U.S soldiers deployed here are relatively young and less experienced. And due to the emotional stress of being stationed far away from home, some of them ended up causing trouble involving alcohol and violence. I think K

Jul 21, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
South Koreans shocked, confused over US soldier's defection
  • US soldier's defection sheds light on failure of USFK to manage offenders
Foreign Affairs

US soldier's defection sheds light on failure of USFK to manage offenders

Tourists walk at Imjingak Pavillion in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, near the border with North Korea, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk King traveled to Panmunjeom on tour bus with other foreign visitorsBy Lee Hyo-jin American soldier Travis King's defection to North Korea has sparked criticism of the U.S. Forces Korea's (USFK) poor handling of service members who break the law, as the U.S. military failed to properly monitor the soldier who apparently should have been in custody.Other than the fact that he was facing disciplinary measures, little else is known as to why the 23-year-old Army private crossed the inter-Korean border. Until recently, King was detained in a South Korean prison workshop for about two months as he did not pay a 5-million won ($3,900) fine on charges of inflicting damage to a police vehicle. Travis King / AP-YonhapAfter being released on July 10, he was to be sent to Fort Bliss in Texas aboard a flight on Monday, where he would have faced additional disciplinary measures and a possible discharge from the military.Instead of boarding the flight to the

Jul 20, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
US soldier's defection sheds light on failure of USFK to manage offenders
  • US soldier who defected to NK had been in prison workshop in Seoul: sources
  • US fears mistreatment of American soldier held by NK
  • South Koreans shocked, confused over US soldier's defection
Politics

EXCLUSIVE US soldier who fled to NK skipped flight claiming missing passport: sources

A banner advertising a DMZ tour can be seen on a tour bus at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Wednesday. AP-YonhapExact reason for defection remains unclearBy Lee Hyo-jinAn American soldier who defected to North Korea during a Joint Security Area (JSA) tour on Tuesday apparently lied that his passport was missing to avoid boarding a flight back to his home country, where he faces disciplinary action, according to sources, Wednesday.Travis King, a 23-year-old Army private, crossed the inter-Korean boarder at around 3:27 p.m., Tuesday, while on a tour of the JSA, also known as the border truce village of Panmunjeom, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.King, who was facing disciplinary action in the United States on charges of assault he committed in Seoul, fled to North Korea, a day after he was scheduled to return to Fort Bliss in Texas aboard an American Airlines flight.On Monday, the American soldier was escorted by military police from Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, to Incheon International Airport. The soldier then went through a s

Jul 19, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
[EXCLUSIVE] US soldier who fled to NK skipped flight claiming missing passport: sources
  • A closer look at Panmunjeom, famous border town where US soldier crossed into NK
  • ANALYSIS What will happen to US soldier held in North Korea?
  • NK remains silent to US calls to verify status of soldier in its custody: state dept.
  • Tourist who saw US soldier sprint to NK initially thought it was stunt
  • American soldier's dash into NK leaves family members wondering why
  • US soldier who defected to NK had been in prison workshop in Seoul: sources
Foreign Affairs

Participation in Ukraine's reconstruction efforts could be double-edged sword for Korean companies

A woman walks through Bucha amid destroyed Russian tanks on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 3. AP-YonhapYoon's visit to Kyiv unlikely to affect Korea-Russia relations By Lee Hyo-jinDuring his trip to the Polish capital of Warsaw last week, President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to offer comprehensive support for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction projects. The post-war restoration in Ukraine will cost up to 2,000 trillion won ($1.58 trillion) of which Korea could account for 66 trillion won worth of projectsMajor firms such as Samsung C&T, Hyundai E&C, Kolon Global, HD Hyundai XiteSolution and Naver have already expressed their willingness to take part in the reconstruction, which will include rebuilding infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, airports, railway vehicles as well as information technology. However, despite positively assessing Seoul's efforts to support Kyiv, diplomatic observers expressed concerns that the Korean firms may face some unexpected hurdles.“Korean companies' active joining in Ukraine's rebuilding efforts may ruffle the feathers of Russia,&rd

Jul 18, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
Participation in Ukraine's reconstruction efforts could be double-edged sword for Korean companies
Society

Yoon orders all-out efforts to cope with damage from downpour

President Yoon Suk Yeol listens to a villager during a visit to Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday, where fatal landslides occurred due to heavy rainfall. YonhapAt least 40 people dead from heavy rain, flooding By Lee Hyo-jin President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the government, Monday, to mobilize all possible resources and measures to swiftly respond to the damage caused by severe flooding that has left at least 40 dead and thousands displaced across the nation.Beginning last Thursday, the Chungcheong provinces and southern regions have been battered by record-breaking monsoon rainfall, which is expected to continue through Wednesday.“The monsoon season has not ended yet and heavy rainfall is forecast again for tomorrow. These kinds of extreme climate situations should now be perceived as something that is always around us, and we must deal with them accordingly,” Yoon said during a meeting with officials from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.Yoon, who returned from an eight-day trip to three European countries early Monday morning, immediat

Jul 17, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
Yoon orders all-out efforts to cope with damage from downpour
  • Gov't inspection launched into deadly underpass flooding in Osong
  • 50 dead or missing in downpours after 5 more bodies recovered from underground road
Defense

Commemorating fallen Marines

Military commanders pay tribute to five fallen Marines during a ceremony held to mark the fifth anniversary of their death in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. The service members were killed during a test flight of an MUH-1 Marineon helicopter in July 2018. Courtesy of Marine Corps

Jul 17, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
Commemorating fallen Marines
Society

Authorities criticized over botched response to flooded tunnel in Osong

Emergency personnel retrieve a body from the flooded tunnel in the town of Osong, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Sunday. YonhapAt least 9 dead in flooded tunnel, with death toll expected to riseBy Lee Hyo-jin Local authorities in Osong, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, are facing widespread criticism over a lack of execution of safety measures in response to a flooded tunnel in the area which has left at least nine people dead as of Sunday afternoon.Critics view that the accident, which occurred amid the days-long torrential rain, could have been prevented had the local municipalities taken preemptive measures such as closing the tunnel and establishing other traffic controls. According to the Korea Fire Agency, Gungpyeong 2 Underpass in Osong was submerged around 8:45 a.m., Saturday, after the banks of the nearing Miho River collapsed due to heavy rainfall in the region. The four-lane, 430-meter-long underground passage was flooded by some six tons of water in just three minutes, leaving 15 vehicles ― including a public bus and two trucks ― trapped inside. It is unclear

Jul 16, 2023By Lee Hyo-jin
Authorities criticized over botched response to flooded tunnel in Osong
  • 49 dead or missing in downpours after 4 more bodies recovered from underground road
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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.