Foreign Affairs
Busan eyes Expo 2035 after losing to Riyadh
Despite strong support from the public, major Korean business conglomerates and world stars such as BTS, Busan lost its bid to host the World Expo 2030.
Nov 29, 2023
Jung Min-ho
Korea Times Politics & City Reporter
Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
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Foreign Affairs
Rights experts criticize China for denying torture in North Korea
Human rights advocates were shocked last month to find out that hundreds of North Korean escapees were forcibly deported by China after three years of pandemic border restrictions came to an end. Recently, they were shocked again by Beijing’s claim that the principle of non-refoulement cannot be applied to its policy because there is “no evidence of torture” in North Korea.
Nov 28, 2023
Defense
Calling for maximum deterrence
Defense Minister Shin Won-sik speaks during a meeting with key military commanders at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Tuesday. Speaking to top officers including Kim Myeong-su, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, Shin called for a strong readiness posture against possible threats from North Korea. After North Korea's announcement that it would rebuild guard posts along the inter-Korean border, Shin warned that any major attacks from the regime would be "the beginning of its destruction." Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense
Nov 28, 2023
Politics
How infighting at spy agency led to sweeping leadership changes
After returning from an overseas trip on Sunday, the first thing President Yoon Suk Yeol did was to accept the resignations of the chief of the National Intelligence Agency (NIS) and his two deputies. Yet given the deep, long-running tensions between top agents over the past year, few believe their departure was voluntary.
Nov 27, 2023
Law & Crime
Court finds rejection of asylum application illegal due to lack of review
A court on Sunday found immigration officials’ rejection of an asylum application to be unlawful on the basis that it lacked proper review.
Nov 27, 2023
Foreign Affairs
Korea reaches last lap in race to host World Expo 2030
A Korean delegation will make its last case for Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030 as representatives of 182 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), a governing body for the event, are preparing to vote in Paris on Tuesday (local time) to determine the host city.
Nov 26, 2023
North Korea
Pyongyang scraps military pact with Seoul, threatens to deploy new weapons
Pyongyang declared the end to an inter-Korean military agreement on Thursday, saying it will deploy more troops and new weapons along its border with South Korea.
Nov 23, 2023
Defense
S. Korea to resume surveillance flights near border after 5 years
Seoul on Wednesday partially suspended an inter-Korean military agreement designed to ease tensions and decided to resume surveillance operations along the border with North Korea in response to Pyongyang’s launch of a spy satellite. The South Korean government said it was a “necessary measure” for self-defense.
Nov 22, 2023
North Korea
N. Korea's 3rd spy satellite launch attempt imminent
North Korea is set to make a third attempt to launch a spy satellite as early as Wednesday in spite of warnings from Seoul that the move could result in the suspension of an inter-Korean military agreement.
Nov 21, 2023
Politics
Fukushima wastewater 'dead' as election issue
The discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant would “doom all fishing industries” in Korea, Lee Jae-myung, the opposition leader, said, vowing an “all-out effort” to stop it.
Nov 21, 2023