The Korea Times

ANALYSIS Concerns of Korea getting dragged into war in Taiwan are inflated

Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan Island, one of Beijing's closest points from Taiwan, in Fujian province, ahead of massive military drills off Taiwan, in this Aug. 4, 2022 file photo. Experts recently told The Korea Times that a Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security deal signed at Camp David last month would not expose South Korea to a greater Taiwan war risk. AFP-YonhapTrilateral security pact does not make Seoul's involvement more likely, experts sayBy Jung Min-hoAfter a new Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security pact was sealed last month to reinforce cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, critics in South Korea claimed that the deal could expose their country to a greater risk of being drawn into a potential war over Taiwan ― a volatile superpower flashpoint.At a recent meeting with officials of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Do-gyun, former commander of the Capital Defense Command, said, with their stated commitment to unity, South Korea is now more likely to be embroiled in issues of potential armed conflict.“It is very likely that the move, packaged as th

Sep 8, 2023By Jung Min-ho

[ANALYSIS] Concerns of Korea getting dragged into war in Taiwan are inflated

North Korea

Major arms deal between Kim and Putin 'very likely,' experts say

This April 25, 2019 file photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other during their meeting at the Far East Federal University on Russky Island in Vladivostok, Russia. Experts said on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine has brought the countries closer and the two leaders could reach a major arms deal at the expected summit in Vladivostok next week. EPA-YonhapRussia's help would 'advance and expedite' development of North Korean weaponsBy Jung Min-hoAfter Russia invaded Ukraine last year, experts on North Korea warned that the conflict could lead to a dangerous partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow. A protracted war could force the Kremlin to seek support from North Korea, which would be delighted to provide ammunition in return for Russian weapons technology, they said.That grim scenario may be set to unfold when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok sometime next week, as the New York Times reported citing U.S. sources.Speaking to The Korea Times on Tuesday, analysts sai

Sep 5, 2023By Jung Min-ho

Major arms deal between Kim and Putin 'very likely,' experts say

N. Korea will pay a price if it provides weapons to Russia: NSA Sullivan

North Korea

UN rapporteur urged to help lay groundwork to prosecute North Korean leader at ICC

Elizabeth Salmon, right, the U.N. special rapporteur for North Korean human rights, poses with Son Myung-hwa, a representative of the Korean War POW Family Association, in Seoul, Monday, as she begins her nine-day trip. Courtesy of Korean War POW Family AssociationEvidence for Kim's crimes against humanity 'more than sufficient,' rights activists sayBy Jung Min-hoEvidence of atrocities committed in North Korea by the Kim Jong-un regime is abundant. Therefore, human rights activists are wondering whether the evidence collected in the South would meet the U.N.'s requirements to bring him to justice at the International Criminal Court (ICC).Speaking to The Korea Times on Monday, rights advocates said this is one of the main issues they are planning to raise if given the opportunity to speak with Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur for North Korean human rights. Arriving Monday in Seoul, Salmon began her nine-day trip where she will meet with government officials, members of civic groups and North Korean escapees.“My first question to Salmon would be whether it is possibl

Sep 4, 2023By Jung Min-ho

UN rapporteur urged to help lay groundwork to prosecute North Korean leader at ICC

Foreign Affairs

Korea joins Freedom Online Coalition

gettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoKorea, under President Yoon Suk Yeol's leadership, has officially embraced the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) as a strategic partner, championing the cause of online freedoms and human rights in its diplomatic endeavors.In an announcement made last week, the FOC said it welcomed the country as its 38th member.“As a state party to several international treaties that relate to the FOC's mission, the ROK has demonstrated a commitment to human rights online both at a domestic level and in key international forums and initiatives,” the FOC said in a statement, referring to Korea by an acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea. “The country has a track record of actively engaging in various forums and human rights bodies, having supported efforts to bring attention to topics concerning human rights violations occurring globally.”Korea has been in talks with the United States, the current rotational chair, and other members to obtain partnership since early this year, a senior government official revealed in April. The organizat

Sep 4, 2023By Jung Min-ho

North Korea

Kim's visits to naval facilities show direction of North Korea's nuclear strategy: experts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a ship engine factory at Ryongchon County in North Pyongan Province, in this photo released on Sunday. YonhapPyongyang claims to have conducted 'tactical nuclear attack' drill with cruise missilesBy Jung Min-hoWhile reporting on its latest drill for a “tactical nuclear attack,” Sunday, Pyongyang released photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a ship engine factory. The facility, situated on its west coast near the border with China, assumes an “irreplaceable responsibility for strengthening naval forces,” Kim said while presenting his policy direction for “opening a new era” in marine engineering.Analysts told The Korea Times that this move, consistent with his recent messages highlighting the importance of naval power, suggests the trajectory of the North's long-term nuclear weapons strategy, namely building a submarine equipped with submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) or a nuclear-capable submarine. “After developing and deploying strategic missiles on land, North Korea has be

Sep 3, 2023By Jung Min-ho

North Korea

UN rapporteur closely watching signs of China deporting NK defectors

This photo released on Aug. 22 by Kyodo shows North Korean women at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. North Korea said, Aug. 27, it will allow its citizens staying abroad to return home as the country slowly eases its draconian pandemic restrictions. YonhapActivists consider increasing pressure ahead of Hangzhou Asian GamesBy Jung Min-hoElizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea, said she has been closely monitoring China for any signs of a resumption in the forced repatriations of North Korean escapees as the two countries ease border restrictions.In a statement recently sent to The Korea Times, Salmon recognized the grave risk of human rights violations facing the escapees who have been detained in China during the three-year border closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.“I and other mandate holders have repeatedly raised concerns over the forced repatriation of people from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) by other countries including China due to the continuing real risk of serious human rights violation

Aug 31, 2023By Jung Min-ho

UN rapporteur closely watching signs of China deporting NK defectors

US lawmakers seek to meet UN officials to stop China from sending back N. Korean defectors

North Korea

Seoul urged not to give up on abductees in North Korea

This April 20, 2021, file photo shows the North Korean flag fluttering at the North Korea consular office in the Chinese border city of Dandong. Human rights groups call on the government to be step up efforts to resolve issues regarding South Korean abductees and prisoners of war in North Korea on Aug. 30, the International Day of the Disappeared, a day created to remember the victims of enforced disappearance. Reuters-YonhapGov't vows to redouble efforts for victims on International Day of the DisappearedBy Jung Min-hoWhen a North Korean agent hijacked a Korean Air flight carrying his father and forced the pilot to land in North Korea in December 1969, Hwang In-cheol was only two years old.Despite 53 years passing, Hwang and his family remain undeterred in their quest to search for him.“No matter how long it takes, we will not give up on him because we can't. We hope leaders in the government feel the same,” Hwang told The Korea Times on Wednesday.He spoke on the occasion rights advocates marked as the International Day of the Disappeared, a day created to remember the

Aug 30, 2023By Jung Min-ho

North Korea

ANALYSIS Bloody purges may be imminent in North Korea amid worsening food crisis

This photo released on Aug. 22 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting the flood situation in a tidal area of South Pyongan Province, North Korea. Signs of a bloody purge of top-ranking officials appear imminent in North Korea as Kim searches for scapegoats amid a worsening food crisis, according to analysts on Tuesday. YonhapTop-level officials could be executed as Kim searches for scapegoats: analystsBy Jung Min-hoA bloody purge of high-ranking officials appears to be imminent in North Korea as Kim Jong-un, its dictator, searches for scapegoats amid a worsening food crisis, according to analysts.In assessments of the North's current economic and political situation, Tuesday, experts said at least several officials in charge of the economy, particularly food production management, could be executed. The North has often used such forms of punishment in the past to place the blame on bureaucrats for policy failures.The analyses come as North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun is being investigated over flood damage in farmlands along its western coast. During his visit to a tidal are

Aug 29, 2023By Jung Min-ho

[ANALYSIS] Bloody purges may be imminent in North Korea amid worsening food crisis

Defense

INTERVIEW Author lays out case for nuclear-armed South Korea

A TV screen shows file images of U.S. President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, July 22. The case for South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons is still strong despite its trilateral partnership with the U.S. and Japan, according to Cheong Seong-chang, author of the new book, “Why We Should Become a Nuclear Power.” AP-YonhapExpert calls trilateral security ties 'short-term pain relief,' calling for solution for root causeBy Jung Min-hoCheong Seong-chang, an expert on North Korea at the Sejong Institute, a think tankA recently signed trilateral security agreement between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo promises to strengthen regional defense against North Korea's unfolding nuclear threats.But any sense of security brought about by the partnership should not fool anyone given the root problem left untouched, said Cheong Seong-chang, author of the new book, “Why We Should Become a Nuclear Power.”In a recent interview, Cheong, an expert on North Korea at the Sejong Institute, a think tank,

Aug 29, 2023By Jung Min-ho

[INTERVIEW] Author lays out case for nuclear-armed South Korea

Law & Crime

Recidivism rate prompts gov't to 'pay attention to' public opinion on resuming death penalty

gettyimagesbankBy Jung Min-hoThe Ministry of Justice is now paying close attention to recent changes in public opinion on resuming the implementation of the death penalty.In response to inquiries sent by The Korea Times recently, the ministry said its stance on the issue has not changed ― that there should be a thorough review before deciding whether to carry out capital punishment again. But “violent crimes seen recently and the rate of recidivism” forced officials to pay attention to growing calls for the resumption, it said.The statement comes amid mounting calls for stronger penalties against criminals after a series of violent crimes have occurred targeting random people.On Aug. 17, Choi Yoon-jong, 30, assaulted a woman in her 30s in an alleged attempt to rape her on a hiking trail in Seoul. This occurred just two weeks after Choi Won-jong, 22, rammed his vehicle into pedestrians before going on a stabbing rampage inside a mall near Seohyeon Station, leaving one woman dead and 13 others injured. Another man, 33, Cho Sun, attacked people in a similar way with a knife

Aug 26, 2023By Jung Min-ho

Jung Min-ho

Read more

ANALYSIS Concerns of Korea getting dragged into war in Taiwan are inflated

Major arms deal between Kim and Putin 'very likely,' experts say

UN rapporteur urged to help lay groundwork to prosecute North Korean leader at ICC

Korea joins Freedom Online Coalition

Kim's visits to naval facilities show direction of North Korea's nuclear strategy: experts

UN rapporteur closely watching signs of China deporting NK defectors

Seoul urged not to give up on abductees in North Korea

ANALYSIS Bloody purges may be imminent in North Korea amid worsening food crisis

INTERVIEW Author lays out case for nuclear-armed South Korea

Recidivism rate prompts gov't to 'pay attention to' public opinion on resuming death penalty

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