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Yi Whan-woo

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.

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Foreign Affairs

Iran warns Korea over possible Hormuz deployment

Iran’s foreign ministry warned Korea on Monday that any military involvement in the Strait of Hormuz could have “serious consequences,” as Seoul considers possible military contributions to efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway. “Relations between Iran and the Republic of Korea date back more than 64 years and have always been based on mutual respect. Iran greatly values its friendly relations with the Republic of Korea,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei wrote in a Korean-language post on X. The post was interpreted as a direct message for Seoul, stressing two countries’ longstanding ties before warning against joining military operations in the region. “However, it is clear that under the current circumstances, any operational participation or military presence by other parties in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz would amount to direct support for the aggressor and would have serious consequences,” Baqaei wrote. He added that “no sovereign and responsible government” should submit to what he described as U.S.

Sep 7, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Iran warns Korea over possible Hormuz deployment
Foreign Affairs

COVER STORY Iran war hinders multiple Korea-US projects

Korea is facing an increasingly complicated task as it seeks to address a series of pending issues with the United States, as U.S. pressure for it to participate in the Iran war intertwines security and diplomatic challenges with economic and trade interests. While participating in the war in any form is not an easy decision for Korea to make, the growing pressure is effectively preventing progress in other major bilateral issues, including Korea's $350 billion investment commitment in the U.S. and its pursuit of domestically developed nuclear-powered submarines. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration over Korea's reluctance to provide military support for the U.S. war on Iran. In a Fox News interview late last month he claimed that Seoul had turned down his request for help in the war and warned that he would "remember that." Voice of America reported on Saturday that a White House official said that the U.S. was “still waiting for Korea to commit resources” to the region. Seoul had been cautious about any potential participation, given its ties with Iran a

Sep 7, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
[COVER STORY] Iran war hinders multiple Korea-US projects
Politics

Controversies jeopardize confirmation prospects for Lee's Cabinet nominees

Two minister nominees are facing mounting questions over whether they can survive their confirmation hearings, as a series of controversies and corruption allegations have drawn growing public criticism. If even one of them fails to pass the hearing or steps down from the nomination, it will deal a blow to President Lee Jae Myung, who hoped the Cabinet reshuffle would help him regain momentum for his policies amid falling approval ratings. Lee nominated Kim Seung-won, a two-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and a former judge, as his next justice minister, to oversee follow-up measures for reforms related to the prosecution and new criminal justice system, which are set to take effect Oct. 2. Kim, however, has come under intensifying scrutiny over allegations that he improperly used his influence as a lawmaker in October 2021 to help a pharmaceutical company obtain approval for a COVID-19 drug trial. He allegedly received a request from a broker with ties to Genencell to help speed up the approval process, after which he contacted the head of the Ministry of F

Sep 6, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Controversies jeopardize confirmation prospects for Lee's Cabinet nominees
Politics

Justice, gender equality ministries among 1st to relocate to Sejong in 2027

The government said Thursday it will begin relocating central government agencies and public institutions remaining in the Seoul metropolitan area to Sejong in the first half of 2027, starting with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The agencies that will take over the soon-to-be-dismantled prosecution’s functions, including indictments and criminal investigations, as well as the National Police Agency, will be relocated after new headquarters are built. Announced during a government-wide briefing led by Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, the measures are part of a phased plan to relocate about 350 public institutions currently based in the capital region to other parts of the country to promote balanced regional development. The plan marks the second round of the government’s relocation drive, following the first round carried out from the 2000s through the 2010s. The government will announce a detailed relocation plan for the public institutions in the fourth quarter of this year, with the moves to begin in 2027. Separately, the government plans to c

Sep 3, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Justice, gender equality ministries among 1st to relocate to Sejong in 2027
Politics

Flexibility or inconsistency? President's policy U-turns raise questions

President Lee Jae Myung made a candid acknowledgment at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, amid criticism that his administration has repeatedly revised policy proposals following public backlash. “We have to accept that government proposals are not always right, nor can they be perfect,” Lee said, urging ministries to take concerns seriously and reflect reasonable alternatives in their policies. The remarks could be viewed as an expression of flexibility — a president acknowledging that policymakers can make mistakes and should correct them when better options emerge. But they also touch on a growing question surrounding the Lee administration: At what point does flexibility turn into inconsistency? The question has become increasingly relevant as the government has repeatedly modified or reconsidered major policy proposals in response to public opposition. The latest example came at the same Cabinet meeting, when the government reversed a key part of its real estate tax reform just a month after unveiling the overhaul plan. Under the tax reform plan announced Aug. 3, the government propose

Sep 2, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Flexibility or inconsistency? President's policy U-turns raise questions
Politics

Presidential chief of staff for policy resigns amid criticism on economic policies: Cheong Wa Dae

Kim Yong-beom resigned from his post as presidential chief of staff for policy as calls continue for him to take responsibility for controversial economic policies concerning the stock market and taxation. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Kim tendered his resignation on Monday and that President Lee Jae Myung accepted it Tuesday. Kim stepped down about 15 months after being appointed as the first presidential policy chief of the Lee administration. A Cheong Wa Dae official said that presidential aides typically serve for about six to 14 months, describing Kim’s resignation as “part of a routine personnel change aimed at maintaining momentum in policy implementation.” Kim's departure, however, was widely viewed as a move to ease the political burden on Lee as criticism of the administration's economic policies continues. Kim, a career bureaucrat, served as the control tower for the Lee administration's economic policy. With experience in both the public and private sectors, he oversaw economic, industrial and fiscal affairs, as the government grappled with sluggish domesti

Sep 1, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Presidential chief of staff for policy resigns amid criticism on economic policies: Cheong Wa Dae
Politics

Cheong Wa Dae, top court clash over justice nomination

Cheong Wa Dae said Friday that President Lee Jae Myung rejected Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s request to appoint his recommended nominee as a new justice — an unprecedented refusal that departed from the customary coordination between the two sides. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Lee asked Cho to recommend another candidate instead of Son Bong-gi, a senior judge at the Daegu District Court, to succeed former Justice Noh Tae-ak, who retired in March. Cheong Wa Dae also said it would not submit an appointment consent motion for Son to the National Assembly. “The recommendation of a successor to former Justice Noh failed to fully meet procedural requirements,” Kang said during a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae. Kang went on to say that the recommendation was submitted in writing on Aug. 18 without substantive prior consultation with Cheong Wa Dae. Kang noted that the nominee would become the first Supreme Court justice appointed under the Lee administration, which she described as “founded on popular sovereignty.” She stressed that the selection process therefor

Aug 28, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Cheong Wa Dae, top court clash over justice nomination
Foreign Affairs

Top security adviser stresses need for 'substantive progress' on NK nuclear issue

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday that any renewed dialogue between the United States and North Korea must produce substantive progress on Pyongyang’s nuclear issue. Wi also stressed the need to prevent South Korea from being sidelined in the process, emphasizing the importance of close coordination between Seoul and Washington toward that goal. His comments followed concerns that the U.S. may set North Korea's denuclearization issue aside to restart talks with Pyongyang and that U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed push for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may sideline the South. “As a key party to peace on the Korean Peninsula and a pacemaker, we will support efforts to build trust between North Korea and the U.S. and resume dialogue so that President Donald Trump’s efforts can lead to renewed talks,” Wi said during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae. He noted Seoul would coordinate with the U.S. so that any potential Washington-Pyongyang dialogue leads to “substantive progress on the North Korean nuclear issue, along with the establishment of a p

Aug 28, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Top security adviser stresses need for 'substantive progress' on NK nuclear issue
Politics

PM suggests external reform agency to overhaul police after Jeju death

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook hinted Thursday at establishing a special external body to pursue structural and governance reforms within the police following serious failures in the case of a woman missing for months before she was found dead on Jeju Island this week. “Internal reform will, of course, be necessary within the police, but if the body is intended to examine the organization as a whole, I do not think it would be appropriate to establish it within the police,” Han said during a press briefing at Government Complex Seoul. “Such a body tasked with reviewing the entire organization should probably be established outside the police,” she added. President Lee Jae Myung instructed the Prime Minister’s Office earlier this week to prepare a police reform body after a series of missing person cases on Jeju exposed serious problems in police procedures, supervision and organizational culture. The controversy centered in particular on the case of Jang Mi-ran, a 37-year-old woman who disappeared in Jeju’s Hallim area in May. A police officer allegedly closed her case without

Aug 27, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
PM suggests external reform agency to overhaul police after Jeju death
Society

President calls for all-out response to deadly flooding in Nepal

President Lee Jae Myung called for using all available means in response to deadly flooding in Nepal that left nine Koreans missing, leading a government-wide effort during an emergency meeting, Thursday. He also underscored cooperation with the Nepali government, urging the authorities to activate every diplomatic channel. “We have convened this unscheduled emergency meeting because the lives and safety of our citizens are at grave risk,” Lee said as he presided over the gathering at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in central Seoul, a day after the disaster struck Nepal. The nine missing Koreans are three employees of Korea South-East Power Co. and six from Doosan Enerbility, all of whom were working on the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the Rasuwa region. They are among the more than 820 people missing. So far, the death toll has surpassed 270. Another 10 Doosan Enerbility employees had been stranded in the affected area alongside about 200 Nepali and other foreign workers. Nine of them were evacuated to safety by a Nepali military helicopter later Thurs

Aug 27, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
President calls for all-out response to deadly flooding in Nepal
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