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Another Korean wartime sexual slavery victim dies; survivors now at 9

A statue symbolizing "comfort women" installed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul / Korea Times fileAnother Korean woman who was forced into sexual slavery by Japan during World War II has died, the gender equality minister said Tuesday, bringing down the number of the country's registered surviving victims to nine.Without disclosing the identity of the deceased victim upon the request of the bereaved family, Gender Equality Minister Kim Hyun-sook said it is "heartbreaking" to witness another victim pass away.Kim vowed to take care of the remaining survivors and continue to push ahead with campaigns aimed at recovering their honor and dignity. Of the 240 wartime sexual slavery victims registered with the government, only nine survive, all of whom are in their 90s.Historians estimate up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, were forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese troops during the war. (Yonhap)

May 2, 2023
Another Korean wartime sexual slavery victim dies; survivors now at 9

'Washington Declaration is nuclear-based upgrade of ROK-US alliance'

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at his office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsNCG gives Seoul greater voice in US nuclear planning: YoonBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Yoon Suk Yeol said, Tuesday, the Washington Declaration, which he signed with U.S. President Joe Biden during last week's summit, is “a nuclear-based paradigm upgrade” in the security alliance between the two countries, hailing it as being “more effective than NATO's nuclear planning group.”Yoon made those remarks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, two days after he returned home from a six-day state visit to the United States. He recalled key achievements during his trip and reiterated the benefits of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, saying, “We should be able to express gratitude when there is something we are thankful for.”“The Washington Declaration states the leaders' plans for extended deterrence and contains the action plans for the South Korean version of extended deterrence,” Yoon said. “With the declar

May 2, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo
'Washington Declaration is nuclear-based upgrade of ROK-US alliance'

Japanese PM Kishida to visit Korea on May 7-8

Kishida will pay a working visit to Korea on Sunday and Monday at the invitation of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the office said in a press release, April 20. YonhapJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will arrive in Korea this weekend for a two-day visit, the presidential office said Tuesday.Kishida will pay a working visit to Korea on Sunday and Monday at the invitation of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the office said in a press release.The trip will come less than two months after Yoon visited Tokyo for a summit with Kishida in the wake of his administration's decision to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor without contributions from Japanese firms. (Yonhap)

May 2, 2023
Japanese PM Kishida to visit Korea on May 7-8

Prosecutors turn down embattled ex-DPK leader Song's voluntary questioning

Former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil speaks to reporters outside of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in Seoul, May 2. YonhapSong Young-gil, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), presented himself before prosecutors Tuesday for voluntary questioning about an election bribery scandal rocking the party, but prosecutors turned him down, citing scheduling issues. Song has been under fire from in and outside of the DP over the scandal centering on allegations that his campaign officials distributed cash envelopes totaling 94 million won ($70,113) to 10-20 DPK lawmakers and other party members in the run-up to the party's national convention in May 2021. Song won party chairmanship at the convention.Song returned home last week from Paris, where he was a visiting professor at the ESCP Business School, and has since offered to voluntarily appear before prosecutors to undergo questioning, although he denies the allegations.On Tuesday, Song showed up at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office and attempted to enter an investigation

May 2, 2023
Prosecutors turn down embattled ex-DPK leader Song's voluntary questioning

Yoon vows to build strong security through 'peace by overwhelming power'

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, May 2. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Tuesday to strengthen national security through "peace by overwhelming power," not a "fake peace" relying on another party's good will.Yoon made the promise during a Cabinet meeting held two days after his return from the United States, where he held a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and agreed on measures to strengthen the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to defend South Korea with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons."I will build a strong security that allows our future generations to nurture their dreams at ease, through peace by overwhelming power, not a fake peace that relies on the other side's good will," Yoon said during the meeting at the presidential office, apparently criticizing his predecessor Moon Jae-in's policy of engagement with North Korea.During their summit, Yoon and Biden adopted the Washington Declaration, under which the allies agreed to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) to share infor

May 2, 2023
Yoon vows to build strong security through 'peace by overwhelming power'

Yoon to share results of US visit with ruling party leaders

President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech at a dinner with Korean Americans in Washington, D.C., April 25. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol will share the results of his state visit to the United States with ruling People Power Party leaders Tuesday, an official said.PPP leader Kim Gi-hyeon, floor leader Yun Jae-ok, secretary general Lee Chul-gyu, chief policymaker Park Dae-chul and others have been invited to a dinner with Yoon at the presidential office later in the day, according to the senior presidential official."President Yoon will personally explain the results of the U.S. visit and request the party's support and cooperation," the official told Yonhap News Agency.Yoon returned home Sunday from a six-day visit to Washington and Boston, during which he held a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and agreed on measures to strengthen the U.S. nuclear commitment to Korea. (Yonhap)

May 2, 2023
Yoon to share results of US visit with ruling party leaders

US, Japan, South Korea leaders to meet at G7 Hiroshima Summit: US officials

A TV screen shows file images of U.S. President Joe Biden, left, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, April 27, 2023. AP-YonhapLeaders from the United States, Japan and South Korea will hold a meeting at the time of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima this month, senior U.S. administration officials said. (Reuters)

May 1, 2023
US, Japan, South Korea leaders to meet at G7 Hiroshima Summit: US officials

PM Han meets with visiting US congressional delegation

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, poses for a photo with a visiting delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives at the government complex in Seoul on May 1, 2023, in this photo provided by Han's office. YonhapPrime Minister Han Duck-soo met with a visiting delegation of the United States House of Representatives on Monday and discussed various pending issues, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Han's office said.Han welcomed the delegation, led by Rep. Vern Buchanan from Florida, which paid a visit just after President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the U.S. designed to mark the 70th anniversary of the bilateral alliance this year, his office said. During the meeting, Han asked for the visiting representatives' support so that pending bills such as the IRA would eventually invigorate investment between the two sides.In response, the representatives expressed their support for bilateral cooperation in economic security and cutting-edge technology, Han's office said.Han and the delegation also touched upon various topics, including the Washington Declaration that Presiden

May 1, 2023
PM Han meets with visiting US congressional delegation

Yoon snaps downtrend in approval ratings upon US visit

President Yoon Suk Yeol waves as he leaves the presidential jet at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, as he returned home from a six-day state visit to the U.S. YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Yoon Suk Yeol snapped a four-week-long downtrend in his approval ratings, buoyed by positive responses to his recent U.S. state visit.According to a poll by Realmeter released Monday, 34.5 percent of respondents said they approved of Yoon's presidency, up 1.9 percentage points from a week earlier. Yoon's disapproval rating was 62.6 percent, down 2.1 percentage points from the previous week.The rebound is attributable to Yoon's U.S. state visit and summit with President Joe Biden. “Last week's job approval rating is fully about Yoon's state visit,” a Realmeter analyst said. “Yoon's address at a joint session of the U.S. Congress received favorable responses, becoming a fresh aspect for approval ratings.”Yoon delivered an address at the U.S. Congress last Thursday (local time), becoming the first Korean president to do so in 10 years. In his speech in En

May 1, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo
Yoon snaps downtrend in approval ratings upon US visit
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