South Korea - The Korea Times

Unification minister expresses willingness to hold talks with new N. Korean counterpart

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. NewsisUnification Minister Kwon Young-se said Tuesday he is ready to meet North Korea's new point man handling inter-Korean affairs at "any time in any format" to discuss pending issues on the Korean Peninsula.Kwon extended the overture during his first press conference since taking office last month, citing the recent appointment of Ri Son-gwon, the North's former foreign minister, as the head of the United Front Department (UFD) in charge of cross-border relations. Choe Son-hui was promoted to the post of foreign minister, replacing Ri, in a reshuffle Pyongyang announced on June 11 following a key Workers' Party meeting."I will try harder to shift the currently chilled inter-Korean ties into a phase of dialogue," Kwon said. "As unification minister, I am willing to meet with the head of UFD, Ri Son-gwon, any time in any format."If realized, the two sides could discuss a broad range of issues from the nuclear issue to talks on cooperation on healthcare, a senior ministry official said later on con

Jun 21, 2022

Unification minister expresses willingness to hold talks with new N. Korean counterpart

President zeroes in on unresolved incidents during previous gov't

President Yoon Suk-yeol answers to reporters' questions as he enters the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press CorpsYoon hints at more info disclosure on NK-related incidents during Moon administrationBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Yoon Suk-yeol is expanding his efforts to reveal undisclosed information on incidents related to North Korea during the previous liberal Moon Jae-in government, in what appears to be an attempt to reopen unresolved issues for reinvestigation. During an impromptu meeting with reporters, Tuesday, Yoon said the presidential office is considering “finding the truth” related to the 2019 repatriation of two North Korean sailors.“If someone enters the country, he or she is considered a South Korean national under the Constitution, and many people had questions on why the government repatriated the sailors then,” Yoon said when asked his opinion on the case. “It seems like we (the presidential office) are looking into it.”In November 2019, the Moon government arrested two North Korean sailors who express

Jun 21, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo

President zeroes in on unresolved incidents during previous gov't

Interior ministry to create new bureau to directly oversee police

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min / YonhapThe interior ministry unveiled a plan Tuesday to set up a new bureau to exercise direct control of police despite protests and concerns the move could put the law enforcement agency under political influence.The plan to create what is often dubbed a "police bureau" comes as officers are set to take on more investigative roles from the prosecution under a new law aimed at reducing and ultimately abolishing the latter's investigative powers.The establishment of a new organization overseeing police was one of the recommendations that an advisory committee, which was set up at the instruction of Minister Lee Sang-min, made as part of a set of police reform proposals.It will mark the first time in 31 years for the interior ministry to exercise direct control of police since the law enforcement agency was spun off as an outside organization of the ministry in 1991 as part of efforts to ensure its independence and neutrality.The plan is expected to draw criticism from within police and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).The advisory co

Jun 21, 2022

Interior ministry to create new bureau to directly oversee police

Ruling party's ethics committee to review chairman's sex scandal allegations

By Kang Hyun-kyung Lee Jun-seok / Yonhap The ruling People Power Party's (PPP) ethics committee will convene on Wednesday to review allegations that party Chairman Lee Jun-seok received sexual services as a bribe in return for a favor and tried to destroy the evidence. The committee said its members will meet at 7 p.m. that day to review documents submitted by those who were informed of the start of disciplinary action against Lee, and based on a committee resolution passed at its April 21 meeting, Kim Chul-keun, Lee's assistant, would be required to be present and undergo questioning concerning the allegations.Kim is Lee's personal assistant in charge of political affairs. The party's ethics committee can take four different types of disciplinary measures: expulsion of the individual from the party, advising the individual to leave the party, suspension of the individual's party's membership and warnings. If any of the allegations about Lee are confirmed to be true,

Jun 21, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung

PM asks co-chair of Minnesota's Expo 2027 bid to support Korea's bid for 2030 World Expo

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, right, meets with Robert Clark, co-chair of Minnesota USA Expo 2027, on June 20, 2022, in this photo provided by Han's office. YonhapPrime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday asked Robert Clark, co-chair of the Minnesota USA Expo 2027 organization, to support South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southern port city of Busan.During their meeting in Paris, Han told Clark that Busan would be the right city to host the event because the city has emerged as a hub of logistics and digital industry from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War, according to Han's office. Han told Clark that Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, is "a case of the transition from an underdeveloped nation to a state-of-the-art technology nation." If Busan hosts the 2030 World Expo, South Korea would display efforts for transition in terms of pending global issues, including climate change, inequality and health, Han told Clark, according to Han's office.Han was accompanied by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who doubles as the chief of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Ind

Jun 20, 2022

PM asks co-chair of Minnesota's Expo 2027 bid to support Korea's bid for 2030 World Expo

Incumbent, former presidents clash again over sealed information

President Yoon Suk-yeol answers reporters' questions on his way to the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Joint Press CorpsYoon hints at disclosure of information about death of fisheries officialBy Nam Hyun-wooA feud between President Yoon Suk-yeol and his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, deepened Monday after Yoon hinted at disclosing information that was sealed during the previous administration.Yoon's move came as the main opposition party accused him and the ruling party of stoking anti-communist sentiments by linking the death of a fisheries official to the Moon administration's attempt to curry favor with the communist North Korea.During an impromptu meeting with reporters, Monday, Yoon showed his intention to disclose more information that the Moon administration refused to reveal.“It has been my position that the government should defend the spirit of the Constitution such as free democracy and the rule of law,” Yoon said when asked whether he was willing to disclose information sealed during the Moon administration. “The country's top priorit

Jun 20, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo

Incumbent, former presidents clash again over sealed information

ANALYSIS Display industry: hidden axis for US 'techno-democracy' agenda

Experts ask US officials to view display industry as key national security asset amid China's growing influence By Kim Yoo-chulOne of the key lessons the United States has learned from its trade conflict with China, which has caused supply chain issues that also led to worsening political and economic relations between the world's biggest economies, is that having a high level of manufacturing capability has even larger implications for national security.Washington's launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is aimed at regrouping advanced democracies amid the rise of some autocratic states such as China, which U.S. President Joe Biden described as “… a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies.” The alliance of techno-democracies protects technologies seen as critical such as 5G, quantum communication, facial recognition and AI in their rivalry with China, with the help of its Asian allies. Korea and Taiwan are the leaders in semiconductors, and keep these high-tech ecosystems afloat.Given the Biden administration's f

Jun 20, 2022By Kim Yoo-chul

[ANALYSIS] Display industry: hidden axis for US 'techno-democracy' agenda

Yoon suggests disclosing more information on fisheries official's death

President Yoon Suk-yeol answers reporters' questions at the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District, June 20. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol suggested Monday his administration could disclose more information on a fisheries official killed at sea by North Korea in 2020, days after his government overturned the previous administration's finding that the official had attempted to defect to the North.The comment came as the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has been refusing to cooperate on the disclosure of confidential information on the fisheries official shot and killed by North Korea's military near the western sea border, Sept. 22, 2020, after going missing while on duty onboard a fisheries inspection boat.The then-government of President Moon Jae-in tentatively concluded that the official was killed while attempting to defect to the North, but the bereaved family has strongly questioned the announcement, arguing he had no reason to do so.Last week, the Coast Guard and the defense ministry announced that they had not found any evidence backing the investigatio

Jun 20, 2022

Yoon suggests disclosing more information on fisheries official's death

Yoon hosts party to mark presidential office relocation

President Yoon Suk-yeol poses with Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover last year during an event to mark the relocation of the presidential office to the former defense ministry building in Yongsan District in central Seoul, Sunday. Yoon invited about 400 people, including Yongsan residents, salaried workers, small business owners and children to the event that took place at the courtyard of the presidential compound after it was moved from Jongno District on Yoon's May 10 inauguration. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk-yeol hosted a "housewarming" event in the front yard of the presidential office in central Seoul on Sunday, inviting some 400 neighbors and others to celebrate the relocation of the office.Living up to his campaign pledge, Yoon has moved the presidential office to the former defense ministry building in Yongsan from Cheong Wa Dae in line with his campaign pledge to connect better with people. About 400 residents of Yongsan, young Afghan refugees and small business owners were invited to the event held in time for the completion of remodeling work at the defense ministry buil

Jun 19, 2022

Yoon hosts party to mark presidential office relocation

First lady's growing political presence weighs on Yoon

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, walk by an honor guard at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan District, Seoul, Friday, before attending a luncheon with family members of patriots and veterans at the memorial museum. YonhapPresidential office will not set up office for Kim By Nam Hyun-wooPresident Yoon Suk-yeol's wife, Kim Keon-hee, is amplifying her political presence, meeting former first ladies and attending ceremonies to commemorate patriots last week. Her actions, however, appear to be raising unnecessary controversy, as she has been taking “unofficial” approaches to such official events. This situation comes as pressure to the president because the interest she has stirred up has been overshadowing Yoon's political messages, pundits said.According to the presidential office, Sunday, Kim attended six events as the first lady from Monday to Saturday. Appearing at six public events in a week is rare compared to her predecessors.She paid a visit to Kwon Yang-sook, the widow of former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun on Monday, and had a luncheon with r

Jun 19, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo

First lady's growing political presence weighs on Yoon

Will Yoon become more approachable leader by lowering doorstep to reporters?

Politics