South Korea - The Korea Times

Moon to tackle THAAD retaliation, export curbs

President Moon Jae-in goes to his seat after shaking hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a bilateral summit in Chengdu, China, Wednesday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonPresident Moon Jae-in is expected to push harder for resolving pending diplomatic issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula including China's protests over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Japan's export controls, amid the three countries' efforts to take united action toward denuclearization and peace in the region.“We have agreed to work together for an early resumption of the U.S.-North Korea dialogue in order to achieve substantial progress on denuclearization and peace,” Moon noted during a joint press conference after a trilateral summit in the southwestern Chinese city, Tuesday. The leaders of the three countries also adopted a vision statement outlining trilateral cooperation for the next 10 years.The trilateral summit came at a critical time with denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea hanging dangerously in the balance. But with a certain measure of success

Dec 25, 2019By Park Ji-won

Moon to tackle THAAD retaliation, export curbs

South Korea rejects China's version of President Moon's Hong Kong remarks

Bodies recall Gwangju's bloody history

Police officers inspect a graveyard site Friday at a former prison in Gwangju where dozens of unidentified bodies were found. YonhapBy Lee Suh-yoonSome 40 unidentified bodies found at the former site of a prison in Gwangju have reopened an investigation into dozens of disappearances during one of Korea's bloodiest political events.The bodies ― two with holes in the skull and one appearing to be that of a child ― were discovered last week by workers who were moving a graveyard on the grounds of the former Gwangju Prison.Civic groups suspect the bodies may be linked to people who went missing in the 1980 military crackdown on Gwangju's pro-democracy protests. A total of 448 people were reported missing after the bloody military suppression. Of this figure, 84 cases were formally confirmed to be related to the crackdown. Most of the bodies were never recovered.Gwangju Prison, briefly captured by a rebelling citizen's army, was used as a base for soldiers under martial law. It was also where captured protesters were tortured. During the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, government forces attacked t

Dec 25, 2019

Remembering late comfort women

A foreigner pays tribute to the deceased former sex slaves of Japan during World War II, in a weekly rally in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Wednesday. Five known victims passed away in 2019 due to old age and illness, and only 20 are known to still be alive. Yonhap

Dec 25, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin

Korea, Japan, China pledge full support for nuclear dialogue

President Moon Jae-in, left, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, center, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hold a press conference, Tuesday, after their summit in Chengdu. YonhapBy Do Je-hae CHENGDU ― Korea, Japan and China reaffirmed their commitment to the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula during a regular trilateral summit in the southwestern Chinese city, Tuesday. The leaders took part in a business summit earlier Tuesday and shared their views on responses to protectionism, climate change and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “By fate, we are a joint economic community,” Moon said. “The three countries' economies are linked with their own technologies and merits.”President Moon Jae-in, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivered a joint statement after the three-way summit promoting a “vision for cooperation for the next 10 years.”During a joint press conference, Moon Jae-in noted the importance of close trilateral cooperation for peace on the Korean Peninsula. “We share the view that peace on th

Dec 24, 2019By Do Je-hae

Korea, Japan, China pledge full support for nuclear dialogue

Moon, Abe agree on need to improve ties

Moon, Abe agree on need to improve ties

President Moon Jae-in, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before their summit at Shangri-La Hotel in Chengdu, China, Tuesday. YonhapNo immediate progress on wartime forced labor dispute By Do Je-hae CHENGDU ― President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to improve bilateral relations during a rare summit meeting Tuesday. The South Korean leader also underlined his resolute stance that Japan must rescind its trade restrictions against Korea imposed on July 1. Although the two countries remained wide apart on the wartime forced labor issue, the key point of contention, the summit was still useful in that the two countries reached a consensus on the need for diplomacy to sort out bilateral problems, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Tension has been building up particularly after Japan implemented export restrictions in July and removed Korea from its “whitelist” of trusted trading partners in August. But things have been looking up slightly in recent weeks, with Tokyo removing some of the export regulations ahead of the summit. &ldqu

Dec 24, 2019By Do Je-hae

Korea, Japan, China pledge full support for nuclear dialogue

Agreement on assisting startups

Shinhan Bank CEO Jin Ok-dong, left, poses with Kim Gwang-hyeon, head of the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, after the two signed an agreement at the lender's headquarters in central Seoul, Tuesday. Shinhan pledged to provide specialized services for entrepreneurs. / Courtesy of Shinhan Bank

Dec 24, 2019By Kim Bo-eun

Moon, Xi agree on need to revive dialogue on N. Korea

President Moon Jae-in, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of their summit meeting in Beijing, Monday. YonhapSouth Korean leader invites Chinese counterpart to SeoulBy Do Je-hae BEIJING/CHENGDU ― The leaders of Korea and China held their first summit in two years in Beijing, Monday, ahead of a possible imminent provocation from North Korea. During a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping which lasted over 50 minutes, President Moon Jae-in shared his views on the regional security situation and underlined the need to improve bilateral relations. Above all, Moon emphasized the pressing need for China's role in encouraging North Korea back to the negotiation table, particularly ahead of Pyongyang's year-end “deadline” for the U.S. to change its policies. The South Korean leader also made remarks that were seen as a warning to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un not to abandon the rare opportunity for peace on the Korean Peninsula by terminating dialogue with the United States. “The escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula following the deadlock i

Dec 23, 2019By Do Je-hae

Moon, Xi agree on need to revive dialogue on N. Korea

Moon, Abe to hold summit on disputes over trade, shared history

Moon to seek support for peace during China visit

President Moon Jae-in YonhapBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in embarks on a brief China visit for a series of meetings with the leaders of China and Japan, Monday. Ahead of his participation in the Korea-Japan-China summit in Chengdu, Tuesday, Moon will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.The primary purpose of Moon's visit to the southwestern Chinese city, about four hours by plane from Seoul, is to participate in the trilateral meeting which has been held since 2008. Topping the agenda for Moon will be North Korea, given the escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula ahead of the Pyongyang-imposed “deadline” for Washington to change its policies. Moon is expected to seek increased participation from Xi during their summit today in urging North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to return to diplomacy rather than provocation. Concerns are rising that Pyongyang could possibly fire a long-range missile if the U.S. does not meet its deadline by the end of the year. The Pentagon's top general said ― in Washington last week ― that the U.S. stands “prepared

Dec 22, 2019By Do Je-hae

Moon to seek support for peace during China visit

Tangible outcomes expected from Moon-Abe summit

Kim Hyun-chong, second deputy director of the presidential National Security Office, speaks during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae, Friday. YonhapJapan partially lifts export curbsBy Do Je-hae The leaders of Korea and Japan will resume summit diplomacy at a trilateral meeting in China next week, raising expectations for a breakthrough in improving ties that have been strained under disputes over their shared history, as well as trade and security. Cheong Wa Dae officially announced Friday that President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold a one-on-one summit on Dec. 24 in Chengdu, China, after the two participate in a trilateral summit with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang earlier the same day. This marks the first official summit between the leaders of Korea and Japan since September 2018 during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The two leaders met briefly in a “pull-aside” format during an ASEAN event in Thailand early last month, but that was not an officially arranged summit to discuss core topics of bilateral interest. Further heig

Dec 20, 2019By Do Je-hae

Tangible outcomes expected from Moon-Abe summit

U.S. flies surveillance aircraft over S. Korea: aviation tracker

The United States flew a naval surveillance plane over the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, an aviation tracker has said, amid tensions over the possibility of North Korea launching a long-range rocket in protest over the stalemate in the countries' nuclear talks.According to Aircraft Spots, a U.S. Navy EP-3E plane conducted the reconnaissance mission, just a week after a similar flight by a U.S. Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft.The turbo-prop aircraft is capable of conducting tactical electronic communications intelligence gathering operations.The U.S. military has been closely watching North Korean military movements as Pyongyang has threatened to embark on a "new way" if Washington does not meet its year-end deadline to make concessions in the hitherto unproductive nuclear negotiations.Pyongyang has said that the deadline is drawing near and that it is entirely up to Washington to decide what "Christmas gift" it would get ― remarks that sparked concerns about future provocations.This month, the North conducted two apparent rocket engine tests at its west coast satellite launch s

Dec 20, 2019

Politics