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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Seoul, Washington fail to reach deal in 4th SMA talks

South Korea's chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo, left, shakes hands with his U.S. counterpart James DeHart before the fourth round of Special Measures Agreement talks in Washington, D.C., Dec. 3 (EST). / Yonhap By Jhoo Dong-chanSouth Korea and the United States have failed to reach an agreement in the latest round of talks on next year's cost-sharing for the 28,500 American troops stationed here. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thursday, South Korea's chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo met his American counterpart James DeHart twice in Washington, D.C., Dec. 3 and 4 (EST), but they failed to reach an agreement.The ministry said it stressed that the basic framework of the cost-sharing pact, known as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), should be conducted in a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable” manner.“We stressed that the negotiations should be made within the SMA framework and that a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable agreement should be reached

Dec 5, 2019By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul, Washington fail to reach deal in 4th SMA talks

Choo Mi-ae nominated as justice minister

Choo Mi-ae speaks to reporters after being nominated for the post of justice minister at National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. YonhapRep. Choo Mi-ae, a five-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party, has been nominated for the post of justice minister, which was recently vacated by the resignation of scandal-ridden Cho Kuk. Choo started her career as a politician by winning the 1996 general elections under the ticket of the then-opposition National Congress for New Politics after serving as a district court justice for 12 years. Her change of career was made in protest of government pressure to judge pro-democracy activists under the authoritarian rule of President Chun Doo-whan.As a legislator, Choo rose to prominence for drawing public attention for the first time to the 1948 Jeju Uprising, a decades-long taboo subject in South Korean society, by attending a memorial service in 1998 for the victims of the incident. The following year, Choo chaired the first-ever public probe into the incident sparked by the South Korean Communist Party. Brutal police and military crackdowns dur

Dec 5, 2019
Choo Mi-ae nominated as justice minister
  • Judge-turned-lawmaker nominated as justice minister

Judge-turned-lawmaker nominated as justice minister

Choo Mi-ae / YonhapChoo Mi-ae, a five-term ruling party lawmaker, has been nominated for the position of justice minister, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday amid keen attention to her role in the South Korean government's push for prosecution reform.President Moon Jae-in picked Choo to fill the post that has been vacant for several weeks since Cho Kuk stepped down in the face of state prosecutors' probe into alleged irregularities involving his family.Choo is required to go through the National Assembly's confirmation hearing, the date of which has yet to be set.Choo, a former judge, led the Democratic Party from 2016 till 2018.Nicknamed Choo d'Arc Joan of Arc, she's known for her determination to get things done.If Choo is appointed, it will raise the number of female ministers to six, or 33.3 percent of the total.On the campaign trail, Moon said he would install women in at least 30 percent of Cabinet positions.After studying law at Hanyang University in Seoul, she passed the national judicial exam in 1982.Choo served as a judge at district courts in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Inc

Dec 5, 2019
Judge-turned-lawmaker nominated as justice minister
  • Choo Mi-ae nominated as justice minister

NK-set expiration of nuclear talks approaching

This undated photo provided Wednesday by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju riding horses during a visit to Mount Paektu. AP-YonhapUS, NK engaging in war of words ahead of year end Tension between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is escalating ahead of the "year-end deadline" proposed by Kim for a breakthrough in the two countries' denuclearization talks. With the deadline swiftly approaching, Washington and Pyongyang are urging each other to make concessions to resume bilateral negotiations. Trump, who has often boasted of his “great relations” with the North Korean leader, has mentioned the possibility of “use of force,” in an apparent threat to get Pyongyang to show more concrete actions toward dismantling its nuclear program. Trump's latest strong warning to Kim has triggered concerns about renewed tension between the two foes of the Korean War in the absence of a real breakthrough by the end of the year. The U.S. leader also used the term “rocket man,” which w

Dec 4, 2019By Do Je-hae
NK-set expiration of nuclear talks approaching

'USFK withdrawal wasn't an issue'

Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea's chief negotiator for the defense cost-sharing negotiations with the United States, arrives at the State Department in Washington D.C., Wednesday (KST). YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulSouth Korea's chief negotiator for the defense cost-sharing issue with the United States dismissed speculations of a possible withdrawal of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) from South Korea.“The possible USFK withdrawal from South Korea wasn't an issue,” South Korean official Jeong Eun-bo told reporters after closing the fourth round of defense cost negotiations with his U.S counterpart at the State Department, Washington D.C., Wednesday morning (KST).Jeong added he and his U.S. counterpart didn't delve into the specifics of recent remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump in London regarding the fate of the USFK. About 28,500 U.S. troops are currently stationed in South Korea. “The U.S. president stressed the necessity of a substantial increase of South Korea's contribution for the upkeep of USFK military in South Korea many times; therefore, I don't think Trum

Dec 4, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
'USFK withdrawal wasn't an issue'

Seoul, Chinese FMs agree to boost ties

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, right, shakes hands with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the Government Complex building in central Seoul, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Hong In-kiWang Yi to meet President Moon at Cheong Wa Dae By Jhoo Dong-chan, Kim Yoo-chulThe foreign ministers of South Korea and China discussed ways to improve bilateral ties Wednesday, with Seoul asking Beijing for support in breaking the impasse in the denuclearization dialogue between North Korea and the United States, and bringing lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula.Kang Kyung-wha held talks with Wang Yi at the foreign ministry's headquarters, in Seoul, from 4:00 p.m., but only a few specifics were made public. “Through today's talks, we look forward to an in-depth exchange of views on ways to promote summit and high-level meetings, and economic, environmental, cultural and human exchanges, as well as ways for South Korea and China to cooperate for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of peace and regional and international security,” Kang said.Yi

Dec 4, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
Seoul, Chinese FMs agree to boost ties

LKP divided over extension of Na's term

LKP divided over extending floor leadership: Liberty Korea Party (LKP) leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, left photo, attends the a Supreme Council meeting Wednesday, held in a tent raised in front of Cheong Wa Dae; while LKP floor leader Na Kyung-won, right photo, attends a general meeting of LKP lawmakers at the National Assembly on Yeouido. During the general meeting, some members raised issue over Hwang's decision not to extend Na's term as floor leader, which is set to end Dec. 10. Na has received criticisms for shaky leadership amid the party's protests against fast-tracked bills and other key issues at the Assembly. Yonhap

Dec 4, 2019
LKP divided over extension of Na's term

Seoul to step up global cooperation on climate change

President Moon Jae-in, center, heads to a Cabinet meeting with his chief of staff Noh Young-min, left, and Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in turned his focus to key environmental issues such as climate change and fine dust during meetings held at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. He underlined the importance of stepping up cooperation with neighboring countries such as China and Japan to fight climate change. “Last month, Korea, China and Japan published a joint study which confirmed the impact of fine dust among the three countries,” Moon said during a luncheon with members of a national council on climate change led by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. “Since an agreement at the 2017 Korea-China summit, the two countries have expanded cooperation in sharing information, technologies and policies regarding fine dust.” The remarks came ahead of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Korea today. In recent years, environmental issues have emerged as a key point of contention and consult

Dec 3, 2019By Do Je-hae
Seoul to step up global cooperation on climate change

Moon slams Assembly for political wrangling

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his senior aides, Monday. YonhapParties urged to pass urgent bills for people's livelihoods By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in urged the political parties Monday to pass pending bills such as the government's 2020 budget amid a National Assembly deadlocked by the rival parties continuing wrangling over the opening of a plenary session.“The 20th National Assembly is in a state of paralysis,” Moon said at the start of a weekly meeting with senior presidential aides at Cheong Wa Dae, according to press pool reports. “It is regrettable considering that this is the time to get fruitful results in legislation and budget execution.” This was the first time for Moon to preside over the meeting in three weeks. The President strongly urged the parties to keep bills relevant to the safety and livelihoods of the people out of political fights. “The 20th National Assembly has continued to be dysfunctional, putting partisan interests ahead of the people's livelihoods, which has regressed our politics. The parties are

Dec 2, 2019By Do Je-hae
Moon slams Assembly for political wrangling

US envoy under fire for disparaging remarks on ally

U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris speaks during an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae, Park Ji-wonU.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris has become the center of criticism amid the rocky negotiations on determining Seoul's share of the costs for the maintenance of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). Multiple press reports have raised concerns about whether the ambassador is giving Seoul the level of respect it deserves as one of Washington's indispensable Asian allies that shares the common objectives of maintaining peace and stability in the region. In particular, the U.S. envoy is said to have some “intentional misperceptions” about President Moon Jae-in, which may add to U.S. distrust of the South Korean leadership and government. This situation is an undesirable one with regard to bilateral relations, political analysts and lawmakers said Monday, as the two allies already have differing views over the definition of “fair and equitable defense costs.” There are also major differing viewpoints on a range of other security-related i

Dec 2, 2019By Park Ji-won
US envoy under fire for disparaging remarks on ally
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