South Korea - The Korea Times

Parties fail to pass resolution to pressure US over defense cost-sharing

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Rep. Lee In-young, right, main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won, center, and minor opposition Bareunmirae Party floor leader Rep. Oh Shin-hwan have a meeting at the National Assembly, Monday. YonhapBy Park Ji-won, Do Je-hae Political parties failed to pass a resolution in the National Assembly regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's widely rumored demand for Seoul to pay a whopping $5 billion in defense-sharing costs as the parties said the "request" was far from “fair, reasonable and equitable.”Ahead of their departure to Washington, D.C., ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Rep. Lee In-young, main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) floor leader Na Kyung-won and minor opposition Bareunmirae Party floor leader Oh Shin-hwan met to discuss the way forward regarding negotiations with the U.S. over the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations, but failed to reach a related resolution in the National Assembly. The ruling DPK announced its statement calling for the Unit

Nov 20, 2019By Park Ji-won

Parties fail to pass resolution to pressure US over defense cost-sharing

Lawmakers head for Washington on defense cost issue

2 South Koreans captured by Houthi rebels freed

Armed supporters of the Houthi movement attend a gathering to collect food supplies for Houthi fighters at the battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen, Nov. 14. AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulTwo South Koreans captured by Yemen's Houthi rebels were released, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Wednesday.“Sixteen sailors including two South Koreans as well as two South Korean vessels and one Saudi Arabian vessel were released around 3:50 a.m., Monday (KST). The release came 45 hours after the Korean vessels were seized by the Houthi rebels,” the ministry official said in a statement.The official said the ministry notified the families about the release of the South Korean sailors. “The health status of the Koreans is looking good. The released South Korean vessels were on course heading for the Saudi Arabian port of Jizan. The vessels will arrive at the port in two days,” the release said.The official thanked the relevant authorities of the United States, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for their close cooperation in the safe release of the South Korea

Nov 20, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

2 South Koreans captured by Houthi rebels freed

'Third US-North Korea summit to surely produce results': Moon

President Moon Jae-in gestures at the start of a nationally-televised live town hall meeting with 300 citizens aired by local broadcaster MBC from its news center in Mapo, Seoul, Tuesday. On Moon's left is Bae Chul-soo, the host of the meeting. No pre-submitted questions were used as the President took random ones, according to Cheong Wa Dae. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulIf a third summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un takes place, then that will “surely produce results,” President Moon Jae-in said, Tuesday night.Speaking in a nationally-televised question-and-answer session with 300 selected South Korean citizens at MBC news center in Mapo, northern Seoul, the President said efforts were already underway to make the third summit North Korea happens.“Just as the United States and North Korea have announced publicly, I think efforts via working-level discussions are already underway for another Trump and Kim summit within this year,” Moon said; but declined to elaborate further. He remained positive with regard to the outcomes o

Nov 19, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

'Third US-North Korea summit to surely produce results': Moon

US sticks with $5 billion defense bill for South Korea

U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 15 YonhapSeoul, Washington break off defense cost talks in 90 minutesBy Do Je-hae The mounting pressure from Washington to “excessively” increase Korea's share of costs for the maintenance of U.S. troops in South Korea is triggering concerns among Koreans that the U.S. is not showing due respect to its allies.Such concerns were greatly magnified by a recent meeting between U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris and a high-profile Korean lawmaker, in which the U.S. envoy reportedly underlined the necessity for Korea to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's demand to raise Korea's share to $5 billion. The meeting has triggered criticisms that it was inappropriate for a diplomatic envoy to pressure a member of the National Assembly of the host country during a meeting on a core bilateral issue that is currently undergoing negotiations. During a phone interview with The Korea Times Tuesday, Rep. Lee Hye-hoon of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party confirmed that she had met with Ambassador Harris on Nov. 7 at his residence over

Nov 19, 2019By Do Je-hae

US sticks with $5 billion defense bill for South Korea

Ruling party vows not to ratify defenses deal

Ruling party vows not to ratify defenses deal

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea members of the National Defense Committee hold a joint press conference at the National Assembly, Tuesday, to urge the United States to stop its demands of “excessive” terms in negotiations for a defense cost-sharing deal and pledge to use parliamentary veto power to stop the U.S.' move. From left are Reps. Kim Jin-pyo, Hong Young-pyo, Min Hong-chul, Kim Byung-kee and Do Jong-hwan. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonRuling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers said Monday they will “refuse to ratify any excessive outcome of the ongoing defense cost-sharing negotiations” that deviate from the established principle and structure of previous agreements.“Our position is clear. We were urging the United States to stop its demands to South Korea to pay a substantially higher amount of defense costs. The defense cost-sharing deal should be signed in accordance with fair and mutually acceptable principles,” Rep. Hong Young-pyo of the DPK, who is also a member of the National Assembly Defense Committee, said in a news conference at the

Nov 19, 2019By Park Ji-won

Ruling party vows not to ratify defenses deal

US sticks with $5 billion defense bill for South Korea

US shows willingness for flexible denuke talks

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, left, shakes hands with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun at the start of their meeting at the State Department, Washington D.C., Tuesday (KST). YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulWashington remains flexible regarding how it supports talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea and the Korean Peninsula, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said in Washington D.C., Tuesday (KST).Speaking to the South Korean media after his meeting with U.S. special representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, Kim suggested “many creative and flexible ideas,” such as the resumption of the Mount Geumgang tourism project, to advance the denuclearization talks.“I explained the South Korean government's ideas on how to improve inter-Korean relations and how improvements would affect the Washington-Pyongyang nuclear dialogue with a high positivity,” the minister told reporters at the State Department. The Unification Ministry in Seoul confirmed the minister's remarks.“It was more than a brainstorming session as we got into detail abou

Nov 19, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

US shows willingness for flexible denuke talks

Support for Hong Kong

Students and civic group members hold a press conference near the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, Tuesday, during a rally urging the Chinese and Hong Kong governments to halt their suppression of protesters in Hong Kong. They plan to hold another rally at Seoul Plaza, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Nov 19, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin

Ruling bloc's heavyweights giving up April general election race

Former presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok YonhapBy Park Ji-wonPresidential aides and key ruling party lawmakers continue to pledge that they would not run in the general election in April next year. The election will be a barometer of public opinion toward the Moon Jae-in administration in the second half of its term, amid uncertainties about the ruling party's chances of victory in the race.Im Jong-seok, former presidential chief of staff and a former student activist, announced Sunday that he will not run in the April general election and will retire from politics to work for unification.“I quit politics and am going back to my original post as I made up my mind when starting my political career,” Im wrote on Facebook Sunday. “From now on, I want to be committed to the unification movement.”The announcement likely shocked members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) not only because he made such a decision without consulting them but also as he was one of the more prominent politicians in the ruling bloc who had been actively preparing to run

Nov 18, 2019By Park Ji-won

UN special rapporteur to visit Seoul to protest against hurried deportation of NK sailors

A boat on which two North Korean fishermen allegedly killed 16 other crew members is towed by a South Korean Navy vessel in the East Sea, Nov. 8. / YonhapBy Yi Whan-woo, Kim Yoo-chulA United Nations expert on human rights plans to visit Seoul next month, to file the organization's “low-key” protest over the government's recent decision to deport two North Korean fishermen, a high-ranking diplomatic source said Monday.“Tomas Ojea Quintana, the U.N.'s special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, plans to meet senior government officials next month in Seoul. One of the main topics to be discussed during Quintana's visit would be how to better protect human rights of North Koreans who attempt to escape to South Korea for non-political reasons,” the diplomatic source told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity.Last week, the South Korean Navy intercepted a wooden fishing boat from North Korea after a two-day pursuit and brought the two North Koreans on board ashore. Later, the South's unification ministry decided to deport them as they were suspected of ki

Nov 18, 2019By Yi Whan-woo

UN special rapporteur to visit Seoul to protest against hurried deportation of NK sailors

Moon to face tough questions on economy, diplomacy

President Moon Jae-in talks on the phone on Jan. 1. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae'Town hall' meeting may let people down without convincing answersBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in's upcoming appearance on a live televised question and answer session is generating a lot of public interest amid the wide range of challenges he is facing in the latter half of his presidency.Cheong Wa Dae has underlined that the MBC program, which will start at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, is different from previous media events in that there has been no scenario prepared. The audience will consist of 300 applicants who registered on the MBC website. The moderator is Bae Cheol-soo, who is a well-known radio program host and singer. This will be the first time for Moon to appear on public television to directly answer questions about his management of state affairs since a one-on-one interview on KBS, May 9. “We have no idea what the questions are,” presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung said in a radio program last week. “But we have faith that he will do well. The President has the most knowledge abo

Nov 17, 2019By Do Je-hae

Politics