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Anniversary 'Kim wants US recognition as nuclear power'

President Moon Jae-in, center, smiles as U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their meeting at the border village of Panmunjeom in Demilitarized Zone, on June 30. YonhapLeading historian on modern Korea assesses S. Korea's role in US-NK talks By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in will mark the halfway point of his five year presidency on Nov. 9. Cheong Wa Dae has trumpeted Moon's "outcomes" in inter-Korean relations as some of the key achievements of his presidency, but the public assessment of Moon in this regard is turning considerably negative despite his three summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018 and the beginning of unprecedented U.S.-North Korea summit diplomacy. The South Korean leader's job approval rating has been on a downward trend due to his shortcomings in handling several key domestic affairs, such as the country's economic difficulties and the polarization of Korean society following a corruption scandal surrounding his former justice minister, Cho Kuk. But another major reason that more people are bec

Oct 31, 2019By Do Je-hae

[Anniversary] 'Kim wants US recognition as nuclear power'

Moon focuses on state affairs despite personal tragedy

President Moon Jae-in holds his grandson at a memorial altar for his late mother Kang Han-ok at the Namcheon Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Busan, Wednesday. YonhapBy Do Je-haeKang Han-ok, the mother of President Moon Jae-in, died Tuesday at a hospital in Busan, Tuesday. She was 92. President Moon is the first sitting president to lose a parent while in office.Moon remembered the life of the late Kang in an emotional Facebook post, Wednesday, and thanked the people for sharing their condolences. Leaders from Korea's major religious faiths enter the Namcheon Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Busan to pay their respects to the late Kang Han-ok, mother of President Moon Jae-in. Yonhap“Like all mothers in this country, she had some hardship, but her final words spoke of happiness. Throughout her life, she missed her hometown, to which she could not return,” Moon wrote of his late mother who was born in North Korea's South Hamgyong Province. She settled in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1950 during the Korean War. “After my father died 41 years ago, she lived a life d

Oct 30, 2019By Do Je-hae

Moon focuses on state affairs despite personal tragedy

Ruling party chief apologizes over Cho Kuk scandal

Ruling DPK chief Lee Hae-chan looks at prepared documents at the start of a news conference at the National Assembly, Wednesday. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulRuling party chief Lee Hae-chan issued a public apology Wednesday over former Justice Minister Cho Kuk's alleged involvement in various financial wrongdoings and academic privileges allegedly given to Cho's daughter.“As the ruling party chief, I offer a very sincere apology to the public,” Lee said at a news conference at the National Assembly. “The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has been focusing on pursuing prosecutorial reform, leaving growing public calls to create a 'fair society' sincerely untouched. “I feel a huge responsibility for how the public, especially young people, feel about issues relating to the former justice minister.” But the party chief stressed that the DPK will continue teaming with Cheong Wa Dae and relevant government ministries to move forward with plans to curb the prosecution's iron grip. “Ironically, the so-called Cho Kuk scandal was an opportunity to reaffirm the prosec

Oct 30, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Ruling party chief apologizes over Cho Kuk scandal

Ahn Cheol-soo will return to political arena this year?

Ahn Cheol-soo, former leader of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party poses after finishing the Berlin Marathon, Sept. 28. Yonhap By Park Ji-wonAn internal feud is deepening between members of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BMP) following former BMP leader Ahn Cheol-soo's decision to pursue his academic interests rather than coming back to South Korea to unite the divided party and work toward the 2020 general election.Rep. Ha Tae-keung said it was possible Ahn would resume his political activities within this year, citing multiple political sources.“I learned that Ahn's visit to the United States was set up a long time ago according to his close aides.” He also urged Ahn to come back and join preparations for the general election if he wants to be elected president in the future.His remarks contradict Ahn who made it clear that he will continue to study in the U.S. as a visiting professor at Stanford University. He is expected to serve one year there. He

Oct 30, 2019By Park Ji-won

Ahn Cheol-soo will return to political arena this year?

English instructor pins hopes on customized online education

Kwon Hyuk-jun, an English instructor at Pagoda Academy, delivers a lecture at his classroom in Jongno, central Seoul, on Oct. 16. Courtesy of Kwon Hyuk-junBy Lee Min-hyungKwon Hyuk-jun, a Seoul-based English instructor, has expressed anticipation that a customized online teaching platform will bring a paradigm shift in the education industry.The 32-year-old teacher works at Pagoda Academy, one of the biggest private education institution chains in downtown Seoul. He said the market for online-based education is still in its infancy, and so there is enough room for growth in the area over the next few more years.“My ultimate dream is to develop an online platform that provides total analytics and diagnostic services for students,” he said in an interview, Wednesday.According to him, a growing number of private institutions here are on track to embrace online teaching systems, but as of now, few organizations offer accurate and high-quality services satisfactory enough for each student to receive proper feedback.“By teaming up with developers and web designers, I plan

Oct 30, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

English instructor pins hopes on customized online education

Moon recalls his late mother's hard but 'happy' life

A condolence wreath sent by Cabinet Members are denied at Namchun Catholic Church in Busan, Wednesday, where a funeral service for Kang Han-ok, mother of President Moon Jae-in, is held. President Moon said he wanted the funeral for Kang, who passed away Tuesday, to be quiet and involve only his family members. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in leaves the hospital in Busan, Tuesday, where his mother, Kang Han-ok, died earlier the day. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in said Wednesday his mother was apparently anxious about him being at the center of a choppy political world. The 92-year-old, Kang Han-ok, died Tuesday evening at a Busan hospital after suffering from an illness for a long time. Busan, about 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, is Moon's hometown.In his first public message on her death, posted on his Facebook account, Moon said he had not met her often although he knew that the time for farewell was nearing.He said, however, he was present at her "last departure with a comfortable face," along with other family members. "Throughout her life, she missed her hometown where she couldn't

Oct 30, 2019

Moon recalls his late mother's hard but 'happy' life

Speaker to refer prosecution reform bills to Dec. 3 plenary session

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang begins a plenary session at the National Assembly, Tuesday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonNational Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang said Tuesday that he would allow three of four fast-tracked bills including one dealing with the reform the prosecution to be presented to the National Assembly at a plenary session scheduled for Dec. 3. This is in order for the political parties to have time for discussions to narrow their differences on them prior to a vote that could take place as early as Dec.10.Parliamentary spokesman Han Min-soo said Moon decided to refer the bills to the Assembly following consultations with experts. The bills cover the setting up of an independent prosecutorial division to investigate high-ranking public officials, including the president; and giving additional power ― taken from the prosecution ― to the police regarding criminal investigations. “Lawmakers need to be given more time to review the bills to meet the maximum 90-day period for this as it has been 57 days since they were taken over by the judiciary committee,” H

Oct 29, 2019By Park Ji-won

Lawmakers to head for Tokyo following PM's visit

Rep. Kang Chang-il of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, right, who heads the South Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union, shakes hands with Natsuo Yamaguchi, chief representative of Japan's Komeito party, a coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, at the Komeito party headquarters in Tokyo on July 31, ahead of their meeting to discuss the Seoul-Tokyo trade row. YonhapBy Jung Da-min About 50 South Korean lawmakers with the South Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union will visit Tokyo from Thursday to Saturday, to attend a regular joint session of the union with their Japanese counterparts. The 42nd joint session held in Tokyo falls Friday. “We are going to visit each Japanese political party and attend the joint session,” the South Korean head of the union, Rep. Kang Chang-il of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), told reporters, Monday, after meeting National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang at the Assembly to report the plan. “Japanese lawmakers including Japan's House of Representatives Speaker Tadamori Oshima and those from the upper hou

Oct 29, 2019

Lawmakers to head for Tokyo following PM's visit

Moon's mother in critical condition

President Moon Jae-in, right and his mother Kang Han-ok. Korea Times filePresident Moon Jae-in will visit his mother, who's in critical condition, in Busan on Tuesday, a Cheong Wa Dae official said.Kang Han-ok, 92, has been suffering a chronic illness and is currently hospitalized in Busan.Moon plans to head to the southern port city, his hometown, in the afternoon, according to the official.Moon last visited the Busan hospital on Saturday. (Yonhap)

Oct 29, 2019

South Korea to promote AI sector as core industry

President Moon Jae-in tests a robot at the Developer's View conference at COEX, Monday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in will place more importance on promoting Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the aim of establishing it as a core nation industry. During a visit to the Developer's View conference at COEX, Monday, Moon underlined the need to build an “AI powerhouse” as the next step to being an “IT powerhouse” to take the global lead in preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To that end, the administration will announce a national roadmap for promoting the AI sector with comprehensive support measures within the year, according to Cheong Wa Dae Monday. The roadmap will include expanding the government budget, and increasing personnel and organizations to better support AI development policies. In addition, the administration plans to nurture AI specialists, by establishing more graduate schools within the nation's major universities. Moon's keynote speech at the nation's largest conference for software and AI specialists primarily reflected th

Oct 28, 2019By Do Je-hae

Politics

Politics

Anniversary 'Kim wants US recognition as nuclear power'

Moon focuses on state affairs despite personal tragedy

Ruling party chief apologizes over Cho Kuk scandal

Ahn Cheol-soo will return to political arena this year?

English instructor pins hopes on customized online education

Moon recalls his late mother's hard but 'happy' life

Speaker to refer prosecution reform bills to Dec. 3 plenary session

Lawmakers to head for Tokyo following PM's visit

Moon's mother in critical condition

South Korea to promote AI sector as core industry

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