South Korea - The Korea Times

Moon endorses Myanmar as trading hub in ASEAN

President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook hold a moment of silence in front of a stone monument at the Martyrs' Mausoleum in Yangon, Myanmar, Wednesday, that commemorates South Korean victims of an Oct. 9 1983 bombing attack by North Korean agents aimed at assassinating then South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulYANGON ― President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that his administration will help South Korean firms to win contracts in Myanmar as part of his New Southern Policy, aimed at diversifying the country's diplomacy. “I would say Myanmar has great economic potential. Let's say Myanmar is a last frontier market as it has one of the richest concentrations of natural resources in the ASEAN bloc. More South Korean companies are paying increasing attention to Myanmar's resources,” the President said in a speech marking the start of construction of a Korea-Myanmar Industrial Complex, north of Yangon.He added South Korea will boost bilateral trade specifically participating in needed infrastructure projects here.Moon visited the complex after meeti

Sep 4, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Moon endorses Myanmar as trading hub in ASEAN

'Seoul needs to be clear about respecting 1965 treaty'

Chung Jae-jeong, professor emeritus at the University of Seoul Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoonThis is the seventh in a series of interviews with political experts and experienced analysts assessing the impact of the ongoing South Korea-Japan trade row after Tokyo removed Seoul from its list of trusted trading partners receiving preferential treatment in exports. ― ED.By Do Je-hae Two months have passed since Japan's series of trade restrictions on Korea, seen as “economic retaliation” for the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to the surviving South Korean victims of forced labor during the 1910-45 colonial rule. The two governments have been unable to make any visible headway in resolving the escalating disputes over trade and history, which have even affected the security area, with Seoul deciding not to renew a bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. One of the biggest points of contention between Korea and Japan has been their differences on the 1965 normalization treaty, which Japan has used as the basis to cl

Sep 4, 2019By Do Je-hae

'Seoul needs to be clear about respecting 1965 treaty'

More suspicions growing over Cho's daughter's awards history

Justice minister nominee Cho Kuk enters the lobby of his office building in downtown Seoul, Wednesday, after answering questions from the press about suspicions surrounding the academic career of his daughter. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunSuspicions surrounding the academic career of justice minister nominee Cho Kuk's daughter are not dying down despite his attempts to explain them away. Rather, they are continuing to grow with new allegations emerging.It was found that Cho's daughter received an award from the president of Dongyang University and recorded this on her resume when applying for Pusan National University's medical graduate school in 2014. The award certified her hours of community service participating in the school's project to make English education books for younger students.But the school president told a local daily that he never approved such an award.The suspicions grew bigger as Cho's wife is currently a professor at Dongyang University and some suspect she could have exercised her influence to ensure the award went to her daughter. As a result of the allegations, pro

Sep 4, 2019By Kim Jae-heun

More suspicions growing over Cho's daughter's awards history

Parties agree to hold one-day confirmation hearing for Cho

Parties agree to hold one-day confirmation hearing for Cho

Rep. Na Kyung-won, left, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, and Rep. Lee In-young, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, shake hands before having a meeting over a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly for Justice Minster nominee Cho Kuk at the National Assembly, Wednesday.By Park Ji-wonThe ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) agreed Wednesday to hold a National Assembly confirmation hearing for justice minister nominee Cho Kuk, Friday, after weeks of political wrangling.“There were a lot of differences with the DPK, but we agreed to hold a confirmation hearing for Cho on Sept. 6 to serve our responsibility as lawmakers,” Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the LKP, told reporters after meeting with Rep. Lee In-young, her DPK counterpart.The agreement came after the parties failed to hold a confirmation hearing earlier this week as planned, resulting in the beleaguered nominee holding an “unlimited press conference” at the Assembly, Monday, to explain his version o

Sep 4, 2019By Park Ji-won

Parties agree to hold one-day confirmation hearing for Cho

More suspicions growing over Cho's daughter's awards history

Search in Cho scandal

A cameraman waits for prosecutors to finish their search and seizure operation, Tuesday, at Dongyang University in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk's wife works as a professor. Prosecutors confiscated her computer hard disk and documents over allegations that Cho's family made illicit investments in a private equity fund and helped his daughter get favorable treatment in admissions, despite Cho's denial of the allegations during a press conference the previous day. Yonhap

Sep 3, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin

South Korea, Myanmar agree to enhance relations

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's state counsellor and the Southeast Asian country's de facto leader, smile at each other during a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Naypyitaw, Tuesday evening, after a summit where the two leaders agreed to boost bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual prosperity. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulNAYPYITAW, Myanmar ― President Moon Jae-in agreed with Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's current de facto leader, Tuesday, to make joint efforts to enhance economic and trade cooperation. At the invitation of Myanmar President Win Myint, Moon arrived here in the morning as part of his six-day visit to Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. Moon is the third Korean president to visit Myanmar since 1983, when then President Chun Doo-hwan avoided an assassination attempt there by North Korea. President Lee Myung-bak also visited the country in 2012.In a joint press conference after South Korea-Myanmar Summit held in the presidential palace, Aung, Myanmar's state counsellor, expressed appreciation for the continued investments by Korean f

Sep 3, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

South Korea, Myanmar agree to enhance relations

Moon requests confirmation hearing report for Cho

Cheong Wa DaeBy Park Ji-wonPresident Moon Jae-in has requested a National Assembly confirmation hearing report by Friday in an apparent move to appoint nominee Cho Kuk as justice minister, according to the presidential office, Tuesday. The move is seen to reflect Cheong Wa Dae's intent to complete the appointment before the Chuesok holidays next week despite strong public calls to withdraw the nomination of the embattled former presidential aide over a widening corruption scandal."President Moon has asked the Assembly to deliver the report on Cho and Han Sang-hyeok, the nominee for the head of the Korea Communications Commission, and six other nominees subject to an Assembly confirmation hearing by Sept. 6," presidential senior secretary for public communications Yoon Do-han said during a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae. "He will decide on the appointment when he returns from his three-nation Southeast Asia tour on Friday." Moon, who is on state visits to Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, sent the request to the National Assembly to deliver the report through the government's electric approval s

Sep 3, 2019By Park Ji-won

Moon requests confirmation hearing report for Cho

NK-US nuclear talks will be delayed until end of year

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom on June 30. Yonhap By Lee Min-hyungNorth Korea is unwilling to hold nuclear talks with the United States as of now, and will continue to delay the dialogue until the year-end deadline set by the North's young leader Kim Jong-un, experts said Tuesday. The negotiation between Washington and Pyongyang on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has faced ups and downs this year following the failure of the Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim in February.But with two of the world's most unpredictable leaders holding an unexpected “mini summit” at the inter-Korean border area on June 30, expectations resurfaced over the possible resumption of dialogue.At that time, the North also expressed its determination to resume working-level talks with the U.S. “in the next few weeks” following the meeting. Pyongyang, however, did n

Sep 3, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

NK-US nuclear talks will be delayed until end of year

Prime Minister meets former Japanese chief cabinet secretary in Seoul

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at Seoul Government Complex, Tuesday. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Lee had a lunch meeting with former Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura a day before in Seoul. YonhapBy Jung Da-min Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon had a lunch meeting with former Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura in Seoul on Monday amid lingering bilateral tensions over trade, security and history, according to Japanese media reports confirmed by the Prime Minister's Office of South Korea, Tuesday.The meeting between the Korean prime minister and Kawamura was unofficial and private, according to officials at the Prime Minister's Office. They did not provide further details on the meeting, including the topics of discussion. Japanese media reported Lee and Kawamura exchanged views on the Korea-Japan conflict and discussed ways to mend bilateral ties, including how to arrange a possible Korea-Japan summit. The Japanese media reported the topics discussed included Seoul's recent decision to end the General Security of Mili

Sep 3, 2019

Prime Minister meets former Japanese chief cabinet secretary in Seoul

Seoul denies media reports on compensation proposal

Lawmakers under fire over sexist remarks

By Bahk Eun-jiTwo main opposition party lawmakers have come under growing criticism due to their sexist remarks during confirmation hearings of government official nominees. Rep. Jeong Kab-yoon of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) said that Jo Sung-wook, the nominee for the Fair Trade Commission chief, was not “fulfilling her duty to the country of having a child” as she is a single woman. Rep. Jeong Kab-yoon of the Liberty Korea Party“As far as I know, you are still single. What do you think is the biggest problem in Korea? The low birthrate is damaging the country,” Rep. Jeong said during Jo's confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Monday. “You have a great resume, but if you fulfill your duty, you'll become a fully qualified nominee. It is okay for you to make efforts for your individual success, but please contribute to the nation's development.”Jo, an economics professor, seemed surprised at Jeong's remark, but did not react. After the session, Rep. Kim Byung-wook of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Jeong's remarks were inap

Sep 3, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji

Politics