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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.

Lawmaker calls for import ban on processed foods from Fukushima

Rep. Kim Kwang-sooSouth Korea should restrict imports of processed foods from Japan's Fukushima region as radiation has been found in shipments, an opposition lawmaker said Monday.South Korea banned all seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima in 2013 on concerns over their radiation levels in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown. But no import restrictions have been put on processed foods from the areas.Citing data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Rep. Kim Kwang-soo of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace said radiation has been discovered in 16.8 tons of processed foods imported from the eight prefectures, or 35 shipments, over the past five years. The figures were 10 tons (11 shipments) in 2014, 0.1 ton (six) in 2015, one ton (six) in 2016, 0.3 ton (four) in 2017, 0.4 ton (six) in 2018 and 5 tons (two) for the first half of this year.South Korea imported 29,985 tons of processed foods from the Japanese prefectures between 2014 and June this year. Imports, which came to 3,803 tons in 2014, increased to 7,259 tons

Aug 19, 2019
Lawmaker calls for import ban on processed foods from Fukushima
  • S. Korea summons Japanese diplomat over possible Fukushima plant water discharge
  • Seoul's diplomacy put to test in crucial week

Countdown to ASEAN-ROK Summit

Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, left of the promotional tower for the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, and other officials on Friday celebrated the 100-day countdown to the summit, to be held in the southern port city on Nov 25 and 26. Fifth from left is Suh Jeong-in, executive director of the Summit Preparation Office./ Yonhap

Aug 18, 2019By Kim Ji-soo

Will Kim Jong-un attend ASEAN summit?

Presidential economics Adviser Joo Hyung-chul gives a press conference on the Korea-ASEAN special summit at Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae Korea will host the Korea-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) special summit in the port city of Busan on Nov. 25-26, the presidential office said Sunday. In addition, the Korea-Mekong summit will be held on Nov. 27.“The summit is organized to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of official dialogue between Korea and ASEAN countries,” presidential economics adviser Joo Hyung-chul said during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday. Joo also serves as head of the Presidential Committee on New Southern Policy. Cheong Wa Dae announced some of the details with about 100 days to go until what is expected to be the largest diplomatic event of the Moon Jae-in administration. Moon has placed special importance on advancing relations with ASEAN countries as a way of diversifying Korea's diplomacy, which has been focused on the four major powers. “The summit will reaffirm ASEAN's support for our Ne

Aug 18, 2019By Do Je-hae
Will Kim Jong-un attend ASEAN summit?

Japan FM Taro Kono - a brazen breaker of diplomatic etiquette

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks with her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono while attending a banquet dinner on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Bangkok, Thailand on Aug. 2. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungJapan's foreign minister limbered up for his latest remarks to South Korean President Moon Jae-in with the wordings that risked insulting the South Korean leader, amid the deepening Seoul-Tokyo trade row. But that strategy didn't pay off as Foreign Minister Taro Kono directly asked the President to address the bilateral dispute in response to a question from Japanese media at an event. This isn't the first time the Japanese government official has criticized the South Korean leader. Most state leaders will go out of their way to avoid such sharp sensitive topics in moments of extreme political stress. Respecting diplomatic niceties has not been Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his aides' style over the last few weeks, and Kono's recent remarks underscored the intense challenge his assessment poses to the bilateral relationship.In a meeting with Japanese reporters in Serb

Aug 18, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
Japan FM Taro Kono - a brazen breaker of diplomatic etiquette

S. Korea considers extending GSOMIA with Japan

Japanese Emperor Naruhito, left, and Empress Masako, right, attend a memorial ceremony for the war dead at Nippon Budokan Martial Arts Hall in Tokyo, Thursday, Aug. 15, Emperor Naruhito expressed “deep remorse” over Japan's role in World War II in his first appearance at the annual ceremony marking the end of the hostilities. AP-YonhapKang, Kono set to meet this week By Do Je-hae, Kim Yoo-chulSeoul is “seriously considering” extending a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo as working-level discussions between senior negotiators of the neighboring countries are underway to mend the souring bilateral ties, officials of Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said, Sunday.“While it's been true that the South Korean government had planned to walk away from the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) as a countermeasure in response to Japan's decision to ignite an economic-diplomatic war, now is not the time for the leaders in Seoul and Tokyo to take such a step,” an official at the presidential off

Aug 18, 2019By Do Je-hae
S. Korea considers extending GSOMIA with Japan
  • Top diplomats from South Korea, China and Japan to meet this week
  • INTERVIEW 'Impact of scrapping GSOMIA will hit Korea harder'

Experts gather in Seoul to seek unification momentum

Participants including Moon Hyun-jin, chairman of the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), center, pose during the International Forum On One Korea on the theme of “Historic Opportunity for Korean Unification: Vision, Leadership and Action,” at the Plaza Hotel, Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonCivic activists and experts discussed ways to seek unification of the two Koreas amid rising tensions in the region at an international forum Wednesday, after a series of North Korea's launches of alleged short-range missiles in recent weeks. The convention was held marking the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement that took place in 1919 during Japan's colonial rule and the 74th anniversary of liberation from Japan in 1945.A total of 400 participants from across the world, including security and North Korea experts and civic activists, took part in the International Forum On One Korea. Held under the theme “Historic Opportunity for Korean Unification: Vision, Leadership and Action,” it was hosted by the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), a nonprofit organiza

Aug 18, 2019By Park Ji-won
Experts gather in Seoul to seek unification momentum

Anti-gov't rallies awash with hate speech

Members of right-wing organizations hold a giant Korean flag and call on President Moon Jae-in to resign during a rally in central Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Kim Hyun-binUltra-right figures seem to be going too far in their bashing of President Moon Jae-in, with some even urging followers to kill him.On Thursday, when Korea marked its 74th National Liberation Day, they also staged a rally in central Seoul, calling for Moon to be impeached. Thousands of conservatives gathered there. Jun Kwang-hoon, head of the Christian Council of Korea who is a frequent critic of Moon, again talked about the President in hateful terms.Responding to Moon's Liberation Day speech delivered earlier in the day, he said, “What the hell is a peace economy based on inter-Korean economic cooperation?” “Shi… and gae… but I will not say what follows is.”Although Jun did not say the full words, it is clear he was using Korean curse words. Jun, also a pastor, emphasized it was God's calling to force Moon to resign. “Let's kill Moon Jae-in. Yes let's kill him. With what?

Aug 16, 2019By Kim Hyun-bin
Anti-gov't rallies awash with hate speech

Moon's olive branch to Japan raises hope on GSOMIA extension

President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 74th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, Thursday. AP-YonhapTop diplomats of Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing to hold talksBy Park Ji-wonPresident Moon Jae-in's move to offer an olive branch to Japan prompted expectations on the extension of a bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan amid an escalating power game between the neighboring countries.Stressing that Seoul and Tokyo have continued to engage in security and economic cooperation with Japan, Moon said Thursday, “Better late than never: if Japan chooses the path of dialogue and cooperation, we will gladly join hands. We will strive with Japan to create an East Asia that engages in fair trade and cooperation.”Moon's remarks at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, during the 74th Liberation Day celebration, came eight days before the deadline to notify Japan on whether to extend the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMI

Aug 16, 2019By Park Ji-won
Moon's olive branch to Japan raises hope on GSOMIA extension
  • Lawmakers aim to pass bills to cope with disputes with Japan

Lawmakers aim to pass bills to cope with disputes with Japan

Lawmakers hold a plenary session at the National Assembly in this Aug. 2, file photo. Korea Times file.By Park Ji-wonLawmakers are pushing to pass bills to resolve the forced labor issue and Japan's trade regulations against Korea amid a worsening diplomatic row with Japan.Opposition lawmakers plan to submit a bill to the Assembly by the end of this month together with Japanese lawmakers on compensating the victims of forced labor during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule.Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BMP), wrote in a Facebook message that a group of Korean lawmakers, Ha and Reps. Hong Il-pyo and Khang Hyo-shang of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and Baek Jae-hyun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), was approached by Masaharu Nakagawa, an independent Lower House representative, about the idea on the sidelines of an international conference on North Korean human rights held in Spain last month. Reps. Nakagawa, Shu Watanabe of the Democratic Party for the People and Hiroyuki Konishi of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan

Aug 16, 2019By Park Ji-won
Lawmakers aim to pass bills to cope with disputes with Japan
  • Moon's olive branch to Japan raises hope on GSOMIA extension

'Improving human rights in North Korea can lead to unification'

William Parker, president and CEO of the East-West Institute, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Plaza Hotel, Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Park Ji-wonBy Park Ji-wonA U.S. think tank chief stressed Thursday that resolving humanitarian issues and then lifting economic sanctions on the North can pave the way to achieve the unification of the Korean Peninsula.“If you resolve human rights issues in North Korea, only then you can begin to remove economic sanctions on North Korea. Once that's done, the second step is to look at the political system within North Korea on the Korean Peninsula at large. The second step will lead you to eventual unified Korea,” William Parker, president and CEO at the East-West Institute, a New York-based global NGO committed to conflict prevention, said in an interview with The Korea Times. He added that once the North achieves a balanced economy and political system it will finally give up its weapons of mass destruction programs at last. His remarks came amid rising tensions surrounding the peninsula following a stale

Aug 15, 2019By Park Ji-won
'Improving human rights in North Korea can lead to unification'
  • Stocking up on missiles
  • South Korea asked to delay defense cost talks with US
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