my timesThe Korea Times
South Korea

Politics

Japanese embassy reshuffle signals strategic change

South Korean protesters stage a rally to denounce Japan's new trade restrictions on South Korea in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday. AP-YonhapBy Park Ji-wonA reshuffle at the Japanese embassy in Seoul shows Tokyo's intention to seek a strategic change in Korea affairs in the wake of the trade row and other disputes that are expected to further aggravate bilateral tension, according to diplomatic sources. First, it is noticeable that Japan has been sending experienced diplomats to South Korea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan appointed Soma Hirohisa as minister at the Japanese embassy in Seoul recently, the de facto No. 2 position at its South Korean mission replacing Koichi Mizushima. He will be in charge of leading both political and economic departments at the embassy. He is known as a Korea expert with experience in various economy-related administrations including the Ministry of Finance. He has previous experience at the Japanese embassy in Seoul, and has been receiving a Korea-focused education at the foreign ministry since the beginning of

Aug 8, 2019By Park Ji-won
Japanese embassy reshuffle signals strategic change

PDP may be spilt over internal feud

Rep. You Sung-yup, left, floor leader of the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP), speaks during a meeting to discuss forming a new party with his party members at the National Assembly, Thursday. Ten PDP lawmakers decided to leave the party. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) is expected to split into two as a result of an internal party feud over the party's direction before the upcoming general election. Ten lawmakers of the PDP led by its floor leader You Sung-yup pledged Thursday to leave the party unless the party chairman Chung Dong-young steps down from the position.“We, 10 lawmakers of the PDP, will hold a press briefing on Monday and reveal our plan to form a third party,” You told reporters Thursday. You added he could retract the decision if he and Chung strike a meaningful deal by Monday. He didn't elaborate on concrete plans for after leaving the party.The PDP holds 14 seats at the National Assembly. The group of PDP members have been asking Chung to step down as he is responsible for the PDP's low popularity and lack

Aug 8, 2019By Park Ji-won
PDP may be spilt over internal feud

'North Korea-US nuclear talks will resume in a couple of weeks'

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha at the foreign ministerial session of the East Asia Summit in Centara Grand Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand on Aug. 2. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised hopes for the restart of nuclear disarmament dialogue with North Korea in two weeks.“We are planning for negotiations in a couple of weeks and we anticipate the two teams getting back together,” Pompeo said Thursday morning (KST).Earlier thoughts were Washington and Pyongyang would resume their “working-level” discussions on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula last month, after a historic June encounter between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the South's side of the truce village of Panmunjeom.The reclusive state refused to respond to the U.S.' repeated calls for talks as agreed upon during the June meeting. Pompeo defended North Korea by saying the regime's missile launches were not a violation of Kim Jong-un's promise to suspend nuclear testing and l

Aug 8, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
'North Korea-US nuclear talks will resume in a couple of weeks'

Moon says Japan in 'no-winner' game against South Korea

South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting of the presidential National Economic Advisory Council at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in continued his criticism Thursday of Japan's "no-winner game" against South Korea, especially taking issue with its contradictory attitude toward trade.He was speaking at the outset of a Cheong Wa Dae meeting of the presidential National Economic Advisory Council, its first session in eight months.Moon had two previous council meetings in late 2017 and 2018. But he convened a summertime session to pool wisdom on ways to cope with Tokyo's Seoul-bound export control.Whatever Japan claims is its reason, Moon said, it's an "economic reprisal" over rulings by South Korea's Supreme Court in favor of wartime forced labor victims.It's an act of tying South Korea's court decision with an economic issue and breaching the democratic principle of separating powers, he added.Ironically, Moon pointed out Japan is a country that has most benefited from the free trade order, and it has actively advocated free trade when necessary.Thu

Aug 8, 2019
Moon says Japan in 'no-winner' game against South Korea

Newly elected chief for LKP parliamentary aides vows to pass bill with DPK counterpart

Lee Jong-tae Courtesy of Lee Jong-taeBy Park Ji-wonLee Jong-tae, newly elected chief of the consultation body for parliamentary aides of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) said he wants to pass a bill to prevent lawmakers from easily firing their aides with his counterpart from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).“Based on law, lawmakers can simply fire their aides after unilaterally submitting a request to the secretary general of the National Assembly. There has been criticism that the job insecurity is discouraging and makes it harder for aides to build their expertise at work. I would like to change the situation by changing the relevant law with the DPK to make it more difficult for lawmakers to just fire their aides like public officers,” Lee said in a written interview with The Korea Times.His remarks came after he was elected as the youngest head of the consultation body to represent the aides working for LKP lawmakers in July 4. The consultation body was founded in June 1990 to create a better work environment for aides of LKP representatives. H

Aug 7, 2019By Park Ji-won
Newly elected chief for LKP parliamentary aides vows to pass bill with DPK counterpart

Seoul asked to figure out Japan's complaints

By Lee Min-hyungPark Won-gonYuji HosakaWith South Korea and Japan facing a gradually worsening diplomatic row, calls are growing for a new, game-changing approach to be taken to resume their suspended dialogue, political analysts said, Wednesday.Currently, it appears unlikely that the two sides will to come to an agreement any time soon, regarding their historical dispute over Japan's compensation of wartime forced labors, they said. Thoughts are that the South Korean government needs not to react emotionally to Japan's political rhetoric and economic retaliation, but instead, focus on bringing Tokyo back to the negotiating table.“The South Korean government should convince Japan that it will play an active role in settling the dispute in the possibly upcoming rulings,” Park Won-gon, a professor of international relations at Handong Global University.With Japan showing no signs of abiding by the Supreme Court's ruling by South Korea, Seoul offered to launch a joint fund between companies from the two countries, as part of what the South thought was a “middle ground&

Aug 7, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
Seoul asked to figure out Japan's complaints

Cheong Wa Dae confirms largest-ever drill on Dokdo

A member of the Korean Government Employees' Union shouts slogans during a rally demanding the abolition of the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA, an intelligence-sharing agreement between South Korea and Japan, in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, Wednesday. AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulSouth Korea will hold its largest military drill on a cluster of islets in the sea between South Korea and Japan, with the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard participating, a senior presidential aide confirmed.“Yes, South Korea's military will conduct a biannual defensive military dill on Dokdo. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard will participate in the upcoming exercise. Cheong Wa Dae and other relevant ministries are working on it,” presidential National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong told lawmakers at a session of the National Assembly Steering Committee on Tuesday night. The presidential office confirmed the remarks Wednesday afternoon.“South Korea plans to conduct a military drill on Dokdo twice this yea

Aug 7, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
Cheong Wa Dae confirms largest-ever drill on Dokdo

Moon vows support for localization of parts

President Moon Jae-in talks to employees during a visit to the SBB Tech in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday visited SBB Tech, a local firm, as part of his efforts to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expected to be affected by Japan's recent trade regulations against Korea, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The visit highlighted the President's focus on the localization of parts and materials to deal with the aftermath of Japan's escalating trade restrictions on Korea, the presidential office said. Japan's export regulations on three high-tech materials, crucial to local manufacturers of semiconductors and display panels, have underlined the urgent need for Korea to reduce its heavy reliance on Japanese suppliers for the nation's core industries. “After the export regulations and the whitelist removal, we have continued to say we will use these an opportunity to improve our industrial ecosystem,” presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung said during a regular briefing, Wednesday. The presidential aide explain

Aug 7, 2019By Do Je-hae
Moon vows support for localization of parts

North Korea's aid refusal to cool inter-Korean relations

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul delivers a briefing on pending issues in a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 30. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungSouth Korea's plan to provide food aid to North Korea is getting increasingly murky amid growing inter-Korean tension in the wake of the North's repeated provocations.Earlier, Seoul was supposed to start delivering the first batch of domestically-harvested rice to Pyongyang, as part of a 50,000-ton food provision plan in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP). Seoul's unification ministry was hoping to finish the delivery by the end of September. The drive, however, hit snag after North Korea declined last month to accept the support.The North's refusal will have a negative impact on Seoul's moves to improve inter-Korean relations. Despite the government's repeated insistence on separating the food assistance from politics, thoughts are the donation is widely interpreted as having the political goal of improving inter-Korean relations. More precisely, with nuclear disarmament talks with the United States in limbo, South K

Aug 7, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
North Korea's aid refusal to cool inter-Korean relations
previous page
886887888889890
next page

Most Read in South Korea