South Korea - The Korea Times

'NK hoped for recognition as nuclear weapon state'

In this file photo taken on June 12, 2018, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands following a signing ceremony during their historic US-North Korea summit, at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore. AP-YonhapBy Lee Min-hyung, Kim Yoo-chulThe main purpose of February's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump was to get Trump to recognize North Korea as a nuclear weapon state, a document obtained by Voice of America (VOA), showed Monday.The document published by the Workers' Party of Korea's publishing service was released in November last year, three months before the second Trump-Kim summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.In the document, the North Korean leader said he was aiming for a final nuclear deal with Trump because the North had been approached by Washington with plans to disband the regime's nuclear capability. The document had been distributed to several key military North Korean units and used as learning material ahead of Kim's encounter with Trump, the U.S. media outlet said.Kim was a

Jun 17, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

'NK hoped for recognition as nuclear weapon state'

Head of largest business body urges Assembly to pass economic bills

Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Park Yong-maan, left, hands over a copy of a KCCI report on bills to Rep. Lee In-young, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea at the National Assembly, Monday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonKorea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Park Yong-maan urged an early passage of bills relating to deregulation to better take on growing signs of economic downturn, during his meetings with political leaders at the National Assembly, Monday.The KCCI chief stressed that politics is attributable to the country's economic downturn and the pains of companies and people here.“We have to understand that both companies and people find it hard to live. Politics is not free from the responsibility of it,” Park told Rep. Lee In-young, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Monday. “I came here to appeal to lawmakers to tackle the economic challenges that we face today by making concessions for each other no matter how.”The KCCI chief met Rep. Lee In-young of the ruling Democratic Party

Jun 17, 2019By Park Ji-won

Head of largest business body urges Assembly to pass economic bills

Foreign ministry, UN discuss 'low key' approach in handling NK human rights

By Lee Min-hyungOjea Quintana, the United Nations' special investigator on human rights in North KoreaThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs is likely to have asked for Ojea Quintana, the United Nations' special investigator on human rights in North Korea, to take a “toned-down” approach in handling North Korea's human rights abuses.Quintana is on a five-day trip to Seoul from Monday as he plans to meet with ranking ministerial officials including Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho and Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho.“His visit is intended to gather relevant data on the status quo of the North's human rights situation before the United Nations General Assembly convenes on the condition of North Korea's human rights situation in October,” a foreign ministry official said.Both ministries declined to comment on what specifically Quintana discussed with the vice ministers. But chances are that the South Korean authorities kept it low key during the meeting with the U.N. official, as Seoul does not want to provoke Pyongyang amid stalemated nuclear negotiations betwe

Jun 17, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Foreign ministry, UN discuss 'low key' approach in handling NK human rights

Foreign ministry in hot seat over pressure from Harris

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris delivers a keynote speech at an IT conference in Seoul on June 5. The U.S. diplomat said the fifth-generation network is key to ensuring the security of allies' telecommunications. Yonhap'Local economy may falter if U.S.-China trade friction drags on'By Lee Min-hyungThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in the hot seat over Washington's growing pressure to join the anti-Huawei campaign.With the trade dispute between the United States and China showing no imminent sign of ending, the ministry appears to be stranded without a clear way out.The latest in Washington-led pressure came last week when U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris rebutted Cheong Wa Dae's recent claim that Huawei's telecommunications equipment does not raise security concerns for the defense alliance between Seoul and Washington.In a local media interview, Harris declined to accept the argument from the presidential office, saying it is worth paying close attention to equipment sales from the Chinese company.The ongoing campaign against the Chinese firm is being spearhe

Jun 17, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Foreign ministry in hot seat over pressure from Harris

BMP to submit request to resume Assembly session

Rep. Na Kyung-won, center, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly, Sunday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BMP) will submit a request to the National Assembly today to convene an extraordinary session to normalize operations, its floor leader said Sunday.Rep. Oh Shin-hwan told reporters that “the BMP will take action to normalize the National Assembly during its general meeting at 2 p.m.”His remarks came amid a two-month hiatus in parliamentary sessions due to a boycott by the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP).Under the law, an extraordinary session must start on the first day of February, April or June, or Aug. 16, but political parties with negotiating bloc status have to agree on a detailed schedule. If more than a quarter of all lawmakers (75) agree, they could convene an extraordinary session, implying that the BMP with 28 seats could get Assembly activities resumed by teaming up with lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Justice Party

Jun 16, 2019By Park Ji-won

BMP to submit request to resume Assembly session

Seoul, Washington to discuss 4th inter-Korean summit

President Moon Jae-in, left, and Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven give a press conference after their talks in Saltsjobaden outside Stockholm, Sweden, Saturday, June 15. AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulSenior South Korean nuclear negotiators will discuss with their Washington counterparts a suggestion that President Moon Jae-in meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to Seoul at the end of the month.“As President Moon has returned from his trip to Scandinavian countries, senior nuclear negotiators plan to discuss with U.S. officials, and simultaneously their North Korean counterparts, a possible fourth inter-Korean summit before Trump's visit here,” a presidential aide said Sunday.Earlier, President Moon said he was open to meeting with Kim at anytime, anywhere and without conditions, though “accordingly, the timing is up to Kim.” He added it's not “physically impossible” to hold a fourth inter-Korean summit at the end of June.In a major speech in Sweden, Moon said the international community was

Jun 16, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Seoul, Washington to discuss 4th inter-Korean summit

Moon-Trump summit to center on defense cost sharing, trade affairs

President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during their summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul in November 2017. YonhapLeaders will seek breakthrough on nuclear deadlock with NKBy Lee Min-hyungU.S. President Donald Trump will likely ratchet up pressure on President Moon Jae-in on sensitive defense and economic issues during their upcoming summit later this month.Experts here said Moon's wise handling of the complex diplomacy is crucial to prevent South Korea from suffering any unexpected political and economic setbacks.One of the possible agenda items includes the annual defense cost sharing between Seoul and Washington. The cost is in use for maintenance of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) here.“Trump is likely to call on the South pay more during the upcoming meeting with Moon, as part of political rhetoric before they start negotiations to decide on the 2020 defense cost sharing,” said Shin Beom-chul, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.Under the 2019 Special Measures Agreement, South Korea will pay 1.04 trillion won ($881 million) in defen

Jun 16, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Moon-Trump summit to center on defense cost sharing, trade affairs

'Economic sanctions on North Korea may be lifted'

Hikers walk along the DMZ Peace Trail in the demilitarized zone in Goseong, South Korea, Friday. The South Korean government opened the trails in multiple areas inside the demilitarized zone on April 27. Yonhap'Seoul not contemplating changing regime in NK' By Kim Yoo-chulThe international community is “open to discussions on easing economic sanctions on North Korea” with security guarantees from the progress of the denuclearization talks, according to President Moon Jae-in on Friday evening (KST).“The international community is ready to ease economic sanctions on North Korea and provide firm security guarantees upon the level of progress in the denuclearization talks,” Moon said during his major speech in the Parliament House of Stockholm, Sweden.A day before in Oslo, Norway, Moon invited the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to discuss pending issues ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to Seoul at the end of this month. At that time, Moon said he was “always ready to meet Kim at any time” noting holding the fourth inter-Korean summ

Jun 14, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

'Economic sanctions on North Korea may be lifted'

Trump brushes off North Korea's sanctions violations

FIFA U-20 re-ignites row over military exemption for athletes

A banner in front of Jinju City Hall in South Gyeongsang Province, Friday, advertises a street event for the FIFA U-20 final match on Sunday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiControversy over whether to exempt medal-winning athletes from mandatory military service has re-emerged after the national team reached the championship final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.Although team members are not subject to the military service exemption under the present law, supporters say the athletes enhanced national prestige and thus are well qualified for it. The government has been discussing the exemption issue since last year ― about how to set the standard for it and even whether to abolish it. Three petitions have been posted on Cheong Wa Dae's website requesting military service exemptions for national team members. One was posted on June 10 before Korea beat Ecuador to reach the final, while two were uploaded afterward. In total, nearly 20,000 people have signed them and the number may skyrocket if Korea wins the championship in the final early Sunday morning.“In the reality that adults do not give ho

Jun 14, 2019By Bahk Eun-ji

FIFA U-20 re-ignites row over military exemption for athletes

'Moon's peace drive facing challenges'

President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during an inter-Korean summit at the Baekwhawon State Guesthouse in Pyongyang last Sept. 19. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungIt will take more time for President Moon Jae-in to generate a visible outcome as a mediator and facilitator in the stalled denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang as the United States is still unlikely to reach a possible “one-shot big deal” with North Korea in the foreseeable future, experts said, Friday.They say the South Korean government needs to come up with a fresh way to resume the stalled nuclear talks at a time when the year-long mediating role has reached a deadlock and shows no signs of generating results in the short term.Christopher Ford, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of State, recently updated Washington's position of taking such an approach during the possibly upcoming talks with Pyongyang.“It may be, moreover, that such a one-time solution set can sometimes be generated within the nonproliferation enterprise itself,” he said in an

Jun 14, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

North Korean media call for reconciliation ahead of June 15 Joint Declaration anniversary

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