South Korea - The Korea Times

Koreans back Hong Kong citizens' fight against extradition bill

A solidarity poster that has been spreading on Korean-language social media posts this week reads “Koreans support Hong Kong's democratization.” Captured from TwitterBy Lee Suh-yoonA growing number of Koreans are showing their support for Hong Kong citizens' anti-extradition protests, after images of Hong Kong's smoke-filled streets and riot police firing rubber bullets and thrashing protesters flooded social media feeds this week.“I don't care if this tweet later bars me from going back to a city I love, but I have to say this. I oppose the extradition bill in Hong Kong and support the Hong Kong citizens in the streets,” Ha Bo-young, a Twitter user, said in a post tagged #prayforHongKong, Thursday. Hong Kong, largely regarded as a shopping haven and modernity icon here, is lurching through events that bring back an eerie feeling of deja vu for Koreans ― some as recent as 2016 when police unleashed tear gas and water cannons at massive street protests against the now-ousted former President Park Geun-hye. “Police firing rubber bullets and pepper spray at

Jun 14, 2019

Koreans back Hong Kong citizens' fight against extradition bill

Korea's opposition party openly backs Hong Kong's 'democracy movement'

Hableany salvaged

The sunken sightseeing boat Hableany is placed on a barge after being salvaged from the Danube River in Budapest, Tuesday, two weeks after its deadly sinking. Rescue workers recovered four more bodies from the ill-fated vessel, three of whom are believed to be Korean. The Hableany, which carried 33 South Korean passengers and two Hungarian crewmembers, sank on the Danube, May 29, after being hit by another larger boat, leaving seven survivors and 24 people dead with four still missing. Yonhap

Jun 14, 2019By Kim Bo-eun

Bike with name could make or break Seoul mayor presidential bid

All “Ttaereungi” bicycles are checked out during evening rush hours in downtown Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Oh Young-jinBy Oh Young-jinThe headline requires many disclaimers. First, I am not a particular fan of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. This column in no way is intended to boost his chance of getting elected president, if he makes a bid. Also, my suggestion would be too daunting for any presidential pretender, unless he or she is from the fringes of the political spectrum with a very slim chance of getting elected. Finally, the next presidential election is slated for March 2022. Having said all that, here is how I think a bicycle could propel Park to the presidency. It is no ordinary bicycle, since it has a name and thousands use them daily. Its name is Ttareungyi, or an affectionate name of a bicycle from the sound of its bell in Korean, which is also the name of Seoul's bicycle ride-sharing program.It is convenient, cheap and very popular. In downtown Seoul, Ttareungyi two-wheelers in white and pale green are everywhere, with people old and young riding during morning

Jun 14, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Bike with name could make or break Seoul mayor presidential bid

Japan's ex-PM urges Abe to apologize over past misdeeds

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, left, shows the way for former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama who paid a visit to the memorial of former first lady Lee Hee-ho, who died of old age on Monday, at Severance Hospital in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonFormer Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama urged Abe's administration to continue apologizing over its past wrongdoings for Korean victims of its colonial rule on the Korean Peninsula as a way to improve South Korea-Japan relations.During a lecture at the National Assembly, Thursday, Hatoyama, the predecessor of incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, strongly criticized Abe's reluctance to hold Tokyo responsible for its own wrongdoings. “Japan should engage with South Korea keeping mind that Japan should take endless responsibility for the past.”“If Japan had that in mind, the phrase final and irreversible would not have been included in the 2015 agreement with South Korea.” The agreement was made between foreign ministers of the two nations. The impeached Park Geun-hye made this agreement with Abe, but dr

Jun 13, 2019By Park Ji-won

Japan's ex-PM urges Abe to apologize over past misdeeds

Vice foreign minister's dinner with Japanese ambassador

Moon hopes for early summit with North Korean leader

President Moon Jae-in delivers a keynote speech during the Oslo Forum at the University of Oslo in the Norwegian capital, Wednesday (local time). He reiterated his call for resuming now-suspended nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyung, Kim Yoo-chulA senior presidential aide said Thursday that discussions are underway with officials from Pyongyang regarding another inter-Korean summit, before U.S. President Donald Trump's planned meeting with President Moon Jae-in, June 30.“It's evident that the U.S. president didn't rule out the possibility of another meeting between President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of his planned visit here at the end of June. President Moon earlier raised this idea at his April summit with Trump in Washington. South Korea and the U.S. are united on that idea,” the official told reporters in a briefing.“My understanding is that the U.S. president didn't say anything on the usefulness and necessity of another inter-Korean summit,” the senior aide said, adding announcements will be made on

Jun 13, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Moon hopes for early summit with North Korean leader

Foreign ministry keeps low profile over trade war between US, China

By Lee Min-hyungForeign Minister Kang Kyung-whaThe foreign ministry is keeping a low profile in handling the ongoing trade conflict between Washington and Beijing, in an apparent move to avoid any potential backlashes from the two countries, sources said Thursday.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to launch a special taskforce no later than the end of this week to monitor the situation and come up with countermeasures over the year-long trade war between the two economic powerhouses. The unit will consist of seven officials and the ministry plans to run the body for about six months.Officials from diplomatic and economic circles said expectations are low for the unit to play a game-changing role at a time when the trade dispute is extending to a global scale.“The launch of the taskforce is already too late considering the scale of the issue,” an expert familiar with the issue said.“On top of that, the taskforce should have been set up at Cheong Wa Dae or the prime minister's office, as the issue is closely related with the nation's local economy.” He pointe

Jun 13, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Kim Jong-un sends condolence letter via sister

Kim Yo-jong, right, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, delivers condolence flowers he sent marking the death of former South Korean first lady Lee Hee-ho, to Chung Eui-yong, center, the chief of the National Security Office, at the border village of Panmunjeom, Wednesday. On the left is Rep. Park Jie-won of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace. Courtesy of Ministry of UnificationBy Park Ji-won, Joint Press CorpsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un's only sister Kim Yo-jong delivered a condolence letter from her brother on the death of former first lady Lee Hee-ho to the head of the presidential National Security Office (NSO) Chung Eui-yong, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.“Kim Yo-jong delivered Kim Jong-un's condolence letter and flowers to NSO chief Chung during a meeting at the border village of Panmunjeom. Chung accepted them. The letter included Kim Jong-un's message to commemorate the death of the late first lady Lee,” Yoon Do-han, chief presidential press secretary told reporters in a briefing.But Yoon didn't comment on whether Kim Yo-jong

Jun 12, 2019By Park Ji-won

Kim Jong-un sends condolence letter via sister

Foreign ministry ignites controversy over possible security rift with U.S.

By Lee Min-hyungForeign Minister Kang Kyung-whaThe foreign ministry's recent announcement supporting “gradual” nuclear disarmament is raising concerns over a possible rift in the security alliance with the United States, as the view is not in line with Washington's repeated position to reach a one-shot big deal in nuclear negotiations with North Korea.The controversy erupted on Tuesday (local time in Sweden) when an official from the South's Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the remark during a global forum discussing denuclearization across the world.“Nuclear disarmament should be carried out gradually in consideration of the security situation of each country,” Kang Jeong-sik, deputy minister for multilateral and global affairs at the South's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during the Stockholm Ministerial Meeting on the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).The remarks may be interpreted as “something good” for North Korea as Pyongyang has long sought to pursue its “phased nuclear disarmament&rd

Jun 12, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Foreign ministry ignites controversy over possible security rift with U.S.

'I received a beautiful letter from Kim': Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing for a trip to Iowa, on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday morning (KST), in Washington. AP-YonhapPresident Moon says efforts for Korea peace process 'will never stop'By Kim Yoo-chulU.S. President Donald Trump said early Wednesday (KST) that he had received a “beautiful letter” from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and defended his relationship with the North's leader despite the collapse of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in February.“I just received a beautiful letter from Kim Jong-un. I can't show you the letter, obviously, but it was a very personal, very warm, very nice letter. I appreciate it. We have a very good relationship together. In the meantime, he kept his word … that's very important. I think that something will happen that's gonna be very positive,” Trump told reporters at the White House.While declining to disclose the specific contents of the letter, Trump added he still hopes for his third summit with Kim to strike some kind of agreement over North Korea's nu

Jun 12, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

'I received a beautiful letter from Kim': Trump

Moon hopes to meet Kim Jong-un before Trump visits Seoul in late June

US remains open to nuclear talks with North Korea

In this Feb. 28 file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un take a walk after their first meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel in Vietnam. AP-Yonhap'US to team up with S. Korea, Japan for unified approach toward NK' By Kim Yoo-chulDespite the continued impasse in denuclearization talks between the United States and North Korea, efforts to bring nuclear diplomacy back on track seem to be producing results as Washington remains open to negotiations with the North.In a press briefing, top U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told reporters the United States “remains open to talking and to negotiations with the North Koreans.”“We've been able to get our North Korean counterparts to the table, where they have committed to the president and to the secretary of state that they will denuclearize. And, of course, we have Steve Biegun working on this diligently,” she said, Tuesday morning (KST). Washington isn't prepared to accept repeated requests by the North to lift economic sanctions as the spokeswoman said

Jun 11, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Politics