South Korea - The Korea Times

Moon appoints two disputed justices

Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-sunPresident Moon Jae-in on Friday moved ahead with the appointments of two new constitutional justices, dismissing fierce protests by conservative opposition parties.Moon's decision heralds the deepening of ongoing political strife, as the opposition bloc is threatening to boycott all parliamentary sessions. While on a trip to Central Asia, the president used the electronic approval system to install the duo ― Lee Mi-sun and Moon Hyung-bae ― into the nine-member bench of the Constitutional Court. "President Moon authorized the appointments of the two constitutional justices through electronic signing in Uzbekistan, where he's on a state visit, to prevent a vacuum in the justice seats even for a day," Yoon Do-han, senior presidential secretary for public relations, told reporters.Lee and Moon are replacing Cho Yong-ho and Suh Ki-suk, both of whom retired on Thursday after six-year terms.The Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and Bareunmirae Party (BMP) have opposed the nomination of Lee, in particular, citing her suspicious personal stock transaction records. She had

Apr 19, 2019

LKP declares all-out struggle against Moon

S. Korean president to hold summit with Uzbek president

President Moon Jae-in and Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev shake hands ahead of their summit at Cheong Wa Dae, on Nov. 23, 2017. YonhapSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in was set to hold a summit with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Friday on ways to further improve the countries' bilateral ties and expand economic cooperation.The South Korean leader arrived here Thursday on a four-day state visit. It marks his first trip to the Central Asian country, although his meeting with Mirziyoyev will be his second. The two met in November 2017 when the Uzbek president made a state visit to Seoul.In their second bilateral summit, the leaders will seek ways to further improve their countries' relationship, Moon's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said earlier.The two sides established diplomatic ties in 1992 and upgraded them to a strategic partnership in 2008.The leaders will discuss ways to expand the countries' cooperation, currently focused on energy and industrial plants, to new areas, including health and medicine, ICT and public administration, Cheong Wa Dae said.Moon

Apr 19, 2019

S. Korean president to hold summit with Uzbek president

NK missile experts killed by Israeli airstrike in Syria: report

A missile launched by an Israeli jet flies near Damascus, the Syrian capital, in this Dec. 25 file photo. / Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonNorth Korean missile experts who worked on Syrian weapons development were killed and wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Syria, according to an Israeli media report.Debka File, an Israeli defense media outlet, reported the airstrike, which hit the Scientific Studies and Research Center in the Syrian town of Masyaf on Saturday, killed and wounded weapons experts from North Korea and Belarus as well as Iranian and Syrian military officers. It said the missile technicians were hired to upgrade Syrian missiles, citing Western intelligence sources. It did not state the exact number of casualties.AFP, meanwhile, wrote the attack was carried out early Saturday and killed several Iranian military personnel and wounded 17 Syrian troops and their allies.“North Korean engineers were working on the production of solid fuel, while Belarusians were in the pay of Syria's Organization of Technological Industries,” Debka File reported.“Especially

Apr 18, 2019By Park Ji-won

NK missile experts killed by Israeli airstrike in Syria: report

Kim-Putin summit likely next week

People bow as they pay their respects before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, as part of celebrations marking the anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung. AFP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin are likely to hold a summit either on April 24 or 25, according to foreign media reports, Thursday.Accordingly, South Korea's National Security Office (NSO) held a meeting to discuss the possible impact of the summit, and how to prepare for a possible meeting between President Moon Jae-in and Kim, a presidential aide said. NSO chief Chung Eui-yong presided over the meeting.Another presidential aide said the NSO meeting also touched on the possibility of sending a special envoy to North Korea for working-level dialogue on holding another summit between the leaders of the Koreas. The aide didn't elaborate. Expectations were that Seoul may send an envoy to Pyongyang sometime later next week.Citing a recent visit by Kim's confidant Kim Chang-son to Vladivostok, reports and North Korean analysts said Kim Jon

Apr 18, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

VIDEO Taiwanese envoy defiant on China, optimistic on future

Daniel D. W. Tang, representative of the Taipei Mission in Korea, pauses during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in downtown Seoul, April 11. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Oh Young-jinA little fuss occurred at the office of Daniel D. W. Tang, representative of the Taipei Mission in Korea, in downtown Seoul last week, as a flag was moved behind him before an interview.Obviously, it is uncommon for the “ambassador of Taiwan” to have a full-fledged interview with a media outlet. Tang wanted to make sure his national flag was included in photos and video for this meeting with The Korea Times. Perhaps that flag best captured the story of Tang's country ― often considered a lost cause amid the onslaught of China, once the rival of the island state that has grown too big and powerful. But at the interview's end, a couple of surprises emerged that made the story of Taiwan not one of despair or defiance but one of hope with a future. It was attributed in no small part to the ambassador's narrative skills. Tang finally felt satisfied with the flag's position.

Apr 18, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Taiwanese envoy defiant on China, optimistic on future [VIDEO]

Korea, Turkmenistan to boost energy ties

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a summit with Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, at the latter's presidential palace in the country's capital of Ashgabat, Wednesday. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungPresident Moon Jae-in agreed Wednesday to expand energy-related business partnerships with Turkmenistan during a summit with the latter's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Wednesday.“We expect more Korean companies to participate in energy and plant businesses led by the Turkmenistan government,” Moon said in a post-summit joint press release there.Turkmenistan is the first destination of Moon's trip to three Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Moon will stay in the country for three days until Thursday.In particular, Moon cited a petrochemical plant at Kiyanly, located on the west coast of Turkmenistan, as a successful example of the economic partnership between the two countries. A consortium led by Korean firm Hyundai Engineering completed the construction of the plant last year.“The Kiyanly case shows Turkmenistan is the optimum p

Apr 17, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Korea, Turkmenistan to boost energy ties

Japanese firm terminates business in Korea

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, right, shakes hands with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Yasumasa Nagamine at the government complex in Seoul, Wednesday. Japanese semiconductor company Ferrotec Holdings has decided to shut down its business in Korea, reportedly citing South Korea's top court ruling in favor of colonial-era forced labor victims. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonJapanese semiconductor company Ferrotec Holdings has decided to shut down its business in Korea, reportedly citing South Korea's top court's recent ruling in favor of colonial-era forced labor victims.Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga confirmed this in a media briefing Thursday, pointing to worsening sentiment among Japanese entrepreneurs about doing business in Korea.Suga said the Japanese government will closely cooperate with the outgoing firm and take measures to protect Japanese firms in South Korea.He said the South's government didn't come up with any concrete measures to improve the troubled situation caused by the forced labor rulings, and the Japanese administration is taking seriously moves by

Apr 17, 2019By Park Ji-won

Japanese firm terminates business in Korea

LKP leader tackles Sewol defamatory remarks

Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, right, speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly, Wednesday. He apologized for its members' defamatory remarks about the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, pledging to refer them to the party's ethics committee for disciplinary measures. / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonLiberty Korea Party (LKP) Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn vowed to deal out a stern punishment, Wednesday, to party members who made defamatory remarks about the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster and their relatives.Apologizing to the public for their remarks, he said the offending members would be referred to the party's ethics committee for disciplinary measures.“Some LKP members made inappropriate remarks about the victims and their families. The comments were hurtful to the victims as well as the country's citizens,” Hwang said during a party meeting. The measure came after political parties and public citizens criticized Rep. Chung Jin-suk of the LKP and Cha Myung-jin, a former LKP lawmaker who is currently heading a regional office of the party, for

Apr 17, 2019By Park Ji-won

LKP leader tackles Sewol defamatory remarks

'Sharp, tearing pain hurts Park Geun-hye': ex-leader's attorney pleads for her release

Former President Park Geun-hye. Korea Times fileBy Park Si-soo Jailed former President Park Geun-hye is suffering “sharp and strong pain that feels like tearing off and burning” her entire body, leading to “chronic sleep disparity threatening her health seriously,” her former private attorney Yoo Young-ha claims. Yoo wrote this in his petition to the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office on Wednesday seeking Park's release for treatment. Park, the predecessor of President Moon Jae-in, has been locked in a prison cell since March 31, 2017, following a massive power abuse and corruption scandal that led to her ouster on March 10, 2017. Park was charged with many offenses and found guilty in some cases. Trials for other matters, including the most contentious issue of her negligence of duty as head of state, are under way.“Park has received treatment for her herniated disk, but it didn't work at all,” Yoo wrote in the petition. “She is suffering from sharp pain that feels like her flesh is cut off and on fire, disrupting her sleep. I told Park I wou

Apr 17, 2019

'Sharp, tearing pain hurts Park Geun-hye': ex-leader's attorney pleads for her release

US envoy visits Russia as Putin poised to meet North Korean leader

By Lee Min-hyungStephen BiegunUnited States special representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun embarked on a two-day trip to Russia, Wednesday, for talks with Russian officials on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. “Stephen Biegun will travel to Moscow April 17 and 18 to meet with Russian officials to discuss efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea,” the U.S. Department of State said Tuesday in a statement.The visit comes at a critical juncture when speculation is growing that a possible summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is imminent. If the summit is realized, it will be the first time for Putin and Kim to meet.The U.S. did not share details on Biegun's itinerary there. But the U.S. envoy will discuss the ongoing nuclear deadlock between Washington and Pyongyang in the wake of the failed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim in Hanoi in February.Biegun will also likely urge his Russian counterpart to continue implementing international sanctions on the North,

Apr 17, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Politics

Politics

Moon appoints two disputed justices

S. Korean president to hold summit with Uzbek president

NK missile experts killed by Israeli airstrike in Syria: report

Kim-Putin summit likely next week

VIDEO Taiwanese envoy defiant on China, optimistic on future

Korea, Turkmenistan to boost energy ties

Japanese firm terminates business in Korea

LKP leader tackles Sewol defamatory remarks

'Sharp, tearing pain hurts Park Geun-hye': ex-leader's attorney pleads for her release

US envoy visits Russia as Putin poised to meet North Korean leader

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