South Korea - The Korea Times

'Kim Jong-un exposed weakness in recent speech'

By Lee Min-hyung Thae Yong-ho North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a strategic mistake by indirectly acknowledging in his recent speech his regime is vulnerable to tough economic sanctions, Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to the South, said.The analysis came in response to Kim's administrative policy speech last week when he expressed discontent over the failed summit with United States President Donald Trump in Hanoi. Kim said the regime would no longer stick to dialogue with the U.S. for sanctions relief.“Kim acknowledged that the North made the tactical blunder in that it exposed weakness by strongly demanding sanctions relief in Hanoi,” Thae said on his blog, Sunday.The North's young dictator will hold a summit with Trump or South Korean President Moon Jae-in only when Kim can recognize their shifted stance in denuclearization negotiations, according to Thae.During the speech, however, Kim also left open the possibility of holding the thi

Apr 15, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

'Kim Jong-un exposed weakness in recent speech'

North Korea wants to buy Russian civil aircraft, report says

North Korea's Air Koryo freight plane parked at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi, on Feb. 24. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungNorth Korea wants to buy new Russian passenger planes to improve safety on air routes between Pyongyang and Vladivostok, according to reports in Russia.Sergei Neverov, who recently led a Russian parliamentary delegation to Pyongyang, said the North's foreign ministry had shown interest in buying the Russian planes, Russian news agency TASS reported Sunday.“At a meeting at the North Korean foreign ministry, we touched upon the issue of civil aviation and flight safety,” the agency quoted the deputy speaker of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house as saying.“We maintain air service between Pyongyang and Vladivostok and, naturally, we would like to see more advanced and safer planes serving this route.”He also underlined the need for Russia to continue holding talks with the North.“We believe that such dialogue must be maintained because civil aviation is beyond the United Nations Security Council's actions o

Apr 15, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

North Korea wants to buy Russian civil aircraft, report says

Kim Jong-un to meet Putin in Russia: KCNA

Moon offers to meet with Kim Jong-un

President Moon Jae-in speaks at the start of a weekly meeting with senior presidential secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Moon's right is National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in offered Monday to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “at any time and any place,” and if this is accepted, he is expected to send a special envoy to Pyongyang to discuss the agenda for what would be their fourth meeting.The offer came after Moon's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. last week, in an effort to find a breakthrough in the stalled nuclear talks between the North and the United States. “I believe the time has come to push for an inter-Korean summit,” Moon said during a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae. “I want to discuss with Kim ways to make progress beyond the two previous North Korea-U.S. summits without restrictions on time and venue.” Moon also suggested a three-way meeting with Kim and Trump, saying the U.S. leader reacted positively to the idea.The North Korean leader

Apr 15, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Ruling DPK welcomes Moon-Trump summit

President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump walk to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., Thursday local time. AP-YonhapBy Park Ji-wonMost political parties welcomed the outcome of President Moon Jae-in's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in terms of reaffirming the U.S.-South Korea alliance in tackling the North Korean nuclear threat and other issues of mutual interest.But the main opposition denounced the summit for ending without any substantial diplomatic achievements.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said the Washington summit made “great progress” in terms of reaffirming the joint goal of the North's denuclearization, promising full cooperation for Moon to become a “top negotiator” in the peace-making process.“The two leaders reaffirmed they are in the same position over the final goal of the denuclearization of the North,” DPK spokesman Lee Hae-sik said in a statement, Friday.“We consider that Moon was able to sympathize with Trump by suggesting a comprehensive agreement and step-by-step imple

Apr 15, 2019By Park Ji-won

Moon to visit three Central Asian countries

By Lee Min-hyungPresident Moon Jae-in.President Moon Jae-in will begin an eight-day trip to three Central Asian countries next week, seeking enhanced ties in economic and political affairs, Cheong Wa Dae said.Starting from Tuesday, Moon will make state visits to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan where he hopes to strengthen strategic partnerships, the presidential house said Sunday.Moon will focus on sharing his New Northern Policy initiative represented by revitalizing economic exchanges with the Central Asian countries. Moon believes improved relations with these countries will also help establish a fresh mood for peace on the Korean Peninsula.For three days from Tuesday, Moon will visit Turkmenistan, where he will meet President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and discuss practical measures for bilateral prosperity and sustainable growth.Moon will then visit Uzbekistan and meet President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Moon will stay there for four days until April 21 and hold a series of meetings to upgrade the relationships.Moon's final stop will be Kazakhstan, where he will hold a summit w

Apr 14, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

Moon to visit three Central Asian countries

NK, US leaders still attached to dialogue

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center in the bottom line, poses with a group of the regime's newly elected ranking officials at headquarters of the Central Committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Friday. YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungThe United States and North Korea are showing signs of keeping their dialogue momentum alive by resuming the now-stalled denuclearization negotiations.Skepticism had prevailed post-Hanoi over the possible resumption of the nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang, as North Korea made gestures to revert to its past reclusive nature by being unresponsive to dialogues on nuclear disarmament.U.S. President Donald Trump, responding to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's weekend comment, tweeted late Saturday that a third summit with Kim would be “good.” “I agree with Kim Jong-un of North Korea that our personal relationship remains very good, perhaps the term excellent would be even more accurate, and that a third summit would be good in that we fully understand where we each stand,” Trump tweeted.“I look forwa

Apr 14, 2019By Lee Min-hyung

NK, US leaders still attached to dialogue

Moon may send special envoy to North Korea soon

S. Korea to prepare internally for inter-Korean economic projects: minister

South Korea's finance minister said Friday that Seoul will make internal preparations to carry out economic projects with North Korea when the conditions are right.Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, was in the U.S. capital to attend a meeting of the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors.Speaking to reporters on the margins, Hong said he believes Thursday's summit in Washington between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump created momentum to restart nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea.Moon's push to expand economic cooperation with the North has been largely obstructed by the deadlock in denuclearization negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang."I don't think inter-Korean economic cooperation can begin in earnest immediately, but we will make preparations internally and quietly with other relevant ministries," Hong said."In order for inter-Korean economic cooperation to begin in earnest, I believe there needs to be an easing or removal of sanctions on the North," he added.North Korea has been under tough inter

Apr 13, 2019

Kim Jong-un: 'Open to another summit with Trump'

Anti-corruption agency begins preparation for IACC

Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairwoman Pak Un-jong, right, and an official from Transparency International hold an agreement signed to foster cooperation between the organizations ahead of the 2020 International Anti-Corruption Conference in Seoul after signing it at the commission's headquarters in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights CommissionBy Kim Yoo-chulThree anti-corruption agencies have formed an alliance to prepare for the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), the largest global anti-corruption event, to be held in Seoul, June 2020.In a statement, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of Korea (ACRC) said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Transparency International (TI) and the International Anti-Corruption Council (IAC) for the upcoming event.The conference is the biggest global anti-corruption forum that brings together around 2,000 anti-corruption practitioners including minister-level senior public officials from about 140 countries worldwide, as well as civil and international organiza

Apr 12, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul

Anti-corruption agency begins preparation for IACC

Korea celebrates 100th anniversary of establishment of provisional gov't

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, third from right, alongside descendants of freedom fighters and citizens pledges allegiance at a ceremony at Yeouido Park in Seoul, Thursday, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Korean Provisional Government. YonhapSouth Korea marked the 100th anniversary of the establishment of its China-based provisional government on Thursday with a ceremony honoring the country's grueling fight for liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.The festive ceremony, open to all citizens, began in Yeouido, western Seoul, at 7:19 p.m. ― or 19:19 on the 24-hour clock ― to highlight the year, 1919, when the government-in-exile was launched in Shanghai, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said.The ministry chose the venue to commemorate the 1945 arrival of an advance group of the Korean Liberation Army (KLA) at an airport in Yeouido aboard a C-47 transport plane. The KLA was launched in 1940 as a military arm of the provisional government.Some 10,000 people, including former independence fighters, their families, government officials and other citizens, attended t

Apr 11, 2019

Korea celebrates 100th anniversary of establishment of provisional gov't

Cheong Wa Dae slammed for lax screening of candidates

Constitutional Court Justice Nominee Lee Mi-sun speaks during a hearing at the National Assembly, Wednesday. / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonCheong Wa Dae has come under growing criticism for poor screening of presidential nominees for key posts after Constitutional Court Justice Nominee Lee Mi-sun and her husband were found to have regularly engaged in stock trading for many years.The latest case raises doubts over the presidential office's standards for choosing nominees, after two Cabinet minister nominees quit over alleged ethical lapses following confirmation hearings.Lawmakers from the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and the Bareunmirae Party (BMP) called for President Moon Jae-in's apology regarding these cases, urging senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Cho Kuk to step down.“It is highly regrettable to see all these unqualified nominees. We ask Moon to apologize, and sack the people who recommended them,” BMP lawmaker Oh Shin-hwan told reporters. In a confirmation hearing, Wednesday, Lee was grilled about her very lucrative stock trading activities while serving as a

Apr 11, 2019By Park Ji-won

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