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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Trump sees 'decent' chance of denuclearization

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Jan. 25. AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulU.S. President Donald Trump dubbed senior U.S. intelligence officials “extremely passive” on North Korea and dismissed their assessment of threats from Pyongyang after they contradicted his views in testimony to the Senate.“Decent chance of denuclearization,” Trump tweeted early Thursday (KST). “Time will tell what will happen with North Korea. A decent chance. That, folks, is what people in the political world call moving the goalposts.”Trump admitted a threat remained and that it was not guaranteed to go away anytime soon. The annual “Worldwide Threat Assessment” report, which was released early Wednesday (KST), by the chiefs of the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency (NSA) and many other federal agencies, stated that North Korea “is unlikely to give up all of its (nuclear) stockpiles, delivery systems and production capabilities,” adding that “North Korean leaders view nuclear arms as critical to r

Jan 31, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
Trump sees 'decent' chance of denuclearization
  • Trump to announce 2nd North Korean summit plan Tuesday
  • US envoy calls for full declaration of NK's nuclear weapons program

Opposition parties zero in on President Moon

Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), speaks during a party meeting in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday, calling for President Moon Jae-in to make a statement on an opinion rigging scandal involving his key aide Kim Kyoung-soo, the governor of South Gyeongsang Province. / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe opposition parties are stepping up their pressure on President Moon Jae-in after his long-time confidant, South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, was convicted of opinion rigging during the 2017 presidential race.Raising allegations of Moon's possible involvement, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) held a party meeting near Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday, to demand an explanation from the President.“It has been proven that there was a large-scale opinion rigging in the presidential race,” LKP interim leader Kim Byong-joon said.LKP floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won said, “President Moon should take political responsibility for this and offer a public apology.”Na said Moon should come forward to answer questions ab

Jan 31, 2019By Park Ji-won
Opposition parties zero in on President Moon

Koreas hold working-level talks to reconnect roads

Officials of the two Koreas hold a meeting on a study on the roads of the South and North in the North's city of Gaeseong on Aug. 13. YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunThe two Koreas held a working-level meeting at the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong, North Korea, Thursday, to reconnect roads across the border.Three delegates from the South, led by a land ministry official, met with three North Koreans to exchange technical data on road connections.They discussed plans to conduct a joint inspection of a section of a road in the North along the east coast.This is part of a bigger project to modernize and connect roads and railways of the South and the North along the east and west coasts, which the Koreas agreed to at summits between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held last year.Last August, the Koreas conducted a week-long joint inspection of a 170-kilometer section of road from Gaeseong to Pyongyang in North Korea.However, they only carried out a simplified three-day examination of the 100-kilometer section from Goseong to Wonsan along the east coast, without equ

Jan 31, 2019By Kim Bo-eun
Koreas hold working-level talks to reconnect roads

S. Korea denies oil supply to NK without UNSC approval

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Noh Kyu-duk / YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunThe South Korean government on Thursday refuted allegations that it violated United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on the North by failing to report that it took oil into the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong.The response came after a report by Kyodo News Agency stated the UNSC is set to release a report stating South Korea violated sanctions with regards to the matter. Kyodo stated UNSC sanctions require member nations to report on shipments of oil.“The government is closely cooperating with the UNSC sanctions committee on North Korea's panel under the stance that it proceeds with inter-Korean projects within the boundaries of sanctions on the North,” foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said in a briefing.South Korea only used the oil for inter-Korean projects and brought home the remaining supplies, he said.The official said “in preparation for opening the inter-Korean liaison office, we consulted the U.S. and the U.N. on the matter, and this was proceeded with, under their understandi

Jan 31, 2019By Kim Bo-eun
S. Korea denies oil supply to NK without UNSC approval

North Korea's new nuclear envoy in spotlight

By Lee Min-hyungKim Hyok-chol, former North Korean ambassador to SpainKim Hyok-chol, a former North Korean ambassador to Spain, is gaining spotlight as the new key figure for the ongoing pre-summit working-level denuclearization talks between the U.S. and the North.Kim's presence came to the fore in mid-January when the lesser-known North Korean politician was caught in a photo at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump and the regime's top nuclear envoy, Kim Yong-chol.The de facto new leader of the North's pre-summit working-level delegation is expected to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Steve Biegun, in the very near future to fine-tune details for the upcoming summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Washington and Pyongyang have not revealed any detailed schedule for the upcoming working-level dialogue ahead of the summit.The latest working-level talks between the two sides took place for three days in Sweden from Jan. 19. At that time, the North's Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui led the regime's delegation for pre-summit talks with the U.S. team heade

Jan 31, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
North Korea's new nuclear envoy in spotlight

'North Korea unlikely to give up nuclear weapons'

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Worldwide Threats on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 29. (local time). AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulNorth Korea is unlikely to give up its nuclear program and nuclear weapons capabilities despite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's repeated promises to dismantle the regime's nuclear arsenal, senior U.S. intelligence officials said early Wednesday (KST).In testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said his agency assesses that North Korea will seek to retain its weapons of mass destruction because its leaders “ultimately view nuclear weapons as critical to regime survival.” Coats said the assessment was bolstered by observations of some activity that was inconsistent with full denuclearization. CIA Director Gina Haspel also told the Senate that the diplomatic objective was still to insist that North Korea fully disclose and dismantle its nuclear program. The testimony by U.S. intelligence officials suggests the U.S. m

Jan 30, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
'North Korea unlikely to give up nuclear weapons'

Ex-LKP chief Hong declares bid for party leadership

Hong Joon-pyo, right, the former main opposition Liberty Korea Party leader, waves before holding a publication event to promote his new book at The-K Twin Towers in Seoul, Wednesday. He declared his candidacy for the party leadership to hold the Moon Jae-in administration in check. / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonHong Joon-pyo, former chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), officially declared his bid to lead the LKP yet again, Wednesday, vowing to fight the Moon Jae-in administration and make a strong conservative party to win the general election in 2020 and presidential election in 2022.“If we cannot hold the Moon Jae-in government in check, it will be hard to win next year's general election. A large victory in the elections would provide a stepping stone for a victory in the presidential election.”Criticizing his strongest contender Hwang Kyo-ahn, a former prime minister who announced his bid for the leadership Tuesday, Hong said he will seek innovation to combat factional divides inside the party by forming a reform committee.Hong, a former governor of Sou

Jan 30, 2019By Park Ji-won
Ex-LKP chief Hong declares bid for party leadership

Foreign minister pays respects to deceased Japan sex slavery victim

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha heads to the memorial altar of former sex slave Kim Bok-dong at Yonsei University Severance Hospital in western Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunForeign Minister Kang Kyung-wha visited the memorial altar of former sex slave Kim Bok-dong, Wednesday, one day after President Moon Jae-in went there to pay his respects.“Remain long in our hearts and history,” she wrote in a commemorative note, at Yonsei University Severance Hospital in western Seoul.Kim died of cancer at the age of 93, Monday. She played a leading role in raising awareness of Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of women for its military during its 1910-45 occupation of Korea. She was a symbolic figure in a diplomatic row between Seoul and Tokyo over the latter's refusal to acknowledge its sex slavery.Kang did not respond to reporters' questions about what the South Korean government will do with the 1 billion won fund it has drawn up.Under a deal signed in December 2015, Japan provided South Korea with 10 billion yen (approximately 1 billion won) in funds for victims. However

Jan 30, 2019By Kim Bo-eun
Foreign minister pays respects to deceased Japan sex slavery victim
  • Citizens commemorate late comfort women at Wednesday Rally
  • North Korean waitresses send wreath for comfort woman

US mediating to resolve radar spat

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris exits the defense ministry building in Seoul after meeting with Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, Monday. YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunThe U.S. is apparently mediating a military dispute between South Korea and Japan that is straining bilateral ties. Washington's role comes amid concerns over a possible crack in the security alliance in Northeast Asia among the three countries, a scenario which may be welcomed by regional powers China and Russia.Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris visited the defense and foreign ministries for meetings with Ministers Jeong Kyeong-doo and Kang Kyung-wha, in what appeared to be an attempt to discuss the radar issue at the heart of the matter.The defense ministry also mentioned the possibility of U.S. mediation.Meanwhile, a foreign ministry official in charge of North American affairs is in Japan on a two-day visit arranged by the United Nations Command (UNC), which is led by the U.S. The UNC is known to have invited Kim Tae-jin, director general of the ministry's North American affairs bureau, to Ja

Jan 30, 2019By Kim Bo-eun
US mediating to resolve radar spat

Korea's refueling aircraft begins operation

Seen above is the KC-330 refueling tanker. / Courtesy of Ministry of National DefenseBy Lee Min-hyungThe Air Force put its first KC-330 in-flight refueling aircraft into operation Wednesday amid expectations for improved aerial readiness.South Korea acquired the multi-role refueling tanker in November last year from Airbus and plans to introduce three more refueling tankers by the end of this year, according to the Air Force.“The refueling aircraft, which began its aerial mission as of Wednesday, will further tighten the military's capabilities, allowing us to remain agile against possible threats amid the rapidly changing security environment,” Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said in an event to celebrate the launch of the aircraft at an air base in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.Aside from reinforcing internal security readiness, the Air Force should make all-out efforts for regional stability and peace with the tanker, Jeong said.In particular, the refueling aircraft is expected to widen the scope of the Air Force's operational capability into broader areas with a

Jan 30, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
Korea's refueling aircraft begins operation
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