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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.

Envoy to China becomes Moon's chief of staff

New Presidential Chief of Staff Noh Young-min answers questions upon his arrival at Gimpo International Airport from China, Tuesday morning. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in named South Korean Ambassador to China Noh Young-min as the presidential chief of staff, but left National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong in place as negotiations are underway between the United States and North Korea over a possible second summit.“Moon named South Korean Ambassador to China Noh Young-min as the new presidential chief of staff and Yoon Do-han as the new chief presidential press secretary,” outgoing presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok said in a news conference at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Noh officially took over the role from Im early Wednesday morning. President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with new presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min in an event at Cheong Wa Dae when Noh was named as South Korea's ambassador to China, October 2017 in this file photo, Tuesday. YonhapThe President also named Kang Gi-jung as Han Byung-do's replacement as presidential secr

Jan 8, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
Envoy to China becomes Moon's chief of staff

Danang in Vietnam top candidate venue for Kim-Trump summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at their historic summit at the Capella Resort in Singapore, June 12. / Korea Times fileBy Kim Bo-eunAttention is focusing on the location of a second summit between the leaders of Pyongyang and Washington, after U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday negotiations were underway to select a site.It appears likely it will be someplace in Asia this time as well, as it would have to be somewhere North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's plane, the Chammae-1, could take him. Trump said last month the location would have to be “within plane distance.” Kim's Ilyushin IL-62M jet is known to be able to travel up to 7,000 kilometers.Vietnam is rising as the most likely location. There were reports that Mark Lambert, acting U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, visited Vietnam and Mongolia last month.North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho also visited Vietnam in November.The Vietnamese government at the time conveyed to Ri its wishes to host the second summit between Kim an

Jan 8, 2019By Kim Bo-eun
Danang in Vietnam top candidate venue for Kim-Trump summit
  • Kim Jong-un meets Xi ahead of Trump summit

Ex-state casino operator head gets 3 years in prison for unfair staff hiring

Former Kangwon Land CEO Choi Hung-jib appears at the Chuncheon District Court to attend his sentencing trial over illicit hiring in Gangwon Province, Tuesday. YonhapA regional court sentenced a former president of a state casino operator to three years in prison Tuesday for unfairly hiring employees at the request of politicians.The Chuncheon District Court meted down the guilty verdict to Choi Hung-jib, ex-CEO of Kangwon Land Co. He was immediately remanded in custody following the court ruling.He was indicted for instructing his officials to doctor assessments on job applicants so that certain candidates who had ties with high-profile politicians could be hired for the positions.Two of the Kangwon Land officials are serving prison terms after being convicted of their crimes.The case has drawn attention as two incumbent politicians of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party are also standing trial for their alleged involvement in the illicit hiring at the casino operator.Reps. Kweon Seong-dong and Yeom Dong-yeol are accused of pressuring Kangwon Land and Choi to hire some 50 people,

Jan 8, 2019
Ex-state casino operator head gets 3 years in prison for unfair staff hiring

President Moon replaces top aides amid surveillance controversy

From the left in the front are new chief of staff Noh Young-min and senior secretaries Gang Gi-jung and Yoon Do-han in the Cheong Wa Dae briefing room, Tuesday. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in on Tuesday replaced his chief of staff and two senior secretaries in what was widely seen as a move to put behind a scandal that is apparently hurting his approval rating.The president named Noh Young-min, now the ambassador to China, as his new chief of staff.Noh is a three-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party who was also co-chair of Moon's election camp in the 2017 presidential race.He will replace Im Jong-seok, also a former lawmaker of the ruling party.The minor, yet high-profile reshuffle comes with the President soon begin the third year of his single five-year term. Moon took office in May 2017.However, it also follows a claimed confession from a former inspector that the presidential office had illegally spied on civilians, politicians and former government officials.The former inspector, Kim Tae-woo, has also claimed that the illegal information obtained at the order of his form

Jan 8, 2019
President Moon replaces top aides amid surveillance controversy

6 in 10 people oppose burial of ex-president at national cemetery

Former President Chun Doo-hwan's house / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonSix out of 10 South Koreans disagree with burying former President Chun Doo-hwan at the National Cemetery after his death, a poll showed Monday. Realmeter's survey on 503 adults nationwide on Jan. 4 found that 61.5 percent said the related law should be revised to prevent Chun from being honored at the National Cemetery. A total of 26.8 percent, meanwhile, said Chun should be allowed to be buried at the National Cemetery as he was pardoned. The remaining 11.7 percent said they have no idea about the issue or declined to answer..Based on law, people who served as President, National Assembly Speaker, Chief Justice, President of the Constitutional Court of Korea as well as political and military leaders and citizens who sacrificed themselves to help others can be buried at the country's cemetery.The law on former Presidents stipulates that those who received heavier sentences than an imprisonment is deprived of privileges as a former president. However, it is not applied to the burial.The 87-year-old Chun, who served as presi

Jan 7, 2019By Park Ji-won
6 in 10 people oppose burial of ex-president at national cemetery

Forced labor issue, radar row clouds Japan ties

President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shake hands ahead of a summit in New York in September 2018. / YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunRelations between South Korea and Japan are only set to deteriorate further, as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continues to speak out on issues such as the execution of a forced labor ruling, and a radar row. Tension is building as Japan is seen to be considering taking the forced labor issue to the International Court of Justice.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday expressed “deep regret” over the ongoing process for South Korean victims of Japan's forced labor to seize assets of a Japanese company South Korea's top court ruled should compensate last year.After the Supreme Court ruled last October for Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal to pay 100 million won ($89,400) to each of the four plaintiffs, the legal counsel for the plaintiffs called for the company to compensate victims by Dec. 24.After it refused, the legal counsel requested a local court to seize the company's assets in South Korea, which are shares of PNR, a

Jan 7, 2019By Kim Bo-eun
Forced labor issue, radar row clouds Japan ties

Moon vows to help SMEs grow

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with around 200 executives from small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and venture startups at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in said Monday he will drive initiatives to cultivate new technologies with the government to offer more financial and administrative assistance to local startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).“South Korea plans to invest a record amount of 20 trillion won on the research and development (R&D) in technologies for industrial parts, materials and promising equipment. SMEs with innovative business ideas will become the main beneficiaries as the government put up an additional 1.1 trillion won for spending on R&D designated for SMEs,” Moon said during a meeting with some 200 executives at local SMEs and venture startups at Cheong Wa Dae.The President said the government will be quick to remove cumbersome regulations for startups to help them explore new business opportunities with more hiring. The government plans to begin the operation of the &ld

Jan 7, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
Moon vows to help SMEs grow

US, North Korea in talks for 2nd Trump-Kim summit

By Lee Min-hyungU.S. President Donald TrumpU.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that the U.S. and North Korea are having talks to choose the location for his second summit with Kim Jong-un.The summit, if realized, could provide a possible breakthrough in their stalled denuclearization talks. Trump's latest message also suggests that the U.S., which is under pressure to loosen sanctions on Pyongyang, is becoming more open to dialogue with the North to move the peace process forward.“We are negotiating a location,” Trump told reporters, Sunday (local time). “It will be announced probably in the not too distant future.”Trump did not specify other details for his possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.But the remark is taken to mean the two countries have renewed their commitment to dialogue on the North's denuclearization and ended their months-long deadlock over failure to fine-tune differences on the method and timeline.Trump went on to underline that he keeps in touch with Kim, and both have a “very good relationship.” Trump als

Jan 7, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
US, North Korea in talks for 2nd Trump-Kim summit
  • Kim Jong-un leaves Pyongyang for China visit: KCNA

South Korean reporters get malware emails; North Korea suspected

An email suspected to be carrying malicious code has been sent to dozens of reporters covering the Ministry of Unification on Monday.An email suspected to be carrying malicious code has been sent to dozens of reporters, mostly ones covering South Korea's ministry in charge of relations with North Korea, prompting an investigation into the incident, an official said Monday.The email titled "TF reference info" with a compressed file attached was sent to more than 70 reporters, mostly members of the unification ministry's press corps, earlier in the day. It was sent through a private email address from a person named "Yoon Hong-geun." The ministry suspects it contains malicious code designed for hacking."Since the start of this year, many hacking attempts and cyberattacks have been carried out by those disguising themselves as the government and the unification ministry," Baik Tae-hyun, the ministry's spokesman, told a regular press briefing."The latest incident has been handed over to relevant agencies (for further investigation)," he added.A tech expert who analyzed the email said tha

Jan 7, 2019
South Korean reporters get malware emails; North Korea suspected

Ex-patriots minister suffers from cancer

By Lee Min-hyungPark Sung-choon, former patriots ministerFormer Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Park Sung-choon is suffering from cancer due to exposure to a chemical defoliant while performing his military duty back in the early 1970s.In April last year, Park was diagnosed with stage-four prostate cancer caused by the aftereffects of his exposure to the defoliant in 1971 when he served his military mission as a frontline platoon leader during the Vietnam War.Park led the ministry for seven years from 2011 before stepping down from the post in May last year when the President Moon Jae-in administration took office.In July last year, Park applied for war veteran status, citing that the cancer was developed largely due to his military duty.Four months later, the Seoul Regional Office of Patriots and Veterans Affairs accepted his application.But dispute is growing over whether to grant him veteran status, after it was known Thursday that the ministry put his application on hold due to procedural reasons only a few days after deciding to accept the application.The ministry said th

Jan 6, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
Ex-patriots minister suffers from cancer
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