South Korea - The Korea Times

'Independent peace' to be theme for Kim Jong-un's New Year address

By Lee Min-hyung“Independent peace” could be the key phrase for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's upcoming New Year address next year because the phrase conveys his affirmation for peace on the Korean Peninsula, experts said, Tuesday.In several face-to-face meetings with President Moon Jae-in, the young North leader said his regime is prepared to drop its nuclear program if security guarantees and economic benefits are confirmed. A second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump is anticipated for early next year. “It is likely Kim will underline that a new era of peace has arrived on the peninsula during his 2019 New Year address, as he hopes to take most of the credit for the rare momentum for peace here,” political commentator Lee Jin-gon said. Since 2013, Kim Jong-un has been delivering an annual address each year via state-run propaganda media outlets, including the Korean Central Television.Given the steadiness, the North's leader is widely expected to release his New Year address for 2019 in consideration that he has made global headlines this

Dec 27, 2018By Lee Min-hyung

'Independent peace' to be theme for Kim Jong-un's New Year address

Ryu Kwon-ha re-elected to head FNA

Ryu Kwon-ha, CEO of the Korea JoongAng Daily and FNA chairmanRyu Kwon-ha, CEO of the Korea JoongAng Daily, has been re-elected to head the Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea (FNA). Ryu will serve as the FNA's fourth chairman. The FNA, comprising The Korea Times, the Korea Herald, the Korea JoongAng Daily and the Aju Business Daily, was established in July 2015. The FNA works for joint research and cooperation in publishing foreign-language dailies in Korea.Ryu has been leading the Korea JoongAng Daily since 2013. He was formerly a writer for the JoongAng Ilbo, a Korean-language daily newspaper where he was the paper's German correspondent between 2003 and 2007. From 2007, he has served in various JoongAng Ilbo management positions including as chief secretary to chairman of the JoongAng Ilbo and JTBC.

Dec 27, 2018By Kim Ji-soo

Korea, Japan diplomatic rows deepen

President Moon Jae-in, right, meets with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in a New York hotel on Oct. 25. / Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonTension between South Korea and Japan escalated after rulings of South Korea's Supreme Court in favor of South Korean forced labor victims during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation, and no signs of improvement are in sight. Experts cite the need for the two sides to take proper measures to settle the disputes with new visions for bilateral relations.South Korea has been voicing “strong regrets” over Japan's repeated claims that the South's Navy ship directed fire-control radar at Tokyo's patrol aircraft. But Japan has been stepping up criticism against the South, asking for stronger punishment of South Korean officials and an apology.Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahisa Sato spoke on a Japanese television show Tuesday, saying “The South Korean government should apologize first and then investigate the case. If an appropriate measure is not taken fi

Dec 27, 2018By Park Ji-won

Opposition lawmaker loses Assembly seat over political funds law violation

By Kim RahnRep. Lee Koon-hyonThe top court confirmed a suspended jail term for Rep. Lee Koon-hyon of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LPK) for violating the political funds law, stripping him of his National Assembly seat. The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling, Thursday, which sentenced him to two years in prison suspended for three years.According to the relevant law, a lawmaker loses their seat when receiving a court sentence of 1 million won ($892) in fines or heavier, including prison or suspended jail terms.The four-term lawmaker took 246 million won from his aides' salaries and spent it on the salaries of other workers unregistered with the Assembly and for the rent of his office in his constituency of Tongyeong and Goseong in South Gyeongsang Province, from July 2011 to December 2015.He also did not report several bank accounts to the National Election Commission and received political funds through the accounts. Lee also took 15 million won in illicit political funds in 2011 from a businessman, who was his high school alumnus.“To prevent such irregularit

Dec 27, 2018By Kim Rahn

Opposition lawmaker loses Assembly seat over political funds law violation

Seoul to stop calling North Korea 'enemy' in defense paper

A South Korean soldier stands near a destroyed guard post in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province in this Dec. 12, file photo. Two Koreas inspected 22 dismantled guard posts in each other's territories recently according to the inter-Korean agreement of the Comprehensive Military Agreement made in September. / Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonSouth Korea will not reference North Korea as an “enemy” in its new Defense White Paper, sources said.Government sources said Wednesday the Ministry of National Defense is pushing to change North Korea’s status to a non-enemy state in the upcoming biennial paper which will be released next year. The ministry plans to expand the definition of enemy to include the phrase, “Every force that threatens South Korea is an enemy.”The 2018 white paper is the first of its kind published under the current Moon Jae-in administration. The assessment published in 2016 referred to the North as the South’s main enemy. The ministry said North Korea is an enemy unless the country stops military provocations.The move is likely an inter-Korea

Dec 26, 2018By Park Ji-won

Seoul to stop calling North Korea 'enemy' in defense paper

Ruling lawmaker apologizes for abuse of power at airport

By Kang Seung-wooA besieged lawmaker apologized Tuesday for his alleged abuse of power in dealing with an airport security agent amid growing public anger over his misconduct.Rep. Kim Jung-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea apologizes, Tuesday, for his alleged abuse of power involving a security agent at Gimpo International Airport. / Yonhap“I sincerely apologize for disappointing the people due to my shameful act,” Rep. Kim Jung-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said in an unscheduled press conference at the National Assembly.“This morning, I made apology calls to security agents of the Korea Airports Corp. (KAC) who work at Gimpo airport. Taking this opportunity, I once again want to say sorry to them.”The first-term lawmaker had been under fire for refusing to take his ID card from his wallet at a security checkpoint at Gimpo International Airport, Dec. 20. In response to the request, Kim said he was a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, asking the security worker to show a relevant regulati

Dec 26, 2018By Kang Seung-woo

Ruling lawmaker apologizes for abuse of power at airport

DPK unlikely to accept call to investigate President's son

Rep. Hong Young-pyo, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), participates in a party meeting at the National Assembly on Dec. 18. / YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is unlikely to accept repeated requests by opposition parties to investigate alleged hiring irregularities related to Moon Joon-yong, son of President Moon Jae-in, in an apparent move to spare the President from further difficulties.Political sources said Tuesday the ruling party will maintain a wait-and-see stance for a while about the request as the acceptance for an Assembly investigation into Joon-yong, if it actually happens, may put the President into jeopardy on multiple fronts.The key rationale is as the President has already confronted numerous internal challenges such as a slow progress of talks aimed at dismantling North Korea and tepid economic growth, the request may bring an early arrival of lame-duck status.Opposition parties led by the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) are asking the ruling party to investigate Joon-yong as a prerequisite to investi

Dec 25, 2018By Park Ji-won

DPK unlikely to accept call to investigate President's son

'Hefty work but long way to go'

By Kim Hyun-binThe Moon Jae-in government still has a long way to go to handle loads of work, a group of professors said Monday while evaluating 2018.The professors picked the four-Chinese-character idiom “imjungdowon” (任重道遠), meaning “hefty load but a long way to go,” as the expression that best describes this year's social atmosphere. A weekly journal of professors conducted a survey from Dec. 5 to 14 to pick the most representative idiom of the year.Among the 878 participants, 38.8 percent chose imjungdowon, which is seen as an evaluation of the Moon administration's second year. Kyung Hee University professor Jeon Ho-geun, who recommended the phrase, said the idiom best expresses the government's current state, which he believes has a long way to go to fulfill its political agenda.“The current administration has many problems to overcome to fulfill its policy for peace on the Korean Peninsula and other domestic objectives. I chose the idiom in hopes the administration can overcome all hardships through strong will,” Jeon said.Most of the p

Dec 25, 2018By Kim Hyun-bin

PHOTOS President Moon wishes warm, thoughtful Christmas to everyone

President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with children at a Catholic church in Yangsan, South Gyeongang Province, on Christmas Eve. He is now on a four-day vacation continuing through Christmas Day. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in attends mass at a Catholic church in Yangsan, South Gyeongang Province, on Christmas Eve.President Moon Jae-in hoped Christmas serves as a day to care about the less privileged and poor in his message posted on Twitter on Christmas morning Tuesday.By citing a poem by popular poet Park No-hae, he wrote, "On Christmas morning, I am thinking of Jesus Christ's warmness that we all have in our hearts."The poem titled "A Poem of That Winter" depicts the warmheartedness of a grandmother who worries about how the poor and weak are surviving in the brutal cold."The grandmother's heart is the same as that of Jesus," the president wrote. At the bottom of Moon's message is a picture of six little puppies wearing winter scarves that were born to a dog that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave Moon as a present during their September summit.The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae sa

Dec 25, 2018

President Moon wishes warm, thoughtful Christmas to everyone [PHOTOS]

Kim Jong-un supporters slam subway ads rejection

Members of the welcoming committee of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s planned visit to Seoul call for Seoul Metro to approve their request to place ads to welcome Kim, during a press conference in Sinchon, Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times photo by Jung Hae-myoungBy Jung Hae-myoung A student group has denounced Seoul subway operator's rejection of its request to place ads on subway stations to welcome North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his anticipated visit, claiming the rejection came from negative public opinion caused by conservative civic groups and media. The Welcoming Committee of the Great Man ― referring to Kim ― said the conservative daily Chosun Ilbo and some other conservative groups are discouraging their efforts to create a peaceful mood between the two Koreas, at a press conference in Sinchon, western Seoul, Monday.The committee has raised 3 million won ($ 2,667) since Nov. 30 to place ads at subway stations. Its plan was reported by the Chosun Ilbo soon after, before the committee actually made the request through an ad agency.When the committee filed for the re

Dec 24, 2018

Politics