NK issue at pivotal moment: nuclear envoy

South Korea’s top nuclear envoy stressed that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is at a pivotal moment following North Korea’s recent series of missile tests, calling for the need of engagement with the reclusive regime.  “I believe we are at a very pivotal moment that will decide if we will return to the period of cold winter or a season of warm atmosphere as it is here,” South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk told reporters upon arriving at Honol

North KoreaFeb. 10, 2022

UN rapporteur on NK human rights to visit S. Korea next week

The UN special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation will travel here next week to hold relevant discussions, a UN office said Thursday. Tomas Ojea Quintana will visit the country on Tuesday for a nine-day trip, according to the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul. He is expected to meet with officials from the South Korean government and civic groups on North Korean human rights, as well as North Korean defectors, in preparation for an annual report on the North to be submitted to the

Foreign AffairsFeb. 10, 2022

S.Korea, US, Japan commit to close coordination against N.Korean missile threats

The defense chiefs of South Korea, the US, and Japan on Thursday committed to “closely cooperate” against North Korean threats and hold an in-person ministerial meeting during a trilateral phone call, South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced. South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook had a 30-minute phone discussion with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi that started at 7:45 a.m. The three defense chiefs “shared an assessment o

DefenseFeb. 10, 2022

S. Korea to ramp up policy efforts to tackle low birth trends

South Korea said Thursday it will boost policy efforts to tackle the low birth trends that have been aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic as the country will likely suffer a severe fall in the working-age population in the coming years. The government plans to launch the fourth pan-government task force this month to deal with demographic challenges, including a fall in the population and preparation for a super-aged society, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The government ha

Social AffairsFeb. 10, 2022

[Newsmaker] Lawmakers expected to extend voting hours for COVID-19 patients

South Korea could extend voting hours on March 9 to let voters afflicted with COVID-19 to vote in the presidential election and by-elections held that day. Legislators on Thursday agreed to revise the Public Official Election Act so that voters afflicted with COVID-19 under self-quarantine will be allowed to vote within a 90-minute window until 7:30 p.m. after voting booths close for regular voters at 6 p.m. Lawmakers also agreed to add a clause mandating voters afflicted with COVID-19 to be p

PoliticsFeb. 10, 2022

Health authorities mulling free at-home test kits

The South Korean government is mulling over whether to provide free self-testing kits for COVID-19 and who to give them to, amid growing supply shortage fears induced by recent changes in pandemic treatment measures. Demand for self-test kits has surged since the government began to prioritize high-risk groups on Feb. 3, including those aged 60 and over, for access to immediate polymerase chain reaction tests. Under the new system aimed at dealing with the omicron-fueled COVID-19 wave, the re

Social AffairsFeb. 10, 2022

Chinese ambassador congratulates S. Korean skater on gold medal

The top Chinese envoy in Seoul issued a congratulatory message Thursday for South Korean short track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon who won gold in the men's 1,500m at the Beijing Winter Olympics the previous night. Ambassador Xing Haiming delivered the message through his spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy. "With regard to the athlete Hwang Dae-heon's performance, Chinese people are also positively evaluating it in show of the true friendship of the two countries' people," the embassy o

Foreign AffairsFeb. 10, 2022

COVAX slashes COVID-19 vaccines allocated for N. Korea: UN agency

The COVAX Facility, a global vaccine distribution platform, has reduced the total number of COVID-19 vaccines set for North Korea, a UN website showed Thursday, as deliveries have yet to be made. A total of 1.54 million vaccines have been allocated to the North, according to the UN Children's Fund's COVID-19 Vaccine Market Dashboard, compared with the previously known 8.11 million doses as of last year. COVAX is shifting to "needs-based" vaccine distribution this year and previously al

North KoreaFeb. 10, 2022

S. Korea, US agree on wording of declaration ending Korean War: Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that South Korea and the United States have agreed on the wording of a declaration formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, although North Korea has shown little sign of returning to the negotiating table. In a joint written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other global newswires, Moon said, however, it would be "too physically demanding" for the declaration to be reached by the end of his term in May. "An end-of-war declaration is use

PoliticsFeb. 10, 2022

Moon expresses regret over Japan's push for UNESCO recognition of mine linked to forced labor

President Moon Jae-in expressed regret for the first time Thursday over Japan's push to list a mine associated with Korean forced laborers as UNESCO heritage. Moon made the remark in a joint written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other news wire services from around the world in his first comment on the issue since Tokyo announced plans to nominate the controversial mine on Sado Island for the 2023 UNESCO heritage list. "Regrettably, the Japanese Government has recently begun t

PoliticsFeb. 10, 2022

Moon says Biden-Kim summit is 'matter of time'

President Moon Jae-in said Thursday he believes US President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will meet eventually to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program despite an ongoing impasse between the two countries. Moon made the remark in a written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other news wire services from around the world, saying the Biden administration has repeatedly expressed its commitment to reengaging the North in dialogue. "Since dialogue is the only way

PoliticsFeb. 10, 2022

Moon says no prerequisites for inter-Korean summit, virtual summit possible

President Moon Jae-in said Thursday he is willing to hold an inter-Korean summit without prerequisites in whatever format North Korea wants amid concern Pyongyang could end its self-imposed moratorium on long-range missiles launches. Moon made the remark in a joint written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other global news wire services, warning that the Korean Peninsula may return to a "touch-and-go crisis" five years ago if the North goes ahead with its veiled threat to sc

PoliticsFeb. 10, 2022

Military reports 351 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 351 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 7,508. The new cases included 183 from the Army, 93 from the Air Force, 29 from the Navy, 26 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, 17 from the Marine Corps, two from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and one from the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command. Currently, 2,850 military personnel are under treatment. Meanwhile, two more sailors of the

DefenseFeb. 10, 2022

Military to expand missile command amid NK missile threats

South Korea's military is seeking to rename and strengthen the Army's missile unit to better cope with North Korea's evolving missile threats, its officials said Thursday. The defense ministry made a public notice on its push for legislation to rename the current Army Missile Command to the Army Missile Strategic Command and expand its headquarters and subordinate units. Under the envisioned reorganization set for April, its commander's rank will be elevated to lieutenant general from the curren

DefenseFeb. 10, 2022

[Graphic News] S. Korea's rice consumption hits another low in 2021

　South Koreans’ consumption of rice hit an all-time low in 2021, but the decreasing rate slowed on the back of a growing demand for home meals amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed.  　The average South Korean consumed 56.9 kilograms of rice last year, down 1.4 percent or 0.8 kilograms from the previous year, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. 　Rice is a key staple food for Koreans, but its consumption has been on a steady decline since 1980 due mainly to changes

NationalFeb. 10, 2022

N. Korea in festive mood ahead of late leader's birthday

North Korea is revving up a festive mood ahead of late leader Kim Jong-il's 80th birthday next week, opening a series of commemorative events, according to Pyongyang's state media Thursday. Kim, father of current leader Kim Jong-un, led the reclusive regime from 1994 until his death in 2011. His birthday, which falls on Feb. 16, is marked as a major national holiday in the North. On Wednesday, the North held a national awards ceremony in Pyongyang in commemoration of him, the official Korean Cen

North KoreaFeb. 10, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases soar to all-time high of over 50,000 amid raging omicron

South Korea's daily COVID-19 infections rose sharply to hit another high of over 50,000 on Thursday amid the fast spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant across the nation. The country reported 54,122 new COVID-19 infections, including 54,034 local cases, raising the total to 1,185,361, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It marked the first time that the daily tally exceeded the 50,000 level. The previous daily record high was 49,567 recorded Wed

Social AffairsFeb. 10, 2022

Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan agree on close cooperation against NK missile threats

The defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed to closely cooperate in countering North Korea's evolving missile threats in their phone talks Thursday, Seoul's defense ministry said. The talks among Defense Minister Suh Wook and his US and Japanese counterparts -- Lloyd Austin and Nobuo Kishi -- followed a series of the North's missile tests, including the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Jan. 30. "The three ministers agreed that the three c

North KoreaFeb. 10, 2022

Moon congratulates Hwang for winning gold in men's 1,500m short track

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday congratulated short track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon for winning the men's 1,500m, bringing South Korea its first gold medal of Beijing 2022. Moon sent a congratulatory message to Hwang shortly after the skater grabbed his first career Olympic gold medal, according to Moon's office. In the message, Moon praised Hwang's "overwhelming talent" and lauded his win as a feat that wiped away "the sense of unfairness" that he had undergone followin

PoliticsFeb. 10, 2022

N. Korea issue at critical juncture, engagement remains key: nuclear envoy

HONOLULU -- North Korea's relationship with South Korea and other countries is at a critical moment that can move in either direction resulting in confrontation or reconciliation, South Korea's top nuclear envoy said Wednesday, stressing the importance of direct engagement with North Korea. Noh Kyu-duk also said he and his US and Japanese counterparts will discuss ways to persuade North Korea to return to the dialogue table when they meet here on Thursday. "I believe now is a very important

Foreign AffairsFeb. 10, 2022