Unification ministry urges N. Korea to respond to calls for talks ahead of summit anniv.

The unification ministry on Monday urged North Korea to respect the spirit of reconciliation and to respond to calls for dialogue ahead of the anniversary of the first-ever summit between the two Koreas over two decades ago. South Korea on Tuesday is to mark the 21st anniversary of the June 15 Declaration adopted during the summit in Pyongyang in 2000 between then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "The government will continue to implement its a

North KoreaJune 14, 2021

Controversial launch of new educational governance body in sight

The official launch of a new educational governance body is in sight as demand grows for comprehensive reform of South Korea’s educational system. The National Assembly’s Education Committee approved a bill Thursday to install a new body tentatively called the National Education Commission. The bill is expected to be put to a vote at a plenary session within this month in hopes of the commission officially launching by the end of this year. Under the bill, the commission would comp

Social AffairsJune 14, 2021

[Newsmaker] Support for opposition party grows, driven by rise of young leader

Support for the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) continued to grow last week, apparently driven by the ascent of a new leader, widening its gap with the ruling Democratic Party (DP) to nearly 10 percentage points, a poll showed Monday. In a Realmeter survey conducted from June 7-11, the PPP scored 39.1 percent of backing, up 1.1 percentage points from the previous week. It is close to its highest-ever point of 39.4 percent posted during the first week of April. The DP's support fell 0.

PoliticsJune 14, 2021

Army soldier dies 6 days after receiving Pfizer vaccine

An Army soldier in his 20s has died six days after receiving his first dose of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, officials said Monday. The soldier, based in Seoul, was found unconscious in his barracks the previous day and transferred to a nearby hospital but died. It wasn't immediately clear if the death was directly related to the vaccine. An autopsy is planned to look into the exact cause of the death, officials said. It is the second death of a service member following COVID-19 vaccination.

DefenseJune 14, 2021

Japan unilaterally cancels plan for talks between Moon, Suga: official

Japan called off agreed-upon talks between President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during the Group of Seven (G-7) meeting in Britain due to Seoul's regular exercise to defend its easternmost islets of Dokdo, a foreign ministry official said Monday. Seoul and Tokyo had reached a tentative agreement to hold a "pull-aside" meeting between their leaders on the sidelines of the G-7 session in the seaside resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall, the official said. The thr

Foreign AffairsJune 14, 2021

S. Korea to conduct Dokdo defense drill this week

South Korea plans to stage an annual military exercise on and around its easternmost islets of Dokdo this week to beef up the country's defense capabilities, sources said Monday. The drill, named the East Sea Territory Protection Exercise, is scheduled to take place Tuesday, and will involve the Navy, the Air Force and the Coast Guard, according to the government and military sources. The Marine Corps will not join this year's program, as no landing drill will take place, the sources said, add

DefenseJune 14, 2021

Ex-deputy foreign minister appointed as ambassador to Iran

Yun Kang-hyeon, a career diplomat known for his expertise on bilateral, multilateral, political and economic affairs, was appointed as new South Korean ambassador to Iran, the foreign ministry said Monday. While serving as the deputy minister for economic affairs from 2017-2020, Yun was in charge of the negotiations with Tehran over Iranian funds frozen at South Korean banks due to US sanctions. Yun had until recently served as ambassador for international relations in the central province of

Foreign AffairsJune 14, 2021

2.5 magnitude natural quake hits N. Korea's northeastern region: KMA

A 2.5 magnitude natural earthquake has struck North Korea's northeastern region, South Korea's state weather agency said Monday. The quake occurred about 40 kilometers northwest of Kilju, North Hamkyong Province, at 11:57 p.m. Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Kilju is where North Korea's nuclear testing site is located. The epicenter was at a latitude of 41.29 degrees north and a longitude of 129.13 degrees east at a depth of 15 km. The KMA said the quake occ

North KoreaJune 14, 2021

Meeting Suga at G-7 'precious' occasion for new beginning in S. Korea-Japan relations: Moon

President Moon Jae-in has shared his thoughts on meeting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in person for the first time at the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Britain, describing the experience as "precious" in terms of potentially improving the two nations' frayed bilateral relationship. On Saturday, Moon "exchanged greetings" with Suga just before the start of an expanded session of the G-7 summit at Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate in Cornwall, Britain, according to Cheo

Foreign AffairsJune 14, 2021

Virus cases at over 2-month low; vaccinations tipped to top 14m this week

South Korea's daily new COVID-19 cases rose by the smallest amount in more than two months due to fewer tests over the weekend as the country is preparing for eased virus restrictions starting next month amid an accelerating vaccination drive. The country reported 399 more COVID-19 cases, including 360 local infections, raising the total caseload to 148,273, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's figure was sharply down from 452 cases on Sunday and 565 on Saturda

Social AffairsJune 14, 2021

[Graphic News] 30% of pets at animal shelters adopted in 2020: data

　Around 30 percent of stray pets protected by animal shelters found new homes in 2020, data showed, amid the growing popularity of raising pets in South Korea. 　The number of pets rescued by animal shelters came to 130,401 in 2020, down 3.9 percent from 135,791 posted in the previous year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. 　The data showed 29.6 percent of the rescued animals in 2020 were adopted, up 3.2 percentage points from a year ear

NationalJune 14, 2021

Moon arrives in Austria for state visit

VIENNA -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Vienna on Sunday for a three-day state visit after attending the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Britain. He became the first South Korean president to travel to Austria officially since the two sides established diplomatic ties in 1892. He plans to have summit talks Monday with President Alexander Van der Bellen and hold a meeting with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on improving bilateral relations. Kurz made a trip to South Korea in 2019. Mo

Foreign AffairsJune 14, 2021

G-7 welcomes Washington’s diplomacy towards Pyongyang: communique

The Group of Seven nations on Sunday issued a joint statement calling for the complete denuclearization of North Korea, while welcoming the commitment of Washington under President Joe Biden to engage with Pyongyang through diplomacy. In a joint communique adopted at this year’s G-7 summit in the southwestern British county of Cornwall, the countries called for the complete denuclearization of North Korea and urged Pyongyang to give up its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missil

Foreign AffairsJune 13, 2021

Moon, Macron discuss bilateral cooperation in cutting-edge technology industries

The leaders of South Korea and France on Sunday shared hopes to strengthen bilateral cooperation in cutting-edge technology industries, such as semiconductors and electric vehicles, Cheong Wa Dae said. President Moon Jae-in met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in the southwestern British county of Cornwall. During the 45 minute “pull aside” meeting, the two leaders shared their countries' measures against the coronavirus pa

Foreign AffairsJune 13, 2021

Moon holds summit talks with British PM

South Korean President Moon Jae-in had separate talks here Sunday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the host of a Group of Seven summit. They noted that the two countries are maintaining close political and economic cooperation even after the so-called Brexit, Moon’s office said. They agreed to keep working together in various sectors, including trade and investment, as the bilateral free trade agreement took effect as of Jan. 1, it added. The two shared the view that the equit

Foreign AffairsJune 13, 2021

Moon meets Suga at G-7, but bilateral session not in the cards

CORNWALL, England/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in exchanged greetings with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday at the G-7 summit in the UK. But a separate session does not appear to be in the cards this time, amid speculation that the two leaders might get together for a bilateral meeting or a trilateral one with the US. 　 Moon and Suga “exchanged greetings” just before the start of an expanded session of the G-7 summit at Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate

Foreign AffairsJune 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] S. Korea’s first Vatican prefect looks forward to arranging pope’s visit to NK

South Korean Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik, the newly appointed Vatican prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, said he will work toward arranging a visit to North Korea for Pope Francis if he is given the opportunity to do so.　 “The pope had expressed his willingness to go to North Korea,” You, 69, said at a press conference held Saturday at the Daejeon Diocese in Sejong, following the Vatican’s announcement of his appointment Friday. “If North Korea invites the

Social AffairsJune 13, 2021

‘G-7 invitation signifies Korea’s elevated status’

CORNWALL, England/SEOUL -- Korea’s invitation to the G-7 summit signifies that it has risen to the ranks among developed countries standing shoulder to shoulder with global leaders, Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday. The Group of Seven is an organization of leaders from some of the world’s biggest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The G-7 members meet annually to discuss global issues and coordinate policies.    Ho

Foreign AffairsJune 13, 2021

Moon pledges $200 million to tackle global COVID-19 vaccine shortage

SEOUL/CORNWALL, England -- South Korea will provide $200 million in aid through next year to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in lower-income countries, President Moon Jae-in said Saturday. During a plenary session on health during a Group of Seven summit, Moon vowed to offer $100 million in grants this year, according to a statement from the presidential office. Another $100 million will be provided next year through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, a financing framework estab

Foreign AffairsJune 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] In-person attendance at middle schools in greater Seoul to increase ahead of full reopening

Middle schools in the greater Seoul area are set to increase the portion of students attending in-person classes starting Monday ahead of the government's plan to fully resume classes from the fall semester, according to educational officials. Under the plan, the cap on in-person attendance will increase from one-third of registered students to two-thirds under the Level 2 social distancing guidelines, enabling more students to take part in in-person classes, the education ministry and local ed

Social AffairsJune 13, 2021