S. Korea, US to discuss security amid new NK policy

Senior defense officials of South Korea and the US will hold a two-day dialogue on Korean Peninsula issues as the Biden administration seeks to engage North Korea with a new policy it recently revealed after a monthslong review. The biannual talks, which began Wednesday US time in Washington, are expected to address ways the two allies can coordinate their approach to Pyongyang. Biden’s policy on North Korea, which many see as striking a middle ground between Trump’s “grand b

DefenseMay 12, 2021

[Seoul Struggles 7] Going meat-free troublesome in Seoul where not much is promised

For Kim Seung-mok, a 35-year-old office worker in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, trying to find a restaurant to dine with colleagues for lunch is a hassle to say the least. As a committed vegan, Kim struggles to agree on a lot of menus that his fellow office workers choose for lunch, when almost everything contains meat. After almost three months of trying, he now opts to bring his own tofu salad or self-made lunch box to the office for a midday meal. “It was awkward for me to sit beside my

Social AffairsMay 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] Seoul prosecution chief indicted over power abuse allegations

Lee Sung-yoon, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, was indicted Wednesday over allegations that he exercised undue influence in 2019 to stop an inquiry into the allegedly illegal exit ban imposed on a former senior official. The decision by the Suwon District Prosecutors Office came two days after an indictment was recommended by an independent panel created to review the validity of an ongoing investigation into Lee. Lee is accused of abusing his power in June 2019 to bloc

PoliticsMay 12, 2021

Virus infections traced to Seoul internet cafe rise to 49

A total of 49 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in connection with an internet cafe in northern Seoul, the metropolitan government said Wednesday. The first case was a customer who tested positive on May 3, after which a total of 44 people tested positive by Monday, followed by four more on Tuesday, according to the local government. All of them live in Seoul except for one. An epidemiological survey found that the business followed COVID-19 protocols, but ventilation was difficult and

Social AffairsMay 12, 2021

4 Marines, 3 Army soldiers test positive for virus

Four Marines and three Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The Marines, based in the southeastern city of Pohang, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 upon returning from vacation while under a cohort isolation, according to the ministry. The other three soldiers, each based in Seoul, the northeastern county of Inje and the southeastern city of Ulsan, were found to be infected after coming into contact with virus patients. The

DefenseMay 12, 2021

New cases back above 600 amid spreading variants

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose back above 600 on Wednesday, with health authorities remaining on alert over a potential spike amid spreading variant cases. The country reported 635 more COVID-19 cases, including 613 local infections, raising the total caseload to 128,918, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Wednesday's figure jumped from 511 cases Tuesday, 463 Monday and 564 Sunday though it is lower than the 701 Saturday. The daily caseload usually spi

Social AffairsMay 12, 2021

Spy chiefs of S. Korea, Japan meet to discuss N. Korea, bilateral issues: reports

The intelligence chiefs of South Korea and Japan held a meeting in Tokyo and exchanged views on North Korea and other bilateral issues, Japanese media reports showed Wednesday. Park Jie-won, head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), met with Hiroaki Takizawa, Japan's cabinet intelligence director, on Tuesday, according to JNN and Kyodo News. Park is in Tokyo for trilateral talks with Takizawa and US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. Park and Takizawa reportedly e

Foreign AffairsMay 12, 2021

US understands S. Korea's difficulty with vaccine shortage: Hwang

White House policy coordinator for Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell has said the United States understands the problem South Korea faces due to its vaccine shortage and is doing its utmost for its Asian ally, a former South Korean prime minister said Tuesday. Hwang Kyo-ahn said Campbell has also agreed during a meeting with him in Washington to personally report to the White House his request for 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. US President Joe Biden has said his country will become an "

Foreign AffairsMay 12, 2021

S. Korea, US to hold regular defense talks on N. Korea, OPCON transfer

South Korea and the United States were to hold biannual defense talks in Washington on Wednesday to discuss regional security situations and major bilateral issues, such as the transition of the wartime operational control (OPCON), the defense ministry said. During the 19th Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) set to run through Thursday, the two sides will discuss "major pending security issues, such as the assessment of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and the policy

DefenseMay 12, 2021

Head of US think tank CFR receives S. Korean state medal

WASHINGTON -- Richard Haass, head of a US think tank, was awarded a South Korean medal Tuesday for his contributions to the strengthening of the US-South Korea alliance. The chief of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) received the Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit from South Korean Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuck in a ceremony in Washington. The Gwanghwa Medal is the highest honor in the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit that is given to those "who have r

Foreign AffairsMay 12, 2021

Prosecutor indicts suspect in tragic Atlanta shootings: report

WASHINGTON -- A man suspected of killing eight people in a shooting at three Atlanta-area spas was indicted on Tuesday on murder charges while the prosecution says it will also seek hate crime charges, a report said. The 22-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, was charged with killing the eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, in the March 16 attack. A grand jury in Fulton County indicted the suspect on charges of murder that took place at two day spas in Atalanta, according to an A

Foreign AffairsMay 12, 2021

US rebuts Chinese warning for Bangladesh to stay away from 'Quad'

WASHINGTON -- A US State Department spokesman rebutted a Chinese diplomat's warning for countries to stay away from the US-led regional forum, Quad, on Tuesday, saying the Quad is an informal but essential mechanism to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. Ned Price made the remark after the Chinese ambassador in Bangladesh, Li Jing, said in a statement that the South Asian country should not join the Quad or its relations with China will "substantially be damaged." "We have tak

Foreign AffairsMay 12, 2021

US willing to share COVID vaccine with N. Korea if requested: report

The United States may consider sharing COVID-19 vaccines with North Korea if requested by the impoverished nation, if the vaccines will reach the intended beneficiaries, a US news outlet reported Tuesday. CNN noted the sharing of vaccines may help resume diplomatic dialogue with the North but that no request for assistance has been made. "While we are open to considering DPRK requests for humanitarian assistance, these would need to be accompanied by effective monitoring to ensure that it

North KoreaMay 11, 2021

S. Korea disapproves homegrown blood plasma therapy for COVID-19

Biotech company GC Pharma failed Tuesday to get conditional approval for its experimental plasma treatment against the new coronavirus.  The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety rejected GC Pharma's application for the drug, GC5131A, submitted late last month, after an advisory panel of experts found its second-phase clinical trial involving 63 patients failed to prove its remedy effect. The agency concluded that there were no meaningful differences between the control group and experimental

Social AffairsMay 11, 2021

S. Korea, New Zealand share concerns over Japan's Fukushima water

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta held telephone talks on Tuesday and shared concerns about Japan's planned release of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, the ministry said. Last month, Tokyo approved a plan to dump more than 1 million tons of radioactive water from the wrecked nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, sparking strong criticism from its local fishing industry and neighboring countries. During the talks, Chung exp

Foreign AffairsMay 11, 2021

[News Focus] Moon's leaflet stance effort to manage NK ties before summit with Biden: experts

In a speech marking the start of his final year in office, President Moon Jae-in issued a strongly worded statement, apparently condemning an activist group for sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the inter-Korean border.  　 “It is never desirable to dampen inter-Korean relations by violating inter-Korean agreements and current laws. I stress that the government has no choice but to strictly enforce the laws,” Moon said Monday in a televised speech. 　 While the president d

North KoreaMay 11, 2021

US reaches out to North Korea again for policy briefing

The US government last week reached out to North Korea again to explain the outcome of its policy review on Pyongyang, and the North responded to confirm the contact, according to diplomatic sources on Tuesday. Even though North Korea didn’t immediately accept the overture for dialogue, its response, first in months, is raising expectations about the possible resumption of the stalled talks between Washington and Pyongyang. There had been reportedly multiple attempts for the US to reen

Foreign AffairsMay 11, 2021

Seoul education superintendent probed by anti-corruption agency

Seoul’s education superintendent is being probed by the nation’s anti-corruption investigation agency over allegations that he abused his power in hiring teachers. This is the first probe by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, or CIO, since its inception in January. It was created to investigate allegations involving high-ranking officials or their family members. Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, who oversees the city’s education office, is accused

PoliticsMay 11, 2021

[Newsmaker] Seoul prosecution chief to be indicted

Lee Sung-yoon, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, was expected to be indicted for abuse of authority on Tuesday on the recommendation of a panel of experts. He is alleged to have stopped an inquiry into an illegal travel ban on an ex-vice justice minister. If indicted, Lee would be the first incumbent Seoul prosecution chief to stand accused in court. Out of the 13 panel members present -- including law professors, lawyers and those in religious service -- eight vot

Social AffairsMay 11, 2021

Driver's licence to be required for electric scooter users

Starting Thursday, electric scooter users in South Korea will be required to have a driver’s license. A revision to the Road Traffic Act that takes effect May 13 will make many current electric scooter users ineligible to use them, and they face fines if caught riding illegally. At the moment, anyone above the age of 13 can use an e-scooter on the street, but when the revision takes effect the minimum age will be 16. The police said Tuesday that people who drive e-scooters without a val

Social AffairsMay 11, 2021