Unification ministry hopes Moon-Biden summit will help build consensus on denuclearization

The unification ministry on Friday expressed hopes that an upcoming summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden will help improve inter-Korean relations and strengthen efforts for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Moon is set to hold his first in-person summit talks with Biden in Washington D.C. "in the latter half of May," Cheong Wa Dae announced earlier. "We hope that the May summit will help build a 'large consensus' between the leader

North KoreaApril 16, 2021

Biden to discuss deterioration of S. Korea-Japan ties in summit with Suga: US official

US President Joe Biden wants to discuss the deterioration of relations between South Korea and Japan during his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga set for this week, a senior Washington official was quoted Thursday as saying. The first in-person summit between Biden and Suga is scheduled to take place in Washington on Friday, amid tensions between the US allies over wartime history, trade and Tokyo's recent decision to discharge into the ocean contaminated water from the crippled

Foreign AffairsApril 16, 2021

[Photo News] Late NK founder’s birth anniversary

A nighttime outdoor ball of North Korean students and youths takes place in Pyongyang on Thursday, in celebration of the birth anniversary of the late North Korea founder Kim Il-sung, in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency. Fireworks light up the sky over Pyongyang on Thursday, in celebration of the birth anniversary of the late North Korea founder Kim Il-sung, in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency.  An outdoor ball of North Korean students and youths

North KoreaApril 16, 2021

2021 Korea Basic Income Fair to kick off on April 28

The 2021 Korea Basic Income Fair, the world’s largest venue for public discussions on basic income, will take place online and offline at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, from April 28 to 30. The first Korea Basic Income Fair was held in 2019. Now marking its third anniversary, this year’s event will be the largest to date with 68 scholars from around the world participating in online discussions under the theme of “Humans Humane

Social AffairsApril 16, 2021

War memorial to hold photo exhibition on Canadian veterans of Korean War

South Korea's national war memorial said Friday it will open a photo exhibition next week to pay tribute to Canadian soldiers who fought during the 1950-53 Korean War. The exhibition, titled Kapyong 70: A Tribute to the Canadian Veterans of the Korean War, was co-organized with the Canadian Embassy in Seoul to mark the 70th anniversary of a battle in the northern county of Gapyeong. During the battle that took place in April 1951 at the height of the three-year war, the 27th British Commonweal

Social AffairsApril 16, 2021

Vice FM Choi holds phone talks with new US deputy secretary of state

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun spoke by phone with new US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Friday and discussed bilateral issues, including the upcoming summit between the two countries, the foreign ministry said. Their first phone talks came after the US Senate approved her nomination Tuesday (US time) as the country's No. 2 diplomat. Sherman is known here for her key role as the policy coordinator for North Korea under the Bill Clinton administration from 1999-2001. Duri

Foreign AffairsApril 16, 2021

[Graphic News] Over half of single Koreans in 30s live with parents: report

　More than half of unmarried South Koreans in their 30s live with their parents, a report showed, as young people delay marriage amid the economic slowdown. 　A total of 54.8 percent of single Koreans in their 30s live with their parents, according to the report from Statistics Korea. 　The report showed that 62.3 percent of unmarried people aged between 20 and 44 lived with their parents. (Yonhap)

NationalApril 16, 2021

New virus cases in 600s for 2nd day, virus battle at inflection point

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 600s for the second straight day Friday as the country's virus fight is at a critical juncture of bracing for another wave of the pandemic. The country reported 673 more COVID-19 cases, including 652 local infections, raising the total caseload to 112,789, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Friday's daily caseload was down from 698 on Thursday and 731 on Wednesday, which marked the highest since Jan. 7. The coun

Social AffairsApril 16, 2021

S. Korea, Indonesia to soon resume fighter jet negotiations: official

South Korea and Indonesia will soon resume talks about their joint fighter jet development project, an official said, after Indonesia's defense minister attended the jet's prototype unveiling ceremony in a show of commitment to the project. Indonesia is a partner for the 8.8 trillion won ($7.9 billion) project, called IF-X in the country, but doubts have grown over Jakarta's commitment to the joint program after the Southeast Asian country stopped making payments for the 20 percent of the total

DefenseApril 16, 2021

NK leader visits mausoleum to mark birth anniversary of late national founder

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a mausoleum of his late grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung to mark his birth anniversary, state media reported Friday. Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on Thursday on the occasion of the 109th birth anniversary, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The mausoleum is where the bodies of his late grandfather and father lie in state. "Kim Jong-un, together with his wife, paid high tribute to the statu

North KoreaApril 16, 2021

Biden renews pledge to support Asian American communities

US President Joe Biden on Thursday reaffirmed his support for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, pledging full government efforts to help such communities. The renewed pledge came one day after the Senate voted 92-6 to open debate on a bill proposed by the administration to address hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. "We need to stand with the AAPI community in the whole of government response with what we have to get done," Biden said in a meeting with member

Foreign AffairsApril 16, 2021

Satellite imagery indicates activity at NK's nuclear reprocessing facility: think tank

North Korea may have resumed the operation of its reprocessing facilities at Yongbyon to produce nuclear materials, a US think tank suggested Thursday, citing recent satellite imagery. The thermal infrared imagery of the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center, taken April 14, provides "strong indications" of activities involving the heating of buildings, said Beyond Parallel, a project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. "These indications reveal clear pa

North KoreaApril 16, 2021

New bill seeks US care for Korean veterans of Vietnam War living in US

A bill recently submitted to Congress seeks to provide US benefits for Korean veterans who fought alongside their US allies in Vietnam, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) said Thursday. The bill, named the Korean American Vietnam Allies Long Overdue for Relief (VALOR) Act, seeks to entitle "certain veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea to hospital and domiciliary care and medical services through the Department of Veterans Affairs," according to Takano, chairman of the

Foreign AffairsApril 16, 2021

US lawmakers express concerns over S. Korea's anti-Pyongyang leafleting ban

A group of US lawmakers on Thursday expressed concerns over a recent South Korean law that prohibits the dispersal of propaganda leaflets to North Korea, noting the law may limit the freedom of speech of South Koreans and others working to promote human rights. Their shared concerns were expressed at the start of a hearing hosted by a bipartisan caucus of the House of Representatives, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. The leaflets were typically flown over the border by balloon. "S

Foreign AffairsApril 16, 2021

Moon, Biden to hold summit talks in late May

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold summit talks with US President Joe Biden in late May in Washington, according to Seoul’s presidential office on Friday. 　 “The two leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral alliance between the two countries and to achieve complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Moon’s spokesperson Kang Min-seok said in a statement.  Consultations are still underway on more de

Foreign AffairsApril 16, 2021

Natl. Assembly reports 1st COVID-19 case among lawmakers

Rep. Lee Gae-ho of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first virus case among the incumbent lawmakers, the National Assembly said Thursday.    Lee underwent COVID-19 testing earlier in the day after one of his secretaries was confirmed to have been infected, it said.    Rep. Wi Seong-gon, who came into close contact with Lee, tested negative, and Rep. Lee Won-taeg is set to undergo a test, according to officials. Both are members o

PoliticsApril 15, 2021

N. Korea slams Japan over decision to released contaminated Fukushima water

North Korea on Thursday denounced Japan's decision to release contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, demanding immediate withdrawal of the decision to prevent a "new catastrophe for the humanity."    On Wednesday, Tokyo approved the 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 such

North KoreaApril 15, 2021

Korea must lead global chip supply chain: Moon

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday stressed that South Korea must continue to lead the global chip supply chain and pledged support for the local semiconductor industry, amid the prolonged chip shortage and intensifying US-China trade tensions. 　 Moon called the semiconductor sector a “core national strategic industry” that will decide the country’s economy going forward, as he convened an “expanded meeting” of economy-related ministers at Cheong Wa Dae to tackle wa

PoliticsApril 15, 2021

Korea lags behind vaccination timetable

  South Korea’s sluggish immunization drive, coupled with blood clot investigations into two of its purchased vaccines, is clouding the country’s prospects of achieving herd immunity before the year’s end. So far Korea has administered about 1.34 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since the mass vaccination campaign launched in end-February. This translates to about 27,000 shots administered a day, falling far below the government’s previously touted capacity of o

Social AffairsApril 15, 2021

Cheong Wa Dae to soon announce PM's resignation, replacement nomination: sources

Cheong Wa Dae was widely expected to announce the resignation of Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and the nomination of his replacement this week, according to ruling party and presidential office insiders Thursday. "Prime Minister Chung has already offered his resignation to President Moon Jae-in. My understanding is that there will be an official announcement Friday," a source familiar with the matter told Yonhap News Agency. According to the source and others, a new prime minister no

PoliticsApril 15, 2021