Ex-national security adviser tapped as top diplomat amid stalled NK diplomacy

Chung Eui-yong, President Moon Jae-in's pick for foreign minister, is known for his role as national security adviser in spearheading Moon's engagement policy for North Korea that led to the first-ever summit between the United States and North Korea. Chung's nomination, announced just ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden, is seen as reflecting Moon's will to revive his peace drive and help resume the nuclear diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang in his remaining time

PoliticsJan. 20, 2021

Navy officer in Seoul tests positive for COVID-19

A Navy officer based in Seoul has tested positive for the new coronavirus after coming into contact with an infected civilian, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The officer was confirmed to have been infected in a test conducted before release from quarantine, which he was put into following contact with a person who was found to have contracted COVID-19, according to the ministry. The latest case raised the total number of infections among the military population to 540. Meanwhile, a vete

DefenseJan. 20, 2021

Moon replaces foreign minister as Biden takes office

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday named three ministerial nominees, including his former top security adviser Chung Eui-yong as foreign minister, in the first Cabinet reshuffle this year. Chung, 74, replaces Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, the nation’s first female foreign minister and the longest-serving minister in Moon’s Cabinet. Kang’s replacement comes as a surprise, as she had been widely expected to stay until the end of Moon’s presidency in May 2022. A C

PoliticsJan. 20, 2021

N. Korea tightens antivirus campaign as party congress, military parade end

North Korea is stepping up antivirus efforts and tightening border control to ward off the new coronavirus, state media reported Wednesday, as major political events attended by thousands of delegates wrapped up last week in the capital city. Pyongyang concluded the eight-day congress of the Workers' Party and held a military parade last week, during which thousands of attendees, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, were seen without masks. Officials attending Sunday's meeting of the rub

North KoreaJan. 20, 2021

New virus cases rise from low plateau 1 year after COVID-19 outbreak

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases hovered around 400 for the third straight day Wednesday as the country struggles to further slow down the third wave of the pandemic with an enhanced social distancing scheme. The country added 404 more COVID-19 cases, including 373 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 73,518, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Wednesday's figure was slightly up from 386 cases reported the previous day. Since the first c

Social AffairsJan. 20, 2021

Soldiers, civilians stage joint rallies in N. Korea in support of party decisions

Soldiers and civilians staged joint rallies across North Korea, calling for nationwide cooperation to carry out new policies and decisions made during a recent rare party congress, state media reported Wednesday. North Korea held the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party that ended last week, unveiling a new five-year economic development plan focusing on self-reliance in the face of the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and global sanctions on its regime. "Joint rallies of soldi

North KoreaJan. 20, 2021

US defense nominee vows to quickly conclude cost-sharing talks with S. Korea

The nominee for US secretary of defense on Tuesday said he will seek to quickly conclude stalled negotiations with South Korea to set the latter's contribution toward maintaining US troops on the Korean Peninsula. Lloyd Austin said an early conclusion to the long-stalled negotiations would be part of efforts to enhance and modernize the US-South Korea alliance. "The US-Republic of Korea (ROK) Alliance is the linchpin of peace and security in the region. It is among the most combined, inte

North KoreaJan. 20, 2021

Blinken says US is 'better positioned' to deal with N. Korea when working with allies

Secretary of State-designate Antony Blinken on Tuesday vowed efforts to improve US relations with allies, saying the country is "far better positioned" to deal with threats from North Korea and other adversaries when it works with friendly nations. The former deputy secretary of state made the remarks at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "We can revitalize our core alliances -- force multipliers of our influence around the world," said

North KoreaJan. 20, 2021

US will review entire N. Korea policy, consider humanitarian aid: Blinken

The new US administration of Joe Biden plans to review the country's entire approach and policy toward North Korea, Biden's secretary of state nominee said Tuesday. Antony Blinken said the new administration may also try to find ways to get humanitarian assistance to the North to help lessen the suffering of North Korean people if necessary. "I think we have to review and we intend to review the entire approach and policy toward North Korea because this is a hard problem that has plagued

North KoreaJan. 20, 2021

Understanding N. Korean capabilities important part of intelligence: DNI nominee

Understanding North Korea's capabilities and true intentions is a critical role of US intelligence, the nominee for US director of national intelligence said Tuesday. Avril Haines also said, if confirmed, she will review existing intelligence on North Korea to discern what the regime's intentions are. "Understanding the capabilities and intentions of a country like North Korea is a critical responsibility of the intelligence community," Haines said in a written answer to questions fr

North KoreaJan. 20, 2021

S. Korea confirms 67th case of highly pathogenic bird flu

South Korea on Tuesday confirmed another case of highly pathogenic bird flu in poultry, raising the total caseload to 67. The latest case of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza came from an egg farm in Yongin, just south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. The ministry will administer screening tests and impose a 30-day movement ban on all poultry farms within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected farm. The restriction also applies to all poultry farms

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Moon meets Amb. Harris, vows close cooperation with Biden administration

President Moon Jae-in received a farewell courtesy call from outgoing US Ambassador Harry Harris on Tuesday and reaffirmed that his government will cooperate closely with the new US administration. During the half-an-hour meeting at his office, Moon pledged close coordination with the Joe Biden administration for a stronger alliance and progress in the Korea peace process as well as in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other pending global issues, according to Cheong Wa Dae

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

[Herald Interview] Front-liners who treated first COVID-19 patients look back on experience

The novel coronavirus has been in South Korea for one full year as of Wednesday, and medical professionals have been on the front lines of the ongoing struggle. Ahead of COVID-19’s one-year anniversary, three front-line workers who treated the country’s very first COVID-19 patients spoke to The Korea Herald on Tuesday about their encounters with the brand-new disease. The first people confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus in Korea had either traveled to Wuhan, China, or c

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

FM Kang vows strong ties with Biden admin for denuclearization and peace

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Tuesday vowed to strengthen the alliance with US under the incoming Joe Biden administration to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.  She made the remark during an opening address of a meeting of related offices and academia to discuss policy direction and ways to strengthen US-South Korea alliance under the new Biden administration, a day before Biden is set to be inaugurated as the next US President on Wednesday.  “We

Foreign AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Defense ministry inspects Navy chief's alleged absence on night officer went missing

The defense ministry on Tuesday launched an inspection into allegations the Navy chief failed to show up at an emergency meeting convened to discuss an officer who went missing earlier this month after having drinks that night, officials said. On Jan. 9, a Navy officer was found dead after going missing near the western border island of Baengnyeong while on guard operations the previous day. His body was found in the Yellow Sea hours later. The Navy convened an emergency meeting to monitor the

DefenseJan. 19, 2021

Scholars cast doubt on acquittals of executives in deadly humidifier cleaner case

Last week's acquittals of 13 corporate executives in a deadly humidifier sterilizer case were caused by the court's wrong interpretation of the causal relations between chemicals contained in sterilizer products and victims' lung-related illnesses, a group of scholars argued Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court ruled last Tuesday that Hong Ji-ho, former CEO of SK Chemical; Ahn Yong-chan, former CEO of Aekyung Industrial; and 11 other corporate executives are not guilty of professional negl

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

Moon taps professors as top advisors on economy, science

President Moon Jae-in has picked Lee Keun, an economics professor, as vice chairman of the presidential advisory panel on the economy, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday. Lee is an expert on the innovation economy, having won the Schumpeter Prize in 2014, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. He is expected to contribute to efforts for a quick and strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and the move toward a pacesetting economy, Kang said. The National Economic Advisory Co

PoliticsJan. 19, 2021

S. Korea's Buddhist leader vows to seek inter-Korean exchanges through COVID-19 relief

The leader of the Jogye Order, South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, said Tuesday that he will strive to promote inter-Korean religious exchanges this year by helping the North's battle against the novel coronavirus. "We will closely confer with our North Korean counterpart on projects to facilitate exchanges and cooperation between the Buddhist communities of the two Koreas," Ven. Wonhaeng, president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, said in an online press conference. "I'll

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

31 USFK-linked people test positive for coronavirus upon arrival in S. Korea

Twenty-six American service members and five civilians affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival here over the past few weeks, the US military said Tuesday. Of them, 13 service members and three family members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on government-chartered flights, while 13 other service members, one civilian worker and one dependent came here on commercial flights via Incheon Interna

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021

Special Sewol probe ends, clears most of allegations

A special investigation unit tasked with reinvestigating the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster announced Tuesday that it had put most of the allegations to rest without additional indictments, ending its 14-month investigation. The team said, “A total of 20 people were indicted after confirming that the Coast Guard command had violated its duty of care and that government officials such as Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries interfered with the special investigation

Social AffairsJan. 19, 2021