Cheong Wa Dae official rejects notion of S. Korea-US rift over end-of-war declaration

South Korea and the United States may have "somewhat different perspectives" on the issue of declaring a formal end to the Korean War, but the perspectives should not be seen as a "difference of views," a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Thursday. Park Soo-hyun, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication, made the remark in response to speculation that Washington is reluctant to support President Moon Jae-in's vision for an end-of-war declaration that would ju

PoliticsOct. 28, 2021

WFP chief calls for intl. cooperation to improve N. Korea's food situation

The head of the World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday called for international cooperation to improve North Korea's food situation, raising concerns over a "growing threat" from extreme weather caused by climate change. WFP Executive Director David Beasley made the remarks in a video keynote speech at a seminar in the northeastern county of Yanggu, referring to a series of droughts and floods that impacted North Korea's crop yields last year. "We stand ready to respond to these

North KoreaOct. 28, 2021

Chinese Amb. Xing pays tribute to ex-President Roh

The top Chinese envoy here expressed condolences Thursday over the death of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo, who formally established diplomatic ties between the two nations during his presidency. Ambassador Xing Haiming said Roh is "an old friend" of China who changed the regional security dynamic by establishing relations with China in 1992 and deciding to sever South Korea's ties with Taiwan. "(We) won't forget that (Roh) made a big decision to forge diplomatic rela

PoliticsOct. 28, 2021

N. Korea slams US, some western countries for skipping UN meeting on racism

North Korea rebuked the United States and other western nations Thursday for having double standards on human rights and racism, taking issue with their absence from a recent symbolic UN meeting. In a note posted on the foreign ministry's website, North Korea criticized the US, Britain and others for not taking part in a high-level meeting at the UN General Assembly last month to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action that calls for racial justice.

North KoreaOct. 28, 2021

S. Korea discovers more Korean War remains in DMZ

South Korea has found more than two dozen bone fragments presumed to be from troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War during recent excavation work in a former battle site, the defense ministry said Thursday. The military has discovered 26 bone pieces and 5,132 articles, including combat gear, in the White Horse Ridge, the site inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. Many of them are thought to be from fallen South Korean troops, the ministry said. In September, the minis

DefenseOct. 28, 2021

Military reports 4 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported four additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,023, the defense ministry said. A Navy officer stationed in Jinhae, 410 kilometers south of Seoul, tested positive after a family member was infected, according to the ministry. Three Army draftees were also infected. Of the cumulative cases in the military, 1,966, or 97 percent, have been fully cured, with 57 still under treatment. (Yonhap)

DefenseOct. 28, 2021

Constitutional Court set to rule on impeachment motion of ex-judge accused of trial meddling

The Constitutional Court was set to rule Thursday on whether to accept the National Assembly's impeachment of a judge, now retired, accused of meddling in politically sensitive trials chaired by other judges during the previous administration. The National Assembly voted on Feb. 4 to impeach Lim Seong-geun, then a judge at the Busan High Court, for allegedly meddling in several sensitive cases in the past, most notably a libel case filed by the former Park Geun-hye government against a Japanese

PoliticsOct. 28, 2021

N. Korea builds more houses in Samjiyon under major development project

North Korea has completed building 1,000 more houses in the northwestern city of Samjiyon near the border with China, state media reported Thursday, as part of a major development project under way at the birthplace of leader Kim Jong-un's late father. "Shock brigade" members of the 216 Division "made the shining achievements of concluding the construction of all the dwelling houses they were tasked to fulfill," according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (K

North KoreaOct. 28, 2021

New virus cases hit over 2,100 as infections spike ahead of easing of virus curbs

South Korea's new daily coronavirus cases surged to more than 2,100 on Thursday, as the virus spread is gaining ground amid efforts to ease the distancing rules and return to normalcy. The country added 2,111 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 2,095 local infections, raising the total caseload to 358,412, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It is the first time in 20 days that the daily caseload has surpassed the 2,000 mark. The daily count was 1,952 the previous day, 1,

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2021

US offers condolences over death of former S. Korean President Roh

WASHINGTON -- The US State Department on Wednesday expressed its condolences for the recent death of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo. "We send our deepest condolences to the people of the Republic of Korea (ROK) for the passing of former President Roh Tae-Woo," the department said in a released statement, referring to South Korea by its official name. "While former President Roh leaves a complicated legacy, his tenure included solidification of the ROK's democratic tra

Foreign AffairsOct. 28, 2021

Moon leaves for Italy for meeting with Pope Francis, G20 on Europe swing

President Moon Jae-in was set to leave for Italy on Thursday for a meeting with Pope Francis and a G20 summit with other global leaders expected to focus on tackling climate crisis and helping the world end the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday, Moon will meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula and efforts to end the pandemic. Moon and Pope Francis are expected to exchange their wisdom to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and resolve pending global issues,

PoliticsOct. 28, 2021

Biden nominates Korean-American to work as US attorney in Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated four new federal attorneys, including a woman of Korean descent. Cindy Chung, an assistant US attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, has been nominated to become US attorney for the same district she has been serving since 2014, according to the White House. The White House said Chung has served in numerous leadership positions at the Pennsylvania office, including acting deputy chief of the violent crimes section and depu

Foreign AffairsOct. 28, 2021

Korea’s Halloween COVID-19 warnings accused of targeting foreigners

As South Korea embarks on a journey back to normal in a matter of mere days, its public health officials are pointing to Halloween as a potential surge event. Their messaging discouraging people from socializing over the holiday has a specific audience -- foreigners and young people. A release last week from the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Halloween special inspections for social distancing violations will be carried out in “areas densely populated by foreigners and young people.

Social AffairsOct. 27, 2021

UNESCO’s conference on learning cities opens in Incheon’s Yeonsu-gu

The fifth UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities, hosted by Incheon’s Yeonsu-gu, began its four-day run Wednesday. The international event is being held at Songdo Convensia in Yeonsu-gu under the theme of “From emergency to resilience: Building healthy and resilient cities through learning.” The conference comes at a critical juncture with an aim of discussing global health education in cities, their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and actions to improve res

Social AffairsOct. 27, 2021

Moon stresses regional cooperation for COVID-19 recovery at ASEAN meeting

South Korean President Moon Jae-in stressed the importance of regional cooperation to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future, as he attended a video summit with leaders of China, Japan and the Southeast Asian nations.  Moon said health cooperation was “urgent” to overcome the pandemic, in his opening remarks at the annual ASEAN Plus Three Summit, which involves the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations along with China, Japan and Korea.  Other p

Foreign AffairsOct. 27, 2021

Moon pays respects to Roh, won’t attend funeral

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday relayed condolences and praised the achievements of his early predecessor Roh Tae-woo, the country’s first directly elected president, who died of illness a day earlier at the age of 88. “President Moon Jae-in wished for the deceased to rest in peace, and relayed condolences to the family,” Moon’s spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said. “(Moon) said that while former President Roh Tae-woo’s faults such as suppressing the May 18

PoliticsOct. 27, 2021

Jeju April 3 incident victims to receive record state compensation

The government plans to pay about 960 billion won ($820 million) to the victims of the bloody 1948-1954 suppression of a civilian uprising on Jeju Island, the interior ministry said Wednesday, marking the largest state compensation for civilian victims connected to past tragedies. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said the government has finalized the plan to pay compensation of 90 million won per person to 10,101 victims of the so-called Jeju April 3 incident. If the individual compensati

PoliticsOct. 27, 2021

Late ex-President Roh asks democracy uprising victims for forgiveness in last will

Former President Roh Tae-woo used his last will to ask for forgiveness from victims of the military's brutal crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980, his son said Wednesday. Roh Jae-heon unveiled the will of his father, who died Tuesday of chronic illness at age 88, to reporters at a funeral altar for the late president in Seoul. "He thought he had infinite responsibility for all things that happened, whether it is good or bad, because he cared a

PoliticsOct. 27, 2021

Moon prays for late ex-President Roh while noting 'faults' of coup, bloody crackdown

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday expressed his condolences to late former President Roh Tae-woo, crediting the deceased with foreign policy achievements but also describing his involvement in a coup and the brutal crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising as "faults." The measured message by Moon, which came a day after Roh died at age 88, suggested that soul-searching had taken place to determine the right balance between paying respect to a late predecessor and public sentiment critic

PoliticsOct. 27, 2021

South Korea holds symposium to discuss future legislative administration

Leading legislative experts from the Asian region gathered Wednesday to discuss the present and future of legislative administration at a symposium held in Seoul. The 9th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium, organized by the Ministry of Government Legislation and Korea Legislation Research Institute, was held under the theme of “Legislative Administration of Each Asian Country and Cooperation Measures,” in a hybrid in-person and online conference. The event comprised two main ses

Social AffairsOct. 27, 2021