There is No Border for Climate Cooperation

International climate scientists agree that to keep global warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius, and avoid climate impacts with disastrous consequences, the world needs to reach net zero carbon by 2050. In addition, they have indicated that a credible milestone to be on track for 2050 would require that global emissions need to be reduced by 45-50 percent by 2030. Despite having reached the most far-reaching climate accord in Paris in 2015, the international community has not made much progres

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 19, 2021

S. Korea to develop space weather forecast system for military operations by 2024

South Korea has launched a 16.2 billion-won ($13.9 million) project to develop a space weather forecast system by 2024 to ensure the stable operations of military assets, such as high-altitude drones, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it signed a contract with the local company, Satrec Initiative Co., last week to develop the system to predict space weather conditions and issue related alerts. Once developed, the envision

Social AffairsOct. 19, 2021

S. Korean, US, Japanese intel chiefs to hold trilateral talks in Seoul

The intelligence chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan were to hold a closed-door trilateral meeting in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss North Korea and other pending issues, a government source said. Park Jie-won, the head of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), was set to sit down with Avril Haines, the US director of national intelligence, and Hiroaki Takizawa, Japan's Cabinet intelligence director, according to the source. During the talks, the top intel officials are

Foreign AffairsOct. 19, 2021

Estonia, Korea celebrates 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations

Estonia and Korea are celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations.　 Korea recognized the independence of Estonia on Sept. 6, 1991, and diplomatic relations were formed on Oct. 17 of the same year. To mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the presidents of Estonia and Korea exchanged congratulatory letters underlining the mutually beneficial relationship, sharing common values such as democracy, a market economy and human rights. The two leaders also stressed strengthening cooperati

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 19, 2021

[Graphic News] 16.5% of S. Korea’s population aged 65 and older in 2021: report

People aged 65 and older made up 16.5 percent of South Korea’s population this year, a report showed, highlighting concerns that the fast-aging demographic transition could pose a drag on the country’s economy. According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of people aged 65 and older stood at 8.53 million this year. The South Korean population is projected to peak in 2028 before going on a downward curve, the report showed. However, the graying of South Korea will acce

Social AffairsOct. 19, 2021

International defense exhibition kicks off, cutting-edge weapons on display

A biennial defense exhibition kicked off in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Tuesday, offering an in-depth look at state-of-the-art military hardware like stealth jets, advanced missile interceptors and hydrogen-powered drones. The five-day Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) at Seoul Air Base comes amid lingering regional tensions from North Korea's evolving threats and an intensifying Sino-US rivalry. This year's edition is expected to provide a rare chance for defense

DefenseOct. 19, 2021

Prosecutors expected to seek arrest warrant for key figure in corruption-laden development scandal

Prosecutors were expected to seek an arrest warrant Tuesday for a key suspect in a corruption-laden urban development project rocking South Korean politics, a day after detaining him for questioning upon his return from the United States. Nam Wook was put under emergency arrest upon his arrival at Incheon International Airport early Monday morning and underwent questioning. As the emergency arrest is set to expire Wednesday morning, prosecutors are expected to seek a formal arrest warrant for h

PoliticsOct. 19, 2021

29 foreigners caught cheating on Korean language test

Twenty-nine foreign nationals got caught cheating on a recent Korean language proficiency test, the organizer of the test said Tuesday. According to the National Institute for International Education, the foreigners either disobeyed supervisors' order to turn in their phones and other mobile gadgets or were caught possessing forbidden electronic devices while taking the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) at a school in Seoul's Gangdong district Sunday. Of them, 13 were Chinese and nine othe

Social AffairsOct. 19, 2021

US envoy for N. Korea to visit Seoul for talks on end-of-war declaration

US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim will visit Seoul this week for talks on ways to restart dialogue with the reclusive North, including an end-of-war declaration, the US diplomat said Monday. Kim's trip to Seoul will follow his meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Noh Kyu-duk and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, here in Washington this week. "Special Representative Noh and I also discussed the end of war proposal, and I look forward to continuin

Foreign AffairsOct. 19, 2021

S. Korea's planned scheme of 'living with COVID-19' raises hope, concerns

South Korea is set to gradually phase out coronavirus restrictions starting next month as the vaccination rate rises, joining a list of countries embracing a new scheme of returning to normal life with the coronavirus. The scheme, dubbed "Living with COVID-19," is set to take effect in early November. It means that COVID-19 will be treated as an infectious respiratory disease, like seasonal influenza, with eased social distancing being implemented. From the early stages of the pandem

Social AffairsOct. 19, 2021

2 minor natural quakes hit N. Korea's eastern region: KMA

Two natural earthquakes hit eastern North Korea on Tuesday, South Korea's state weather agency said. The first quake with a magnitude of 2.6 occurred about 4 kilometers southeast of Changjin, South Hamgyong Province, at 6:41 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The second quake of magnitude 2.8 was detected at 6:45 a.m., about 4 kilometers northeast of Changjin. Both quakes occurred naturally and do not seem to have caused any damage, the KMA said. They posted a

North KoreaOct. 19, 2021

Blinken meets IAEA director-general for talks on Iran, N. Korea

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday for talks on a wide range of issues that the chief of the nuclear watchdog said will include North Korea. The meeting between Blinken and IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi marked the first of its kind since the top US diplomat took office in January. "The United States strongly supports the work of the IAEA. It is critical to helping to maintain international peace and stabi

Foreign AffairsOct. 19, 2021

[News Focus] Seoul to see population per household sink below 2.0

SEJONG -- Seoul has the smallest number of people per household, on average, among the eight major cities across the nation. The average population per household in Seoul fell to an all-time low of 2.16 -- 9.52 million people in 4.42 million households -- as of September, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety. The average household size of the capital posted a noteworthy slide in the last five years, falling from 2.38 in September 2016 and 2.44 in September 2011. Further, the pace

Social AffairsOct. 18, 2021

Slovak presidential advisor discusses collaboration with Sejong University

Norbert Kurilla, advisor to the President of the Slovak Republic, discussed ways for future collaboration and exchange efforts with Seoul’s Sejong University during a recent visit to Korea. Kurilla met with Sejong University’s dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy on October 8, the school said Monday. As there are numerous Korean companies in Slovakia, the school said Kurilla expressed interest in expanding cooperation and networking between the two countries. The Slovak

Social AffairsOct. 18, 2021

USFK reports 23 additional COVID-19 cases among new arrivals

Twenty-three people affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) who have recently arrived here have tested positive for COVID-19, the US military's infection tally showed Monday. Among arrivals from Sept. 22 to Oct. 14, seven service members and eight family members who landed at Osan Air Base on US government-chartered flights tested positive, according to the USFK. Another group of six service members and a Department of Defense employee, and a family member also tested positive upon arrival

DefenseOct. 18, 2021

Spy chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan convene in Seoul to discuss North Korean issues

Intelligence chiefs of South Korea, the US and Japan convened in Seoul on Monday to discuss North Korean issues amid a flurry of diplomacy among the three allies aiming to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. According to government sources, Park Jie-won, head of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, are said to have held bilateral meetings with Avril Haines, the US director of national intelligence, and Hiroaki Takizawa, Japan’s cabinet intelligence director,

North KoreaOct. 18, 2021

[Us and Them] People living in poverty become targets of hate in Korea

In Gwanak Dream Town, an apartment complex in Gwanak-gu, southern Seoul, the area that is home to middle-class residents is fenced off with barbed wire to prevent their poorer neighbors from coming in. The fence was installed in 2003 after residents of buildings numbered 101 to 144 demanded separation from the public housing section -- buildings numbered 145 to 149, where the government subsidizes the rent. Now, they live side by side with little interaction. “In the very beginning,

Social AffairsOct. 18, 2021

S. Korea unveils 2 upgraded road maps for 2050 carbon neutrality goal

The presidential committee on carbon neutrality on Monday unveiled two upgraded policy road maps, including scrapping coal-fired power generation, to achieve South Korea's net-zero emissions goal by 2050. Presided over by President Moon Jae-in, the committee held its second general meeting in Seoul to review and approve agendas for the country's carbon neutrality and green house gas (GHG) reduction plans. In August, the committee announced a draft for three scenarios for the country's 2050 n

PoliticsOct. 18, 2021

S. Korea to kick off large-scale defense exhibition

SEONGNAM -- South Korea will kick off a biennial defense exhibition this week to showcase cutting-edge military hardware and technologies, including stealth fighters, hydrogen-fuel drones and laser weapons, organizers said Monday. The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) will begin its five-day run on Tuesday at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, as the security landscape in Northeast Asia is fraught with uncertainties stemming from a muscle-flexing China

DefenseOct. 18, 2021

Unification Minister calls for talks to discuss the North’s ‘double standard’ accusation

Unification Minister Lee In-young on Monday stressed the need for talks with North Korea on the regime’s demand that the South drop its “double standards” as a condition of progress on inter-Korean relations.  During a parliamentary audit session, Lee responded to a question on whether Seoul could accept Pyongyang’s call for an end to what it called “double standards” -- meaning the way the South characterizes the firing of ballistic missiles by the Nor

North KoreaOct. 18, 2021