Moon orders comprehensive analysis of N. Korea's missile launch, recent statements on inter-Korean ties

President Moon Jae-in ordered his national security team Tuesday to comprehensively analyze North Korea's intentions behind its latest missile launch and statements, issued a few days earlier, on inter-Korean relations. He issued the call after receiving a briefing on the outcome of an emergency National Security Council (NSC) session from Suh Hoon, director of national security, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Earlier in the day, North Korea test-fired a short-range mi

Sept. 28, 2021

Gyeonggi Gov. Lee retakes lead over ex-prosecutor general

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, the front-running presidential contender for the ruling party, retook the lead in a presidential hopefuls poll released Monday, beating former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl of the main opposition party. In a poll of 1,006 voters conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) on Friday and Saturday, Gov. Lee of the Democratic Party (DP) garnered support from 30 percent of respondents, pushing down Yoon of the People Power Party (PPP) to second

Sept. 27, 2021

Time to review banning dog meat: Moon

President Moon Jae-in on Monday stressed the need for discussions about a ban on dog meat, renewing a decades-old dispute here over the slaughter of animals, especially dogs, for food. “Hasn’t the time come to prudently consider prohibiting dog meat consumption?” the president asked Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum during their weekly meeting, according to his spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Moon made the comments after he was briefed on the government’s new measures to prote

Sept. 27, 2021

Ruling, opposition parties struggle to reach agreement over ‘fake news’ law

Ruling and opposition parties failed to agree on the revision of the Act on Press Arbitration on Monday, postponing the plenary session scheduled for Monday to the next day.  Yun Ho-jung, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and his counterpart Kim Gi-hyeon from the People Power Party met at around 10 a.m. to discuss the controversial “fake news” law.  The meeting presided over by Speaker Park Byeong-seug lasted for several hours but the floor leaders failed to

Sept. 27, 2021

Cheong Wa Dae says inter-Korean communication lines should be back in operation first

The office of President Moon Jae-in said Monday North Korea needs to put its hotlines with South Korea back in operation first for consultations on ways to improve bilateral ties, including the possibility of another summit between their leaders. Park Soo-hyun, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication, described it as a method to confirm Pyongyang's "will" to hold dialogue. He was referring to a statement by Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, that her

Sept. 27, 2021

PPP lawmaker offers to quit party over son's huge severance pay from controversial firm

  A lawmaker of the People Power Party (PPP) offered Sunday to leave the main opposition party amid mounting criticism over his son receiving a massive severance pay from a firm at the center of a controversial land development scandal. Rep. Kwak Sang-do submitted to a regional party chapter a document to end membership with the party, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, the party's floor leader, said, as his political opponents ramped up an offensive against Kwak over the severance pay. His son reporte

Sept. 26, 2021

Media workers' groups urge parties to renounce vote on disputed media bill

Five groups of media workers urged political parties Sunday to renounce a possible parliamentary vote this week on a bill accused of hurting press freedom, stressing the need to form a consultative body to build social consensus on the issue. The groups, including the Journalists Association of Korea, issued a joint statement, as the ruling Democratic Party hopes for the bill to be passed Monday, following talks with the main opposition People Power Party. The legislation, titled the Press Arbit

Sept. 26, 2021

Gyeonggi governor extends lead in ruling party primaries 　

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung on Sunday extended his lead in the Democratic Party’s primaries, coming in top in the North Jeolla primary. With Sunday’s victory -- with 54.5 percent of the votes -- Lee Jae-myung solidified his lead over former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who had broken the Gyeonggi governor’s winning streak on Saturday. The former prime minister, who had won the South Jeolla primaries by 122 votes on Saturday, came in second with 38.4 percent of t

Sept. 26, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon says BTS helped spread awareness of climate change, other global issues

WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in thanked and praised South Korean superband BTS for using their powerful influence in encouraging people to act on various global issues such as climate change and COVID-19. "Since BTS represents the younger generation and many young people relate to them, I believe they can spread awareness and empathy," Moon said in an interview with U.S. TV network ABC. The interview, also attended by the seven members of BTS, took place on Tuesday,

Sept. 25, 2021

UN rapporteur voices concern media bill would hurt S.Korea's reputation on press freedom

A South Korean media bill under criticism for potentially undermining press freedom, if passed, could give a "negative message" to the world about the country's stance on freedom of media, a UN expert said Friday. Irene Khan, a UN special rapporteur on promoting the right to freedom of expression, made the remark during a virtual press briefing, weeks after she sent a letter to the Seoul government calling for a revision of the bill. The legislation, titled Press Arbitration Act

Sept. 24, 2021

Moon: N. Korea sticks to moratorium on nuclear, ICBM testing, leaving door open for dialogue

President Moon Jae-in has said North Korea is maintaining its own moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests, apparently leaving the door open for dialogue. Pyongyang seems to be making "various considerations," refraining from taking serious provocative acts that would lead the United States to give up dialogue, Moon said in his rare in-flight press briefing on his way back to Seoul on Thursday following a five-day visit to New York and Hawaii. He was explaining the backgrou

Sept. 24, 2021

Moon back in Seoul with war remains from US

  President Moon Jae-in returned to South Korea on Thursday after a hectic five-day visit to the United States. Just ahead of his departure from Hawaii, he attended a joint ceremony with the US for the handover of the remains of their troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korea received 68 sets of remains. The caskets containing the remains of two identified soldiers were carried by Moon's Air Force One presidential jet. The other remains, still unidentified, were airlifted by

Sept. 23, 2021

Opposition proposes bill for special probe into corruption allegations against Gyeonggi Gov. Lee

Two allied opposition parties on Thursday proposed a bill for a special counsel probe into growing corruption allegations against Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, the front-running presidential contender for the ruling party. The main opposition People Power Party and the conservative minor People's Party together said they submitted the bill to the legislature earlier in the day, along with a letter officially requesting a parliamentary investigation into the allegations. The bill, propose

Sept. 23, 2021

Moon desires stronger combined defense capabilities with US

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday expressed his wish for his country and the United States to further enhance their combined defense capabilities to ensure permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. Moon made the remarks during his meeting with Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, where the two earlier attended a ceremony to transfer the remains of Korean and American soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. Moon

Sept. 23, 2021

Moon to bring 68 sets of Korean War remains home from US

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has received the remains of 68 Korean soldiers, killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, from the United States in a ceremony in Honolulu. South Korea also handed over five sets of American service members' remains to the US during the joint repatriation ceremony held at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) hosted the event, along with the South Korean defense ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification, and Moon &quo

Sept. 23, 2021

Moon awards medals to Korean immigrants in Hawaii for fight against Japan's colonization

South Korean President Moon Jae-in awarded posthumous medals of honor to two Korean immigrants in Hawaii Wednesday, with their descendants in attendance at the ceremony. It marked the first time that a South Korean president held a medal-awarding ceremony abroad for those recognized for independence activities during Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910-45, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon bestowed the Order of Merit for National Foundation on the two late figures -- Kim No-di and Ahn Jung-song -- f

Sept. 23, 2021

Yoon says he will request redeployment of US tactical nukes in case of emergency

Yoon Seok-youl, the leading opposition presidential contender, said Wednesday he will demand the United States redeploy its tactical nuclear weapons here and have nuclear sharing with South Korea if national security is threatened by North Korea's nukes and missiles. Unveiling 11 election pledges on diplomacy and security issues, former Prosecutor-General Yoon said he will make efforts to strengthen the Seoul-Washington alliance to deter the North's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities. Y

Sept. 22, 2021

Change or continuation: Presidential race heats up

The election is still nearly half a year away, but the race for the South Korean presidency is already heating up. Despite the two largest parties -- the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party -- having already shed several hopefuls, the number of people vying for the nation’s top job still stands at 30. This is a quick rundown of some of the main candidates.  Ruling party heavies Lee Jae-myung Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung’s life is Sout

Sept. 22, 2021

S. Korea's first lady holds talk session with young Korean Americans

NEW YORK -- South Korea's first lady Kim Jung-sook met with young Korean Americans working in art and culture fields in New York on Tuesday (local time) to discuss the future of Korean popular culture. The meeting took place at Korean Culture Center New York while she was visiting the city this week with President Moon Jae-in, who attended the UN General Assembly. Brian Jon, the founder of the Asian American Youth Council (AAYC) who is known for his campaign that led to the first designation

Sept. 22, 2021

Moon proposes formal end to Korean War for irreversible progress in denuclearization efforts

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggested once again in his United Nations speech Tuesday that the two Koreas and the United States, probably joined by China, declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War. "I propose that three parties of the two Koreas and the US, or four parties of the two Koreas, the US and China come together and declare that the War on the Korean Peninsula is over," he said, addressing the 76th session of the UN General Assembly here. "When

Sept. 22, 2021