S. Korea, Vietnam agree to strengthen defense cooperation

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Vietnam agreed Tuesday to establish regular ministerial talks and strengthen defense cooperation in various fields between the two countries. During their meeting in Seoul, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, acknowledged the need to advance defense cooperation in light of the changing security environment and the upgraded bilateral relationship, which was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partners

March 28, 2023

Union officials arrested in hunt for North Korean spies

Four high-level officials of a South Korean umbrella labor union were arrested Tuesday, in the latest development in a widening investigation into suspected North Korean espionage. In a statement Tuesday, investigative and intelligence authorities said they found “substantial evidence” to suspect the labor union officials of working with North Korean spies. In January, police and the intelligence service together searched the homes and offices of the four labor union officials and fo

March 28, 2023

Hearing kicks off on Constitutional Court nominees

The parliamentary confirmation hearings of new Constitutional Court Justice nominees kicked off Tuesday to replace two outgoing justices. Conservatives hope that the new nominees -- Judge Kim Hyung-du of Seoul High Court and Jeong Jeong-mi of Daejeon High Court, nominated by Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su earlier in March -- would balance out what they see as the Constitutional Court's progressive tilt. Nominee Kim told the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Asse

March 28, 2023

China backs summit with South Korea, Japan: envoy

Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming said Tuesday that Beijing supports a possible trilateral summit with South Korea and Japan. “We have continued to say so, and we will cooperate with South Korea’s efforts. South Korea is making a lot of efforts right now, and we hope that these efforts will lead to a good result,” the ambassador said. Xing’s remarks came during a meeting with the South Korean ruling People Power Party’s chair Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, who was the first to su

March 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] After Putin ICC arrest warrant, will Kim Jong-un ever get his?

The International Criminal Court’s issuing of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin is “one of the most courageous steps taken” and “one that would eventually lead to accountability,” according to the war crimes court’s former president Song Sang-hyun. However, bringing similar actions of international justice against North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un would be far more challenging, according to the three-term ICC judge. Speaking to The Ko

March 27, 2023

S. Korea holds first in-person meeting since 2018 of top envoys abroad

South Korea opened an annual meeting of its top envoys abroad Monday with a focus on ways for the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's "global pivotal state" vision and drive to expand the country's exports. It marks the first time for them to hold an in-person group meeting in Seoul since late 2018. A total of 166 ambassadors, consul generals, and other heads of diplomatic missions in foreign countries are joining the five-day gathering. The event took place online in recent years

March 27, 2023

Accused spies for North Korea pledged loyalty to Kim Jong-un: prosecutors

South Koreans charged with spying for North Korea met secretly with North Korean agents in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries, according to Seoul prosecutors. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office wrote in an indictment released late Thursday that the head of the alleged spy ring, a 60-year-old identified only by his surname of Hwang, made overseas trips to communicate with North Korean agents in person. In March 2016, in one of the earliest of such encounters, Hwang sta

March 24, 2023

North Korea killing of South Korean: Ex-Moon officials deny all charges in 1st trial

Three of former President Moon Jae-in’s key security officials stood trial on Friday for their alleged roles in the cover-up of North Korea’s killing of the South Korean official Lee Dae-jun at sea in September 2020. The three accused in the case are Moon’s Cheong Wa Dae National Security Adviser Suh Hoon, his National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won, and his Minister of National Defense Seo Wook. Seoul prosecutors believe that the Moon officials colluded to cover up

March 24, 2023

PM vows better child care services to boost birth rate

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday that the government will make efforts to improve child care services, as the nation is struggling to tackle the world's lowest birth rate. Han made the remarks as he visited a child care center in Seoul earlier in the day, Han's office said in a statement. "The low birth rate is based on complex causes, such as jobs, housing, education and child care, but first of all, it is important to establish a child care and care environment that young

March 24, 2023

[Exclusive] Defector lawmaker Ji to attend legislative track of Summit for Democracy 2023

North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker Rep. Ji Seong-ho is set to attend the upcoming House Democracy Partnership Summit for Democracy in Washington DC as the only South Korean lawmaker. According to Ji’s office on Wednesday, he has been invited to speak at the three-day summit program hosted by the House Democracy Partnership, a bipartisan Commission in the US House of Representatives. This is Ji’s second time attending the legislative track of the flagship summit convened by the Bid

March 23, 2023

Prime Minister says Yoon-Kishida summit opens new horizon in bilateral ties

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Thursday that a new horizon has opened in relations between South Korea and Japan thanks to last week's summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The March 16 summit significantly warmed the badly frayed relations between Seoul and Tokyo due mainly to South Korea's decision to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor on its own, but the main opposition Democratic Party has strongly denounced the sum

March 23, 2023

Opposition leader indicted on corruption charges

The leader of South Korea’s opposition party was indicted on Wednesday for an array of corruption charges following a year-and-a-half-long investigation. According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the Democratic Party of Korea chairperson Rep. Lee Jae-myung will be sent to trial over his suspected role in a controversial real estate project during his time as the mayor of Seongnam, a city in Gyeonggi Province. Seoul prosecutors said in a release that as mayor, Lee l

March 22, 2023

No mention of ‘comfort women,’ Dokdo at summit: minister

The issues of “comfort women” -- South Korean women and girls who were forced into Japanese military brothels -- and the disputed islets of Dokdo were not discussed at President Yoon Suk Yeol’s talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korea’s foreign minister said Tuesday. Speaking at the National Assembly foreign affairs committee’s plenary session, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin reiterated that there was no mention of “comfort women” or Dok

March 21, 2023

Families of victims of North Korea’s killing, abduction plan meeting

The families of South Korean and Japanese victims of North Korea’s atrocities will meet in Japan next month and plan to work together to seek justice and reparations. The family of Lee Dae-jun, the South Korean government official slain by North Korean soldiers in 2020, will get together for the first time on April 8 with a support group for families of the Japanese abducted by North Korea in Tokyo, according to the Lee family’s lawyer Kim Ki-yun. Kim said in a phone call with The Ko

March 21, 2023

Opposition leader proposes bill to observe 'Dokdo Day'

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday proposed a revision bill for the South Korean government to observe Dokdo Day on Oct. 25. The bill floated by Rep. Lee and nine lawmakers seeks to designate Dokdo Day as an anniversary celebrated by the Korean government. It would not be a public holiday, according to the bill. The Korean civic group Party for Tokdo Protection has celebrated Dokdo Day since Oct. 25, 2000, the centennial of Joseon King Gojong's ordinan

March 21, 2023

US ambassador hails Yoon-Kishida summit

Philip Goldberg, US ambassador to South Korea, on Monday praised South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s efforts to restore ties with Japan. “We greatly value Korea’s commitment to promote trilateral and bilateral ties with Japan as witnessed in the ROK-Japan summit last week,” the ambassador said in the opening remarks ahead of his first meeting with the newly elected chair of the ruling People Power Party, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon. “We admire the actions and statements th

March 20, 2023

North Korean outlet slams ruling party over defector winning top spot

North Korean propaganda outlet Tongil Voice on Sunday blasted South Korea’s ruling People Power Party over an elite defector-lawmaker being elected to a top leadership position in the party earlier this month. “The People Power Party appointed a runaway piece of trash to an important position as the frontman for anti-(North Korean)regime propaganda,” the North Korean outlet said in a statement. “Runaways to South Korea are trash who gave up on being humans. They betrayed

March 20, 2023

Kim-Obuchi spirit missing from Tokyo summit: ex-spy chief

South Korea and Japan agreeing to mend ties at the Tokyo summit on Thursday does not build on what is embodied in the Kim-Obuchi declaration in 1998, according to former President Kim Dae-jung’s longtime aide Park Jie-won. Speaking to The Korea Herald on Saturday, Park said he “would not liken” the deal reached by South Korea and Japan in the recent summit to the declaration signed by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. Current South Ko

March 19, 2023

Yoon meets former Japanese leaders

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday met former Japanese political leaders to discuss ways to promote cooperation and exchanges in various fields between South Korea and Japan, before he wrapped up a two-day working trip to the neighboring country. At the meeting, Yoon said his trip to Japan was intended to normalize bilateral relations, stressing that he and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, have reaffirmed their shared commitment to open a new era of ties. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yo

March 17, 2023

Yoon vows unwavering support for Korea-Japan biz cooperation

During a business roundtable in Tokyo on Friday, President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed his commitment to provide full support for cooperation between South Korea and Japan, in order to facilitate free exchange and foster innovative business opportunities between the two nations. The meeting was held a day after President Yoon and his counterpart Fumio Kishida agreed to enhance economic cooperation between their respective nations. Noting that he met with Kishida to cooperate to normalize the bilatera

March 17, 2023