Korean Harvard students decry professor's claims on sex slaves as 'incorrect and misleading'

A group of Korean students at Harvard Law School has decried a professor's recent controversial claims that victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery were willing prostitutes as "factually incorrect and misleading." On Thursday, the Korean Association of Harvard Law School issued a statement criticizing a recent article by J. Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese Legal Studies at the Harvard school, which is titled "Contracting for sex in the Pacific War." The art

Feb. 5, 2021

Foreign ministry restores phrase 'closest neighbor' describing Japan in white paper

The foreign ministry has restored the expression "closest neighbor" to refer to Japan in its latest white paper published this week, as Seoul pushes to improve ties with Tokyo frayed over wartime issues. "Japan is South Korea's closest neighboring country that we should work with not only for bilateral relations but also for the peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world," according to the 2020 white paper released Friday. In the 2019 version, Japan was described

Feb. 5, 2021

Foreign minister says vaccine hoarding will only lengthen pandemic

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Friday that the hoarding of vaccines by a few countries would only undermine the public interest and lengthen the pandemic. “It is especially important to keep a distance from ‘vaccine nationalism’ and guarantee fair provision of vaccines to everyone at affordable costs,” Kang said during a congratulatory speech at a sustainable development forum hosted by Yonsei University. “We need to invest in bolstering the national health

Feb. 5, 2021

S. Korea, Georgia sign air service agreement

South Korea and Georgia have signed an air services agreement that would lay the foundation for operations of direct flights traveling between the two countries, the foreign ministry said Friday. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Georgian Ambassador to South Korea Otar Berdzenishvili formally inked the agreement Thursday, after the two countries reached the agreement through aviation talks in July 2019. The agreement is to take effect on the 30th day from the two countries' mutual notificati

Feb. 5, 2021

US begins global defense posture review: Biden

US President Joe Biden said Thursday that the United States will review its global defense posture, a move that could affect the number of US troops stationed overseas, including those in South Korea. "Today, I'm announcing additional steps to course correct our foreign policy and better unite our democratic values with our diplomatic leadership," Biden said in his first speech on national security and foreign policy delivered from the Department of State. "To begin, Defense Sec

Feb. 5, 2021

Moon, Biden signal fresh restart of peace process on Korean Peninsula

President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, held their first phone call Thursday, signaling a fresh restart of the South Korea-US alliance, the most critical strategic partnership in bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula. The phone call, which started at 8:25 a.m. local time and lasted 32 minutes, came two weeks after Biden was sworn in as the 46th US president Jan. 20. “The whole conversation was held in a friendly and professional mood, with the leaders sometimes shari

Feb. 4, 2021

Embassy officials meet sailors aboard seized S. Korean ship in Iran

Officials at the South Korean Embassy in Iran have met with the crew members aboard a Korean oil tanker seized in the country, the foreign ministry said Thursday, a day after Tehran said it will free most of the sailors. On Tuesday (local time), Iran announced it will let the crew members detained aboard the MT Hankuk Chemi, leave, except for the captain, about a month after its military seized them along with the vessel in its waters for allegedly polluting the ocean. The 20 crew members are

Feb. 4, 2021

S. Korea welcomes extension of New START treaty between US, Russia

South Korea welcomes the extension of a key nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, the foreign ministry said Thursday, expressing expectations that it would contribute to global peace and stability. Washington and Moscow extended the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, which was set to expire Friday, for five years, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday. He said the extension makes "the US, allies and partners, and the world safe

Feb. 4, 2021

South Korean Embassy in US to showcase new documentary on kimchi

WASHINGTON -- The South Korean Embassy in Washington said Wednesday it will soon release a documentary on kimchi, the most well-known traditional Korean dish that is also part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The first of the three-part documentary, "Kimchi Universe," will be released next Friday, Lunar New Year's Day, according to the Korean Cultural Center in Washington. It will be available for anyone to watch at the center's website at http://washingtondc.korean-cultur

Feb. 4, 2021

Moon, Biden to map out 'comprehensive' N. Korea strategy together

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- The leaders of South Korea and the United States agreed Thursday to draw up a joint "comprehensive" strategy on North Korea during their phone talks, Cheong Wa Dae announced. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Joe Biden also agreed to work together for the shared goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and bringing lasting peace to the region, according to Moon's spokesman Kang Min-seok. Moon proposed that the two sides make joint effort

Feb. 4, 2021

Iran agrees to free sailors of S. Korean tanker, but timing uncertain

Iran agreed on Tuesday to free the 19 crew members of a South Korean oil tanker that was seized a month ago, but it is uncertain when the sailors will return home.  Tehran has not yet released the ship or its captain, who is to remain in Iranian custody until the investigation into what the country has described as a breach of its environmental pollution laws is completed.   According to the operator of the MT Hankuk Chemi, at least 13 sailors are required to be on board th

Feb. 3, 2021

Harvard professor invites fury by calling ‘comfort women’ prostitutes

A journal article written by a Harvard professor has provoked fury here for its assertion that “comfort women” were not sex slaves, but prostitutes who chose to work at military brothels under voluntary agreements.  In the paper, titled “Contracting for sex in the Pacific War” and published in the International Review of Law and Economics, Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese legal studies at Harvard Law School, argued that Korean comfort women -- as th

Feb. 3, 2021

Seoul-Tokyo cooperation vital to regional peace: Pentagon

South Korea and Japan are the most important allies to the United States in the region and cooperation between the three countries is a key to regional peace and security, a Pentagon official said Tuesday. John Supple, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, also said the US will continue to seek to expand cooperation between the three countries. "Trilateral cooperation among the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan is vital to the maintenance of regional peace, prosperit

Feb. 3, 2021

Alliances need to be viewed from strategic vantage, not just cost: Hicks

US alliances need to be understood from the strategic value they serve, instead of just how much it costs to maintain them, US Deputy Secretary of Defense nominee Kathleen Hicks said Tuesday. The former deputy undersecretary of defense also said she expects President Joe Biden to place strategy at the center of US alliances. "We should always be focused on burden sharing and assuring that allies fulfill their commitments," Hicks said in her confirmation hearing before the Senate Arme

Feb. 3, 2021

Iran allows crew of seized Korean tanker to leave: reports

Iran said Tuesday it has allowed the crew of a South Korean oil tanker it seized last month to leave the country, according to news reports. The MT Hankuk Chemi had 20 sailors, including five Koreans, aboard when it was seized by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps for alleged oil pollution on Jan. 4. The release comes in a "humanitarian move" by Tehran following a request from the South Korean government, Reuters quoted a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry as telling state med

Feb. 2, 2021

Seoul calls for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release

South Korea on Tuesday expressed “deep concern” over the takeover of Myanmar by the country’s military and called for the immediate release of detainees including the country’s top civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.  “Our government voices deep concern over the recent political situation in Myanmar,” Choi Young-sam, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said, reiterating that Seoul respects the desire for democracy that Myanmar’s people expressed

Feb. 2, 2021

Ambassador Xing calls for S. Korea to respect China's position on Taiwan, Hong Kong

China hopes South Korea will respect its position on Taiwan and Hong Kong, Ambassador Xing Haiming was quoted Tuesday as saying amid simmering Sino-US tensions over Beijing's policies toward them. Xing made the remark during a meeting Monday with Kwon Ki-sik, head of the Korea-China City Friendship Association, as the administration of US President Joe Biden reaffirms support for Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory, and remains concerned about crackdowns on pro-democracy moveme

Feb. 2, 2021

S. Korea voices 'deep concern' over Myanmar coup, urges release of Aung San Suu Kyi

South Korea voiced "deep concern" Tuesday after Myanmar's military detained its top civilian leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in an apparent coup and declared a one-year state of emergency the previous day. "Our government expresses deep concern over the recent political situation in Myanmar," Choi Young-sam, spokesman of the foreign ministry, said, stressing Seoul respects Myanmarese people's aspirations toward democracy witnessed in last year's general elections. &quo

Feb. 2, 2021

S. Korea expresses concerns over Myanmar coup

South Korea expressed concerns Monday after Myanmar's military seized power in an apparent coup and declared a state of emergency following the detention of top civilian leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi. "(The government) is paying keen attention to the recent political situation in Myanmar with concerns," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "In consideration of the fluid situation in Myanmar, the government will make all-out efforts to ensure the safety and rights of o

Feb. 1, 2021

Rocky Seoul-Tokyo ties expected to continue in Biden era

A dramatic shift in Korea-Japan relations is unlikely, despite anticipation for change with Joe Biden taking control of the White House in the US and expected pressure from Washington for its two key Northeast Asian allies to mend ties. 　 For Washington, forging strong trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo is critical, as it views a security coalition of like-minded allies as central to tackling mounting challenges in the region, such as containing China’s aggression and North Kore

Feb. 1, 2021