The Korea Herald

Obama urged Japan to resolve sexual slavery issue: aide

U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Japan to take steps to resolve tensions with South Korea over its wartime sexual slavery, a senior aide was quoted as saying in the wake of last week's landmark deal between Seoul and Tokyo to resolve the dispute."He has encouraged Japan to take steps to address the legitimate grievances of the comfort women and the Korean people.And he has urged Japan to be mindful of the legacy of history and to take steps to address that legacy," Deputy National Security

Jan. 6, 2016

U.S. seminar on Japan's wartime sexual slavery to feature controversial scholar

The U.S. think tank Wilson Center plans to host a discussion about Japan's wartime sexual slavery next week that will feature a South Korean scholar accused of defaming victims of the atrocity.The Jan. 11 event is aimed at discussing how to address issues of historical contention, and what role the United States could play to ensure that historical reconciliation between South Korea and Japan continues to move forward, the Wilson Center said. Participants in the event will include Park Yu-ha, a

Jan. 6, 2016

Lippert sends out New Year's cards to officials

Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, sent out New Year's cards to the country's political and governmental officials, sources said Tuesday, which came with a family photo including his son, who was born in Seoul.The card, which had New Year's messages in English and Korean, were sent to local officials. It included a photo of his son, who was born last year.Lippert gave his son the Korean middle name of Sejun, literally meaning "clean and excellent." The move was seen by many as his

Jan. 6, 2016

Opposition calls for renegotiation of sex slavery deal

The main opposition party on Tuesday called on the Seoul government to renegotiate last month’s agreement with Tokyo to settle Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women and apologize to victims for the “unilateral” deal.Four senior lawmakers of the Minjoo Party of Korea including its floor leader Rep. Lee Jong-kul made the demands during their hour-long talks with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se at his office in Seoul.The lawmakers also said that Seoul should not accept Tokyo’s contributi

Jan. 5, 2016

Former U.S. envoy on N.K. dies

Stephen Bosworth, a former U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, died Sunday, according to the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, where he had worked until recently. He was 77.Stephen Bosworth (Yonhap)The exact cause of his death was not immediately made public. But he is known to have contracted prostate cancer several years ago. Last November, he was scheduled to visit Seoul to attend an international forum, but his visit was canceled due

Jan. 5, 2016

Korea, Japan mull 'Abe letter' to former sex slaves: reports

South Korea and Japan could soon discuss the possibility of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sending a letter to Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II, according to Japanese news reports.According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se asked his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, to take "steps to approach the victims" during their talks in Seoul last week.The talks produced a landmark agreement under which Japan

Jan. 5, 2016

Ex-U.S. Amb. Stephen Bosworth dies

Stephen Bosworth, a long-time Korea expert who served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea and as Washington's special representative for North Korea policy, has died. He was 76.Bosworth died at his home in Boston on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. Bosworth had served as chairman of the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS until recently. SAIS did not give the exact cause of his death, but the former diplomat suffered from prostate cancer.Bosworth s

Jan. 5, 2016

Korea-China relations unlikely to suffer despite improvement in Seoul-Tokyo ties: U.S. expert

Relations between South Korea and China are unlikely to suffer despite Seoul's recent landmark fence-mending agreement with Tokyo to resolve the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, a U.S. expert said Monday.South Korea and Japan reached the agreement last week, removing the biggest thorn in their relations and offering hope for significant progress in U.S. efforts to forge stronger security cooperation with the two allies in a region marked by a rising China."The PRC's warm feelings toward

Jan. 5, 2016

S. Korea calls on Japan not to hurt deal on sex slaves

South Korea reiterated its call on Japan Monday to refrain from making comments or taking actions that could damage the spirit of their rare deal over Tokyo's sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.Seoul's reaction came as Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said earlier in the day that there is no change in Japan's understanding that a statue symbolizing South Korean victims of Tokyo's sex slavery in front of Japan's Embassy in Seoul will be relocated at a proper manner.The

Jan. 4, 2016

Korea briefs China on Japan deal on wartime sex slaves

South Korea briefed China last week on a landmark deal with Japan aimed at resolving the long-running grievances of Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, a diplomatic source said Monday. The briefing came at the request of the Chinese side, the source said on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic matters. Under the deal with South Korea announced on Dec. 28, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologized to the Korean victims and Tokyo agreed to provide 1 billion yen (US$8.

Jan. 4, 2016

S. Korea, Japan should open new future: Japan envoy

South Korea and Japan should strive to open a new future by working to develop areas of mutual interest, Tokyo's top envoy to Seoul said Monday.Ambassador Koro Bessho published his wishes for the new year in a monthly newsletter released by the Japanese Embassy, saying that last year was a "monumental" year in bilateral ties. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the normalization of the two countries' relations following Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula."I believe Japan

Jan. 4, 2016

‘Japan, Korea on course to mend fences in 2016’

Seoul and Tokyo will make efforts to harness the positive momentum created by the agreement on wartime sexual slavery for this year and onward, to strengthen trilateral economic cooperation with China and the tripartite alliance involving the U.S, a political scientist highlighted. The landmark accord reached at the tail end of last year to resolve the euphemistically described “comfort women” issue, involving women forced into sexual service for the imperial Japanese army, was “a clear diplomat

Jan. 3, 2016

‘Japan, Korea on course to mend fences in 2016’

‘TPP would open doors for SMEs’

Korea’s anticipated membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership will help the country’s small and medium-sized firms capitalize on overseas markets and will exert pressure on North Korea to open its doors, a respected economist highlighted. Despite Seoul’s belated decision to join the multinational free trade scheme, announced in mid-October, the mega-sized agreement presents myriad opportunities, encompassing goods and services, rules of origin, trade remedies, government procurement, the envir

Jan. 3, 2016

Poland shares reconciliation, democratization lessons

A true reconciliation with neighboring nations takes forgiveness and remembrance from the whole of society, Polish Ambassador Krzysztof Ignacy Majka said in an interview last week. Referring to Poland’s postwar rapprochement with Germany, Majka stressed that the majority of a national community, from top to bottom and across the political spectrum, must be involved to keep the conciliatory momentum alive. “Real reconciliation does not have to take place at the high political level. It can come f

Jan. 3, 2016

Poland shares reconciliation, democratization lessons

Seoul, Tokyo to hold high-level economic talks this month

South Korea and Japan are seeking to hold high-level economic talks later this month in Tokyo as the two sides hope to enhance bilateral ties following last month’s breakthrough deal over Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women.The 14th Korea-Japan high-level economic consultations are reportedly expected to be held in the middle of this month. The consultations, which have been held since 1999, have been a key venue for the two sides to discuss bilateral trade, investment and other e

Jan. 3, 2016

Ban blasted for sex slavery deal support

Amid the mushrooming public uproar over the compromise with Japan on the “comfort women,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has added fuel to the fire by expressing his support during a phone call with President Park Geun-hye on New Years’ Day. The two leaders spoke Friday to swap greetings for the New Year and discuss ways to deepen cooperation on development, climate change, human rights and other common challenges. Ban, for his part, commended last week’s agreement, saying that history would

Jan. 3, 2016

Ban blasted for sex slavery deal support

FM Yun defends 'comfort women' deal

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se stepped up efforts Thursday to appease critics of a recent deal between South Korea and Japan on wartime sex slaves.The government has come under fire since it reached a breakthrough agreement with Japan Monday aimed at ending a decades-long dispute over the so-called comfort women.Under the deal, Japan admitted responsibility for the wartime brutality and offered reparations of 1 billion yen to the 46 surviving South Korean victims.However, some of the victims and

Dec. 31, 2015

Korea’s diplomatic presence rises in 2016

In 2016, South Korea will take the helm of nine international organizations including the U.N. Human Rights Council, underscoring the country’s enhanced diplomatic stature on the world stage.In particular, Korea will take some leading U.N. posts in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights ― the three principal areas that the international organization has been focusing on, Seoul officials said. U.N. Economic and Social Council President Oh JoonSince July 2015, Oh Joon, Seoul

Dec. 31, 2015

Korea’s diplomatic presence rises in 2016

Opposition steps up against sex slave deal

The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea on Thursday declared the results of South Korea and Japan‘s agreement on wartime sex slavery issue “invalid,” urging renegotiation and the dismissal of Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.The epochal agreement Monday, in which Japan apologized for victims of sexual slavery during World War II, in addition to funding a 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) project to support the surviving “comfort women.” But the surviving victims, along with the nongovernmental organiz

Dec. 31, 2015

Opposition steps up against sex slave deal

‘Hot peace’ to take hold in East Asia

The security and diplomatic landscape in East Asia is expected to be relatively stable in 2016, as major powers seek cooperation in fighting terrorism and focus on domestic issues such as elections and economic revitalization, analysts forecast.Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China are set to persist as the latter strives to expand its sphere of influence in the region and beyond. But they may seek to deescalate tensions and avoid military clashes to fostermutual cooperation, analysts

Dec. 31, 2015