Hopes are rising that Seoul and Tokyo could be heading toward resolving their ongoing spat, with the two sides agreeing to arrange a bilateral summit. The agreement was reached at the meeting between Seoul’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers meeting in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday. According to the two countries’ foreign ministries, they will work together to arrange a summit between

Foreign Affairs Nov. 24, 2019

Seoul and Tokyo have agreed to hold talks on thorny issues, staving off the end of the General Security of Military Information Agreement. “Our government, under the condition that the effect of GSOMIA can be ended at any time, decided to halt the effect of the announcement of the end of its validity on Aug. 23, and the Japanese government expressed its understanding,” said Kim You-geun, deputy director of the National Security Office. He said the two governments have agreed to

Foreign Affairs Nov. 22, 2019

Top South Korean officials on Thursday continued reviewing Korea-Japan issues, with the looming expiration of the military intelligence sharing agreement with Japan. On Thursday, the National Security Council was convened, raising speculations that Seoul’s decision on the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Japan was likely to have topped the agenda.  GSOMIA is set to expire at midnight Friday following Seoul’s decision to forego the annual renewal in respons

Foreign Affairs Nov. 21, 2019

President Moon Jae-in’s television appearance on Tuesday is being met with mixed reactions from the public and political arena. On Tuesday, Moon took part in an unscripted question-and-answer session televised live on major terrestrial and cable networks. The program invited 300 members of the public -- selected to represent South Korea’s demographics -- to pose any question to the president. Although the program gave members of the public a chance to address the president direc

Politics Nov. 20, 2019

South Korea needs to move to a volunteer military system, but the switch from the current conscription system will need time and preparation, President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday. “(A volunteer system) is something our society must move toward. But at present, the conditions are not right to introduce a volunteer system, (the change) needs to be planned in the mid- to long-term,” Moon said, speaking in a live televised question-and-answer session with 300 selected civilians. Moon

Politics Nov. 19, 2019

The diplomatic spat between South Korea and Japan appears likely to continue, with the two sides reiterating their positions six days before their military information-sharing pact expires.  On Sunday, Japanese media reported that Tokyo has decided it will not retract trade measures applied to South Korea. According to Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese government has arrived at the decision and has informed the US. The paper said the decision was based on the results of talks between foreign af

Foreign Affairs Nov. 17, 2019

The top military commanders of South Korea and the US will meet in Seoul on Thursday to discuss the allies’ military readiness and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula at the 44th Military Committee MeetingThe agenda for the meeting is likely to include issues surrounding Seoul’s General Security of Military Information Agreement with Tokyo, and the ongoing defense cost-sharing negotiations. Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley arrived in Seoul on

Defense Nov. 13, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday stressed the importance of strengthening ties with ASEAN member states, saying the region is key to his administration’s foreign policy. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting in Busan ahead of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit and the Mekong-Korea Summit scheduled to be held in the southern port city Nov. 25-27, Moon highlighted the importance of the region and developments in Korea-ASEAN relations and said his foreign policy differs from that of past administrati

Foreign Affairs Nov. 12, 2019

The Ministry of Justice will put into place a number of key prosecutorial reform measures within the year to maintain the momentum of reform, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.  According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung, Vice Minister of Justice Kim O-su briefed President Moon Jae-in on the ministry’s prosecutorial reform plans on Friday, listing changes the ministry aims to complete by the end of the year. According to the plans, the Justice Ministry has selected core tasks for pro

Politics Nov. 11, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Friday stressed the importance of ridding the nation of corrupt practices, listing education and prosecution reform as two of the most urgent issues. Speaking at a meeting of the anti-corruption policy committee, Moon said the labor market and the practice of giving preferential treatment to retired public officials need urgent reform.  “Anti-corruption reform and (building a) fair society is a calling of our administration,” Moon said. Listing changes m

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2019

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang on Wednesday stressed the need to lay the grounds for resolving the latest Seoul-Tokyo friction within the year, while Japanese media reported that Tokyo would not accept the plans Moon proposed the previous day. Speaking at a meeting with leaders of a Korean school in Japan, Moon said that legislative processes regarding the matter must be resolved within the year. “There are two important turning points on Nov. 23 and at the end of the year. O

Foreign Affairs Nov. 6, 2019

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party raised the heat on Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, calling for the removal from office of two of President Moon Jae-in’s top aides. The main opposition accuses national security office chief Chung Eui-yong of perjury and senior secretary for political affairs Kang Gi-jung of insulting the National Assembly, in connection with their actions during the parliamentary audit of the presidential office Friday.  “Chung no longer has the right to sit in

Politics Nov. 5, 2019

President Moon Jae-in’s diplomacy plans appear to have been foiled by Chile’s decision to cancel the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit which was scheduled to be held in Santiago on Nov. 16-17. On Wednesday, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera announced the cancellation of the APEC meeting, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which were to be held in November and December, respectively. Announcing the decision, Pinera cited unrest caused by nation

Foreign Affairs Oct. 31, 2019

The funeral of President Moon Jae-in’s mother Kang Han-ok was held Thursday. Kang’s remains were interred at a Catholic facility in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. She died Tuesday evening at the age of 92. Kang was born in Hungnam, South Hamgyong Province, in what is now North Korea. Korean funerals are customarily held over a period of a few days, usually three or five days, with the burial taking place on the final day. The funeral mass at the Namcheon Catholic Cathedral

Politics Oct. 31, 2019

The US did not ask South Korea to bear the cost of deploying strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula and nearby regions in the ongoing defense cost sharing negotiations, Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.  “The US did not request sharing of the cost of strategic assets’ deployment in the two SMA negotiations,” a Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by a local news agency. Seoul and Washington are currently engaged in Special Measures Agree

Foreign Affairs Oct. 30, 2019