President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged Japan to withdraw restrictions on exports of hi-tech materials to South Korea, while calling on government agencies to work closely with the business community to deal with the “unprecedented emergency.”Speaking at a weekly meeting with senior presidential aides, Moon said that Japan’s move violates principles of free trade, and urged it to reconsider using trade for political ends. “(I) urge Japan to withdraw the measures, and call f

Foreign Affairs July 8, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged Japan to withdraw restrictions on exports of hi-tech materials to South Korea, while calling on government agencies to work closely with the business community to deal with the “unprecedented emergency.”Speaking at a weekly meeting with senior presidential aides, Moon said that Japan’s move violates principles of free trade, and urged it to reconsider using trade for political ends. “(I) urge Japan to withdraw the measures, and call f

Foreign Affairs July 8, 2019

The producers of “Law of the Jungle,” a jungle survival entertainment program on SBS, could face police investigation in Thailand. According to news reports, Thai authorities are looking into possible violation of local environmental laws by the show’s cast in episodes filmed on Ko Mook Island in southern Thailand. The show consists of celebrities being sent to remote locations where they engage in survival activities including collecting and hunting food stuff.  A recentl

Social Affairs July 5, 2019

The government is working closely with the corporate community to respond to Japan’s trade regulations against South Korea, a top Cheong Wa Dae official said Friday. “(Cheong Wa Dae) is listening to the voices of local companies and seeking solutions,” the official said on condition of anonymity, in response to criticism that measures such as taking the issue to the World Trade Organization would be insufficient in reducing the impact on local businesses.  Japan has r

Foreign Affairs July 5, 2019

A 40-year-old man has been booked for intimidation after he requested to be arrested in a fake bank robbery, the police revealed earlier this week. According to the police, the suspect entered a bank in Daejeon on June 25, carrying a toy knife. Once in the bank, the suspect brandished it at a clerk, and “politely” requested for the police to be called to the scene. The suspected is then said to have stood still without making any other demands until the police arrived some four minut

Social Affairs July 5, 2019

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that his second summit with President Moon Jae-in had set a precedent for his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the DMZ on Sunday, it was revealed Thursday. The comments by Kim were captured on video after his meeting with Trump on Sunday in Panmunjom.  In the video, Kim is heard saying to President Moon Jae-in that the North “referred to the precedent of meeting with the South without being constrained by formalities and location.” M

North Korea July 4, 2019

While the jury is still out on the impact of US President Donald Trump’s excursion to the inter-Korean border, some staunch conservatives in South Korea are reacting with extreme responses. On Sunday, Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom, where he stepped across the Military Demarcation Line. He became the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea.  Some internet users, particularly those on right-wing websites, have acc

Politics July 3, 2019

The leaders of the two Koreas and the US on Sunday made history at the inter-Korean border, but the impact the gathering will have on denuclearization prospects remain unclear. The ruling Democratic Party welcomed the meeting, with its Floor Leader Rep. Lee In-young saying, “Following the (US-North Korea) working-level talks, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishing peace will enter an irreversible situation.”Meanwhile, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party raised

North Korea July 2, 2019

Trump becomes 1st sitting US president to step into NK, invites Kim to White HouseThe US will resume working-level dialogue with North Korea, US President Donald Trump said Sunday following his historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Panmunjom. Following his summit with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, Trump flew to Panmunjom, where he met with Kim and stepped over the Military Demarcation Line that divides the two Koreas, becoming the first incumbent US president to e

North Korea June 30, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday said that normalization of US-North Korea relations and the North’s denuclearization should be carried out simultaneously, and stressed the close cooperation between Seoul and Washington.Speaking at the joint press conference that follow his summit with US President Donald Trump in Seoul, Moon said that the two countries are in sync on North Korean issues, and that the Korea-US alliance will be expanded beyond boundaries of national security.  “To

North Korea June 30, 2019

The leaders of the two Koreas and the US gathered for the first time Sunday at the border village of Panmunjom, making history in Korean Peninsula issues. In a manner similar to President Moon Jae-in’s summit with Kim in April last year, Trump and Kim met at the Military Demarcation Line, respectively on the South Korean and North Korean side. After a brief greeting across the MDL, Trump and Kim walked several steps into North Korea, after which they came back to the South Korean

North Korea June 30, 2019

OSAKA, Japan -- US President Donald Trump on Saturday further fanned speculations about his visit to Seoul with a Twitter post saying he would like to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while in Korea. “After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon),” Trump wrote.“While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his ha

North Korea June 29, 2019

OSAKA, Japan – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday expressed his support for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, relaying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s words to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The meeting began at 36 minutes past midnight, nearly two hours later than the originally scheduled 10:45 p.m. Despite the late start, Moon and Putin held talks with their aides and Cabinet members in presence until 1:21 a.m., followed by an 8-minute long one-on-one meeti

Foreign Affairs June 29, 2019

OSAKA, Japan -- French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his full support for Seoul’s peace drive in a summit with President Moon Jae-in, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.  “(I) fully support President Moon’s Korean Peninsula peace process and (establishing) regional stability. France is prepared to provide all it can (for the process),” Macron was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung. Moon and Macron met on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit on reques

Foreign Affairs June 28, 2019

OSAKA, Japan -- President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed hopes for closer cooperation with Indonesia, requesting President Joko Widodo’s support. At a summit with Widodo held in Osaka, Japan, Moon stressed the need for closer collaboration between the two countries, while praising developments in recent years, according to Cheong Wa Dae. “President Moon assessed bilateral relations have advanced to the highest level during President Widodo’s term, and expressed hopes for

Foreign Affairs June 28, 2019