President Moon Jae-in has returned back from a three-nation tour of Europe, but his comments regarding North Korea have gained more public attention than Seoul’s relationship with Nordic countries. On the tour to Finland, Norway and Sweden, Moon not only put a timeline on his desired meeting with Kim Jong-un, but also urged Pyongyang to take concrete steps, while voicing his views on the groundwork necessary for US-North Korea dialogue.  “(I think) working-level negotiations sho

North Korea June 16, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday expressed hopes on meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the coming weeks, further fueling speculation surrounding inter-Korean and US-North Korea dialogue. “I am prepared to meet Chairman Kim at any time. In the end, whether we meet, or setting the time of the meeting, is down to Chairman Kim’s choice,” Moon said at the Oslo Forum on Wednesday. “President Trump is visiting Korea at the end of June, and if possible, meeting Chairman

North Korea June 13, 2019

US President Donald Trump’s comments regarding a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are fanning speculations that US-North Korea dialogue may resume. On Tuesday, Trump revealed that he had received a letter from Kim the previous day and that he expects positive developments between the two countries. “I just received a beautiful letter from Kim Jong-un,” Trump said, describing the letter as “very personal, very warm, very nice.”“I think

North Korea June 12, 2019

Lee Hee-ho was most often in the spotlight as late President Kim Dae-jung’s wife in the later parts of her life, but Lee was a champion of women’s rights whose beliefs and actions have left a lasting mark on Korean society.Lee was born into a wealthy family in 1922 during the Japanese occupation of Korea. While Korea was a patriarchal society where women took second priority to men, Lee’s parents are said to have raised her without such bias. Lee studied at a girl’s high

Politics June 11, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Monday held a summit with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, where they agreed to engage in bilateral cooperation on energy and industrial innovation. The two countries also agreed to boost cooperation on policies related to gender equality and quality of life.  Moon is currently in Finland on a state visit, the first stop in his three-nation tour of northern Europe. From Finland, Moon will move on to Norway and Sweden. According to Seoul’s presidential office,

Foreign Affairs June 10, 2019

The presidential office and the ruling party on Monday urged the main opposition to resume parliamentary proceedings, saying that the supplementary budget needs to be implemented by July at the latest. Officials who attended a high-level meeting between Cheong Wa Dae, the ruling Democratic Party and the government said discussions on the supplementary budget must begin early this week if it is to be implement next month. The 6.7 trillion won ($5.6 billion) supplementary budget bill has been held

Politics June 10, 2019

South Korea on Friday denied reports that it was not participating in international efforts to prevent North Korean ships from circumventing sanctions by transferring cargo at sea. “(South Korea) is actively participating in enforcing UN Security Council resolutions related to sanctions on North Korea,” a Ministry of National Defense official said Friday in response to a Voice of America report. On Thursday, Voice of America had cited a Japanese Foreign Ministry official as sayi

North Korea June 7, 2019

The South Korean presidential office on Thursday denied reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping has confirmed plans to visit Seoul before the G-20 summit. A Cheong Wa Dae official was quoted as saying by local media that related reports could not be confirmed and plans for Xi’s visit to Seoul had not been finalized.  Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denied the report, but said the two countries are working closely on a matter regarding a “high-level exchange,&rdq

Foreign Affairs June 6, 2019

A proposed meeting between the president and the leaders of five political parties -- suggested to resolve the parliamentary deadlock -- has worsened the tug of war between the ruling and opposition blocs. On Tuesday, Cheong Wa Dae revealed plans for a meeting between President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the five parties, to be followed by a one-on-one meeting with Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn. Cheong Wa Dae said it had suggested the meeting be held Friday, in a bid to fac

Politics June 5, 2019

Rhyu Si-min and Hong Jun-pyo on Monday took to social media to debate social and political issues, confirming the deep divide in the views of the liberal and conservative blocs on most issues. A video of the debate, uploaded on Rhyu’s and Hong’s platforms late Monday, has been viewed nearly 1 million times.  Rhyu, who served as environment minister under the late President Roh Moo-hyun, is currently the chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation. Hong is a former presidential candi

Social Affairs June 4, 2019

A sightseeing boat carrying 33 South Koreans capsized in Budapest on Wednesday, leaving at least seven Koreans dead and 19 others missing. The boat capsized in the Danube River at about 9:15 p.m., with 33 Koreans and two Hungarian crew members onboard. Of the Koreans onboard, seven have been rescued while another seven Koreans and one of the Hungarian crew have been confirmed dead. The rescued individuals are said to be in stable condition, and search for the missing 20 is ongoing.Of the 33

Social Affairs May 30, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday criticized the main opposition Liberty Korea Party over developments surrounding the leak of diplomatic information. “It is disgraceful when the country’s diplomatic secrets are leaked, and are being used for political wrangling,” Moon said at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. He was referring to Liberty Korea Party Rep. Khang Hyo-shang, who used classified information about his telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump to critici

Politics May 29, 2019

US President Donald Trump appears to be taking a different tack on North Korea from his advisers and also from Japan, sending mixed signals about US-North Korea relations and dialogue prospects. Speaking before and after his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Monday, Trump reiterated his views on North Korea’s recent provocations and on its leader, Kim Jong-un. “I think he’s very much -- I talk to him a lot about it, and he’s very much into th

North Korea May 28, 2019

Environmental issues must be approached as security issues, experts attending the International Security Symposium on Environmental Challenges and Solutions said. The event, organized by the Center for Security Policy Studies of George Mason University Korea and George Mason University, was held in Incheon on May 22.  “Climate change and environmental challenges now need to be addressed as security issues,” said Ellen Laipson, a former intelligence adviser to US President Barack

Social Affairs May 27, 2019

More than 120,000 visitors attended the 2019 Culture expo organized by the Good News Corps, the International Youth Fellowship said Monday. Good News Corps is an international volunteer program organized by the International Youth Fellowships, a Christian nongovernmental organization.  According to the International Youth Fellowship, the event was organized by 250 Good News Corps members who took part in education, religious and cultural volunteer projects across 95 countries over one year.

Social Affairs May 27, 2019