Speculations that Cheong Wa Dae will once again engage with the United Arab Emirates are rising ahead of visit by a top UAE official. According to sources, Khaldoon Khalifa al-Mubarak, chief of the UAE’s Organization & Administration Department, and the key figures in a South Korea-UAE nuclear power plant deal will arrive in Seoul on Monday. Al-Mubarak’s visit comes about a month after President Moon Jae-in’s chief of staff Im Jong-seok was sent to the UAE as a special envoy. Im’s visit, the off

Politics Jan. 7, 2018

The Constitutional Court must change with society, and in accordance with revisions to the Constitution, the top court’s chief said Friday.  Constitutional Court chief Lee Jin-sung (left) goes on a hike at Inwangsan in Seoul on Friday to celebrate the new year with reporters. YonhapSpeaking to reporters during a hike on Friday, Constitutional Court chief Lee Jin-sung said that the Constitution cannot be immutable, and that the top court must move with the times. “If the Constitution is changed,

Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2018

South Korea and the US on Thursday agreed to push back joint military drills that coincide with the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, the two nations’ presidential offices said. The agreement came in the late-night telephone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump, which lasted about 30 minutes from 10 p.m.Presidents Trump and Moon (Yonhap)According to Cheong Wa Dae, the two leaders agreed to collaborate in ensuring the success of the games, and to delay planned

North Korea Jan. 4, 2018

With the two Koreas resuming communications, the focus is turning to the scope of high-level talks proposed by South Korea. On Tuesday, Seoul proposed high-level talks, and Pyongyang responded with unexpected speed by restoring the inter-Korean communication line at Panmunjom the following day. A South Korean soldier stands guard at the bridge in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, that leads to Panmunjeom on Thursday. Yonhap　In the preparation of the talks, and the talks themselves, Seoul’s Ministry of Un

North Korea Jan. 4, 2018

North Korea on Wednesday re-engaged the communications channel in Panmunjeom, calling the South side at 3:30 p.m. and opened the way for further discussions on Seoul’s offer of high-level talks.On Tuesday, Seoul suggested holding high-level talks to discuss a range of issues concerning North Korea’s potential participation in the PyeongChang Olympic Games in response to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s New Year address. With the North having severed communications with the South in February 201

North Korea Jan. 3, 2018

As the possibility of North Korea’s participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games grows, speculations are rising over the level of collaboration between the teams of the two Koreas. According to the Ministry of Unification, issues regarding details of the North Korean team’s stay in South Korea will be discussed if the meeting suggested by Seoul takes place. North Korean cheering squad is seen arriving in South Korea for Incheon Asian Athletics Championships in 2005. The Korea HeraldThe

North Korea Jan. 2, 2018

From North Korea’s nuclear weapons program nearing completion to the unprecedented impeachment of a president and a major earthquake, the year now drawing to a close has been a difficult one for South Korea.The corruption scandal that broke out in 2016 led to the country’s first impeachment of a president. President Park Geun-hye’s ouster in March in turn led to her and her closest allies being arrested and put on trial on a host of charges. In the wake of Park’s fall from grace, conservatives s

Social Affairs Jan. 1, 2018

The closure of the inter-Korean Kaesong industrial park last year was a unilateral decision made by former President Park Geun-hye, a civilian panel tasked with reviewing unification policies said Thursday. The panel also said that unification policies should be codified, and that the Ministry of Unification should be given more independence and its views given more weight in setting related policies.  The Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea viewed from Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday.

North Korea Dec. 28, 2017

Pushing back joint South Korea-US military drills until after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games is worth considering, said former commanders of US Forces Korea in a Voice of America report Wednesday.  US warplanes on standby during the Vigilant Ace South Korea-US joint air drill held from Dec. 4 to Dec. 8. YonhapThe idea of postponing joint drills that coincide with the games was first publicly raised by President Moon Jae-in during an interview with US broadcaster NBC on

Defense Dec. 27, 2017

The prosecution on Tuesday officially launched a probe into allegations surrounding DAS, an auto parts maker linked to former President Lee Myung-bak. Although Lee Sang-eun, the former president’s eldest brother, is the company’s largest shareholder, it has been alleged that the former president is the company’s real owner.  Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors` Office where the team investigating allegations surrounding DAS was set up on Tuesday. YonhapThe company’s management allegedly set up a

Politics Dec. 26, 2017

The presidential office on Tuesday again rejected speculations surrounding chief of staff Im Jong-seok’s recent trip to the Middle East, denying media reports. After more than a week of simply denying the related reports, Moon’s Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Han Byung-do on Tuesday told reporters that Im’s visit to the UAE was to deliver a handwritten letter from Moon aimed at enhancing bilateral ties, and that Moon and the president of the United Arab Emirates had talked about improvin

Politics Dec. 26, 2017

Like most countries influenced by western culture, Christmas is a time of celebration in South Korea. The iconic Salvation Army red kettles appear at major thoroughfares and Christmas songs and decorations fill the streets. Christmas-theme merchandise, and advertisements for them, fill the shelves and the airwaves. The typical Christmas scene in downtown Seoul could be from any major metropolis around the world. And, just as it has in the West, the days when Christmas was a strictly religious fe

Social Affairs Dec. 22, 2017

South Korea may make another offer of military talks with North Korea early next year, local media reported Thursday. Citing unnamed government sources, a local daily reported that the measure is included in the draft of the Moon Jae-in administration’s “denuclearization roadmap.” The roadmap is one of the 100 tasks set out by the new administration in July.  A South Korean soldier is seen standing guard as three North Korean soldiers observe the south side of Panmunjeom in a photograph taken on

North Korea Dec. 21, 2017

Nuclear weapons as deterrence against war is a myth created through propaganda, and the world must unite to bring about complete nuclear disarmament, says International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Asia Pacific Director Tim Wright. Founded in Australia in 2007, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons works to inform the public about the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons being used. For its work on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons adopted on July 7,

Politics Dec. 20, 2017

The US will strengthen its missile defense against North Korean threats and boost its military capabilities, including its nuclear arsenal, according to the Trump administration’s new national security strategy Tuesday. In the document, the Trump administration singled out North Korea and Iran as the main threats to US national security along with terrorist organizations, adding that the US’ missile defense will be strengthened. According to the document, the US is in the process of deploying “a

North Korea Dec. 19, 2017