President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday mourned the passing of his mother, and thanked the public for sharing his sorrow. “My mother has passed on. Fortunately, my family and I could watch her go with a peaceful face,” Moon wrote in a Facebook message posted in the early hours of Wednesday.  “All her life she missed her home she could not go back to, and experienced hardship as with all the mothers but she left behind the words ‘still, I was happy.’”Moon&rsquo

Politics Oct. 30, 2019

North Korea on Tuesday continued to pressure Seoul and Washington, accusing the allies of raising tensions and saying their policies will determine the future of the peninsula. Speaking at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Azerbaijan, Choe Ryong-hae, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, accused the US of aggravating the situation on the peninsula. “The Korean Peninsula situation is at a critical juncture, whether the situation rides on the current of eas

North Korea Oct. 29, 2019

Lee Choon-myeon, a victim of forced labor during Japan’s occupation of the Korean Peninsula during the first half of 20th century, died Saturday. According to the Center for Historical Truth and Justice, Lee passed away in the early hours of Saturday. She was 88 years old.  Lee’s suit seeking compensation from Japan’s Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. is pending at the Supreme Court. Lee’s surviving family members plan to continue the suit. In 1944, Lee, then 13, began working f

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2019

The government will push for deregulation and expand subsidies to support the development of the country’s artificial intelligence-related industries, and a national AI strategy will be drawn up within the year, President Moon Jae-in said Monday. Speaking at Developers View 2019 -- the largest AI-related industry event held in Korea -- at the Coex exhibition center in Seoul, Moon pledged increased support for the industry, saying that the “era of AI” has arrived. “We

Politics Oct. 28, 2019

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that he will not hurry to name a new justice minister, adding that a nomination could affect the prosecutorial reform process by introducing a new variable. The post of justice minister has been vacant since Cho Kuk stepped down amid criminal investigations into his wife, Chung Kyung-shim, and other members of his family. “Prosecutorial reform measures are being implemented and there is the question of whether bills on the fast-track process will be made i

Politics Oct. 25, 2019

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that tours to North Korea’s Kumgangsan cannot be revived in the form they took before they were discontinued. The comment came hours after the Ministry of Unification revealed that the North had informed the concerned South Korean parties of its intentions to remove facilities from the mountain resort. “(The North Korea’s demands) could go against public sentiment, and such elements may damage inter-Korean relations,” Moon said at a

North Korea Oct. 25, 2019

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s idea of denuclearization matches that of the US and Seoul.Speaking at a meeting with the Cheong Wa Dae press corps, Moon said Kim has made it clear that his idea of denuclearization is the same, but that this outcome can only be achieved if the North’s conditions are met.  “Between the two Koreas, the term complete denuclearization is used, and what complete denuclearization means is the same as the d

North Korea Oct. 25, 2019

North Korea on Friday sent official statements to the South demanding the removal of South Korean-built facilities from the Kumgangsan resort, the Ministry of Unification said.  According to the ministry, the statements were sent both to the ministry and to Hyundai Group early Friday. Hyundai Group is the South Korean company that led the development and operation of the resort at the North Korean mountain.In the statement, the North said a new “international tourism and culture zone&

North Korea Oct. 25, 2019

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met in Tokyo on Thursday and agreed that the deterioration of bilateral relations cannot be allowed to continue.“I interpret (the situation) as being that the sporadic, undisclosed talks between the two sides are becoming official,” Lee was quoted as saying by a local news agency after the meeting. “I have hopes that (the talks) can speed up a little.” Earlier in the day, Cho Sei-young, the first vice

Foreign Affairs Oct. 24, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called for stronger cooperation between Korea and Spain, saying that Korea hopes to emulate Spain as a bridge that connects the ocean to the continent. Speaking at the Korea-Spain business forum held in Seoul on the occasion of a state visit by Spain’s King Philip VI, Moon highlighted similarities between the two countries and the opportunity for cooperation.  “As Korea and Spain are the gate and hub where a continent and an ocean meet, there ar

Foreign Affairs Oct. 24, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for the National Assembly’s cooperation on next year’s budget, stressing the need to inject funds to promote innovation and peace, and to create a fairer society. In his policy speech at the National Assembly, Moon also urged the parliament to pass bills concerning prosecutorial reform, saying they would help create a fairer and more transparent society. “Public finances must lead the way to resolve structural problems of our society such

Politics Oct. 22, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ordered the interim chief of the Ministry of Justice to complete processes related to prosecutorial reform within the ministry’s authority within the month. In a meeting with Vice Justice Minister Kim O-su, Moon urged the vice minister to ensure that the absence of the minister is not felt, saying that it would take some time to appoint the new minister. Kim is currently heading the Justice Ministry following Cho Kuk’s resignation Monday, after anno

Politics Oct. 16, 2019

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday stressed the importance of the role the public played in the country’s democracy and promised the government’s support in achieving “better democracy.”  Speaking at a ceremony in Busan to commemorate the Busan-Masan Democratic Protests of 1979, Moon also stressed the need for the government’s “power organizations” not to lose sight of democracy, an apparent barb aimed at the prosecutors’ office. “Our de

Social Affairs Oct. 16, 2019

The government on Tuesday approved partial restructuring of the prosecutors’ office proposed as part of prosecutorial reform plans. The approval, given at the Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, comes a day after Cho Kuk resigned as justice minister, hours after announcing his prosecutorial reform plans. At the Cabinet meeting, the revision of the regulation on the administrative bodies of the prosecutors’ office was approved. As a result, four of the se

Politics Oct. 15, 2019

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s upcoming trip to Japan is raising hopes for a way out of the impasse in South Korea-Tokyo relations, but Seoul appears cautious on the outlook. On Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Lee will be traveling to Japan on a three-day schedule to attend the enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito.  Lee will attend the ceremony on Oct. 22 and a banquet hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the following day. Although Lee&rsq

Foreign Affairs Oct. 14, 2019