SINGAPORE – President Moon Jae-in and US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday stressed the need for cooperation on North Korean issues, and the US requested Moon play a bigger role in aiding communication among concerned parties, Cheong Wa Dae said.The two met on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related meetings in Singapore.  President Moon Jae-in and US Vice President Mike Pence hold a meeting in Singapore on Thursday. YonhapAccording to Cheong Wa Dae, Pence requested M

North Korea Nov. 15, 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hinted that sanctions on North Korea should be eased, in a meeting with President Moon Jae-in in Singapore, Cheong Wa Dae said. “President Putin said that if North Korea’s denuclearization measures have advanced, there should be corresponding measures,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom said. The comment falls in line with Moscow’s stance that some sanctions on North Korea could be eased in light of recent developments.  President Moon Jae-in

Foreign Affairs Nov. 14, 2018

SINGAPORE -- President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday extended his condolences to the people of Laos over an accident at a dam construction site in July that resulted in multiple fatalities. Speaking during a meeting with Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Moon promised further aid to support the recovery efforts and the rebuilding of the dam. President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith shake hands ahead of their meeting in Singapore on Wednesday. Yonhap“I extend my c

Foreign Affairs Nov. 14, 2018

SINGAPORE -- President Moon Jae-in will meet with US Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of multilateral summits, Cheong Wa Dae announced Wednesday. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Moon and Pence will meet in Singapore, where the two are attending ASEAN-related meetings, on Thursday.  President Moon Jae-in attends the Korea-ASEAN Summit meeting in Singapore on Wednesday. Yonhap“President Moon and Vice President Pence will hold a meeting in the morning of the 1

Foreign Affairs Nov. 14, 2018

SINGAPORE -- President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday called for closer cooperation between South Korea and the ASEAN member states.　At the ASEAN meeting, Moon proposed special back-to-back summits next year with all 10 of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and with those along the Mekong River, which according to Cheong Wa Dae was met with unanimous approval from the attending leaders. 　“I have faith in ASEAN’s limitless potential and strength in unity. In addition, (I) have a clear vision of

Foreign Affairs Nov. 14, 2018

President Moon Jae-in flew to Singapore on Tuesday, ahead of summit meetings with the leaders of Brunei, Laos and Russia the following day.According to Seoul’s presidential office, Moon will meet with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of ASEAN and East Asia Summit events. Moon is in Singapore on a four-day visit to attend a series of multinational summits, and will move on to Papua New Guinea

Foreign Affairs Nov. 13, 2018

A top Cheong Wa Dae official on Wednesday criticized the Japanese government’s response to a recent South Korean court ruling, saying that actions taken by Tokyo officials are aggravating the situation.Since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Korean plaintiffs seeking compensation from Japan’s Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, which had forced them to work for the company during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Tokyo has vehemently criticized the ruling and is pressing Seoul to take action.  Japa

Foreign Affairs Nov. 7, 2018

President Moon Jae-in will hold summit meetings with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to Singapore and Papua New Guinea, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.Seoul is also working on arranging meetings with US Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip. President Moon Jae-in. YonhapAccording to Cheong Wa Dae, a meeting with Pence is being arranged at the request of the US, while Seoul and Beijing are discussing

Foreign Affairs Nov. 7, 2018

The country’s five political parties on Monday agreed to cooperate on economic and political issues to aid people’s livelihoods and businesses in a meeting with President Moon Jae-in.The agreement was reached in the first meeting of the state affairs negotiation group comprising the ruling and opposition parties as well as the government.  President Moon Jae-in and floor leaders of the five political parties hold a meeting at the presidential office on Monday. From left: Justice Party’s Rep. You

Politics Nov. 5, 2018

President Moon Jae-in will set out on a six-day trip to Singapore and Papua New Guinea on Nov. 13, to pitch his New Southern Policy and economic policies and highlight the drive to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, Cheong Wa Dae announced Monday .“President Moon Jae-in will visit Singapore and Papua New Guinea on a six-day schedule from Nov. 13 to Nov. 18 to attend ASEAN-related summit meetings and the APEC summit,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom said. (Yonhap)During the trip, M

Foreign Affairs Nov. 5, 2018

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates agreed to strengthen ties and arrange a visit to Seoul by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi early next year, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. 　According to Seoul’s presidential office, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak met with Im Jong-seok, President Moon Jae-in’s chief of staff, in Seoul and discussed related issues. (Yonhap)At the meeting, Im and the UAE official agreed to cooperate to arrange Crown Prince Moham

Defense Nov. 2, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday stressed job creation and welfare, and making peace with North Korea, promising to build an “inclusive nation” in his budget speech at the National Assembly. The government’s budget bill for next year requests 470.5 trillion won ($413.8 billion), up 9.7 percent from this year. The increase is the largest year-on-year rise seen since 2009. According to Moon, the increase reflects his administration’s drive to create jobs, support job seekers and to offer more wel

Politics Nov. 1, 2018

South Korea and the US have agreed to launch a working group for coordinating on North Korea-related issues, sparking criticism from conservatives that it is evidence of a rift in the allies’ stance.On Tuesday, the US Department of State revealed that Seoul had agreed to form a working group during US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegen’s trip to Seoul.According to State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino, the working group will “strengthen our close coordination o

North Korea Oct. 31, 2018

The Pyongyang Declaration was posted on the official government gazette Monday, promulgating the declaration and bringing the agreement to effect. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party, meanwhile, immediately filed for an injunction to suspend the agreement taking effect, claiming that the government has violated the Constitution.The Pyongyang Declaration, announced during President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang last month, calls for an end to military hostilities and improved inter-Korean

North Korea Oct. 29, 2018

President Moon Jae-in ratified the Pyongyang Declaration and the inter-Korean military agreement for the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration on Tuesday after the Cabinet approved the two agreements earlier in the day.　　The summit agreement will be published in the government gazette for public notice soon, a Cheong Wa Dae official said, while the military agreement will be exchanged with the North before the public notification is made.　Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom said the e

North Korea Oct. 23, 2018