Seoul’s presidential office on Wednesday declined to comment on claims regarding the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement and US military presence here, made in Bob Woodward’s new book, “Fear: Trump in the White House.”The book claims that US President Donald Trump intended to send a 180-day termination letter for the FTA, and told Moon that Seoul must pay for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense system. According to the book, Trump said that South Korea was “ripping us off” and that

International Sept. 12, 2018

US President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would achieve denuclearization, in response to messages from Pyongyang conveyed through Seoul.“Kim Jong Un of North Korea Proclaims ‘unwavering faith in President Trump.’ Thank you Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!” Trump wrote on his Twitter account.  US President Donald Trump. YonhapThe message was a response to revelations by Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who headed the sp

North Korea Sept. 7, 2018

US President Donald Trump asked President Moon Jae-in to act as the “chief negotiator” in dealings between Washington and Pyongyang, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said Thursday. The spokesman also revealed that Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong delivered a message from Trump to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his visit to Pyongyang on Wednesday. “During the phone conversation between the presidents day before yesterday, Trump gave a message to Kim, which was delive

North Korea Sept. 6, 2018

South Korean special envoys to Pyongyang returned with a list of agreements, but their significance will need time to become clear. On Thursday, Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong briefed the nation on the results of his trip to Pyongyang, listing four major agreements. The items include the dates of the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- from Sept. 18 to 20 in Pyongyang -- and Kim’s promise to continue working with Seoul and Wash

North Korea Sept. 6, 2018

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to meet for the third time from Sept. 18 to 20, in Pyongyang.The two leaders first met on the South Korean side of Panmunjom on April 27, marking the first time a North Korean leader had set foot south of the border. Their second meeting took place on May 26 on the North’s side of Panmunjom, and the meeting was made public only after the fact. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their first summit meeting

North Korea Sept. 6, 2018

The third inter-Korean summit will take place in Pyongyang from Sept. 18 to 20, Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong said Thursday. Chung, who returned from Pyongyang late Wednesday as President Moon Jae-in’s chief special envoy, said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had reiterated his commitment to denuclearization. “South and North agreed to hold the inter-Korean summit from Sept. 18 to 20 in Pyongyang, and to hold working-level talks at Panmunjom next week,” Chung said. The wo

North Korea Sept. 6, 2018

President Moon Jae-in’s special envoys met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and discussed outstanding issues, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. “The special envoys met with Kim Jong-un, and delivered (Moon’s) personal letter, and exchanged views,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said. The delegation arrived in Seoul at 9:40 p.m., after a dinner meeting hosted by the North.  South Korea`s National Security Office chief and chief envoy to North Korea Chung Eui-yong hands President Moon Jae-i

North Korea Sept. 5, 2018

President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation on Tuesday, discussing North Korean nuclear issues, and Moon’s special envoys to Pyongyang. President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. Yonhap“President Moon explained in details about the special envoys to discuss plans for the inter-Korean summit and ways to establish lasting peace on the peninsula through complete denuclearization,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said. Moon’s envoys, headed by Nation

North Korea Sept. 4, 2018

 President Moon Jae-in’s special envoys to North Korea will discuss the planned inter-Korean summit and seek ways to move denuclearization talks forward, the chief envoy said Tuesday. National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who heads the five-man delegation set to leave Wednesday, said that the delegation would discuss the issues with high-level North Korean officials in Pyongyang. Chung is to be accompanied by National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, NIS deputy chief Kim Sang-gyu

North Korea Sept. 4, 2018

President Moon Jae-in should seek to keep denuclearization talks alive, rather than seek a major breakthrough in his planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, says Oxford University’s Lawrence Freedman. Speaking at a discussion with Moon Chung-in, a Yonsei University professor and special adviser to the South Korean president, Freedman said that Seoul and Washington have failed in managing expectations in their dealings with North Korea.  North Korean leader Kim Jung-un (Yonhap)“What

North Korea Sept. 3, 2018

　President Moon Jae-in on Sunday named National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon and National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong to lead his special envoys to North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae revealed. 　The delegation will also include NIS deputy chief Kim Sang-gyun, Vice Minister of Unification Chun Hae-sung and Yun Kun-young, a Cheong Wa Dae official.  Chung Eui-yong (Yonhap)　The presidential office said the envoys will take the air route flying over the West Sea on Wednesday, and return on

North Korea Sept. 2, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday nominated five new ministers, including ministers of defense and education, and four vice minister-level officials, carrying out his first Cabinet reshuffle since taking office. For the post of Minister of National Defense, Moon tapped Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jeong Kyeong-doo, who built his career in the Air Force. Jeong is to replace Song Young-moo, a former Navy admiral who has been at the center of numerous controversies during his term in offic

Politics Aug. 30, 2018

The word dosirak has a number of meanings in Korean. The word can mean any meal packed to be carried, the container specially designed for carrying packed lunches, or a Japanese style bento. However, in recent years the word has become almost synonymous with factory produced, ready-to-eat meals on offer at the convenience stores that occupy every nook and cranny of major Korean cities. “Young men seem to pick these up a lot more than young women. I think it might be because there are a lot of pe

Food Aug. 30, 2018

From transporting meals in bamboo wicker baskets during the Joseon dynasty, packed lunches, or dosirak in Korean, have evolved with the times, and become a source of nostalgia for some, and a convenience and necessity for others. “Lunch was a big part of school life when I was young. It may sound cliched, but checking out friends’ dosirak and sharing the food was one of the more fun parts of going to school,” Lee Mi-sook, a 56-year old housewife, said, adding that her high-school-age nephews had

Food Aug. 30, 2018

Japan and North Korea are working on arranging a summit later in the year, a local news outlet reported Wednesday, on the heels of reports of a secret meeting in Vietnam between representatives of the two countries.According to the Daily NK, a Seoul-based online news outlet specializing in North Korean news, Pyongyang is trying to arrange talks in November between its leader, Kim Jong-un, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.Quoting an unnamed North Korean official posted in China, the Daily N

North Korea Aug. 29, 2018