President Moon Jae-in will hold another summit meeting with US President Donald Trump in Seoul, and embark on an eight-day trip of three Southeast Asian nations in early November. According to Cheong Wa Dea, Moon and Trump will hold their third summit meeting in Seoul during the US president’s tour of South Korea, China and Japan. The exact date of the meeting has not yet been released. Major items on the agenda are expected to include the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement, and the ongoing North Kor

Politics Oct. 12, 2017

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he is “stronger and tougher” on North Korea than others, while Pyongyang’s top diplomat claimed that the regime was nearing a “balance of power” with the US. Speaking to reporters following his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House, Trump said that he would have the US nuclear arsenal in “tip-top shape” and denied reports that he wanted to secure 10 times more nuclear warheads. (Yonhap)“I want modernization and tot

North Korea Oct. 12, 2017

The US and South Korean air forces conducted another exercise involving two B-1B bombers in a show of force late Tuesday, while the White House revealed that US President Donald Trump had discussed “a range of options” on North Korea. According to Seoul’s military, two B-1B bombers of the US Air Force conducted a drill in the East Sea at around 10 p.m. and were later joined by South Korean fighter jets for a joint exercise in the West Sea. Before entering South Korean airspace, the US strategic

North Korea Oct. 11, 2017

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for renewed efforts to realize his plans for income-led economic growth, highlighting September’s record exports. “Despite the North Korean nuclear crisis holding back (the economy), the fundamentals of our economy are very healthy and firm,” Moon said at Tuesday’s meeting with his senior aides. In September, South Korea’s exports came to $55.1 billion, rising 35 percent from a year ago. President Moon Jae-in (second from left) speaks during the meeting wi

Politics Oct. 10, 2017

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he has discouraged his top diplomat from talking to North Korea over its nuclear weapons program because it is a waste of time.“I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” Trump wrote on Twitter, using his nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “Save your energy Rex, we‘ll do what has to be done!”Trump has threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea in the wake of its

North Korea Oct. 2, 2017

North Korea is suspected of preparing another provocation on or around Oct. 10 or Oct. 18, South Korea’s top security official revealed on Wednesday. According to local political parties, whose chiefs met with President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, National Security Council chief Chung Eui-yong revealed the information citing a classified report. Oct. 10 is the anniversary of the North Korean ruling party’s foundation, and the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is scheduled for

North Korea Sept. 28, 2017

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called for stronger military capabilities to deter North Korean provocations, saying Seoul regaining wartime operational control from the US is essential for the goal. “My administration is pursuing the early takeover of wartime operational control. The handover on the basis of our independent defense capabilities will ultimately lead to a remarkable advancement in the fundamentals and abilities of our military,” Moon said at an Armed Forces Day event held at a

Defense Sept. 28, 2017

Tension between Washington and Pyongyang appears to be escalating further, with the US president opening accusing the regime of torturing a US national and again hinting at the possibility of military action. Speaking after the US Treasury announced sanctions on North Korean banks and executives, US President Donald Trump said that North Korea had tortured Otto Warmbier “beyond belief.” The 22-year-old US citizen died in June, days after he was released after being detained in North Korea for 17

North Korea Sept. 27, 2017

Penalties and preventative measures against digital sex crimes are to be strengthened, the government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Tuesday.Details of the measures were finalized at the government-ruling party meeting held Tuesday to prevent digital sex crimes. Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Hong Nam-ki announces the new measures at the government complex in Seoul on Tuesday. YonhapThe plans come weeks after President Moon Jae-in highlighted the need fo

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2017

North Korea appears to have failed to detect a flight by US bombers near its airspace on Saturday, undermining the feasibility of Pyongyang’s latest threats against the US, lawmakers said Tuesday.On Monday, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho claimed that the US has declared war on his country, and that US military planes will be shot down should they approach North Korea airspace. This US Army handout photo shows Air Force and Marine Corps aircraft conducting a mission with the South Korea

North Korea Sept. 26, 2017

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho on Monday accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war on his country, and warned of military response to further show of force maneuvers by the US. Speaking to the media outside the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza in New York, Ri claimed that recent actions by Trump were declaration of war. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho accuses the US of declaring war on his country in New York on Tuesday. AP“This past weekend, Trump again declar

North Korea Sept. 26, 2017

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho will hold a press conference at 11 p.m.In addressing the UN General Assembly on Saturday, Ri lambasted US President Donald Trump for his earlier UN address in which he warned that North Korea would face destruction if it attacks the US or its allies.  North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho arrives at New York`s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sept. 20 to attend the UN General Assembly. (Yonhap)In his address, Ri said that North Korea would take

North Korea Sept. 25, 2017

The tension between Washington and Pyongyang continued to escalate on Monday, with the US barring North Koreans from the country while North Korea’s anti-US rhetoric took a new twist. North Korea’s state media Korean Central News Agency claimed on Monday that the North Korean ruling party and parliament sent open letters to political parties and parliaments of various nations calling on them to join the “anti-US movement.”North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. YonhapThe l

North Korea Sept. 25, 2017

After its first expressway -- the 28.8 kilometer Seoul-Incheon route -- was built in 1968, South Korea set about rapidly expanding its highway network. Two years later, the new decade saw the completion of the Seoul-Busan expressway -- a project personally overseen by late President Park Chung-hee and often considered a milestone in Korea’s industrialization. Since then, the network of highways have expanded to over 4,000 kilometers, and nearly 700 kilometers of new and extensions will be added

Social Affairs Sept. 22, 2017

Cheong Wa Dae on Monday urged South Korean media outlets to be cautious in reporting matters that concern national security and North Korea, ahead of President Moon Jae-in’s departure for New York.Reports had misinterpreted US President Donald Trump’s tweet mocking the North Korean leader and the country’s fuel shortages. The tweet, however, was misinterpreted by some South Korean news organizations as being criticism of Moon’s hopes for closer economic cooperation among the South, the North and

North Korea Sept. 18, 2017