A South Korean official on Tuesday played down a CNN report that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was in critical condition after surgery. Citing a US official with direct knowledge of the matter, the US news channel said Kim appeared to be in "grave danger" after surgery. An earlier report by a South Korean online media outlet specializing in North Korea news said that Kim had undergone heart surgery and was in recovery. Kim was not present at the celebration of the birthday of his

North Korea April 21, 2020

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in critical condition after surgery, CNN said Tuesday, citing a US official with direct knowledge of the matter. Earlier on Monday, a South Korean online media outlet specializing in North Korea news reported Kim underwent a cardiovascular procedure and was in recovery.  Kim was not present at the celebration of the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il-sung on April 15, fueling speculation about his health. It was the first time he had been absent from th

North Korea April 21, 2020

North Korea warned US President Donald Trump not to use his personal rapport with leader Kim Jong-un for “selfish purposes,” saying Kim had not sent the “nice note” Trump claimed to have received. “The relations between the leaders of both countries are not to be taken up just for diversion or be misused for selfish purposes,” the North’s Foreign Ministry said on late Sunday in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. The message ca

North Korea April 20, 2020

Two Army conscripts from Daegu who are followers of the Shincheonji Church are to be released from military training after testing positive for COVID-19, the Army said Saturday. Two days earlier, another conscript who lived in South Gyeongsang Province near Daegu, also a follower of the sect, tested positive for the virus and was sent to a hospital for treatment. The three men enlisted Monday at a boot camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. About 130 trainees believed to have come into c

Defense April 18, 2020

South Korea reported 18 new coronavirus infections Friday, bringing the tally to 10,653, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday.  The number of new infections was the lowest since Feb. 20, when it was 16. After that the daily tallies escalated in the hundreds throughout March, but they dropped markedly in early April and has since remained between 20 and 30. Of the 18 new infections, five occurred in the southeastern city of Daegu and adjacent North Gyeong

Social Affairs April 18, 2020

US Congressmen urged the Trump administration Wednesday to conclude the drawn-out defense cost-sharing deal with South Korea to protect US security interests and the readiness of both countries’ forces in Korea. On April 1, Korean national employees working for United States Forces Korea here were put on unpaid, indefinite leave due to a lapse in the bilateral cost-sharing deal for the upkeep of 28,500 US troops in Korea. Two countries had failed to finalize the agreement due to differenc

Defense April 17, 2020

Hong Joon-pyo, a prominent conservative politician who ran in the election as an independent and won, said Thursday that he would rebuild the political right, which is reeling from a crushing defeat in Wednesday’s general elections. Hong, who was denied candidacy for the conservative main opposition United Future Party, was elected to represent the Suseong-gu constituency of Daegu, a conservative stronghold. He said he would return to the United Future Party as he had promised during his

Politics April 16, 2020

Hwang Un-hah, the former commissioner of the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency who is standing trial on power abuse charges, won a parliamentary seat in his hometown of Daejeon in Wednesday’s general elections. Winning the race by a narrow margin against a conservative United Future Party rival, Hwang grabbed a seat on the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s ticket to represent the conservative-leaning Jung-gu constituency of Daejeon. Hwang is an outspoken critic of the prosecutio

Politics April 16, 2020

Despite the continuing coronavirus outbreak, South Korean citizens flocked to the polls for Wednesday’s general elections, pushing the turnout rate to the highest in years. Nearly 66 percent of the country’s 43 million registered voters had cast their ballot as of 6 p.m., when balloting was still underway for voters quarantined over COVID-19. The turnout was the highest in general elections since 2000. A record 11 million people -- 26 percent of the electorate -- took part in

Politics April 15, 2020

North Korea fired what appeared to be multiple cruise missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday morning, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that it was maintaining readiness while monitoring developments in case of additional launches.　 The projectiles flew at least 150 kilometers from the eastern coastal town of Munchon during the 40-minute firings that began at around 7 a.m., according to the JCS. Along with the projectile launches, the North also flew multiple Sukhoi-varian

North Korea April 14, 2020

This year’s general elections are shaping up to be a battle between the ruling party that aims to maintain dominance and the main opposition party that hopes to “pass judgment” on the Moon Jae-in administration. Both project that they will take majority, but the outlook remains unclear. The exceptions are centered on the southwestern city of Gwangju and surrounding North and South Jeolla provinces for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, and Daegu and adjoining North Gyeongs

Politics April 11, 2020

The army chiefs of South Korea and the US held a telephone conversation Friday to discuss countering the coronavirus and the readiness of their combined forces. The call between Suh Wook, South Korea’s Army chief of staff, and James C. McConville, his US counterpart, was held at the request of the US. In the call, Gen. Suh highlighted strong measures to track down potential patients and test them while following anti-virus precautions as key to curb the spread of COVID-19. South Korea&r

Defense April 10, 2020

North Korea may have tested dummy missiles at its Sinpo South Shipyard along its east coast recently, Washington-based website 38 North said Wednesday, citing commercial satellite images. The group monitors North Korea. Four unidentified objects were lined up next to the ejection pad, and the service tower on the pad looked operational, with vehicles lined up next to it. The images suggested the North tested dummy missiles, the group said. But the group was unsure whether Pyongyang had c

North Korea April 9, 2020

Seoul, which is the largest metropolis in South Korea that comprises one-fifth of the country’s 50 million-strong population, is a key battleground in the April 15 parliamentary elections between liberals and conservatives. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said it has a clear lead in at least 33 out of 49 constituencies in the capital. The main opposition United Future Party projected it would secure 17 seats. The governing party expects to pick up seats in its traditional liberal

Politics April 9, 2020

The US 8th Army in Korea said Sunday it had stripped one sergeant and three soldiers of two months’ pay, as they had visited an off-base bar in violation of the military guidance not to travel outside their base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, where the US military is headquartered. The three soldiers had their ranks downgraded to private as well. Noncompliance with the guidance will be made public so everyone related to the US military understands the consequences of defying the comma

Defense April 6, 2020