A Japanese foreign minister arrived in South Korea for the first time in four years on Monday ahead of the presidential inauguration ceremony for Yoon Suk-yeol, raising hopes for possible improvements in relations with the incoming conservative administration. According to Yoon’s office, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is traveling to Seoul for two days from Monday, and will attend the inauguration ceremony on behalf of the Japanese government on Tuesday. On Monday, Ha

Foreign Affairs May 9, 2022

North Korea is ramping up provocations in the run-up to the inauguration of Yoon Suk-yeol, who is more hawkish towards North Korea than the outgoing president, on Tuesday. On Saturday, the North fired an apparent submarine-launched ballistic missile in the waters off its east coast, three days after launching an intercontinental ballistic missile. According to the South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the suspected SLBM was launched at 2:07 p.m. on Saturday into the waters off the North

North Korea May 8, 2022

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service became a member of a cyberdefense center for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the state agency said on Thursday. According to NIS, it has been admitted as a contributing participant for NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, a cyberdefense group based in Tallinn, Estonia. It is the first time an Asian country joins the group. The NATO CCDCOE is a cyberknowledge hub focused on research, training, and exercises in the fiel

Defense May 5, 2022

Korea Forest Service and Woori Financial Group agreed to work together to promote the importance of carbon-neutrality in business management, as well as a priority on environmental, social and governance issues, the forest agency said Wednesday. The agreement signed Monday comes as part of their joint efforts to recognize the importance of forests in responding to climate change and ESG activities, and to contribute to their joint goals of sustainability by encouraging activities promoting ca

Social Affairs May 4, 2022

South Korea’s Foreign Minister nominee Park Jin said Friday that the incoming government will welcome a Japanese delegation if they come to the presidential inauguration of Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol. Park, however, said he did not hear whether Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would travel to Seoul for the ceremony that is scheduled on May 10, and Japanese media outlets reported Kishida will not attend due to unresolved conflicts between the two countries. Citing severa

Foreign Affairs April 29, 2022

South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden will hold their first summit in Seoul on May 21, 11 days after Yoon officially takes office, authorities confirmed on Thursday. Yoon’s office welcomed the US president’s trip to South Korea, as the US White House confirmed he will travel to South Korea and Japan from May 20 to 24. “President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol welcomes US President Biden who will visit South Korea on May 20-22. President-elect Yoon Suk-

Foreign Affairs April 28, 2022

The parliamentary confirmation hearing for Prime Minister nominee Han Duk-soo has been rescheduled to next week, after the hearing fell apart due to a boycott from the liberal bloc on Tuesday. On the second day of the two-day confirmation hearing, the special committee members for the hearing from the the Democratic Party of Korea and minor opposition Justice Party were absent, as they had been the day before, aside from their respective committee heads. As the event ended without proper vet

Politics April 26, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s policy consultation delegation met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and agreed to make joint efforts to enhance ties between the two countries, the chief delegate said Tuesday. Rep. Chung Jin-suk of the conservative People Power Party, who is leading the seven-member delegation to Japan, said the two sides had exchanged opinions on improving the bilateral relationship. “For the development of the future-oriented relationship of South Kor

Foreign Affairs April 26, 2022

The parliamentary confirmation hearings for President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s Cabinet picks got off to a rough start Monday, with rival parties boycotting the hearing for Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo, citing a lack of sufficient review materials. Han’s two-day confirmation hearing kicked off at 10 a.m. with only six lawmakers present of the 13 members that make up the special committee for personnel vetting at the National Assembly. Five were from the future ruling People Po

Politics April 25, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s policy consultation delegation to Tokyo began its five-day trip Sunday, marking the incoming administration’s first move aimed at improving bilateral relations. During the trip, the seven-person delegation, headed by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Rep. Chung Jin-suk of the People Power Party, will meet with Japanese authorities to discuss and coordinate policies, while seeking to revive the long-strained relationship between the two countries. B

Foreign Affairs April 24, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is reviewing the foreign minister’s residence as a new candidate to use as the presidential residence, after finding that the initial choice, the residence of the Army chief of staff, would cost too much to renovate. But with the change in decision coming less than three weeks before the presidential inauguration, it has been met with public criticisms for being “helter-skelter” in handling the relocation. As the official residence of the forei

Politics April 21, 2022

South Korea’s Foreign Minister nominee Rep. Park Jin of the People Power Party met Wednesday with Sung Kim, US Special Representative for North Korea, and agreed to maintain an “impenetrable alliance” when the incoming government takes over. In their closed-door meeting, the minister nominee stressed how the series of missile launches by North Korea posed a “serious threat” not only to the Korean people but also to peace and stability of Northeast Asia and the in

Foreign Affairs April 20, 2022

North Korea’s state propaganda outlet slammed President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday for keeping mum on Japan’s approval of school textbooks distorting history of its forceful acts against Korean people during the Japanese colonial period. Citing the Japanese government approving the use of high school history textbooks that distort the facts on wartime forced labor and sexual slavery of Korean people, the North said Yoon is siding with Japan in an article published on Uriminzok

North Korea April 19, 2022

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s nomination of his closest confidant, senior prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, as the minister of justice has been met with fierce backlash from opponents, who take it as a signal foreshadowing political retribution. With the country set for a change in power upon Yoon’s inauguration, Han’s nomination has come as a spark to the volatile situation surrounding the prosecution reform drive of the current ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The Democratic P

Politics April 19, 2022

Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States condemned the series of missile tests by North Korea while urging the communist regime to return to the “path of dialogue,” in Seoul on Monday. South Korea’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk said he reaffirmed the strong alliance with the United States, with his US counterpart Sung Kim traveling to Seoul to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula. “As North

Foreign Affairs April 18, 2022