US first lady Melania Trump on Tuesday stood in front of some 80 teenagers in South Korea to speak about gender equality in sports among youths, on the first day of her two-day stay here. US first lady Melania Trump gives a speech during "Girls Play 2!" Initiative, an Olympic public diplomacy outreach campaign, at the US Ambassadors residence in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)In blue stiletto heels and a structured dark brown coat, Melania set foot in South Korea alongside her husband Donald Trump on

Foreign Affairs Nov. 7, 2017

South Korea’s latest unilateral sanctions against North Korea unveiled Monday are more symbolic than practical and appear to be timed for US President Donald Trump’s visit here, experts said.  (Yonhap)The Moon Jae-in administration blacklisted a total of 18 North Korean individuals allegedly contributing to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development program as part of its own sanctions against the regime. The move came a day before Trump’s scheduled arrival here Tuesday for a two-day tour, whic

North Korea Nov. 6, 2017

North Korea on Friday lambasted joint military exercises involving US B-1B Lancer bombers flying over the Korean Peninsula ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned state visit here next week. US B-1B Lancer bombers (AP-Yonhap)Two US B-1B bombers flew from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on Thursday to participate in a sequenced bilateral mission with South Korean and Japanese jets, the US Pacific Air Forces said in a statement. The exercise had been scheduled ahead of time and was “not in re

North Korea Nov. 3, 2017

With North Korea’s accelerating weapons program, the United Nations’ food aid to the country looks set for a donation drought. But Lim Hyoung-joon, the United Nations World Food Program’s Korea office head, stresses humanitarian support must continue, regardless of the current political situation. Lim Hyoung-joon, head of the United Nations World Food Program’s Seoul office. (WFP)“The issue of humanitarian aid to North Korea should be viewed separately from the political situation,” Lim said in

North Korea Nov. 2, 2017

After North Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear experiment in September, signs have emerged that its test site in Punggye-ri may be falling apart. A series of earthquakes, which is unusual in the area, have been recorded, while a massive tunnel collapse at the site was also detected. Japan’s Asahi TV on Tuesday reported that at least 200 people died and about 100 people were trapped inside in a collapsed tunnel, without providing information on when it had happened. Seoul’s Unification

North Korea Nov. 1, 2017

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry expressed regret over UNESCO’s decision to postpone its response to multinational civic groups’ efforts to list an array of documents concerning “comfort women” in the Memory of the World Register. “Comfort women” is a euphemistic term that refers to women who were forced into sexual slavery during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea (1910-45). A group of activists protests outside the Japanese Embassy in central Seoul. Yonhap“The government expresses our regret over the

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2017

North Korea’s trade dependency on China reached an all-time high last year, while its luxury goods imports amounted to nearly $666 million, according to a lawmaker. The figures come amid the international community’s growing efforts to place a cap on the reclusive nation’s economic activity by convincing Beijing to use its clout against Pyongyang.  A line of Chinese shipping container trucks are waiting to enter North Korea. (Yonhap)A recent report by the Korea-Trade Investment Promotion Agency

North Korea Oct. 30, 2017

Korea is not considering any additional deployments of the US’ Terminal High Attitude Area Defense anti-missile system, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told lawmakers Monday. She also reiterated that the country won’t participate in the US-led missile defense networks. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha answers lawmakers during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul on Monday. Yonhap“We are not considering any additional THAAD deployments,” Kang told a parliamentar

Foreign Affairs Oct. 30, 2017

The South Korean government suggested offering maintenance support for US strategic military assets, seeking to have more deployed here, a government source said Sunday.  The USS Ronald Reagan leaves the South Korean port of Busan. (Yonhap)“In regards to the expansion of the rotational deployment of US strategic assets, which is currently in talks to effectively counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, the government has expressed the intention to the US to provide maintenance service

Defense Oct. 29, 2017

South Korea will closely cooperate with the United States to bring about a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue, South Korea’s new ambassador to the US said Thursday. He said it is crucial to find out North Korea’s true intention behind its moves and pointed to bilateral cooperation as key to the task. Ambassador to the US Cho Yoon-je (left) and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (right). (Yonhap)“Currently, we are in the process of seeking ways to solve the issue, as no one has a

Foreign Affairs Oct. 26, 2017

Seoul’s unification minister urged Pyongyang to grant South Korean businessmen safe access to the now-closed joint industrial zone in North Korea to examine their properties.  Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (Yonhap)“The government has received the visitation request to North Korea submitted by South Korean firms behind the Kaesong industrial park on Oct. 12, hoping to get a firsthand look at the site,” Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told a press conference Tuesday, which was embargoe

North Korea Oct. 26, 2017

The official countdown for the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, has begun, with the lighting of the Olympic flame in ancient Olympia in Greece on Tuesday. Despite South Korean organizers’ determination to make the Winter Games a big hit, much of the event’s success may depend on the host country’s enigmatic neighbor, North Korea.  North Korean figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik compete during the pairs free program at the Figure Skating-ISU Challenger Series on Sept. 29 in Obe

North Korea Oct. 25, 2017

US President Donald Trump on Sunday renewed the possibility of military action against North Korea, while the North‘s senior diplomat refused to return to long-stalled six-nation talks for denuclearization unless the US’ attitude changes. US President Donald Trump (AP-Yonhap)Trump said he is “totally prepared” to use military force against the rogue regime if necessary, in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. The remark follows a series of bellicose rhetoric between the US president and Pyongya

North Korea Oct. 23, 2017

North Korea said Friday that South Korea is not entitled to permit its nationals to visit the inter-Korean complex in the North’s border city of Kaesong, amid signs of a unilateral resumption of its operation by the North. Meanwhile, Seoul’s Unification Ministry deferred a plan to deliver to the North the visitation request of a group of businessmen who ran factories at Kaesong industrial park.  (Yonhap)“South Korea does not have the right, reason, nor honor to talk about the issues surrounding

North Korea Oct. 20, 2017

Seoul needs to actively pursue pre-emptive strike capability to maintain a balance of power with North Korea amid escalating military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, an expert said Thursday. “(South Korea) needs to actively pursue (measures) to secure various pre-emptive strike capabilities,” Choi Kang, vice president of research at the Seoul think-tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said at a forum.  US President Donald Trump (Yonhap)The expert highlighted the rogue regime’s growing missi

Defense Oct. 19, 2017