South Korea said Monday it was seeking to spur its efforts this year to bring about reunification by establishing a legal and institutional framework, holding joint economic and cultural events with the North and boosting cooperation with other countries. While pushing for robust defense and the North’s denuclearization, it vowed to formulate a vision for an integrated Korea, build consensus at home and abroad and expand dialogue and economic exchanges with Pyongyang. The measures were submitted

North Korea Jan. 19, 2015

Seoul and Tokyo are set for a fresh round of talks aimed at resolving their row over Japan’s sexual slavery involving Korean women during World War II in an effort to narrow their historical differences and improve bilateral ties. Lee Sang-deok, director-general for Northeast Asian affairs at the Foreign Ministry here, is slated to meet with Junichi Ihara, director-general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, on Monday in Tokyo. Launched last April, the consultations will

Foreign Affairs Jan. 16, 2015

Amid Japan’s frosty relations with Korea and China, a growing number of U.S. scholars are ramping up pressure on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take a more forward-looking approach toward wartime history. The hawkish premier is currently working on a statement to be unveiled on Aug. 15 to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, which will likely determine Tokyo’s relations with its two key neighbors. With Abe pushing for a constitutional revision, a greater military role and

Foreign Affairs Jan. 15, 2015

North Korea is seeking to revive a moribund project to develop the border areas along the Tumen River and a pipeline to transport Russian gas as part of efforts to build trust and expand economic cooperation with South Korea and other neighbors, according to a report. The Tumen River Area Development Project, which was later renamed the Greater Tumen Initiative, was launched in 1992 as a joint initiative among China, Russia and Japan and the two Koreas following a proposal a year earlier by the

North Korea Jan. 13, 2015

President Park Geun-hye on Monday pledged to improve relations with North Korea through dialogue, despite growing tension between Pyongyang and Washington after the U.S. slapped new bilateral sanctions in retaliation against the North’s purported hack on Sony Pictures. As ties with Japan remain at their lowest ebb in decades, she called for Tokyo to tackle the issue of its sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II as a vital step toward a thaw and summit with Prime Minister Shinzo A

North Korea Jan. 12, 2015

Calls are growing for the government to deal more sternly with anti-North Korea leaflets after a court ruling paved the way for authorities to block their launches, complicating South Korea’s efforts to safeguard freedom of expression. A local court in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday dismissed a case filed by Lee Min-bok, a North Korean defector who leads the leaflet distribution drive, seeking 50 million won ($45,000) in compensation from the government for inflicting emotional distres

North Korea Jan. 7, 2015

PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province ― The U.S. Forces Korea Commander on Tuesday raised hopes for a fresh round of dialogue between the two Koreas despite concerns over heightened tension after Washington slapped new sanctions on Pyongyang. Yet Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti stressed the need for “strong and credible” defense readiness in order for their talks to be effective, calling for U.S. and South Korean servicemen to maintain an airtight posture. “Discussion between North and South Korea is always a g

Foreign Affairs Jan. 6, 2015

South Korea appears ready to ramp up its humanitarian assistance to North Korea after their leaders exchanged conciliatory signals in their New Year messages, renewing hopes for reconciliation. A civic group here secured the Unification Ministry’s endorsement to ship 20 tons of sweet potatoes worth 52 million won ($47,000) late last month to the northeastern border city of Sinuiju, while another organization is gearing up to send nutritional food and medical kits soon. They are part of health, a

North Korea Jan. 5, 2015

A South Korean citizen was executed for drug trafficking in China in the fourth such case in less than six months, the Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday. The man, identified by his surname Kim, was convicted of smuggling 5 kilograms of methamphetamine into China in April 2012, a senior ministry official told reporters on customary condition of anonymity. A higher court upheld the ruling six months later. He was arrested in May 2010. Under Chinese law, producing, carrying or selling 50 grams or m

Social Affairs Jan. 5, 2015