The Korea Herald

Forum to discuss cyber challenges, collaboration

For a week from June 25, the anniversary of the Korean War, South Korea suffered from a wave of devastating cyber attacks on nearly 70 state agencies and news outlets. Websites and servers of the presidential office and other targets crashed in one of Korea’s largest ever cyber attacks. Seoul pinpointed North Korea as the likely mastermind, but Pyongyang flatly denied responsibility. Verbal accusations and warnings were all that South Koreans could do, as there are no international binding norms

Foreign Affairs Oct. 16, 2013

Forum to discuss cyber challenges, collaboration

New TCS chief envisions greater East Asia initiative

Despite growing tension among Korea, China and Japan, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat could be the cornerstone of an East Asia community that will nurture greater political, economic and cultural exchanges, its new chief Shigeo Iwatani told The Korea Herald. The Seoul-based organization was launched in May 2011 to promote three-way dialogue, cooperative projects and joint researchs.But its role is seen confined this year in the face of territorial and historical tension. Neither a summit

Foreign Affairs Oct. 13, 2013

New TCS chief envisions greater East Asia initiative

NGO accuses Korean vessel of ‘pirate’ fishing in West Africa

An international environmental group accused a Korean trawler of illegal fishing in waters off West Africa. The Environmental Justice Foundation, a London-headquartered nongovernmental organization, told The Korea Herald that the Kum Woong 101 ship has sent to Busan its catch from illegal, unreported and unregulated operations within Sierra Leone’s Inshore Exclusion Zone on Sept. 18-19.It cited satellite images and its positioning system.Busan-based Kum Woong Fisheries Co., the owner of the ship

Foreign Affairs Oct. 10, 2013

N.K. has restarted reactor: NIS chief

South Korea’s intelligence chief told the parliament Tuesday that North Korea restarted its nuclear reactor capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium in August, ruling party lawmakers said.National Intelligence Service Director Nam Jae-joon was also quoted as saying that the North tested a long-range rocket engine around that time and recently beefed up naval forces and artillery near the border. “North Korea has restarted the 5-megawatt reactor to boost its nuclear capabilities,” Nam told th

North Korea Oct. 8, 2013

Tokyo archive unveils evidence of WWII sex slavery

A Tokyo national archive has disclosed a new batch of official documents that could be evidence that Japanese troops mobilized foreign women to provide sex during World War II, according to a news report. The records describe how the Japanese military hauled off about 35 Dutch women from an Indonesian concentration camp for forcible sex services, Kyodo News reported late Sunday.The some 530 pages of documents were known to have been among the proof that prompted a 1993 statement by then Chief Ca

Foreign Affairs Oct. 7, 2013

Asia-Pacific experts discuss disaster data

More than 35 experts from the Asia-Pacific region gathered in Japan this week to discuss ways to build resilience to natural disasters through improved data collection and dissemination. The participants from disaster management agencies, statistics offices, U.N. bodies and civic groups agreed Tuesday on the need to develop a set of “core data” on policymaking, planning, programming and monitoring of disaster risk management and climate change. The two-day meeting was held in Sendai, which was d

Foreign Affairs Oct. 2, 2013

Seoul, Washington reaffirm goal of nuke-free North Korea

Top diplomats from Seoul and Washington reaffirmed their goal of denuclearizing North Korea Friday amid reports that Pyongyang is reactivating its atomic weapons programs while offering to resume long-stalled disarmament-for-aid negotiations. South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to discuss bilateral ties, Pyongyang’s nuclear program, the Syrian crisis and other regional and global issues. They concurr

North Korea Sept. 29, 2013

Seoul, Washington reaffirm goal of nuke-free North Korea

Korea, 4 middle powers launch dialogue body

South Korea and four other middle-power nations launched an informal consultation body in New York on Wednesday to boost their say on regional and global issues, the Foreign Ministry said.Dubbed MIKTA, the group also includes Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and Australia. Foreign ministers from the five countries held the inaugural meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, presenting their respective issues of interest and discussing priority projects for the next several months. Korean F

Foreign Affairs Sept. 26, 2013

N.K. strives for attention amid budding thaw between U.S., Iran

As the U.S. and Iran inch toward reconciliation, North Korea, another rogue nuclear aspirant, is vying for Washington’s attention in hopes of escaping from isolation and ease international sanctions.Pyongyang has recently stepped up its peace offensive, expressing its willingness to negotiate with the U.S. and resume the long-stalled six-party talks on its nuclear programs.But its overture, backed by its sole ally China, has been given the cold shoulder by the U.S. Washington remains skeptical a

North Korea Sept. 26, 2013

Korean, Japanese ministers to meet in N.Y. this week

The foreign ministers of Korea and Japan plan to hold talks in the U.S. this week in an apparent attempt to restore the two countries’ relations soured by historical and territorial feuds. Yun Byung-se will meet with Fumio Kishida on Thursday in New York on the margins of the annual U.N. General Assembly slated for Sept. 17 to Oct. 1. This will be their second bilateral discussion since they were sworn in early this year.With some ranking Japanese officials continuing to deny wartime atrocities,

Foreign Affairs Sept. 23, 2013

Seoul urges Pyongyang to carry out family reunions

South Korea on Monday urged the North to change course and cooperate to hold the reunions of separated families that had been scheduled for this week but were abruptly called off by Pyongyang last weekend. The Unification Ministry also said the North’s decision effectively nullified Seoul’s proposal for talks on Oct. 2 on resuming tours to Mount Geumgangsan. “North Korea should come forward to accept the family reunions as quickly as possible so that the families’ pain and wounds are healed,” mi

North Korea Sept. 23, 2013

Seoul urges Pyongyang to carry out family reunions

Two Koreas gear up for first family reunions in three years

The two Koreas are quickening preparations for the first reunions of separated families in three years by exchanging the lists of participants and readying venues and equipment. One hundred people from each side are scheduled to reunite with their loved ones at Mount Geumgangsan on Sept. 25-30. The finalists are to be announced Monday by the Red Cross. Nearly 100 South Korean engineers and workers are currently staying at the scenic mountain resort to carry out repairs and maintenance on facilit

North Korea Sept. 13, 2013

Two Koreas gear up for first family reunions in three years

Koreas to reopen Gaeseong park

The two Koreas agreed Wednesday to reopen their joint industrial park in Gaeseong next Monday, signing a package deal aimed at improving its operations and attracting overseas firms in the future. The agreement was reached after talks lasting 20 hours in the North’s border city that will end a five-month suspension of the last remaining symbol of cross-border cooperation.The delegates issued a five-point statement that outlines plans to set up the panel’s secretariat in Gaeseong this month and i

North Korea Sept. 11, 2013

U.S. envoy calls for N.K. denuclearization before talks

A senior U.S. official on Friday called on North Korea to take steps toward denuclearization before restarting the long-dormant six-party talks on its weapons program which is a “driver of instability” in the region. Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, downplayed the need for an informal meeting of officials and experts from the countries, which was recently proposed by China. “It is crystal clear in the joint statement of 2005 that the goal of the six

North Korea Sept. 6, 2013

U.S. envoy calls for N.K. denuclearization before talks

Seoul to give $6.3m in aid to N.K.

GAESEONG/SEOUL ― South Korea has decided to resume support for World Health Organization programs to help malnourished North Korean children in a fresh sign of warming cross-border relations. The Unification Ministry said Monday the government would finance half the $12.6 million project, which was launched in 2006 to help improve hospitals, train personnel and boost supplies of essential medicine in the North. Seoul contributed about $10 million annually to the program between 2006 and 2008 and

North Korea Sept. 2, 2013

Articles by Shin Hyon-hee