The Korea Herald

[Newsmaker] Nationalists further sour Korea-Japan ties

Buoyed by a recent election sweep, high-flying Japanese officials are again churning out inflammatory remarks and backing visits to a controversial war shrine, posing another stumbling block to defrosting relations between Seoul and Tokyo. At a lecture on Monday, Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Taro Aso called for a swift constitutional amendment, citing how the Nazis neutralized Germany’s Weimar Constitution in the 1930s. “It is a mistake to think that crying for a protection of the Constit

Foreign Affairs July 31, 2013

[Newsmaker] Nationalists further sour Korea-Japan ties

Mitsubishi ordered to compensate Koreans for forced labor

An appellate court Tuesday ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to compensate the families of five former Korean employees who were subjected to forced labor during Japan’s colonial rule. In a retrial, the Busan High Court ruled that the engineering and aviation behemoth should provide each family with 80 million won ($72,000) in overdue salary and other damages. The ruling marked the second victory for former conscripted Korean laborers since they started litigation in the mid-1990s in Kore

Social Affairs July 30, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. seek tighter imposition of sanctions on North Korea, Iran

South Korea and the U.S. on Tuesday discussed ways to improve the implementation of sanctions aimed at impeding the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran. David Cohen, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury Department, met with Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun. He also visited Cho Tae-yong, the Foreign Ministry’s top nuclear negotiator and special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and Eun Sung-soo, deputy minister for inte

North Korea July 30, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. seek tighter imposition of sanctions on North Korea, Iran

Seoul toughens stance on Gaeseong

South Korea on Friday vowed no let-up in its fierce pressure on Pyongyang to formally accept responsibility for the shutdown of the Gaeseong industrial town and pledge not to close it again.After the sixth round of normalization dialogue Thursday, Seoul declared a breakdown in talks and threatened to make a “grave decision” if the North continued to rebuff its demands. Pyongyang warned that failure to reopen would lead it to deploy its military to the district. Observers viewed Seoul’s message a

North Korea July 26, 2013

Seoul honors 21 Korean War allies

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se honored the 21 countries that fought in the Korean War at an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the armistice on Wednesday. “We will be ever together,” read the plaque of appreciation that Yun offered the ambassadors and other diplomats from the U.S., Turkey, Australia, the Philippines, Ethiopia and other nations that together sent 2 million troops, supplies and aid as part the U.N. forces. “They sacrificed their youth to defend a country they never knew a

Foreign Affairs July 25, 2013

Seoul, Washington start talks on sharing cost of USFK upkeep

South Korea and the U.S. opened tough negotiations Wednesday over how to share costs for the upkeep of American troops here as Washington calls for Seoul to increase its financial support amid North Korean threats and U.S. budget cuts. It is the second round of high-level talks to renew the Special Measures Agreement on burden-sharing for the some 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea due to expire at the end of this year. The two-day meeting was led by Hwang Joon-kook, former minister at the South Ko

Foreign Affairs July 24, 2013

Seoul, Washington start talks on sharing cost of USFK upkeep

Koreas make progress in talks on Gaeseong

GAESEONG ― The two Koreas made some headway in their talks Monday to restart a joint industrial park in Gaeseong, Seoul officials said. The delegates exchanged new draft agreements but continued to haggle over Seoul’s demands principally for a framework to prevent a unilateral suspension of the complex. A next meeting was set for Thursday. “We made progress on some parts but we needed to more fine-tune our stances on others,” the South’s chief negotiator Kim Ki-woong told reporters after the fif

North Korea July 22, 2013

Two Koreas sharply split over Gaeseong

GAESEONG, North Korea ― The two Koreas made no progress in their fourth round of talks to reopen a joint factory zone in Gaeseong on Wednesday.The North came up with a new draft agreement but did not move from its previous rejection of Seoul’s demand for measures to avoid a future suspension of the industrial park, the Unification Ministry said. Pyongyang repeated its calls for a swift restart with no preconditions. They agreed to meet again Monday.“We explained that the guarantee against a recu

North Korea July 17, 2013

Gaeseong stalemate deepens firms’ concerns

With the two Koreas apart on restarting the joint industrial park in Gaeseong, concerns are deepening among the businesses grappling with snowballing debts, rusting facilities and a client exodus. A third round of government-level negotiations again failed to yield results Tuesday. The two sides set the next meeting for Wednesday, but appear to have a long way to go before reaching a breakthrough. Seoul demands the North’s guarantee against a future closure of the complex before any normalizatio

North Korea July 16, 2013

U.S., N. Korean officials meet in New York: report

North Korea’s deputy envoy to the U.N. has contacted a Washington official in an apparent attempt to reengage with the U.S. amid its peace offensive, a news report said Tuesday. Jang Il-hoon met with Robert Rapson, director for Korean affairs at the U.S. State Department, apparently to get acquainted, Yonhap News reported, citing an unnamed government source. As the two countries have no official diplomatic relations, Pyongyang’s U.N. mission has long been a crucial contact point. The move appea

North Korea July 16, 2013

Gaeseong talks end without agreement

GAESEONG, North Korea ― The two Koreas failed again to agree on reopening their joint industrial park in Gaeseong during a third round of talks in the North Korean border city Monday. The two sides ended the meeting without a breakthrough, setting the next meeting for Wednesday.Seoul repeated its demand for a guarantee from Pyongyang against a future suspension before its normalization. The North called for its reopening without any preconditions but offered a revised draft agreement.“During the

North Korea July 15, 2013

War of nerves brewing ahead of 3rd inter-Korean talks

The two Koreas waged a war of nerves over the weekend ahead of a third round of negotiations on Monday over the idle Gaeseong industrial park and future cross-border ties. North Korea on Saturday belatedly disclosed its telephone notice to the South three days ago in which it criticized the Seoul government’s refusal to hold separate talks over a joint tour program at Mount Geumgangsan. South Korea accepted Wednesday its reclusive neighbor’s dialogue offer on restarting reunions of separated fam

North Korea July 14, 2013

War of nerves brewing ahead of 3rd inter-Korean talks

Two Koreas fail to narrow differences over Gaeseong

GAESEONG -- The two Koreas failed to narrow their differences over how to reopen the idle joint industrial zone during a second round of negotiations in Gaeseong on Wednesday.After walking down parallel lines throughout five sessions, they agreed to meet again in the border city on Monday, while plant managers continue to check and repair the facilities.Seoul’s chief delegate Suh Ho demanded Pyongyang display a “responsible stance” over the unilateral entry ban and consequent damage for the firm

North Korea July 10, 2013

Two Koreas fail to narrow differences over Gaeseong

Court orders Nippon Steel to compensate Korean ex-laborers

An appellant court on Wednesday ordered Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. to compensate four former Korean employees forced into labor during Japan’s colonial rule. In a retrial, the Seoul High Court ruled that the steel giant (formerly Nippon Steel Corp.) should pay 100 million won ($88,000) each in delayed salary, and additional damages. “Then a key defense contractor, Nippon Steel committed anti-humanitarian, illegal acts together with the Japanese government such as mobilizing manpower for

Social Affairs July 10, 2013

Koreas gear up for tough talks on Gaeseong plants

The two Koreas are gearing up for a tough negotiation on Wednesday in Gaeseong to reopen the idled industrial park.Eight officials of South Korean agencies including the Unification Ministry entered the border city on Tuesday morning to ready the venue, communications and other facilities. Accompanying them are 25 people from the complex management committee, KT Corp., Korea Electric Power Corp. and other organizations. It was the first border-crossing by South Koreans since the last batch of ma

North Korea July 9, 2013

Articles by Shin Hyon-hee