President Moon Jae-in's calls for aggressive engagement with North Korea could create tension with the United States, a recent congressional report said. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report comes as Moon is in Washington this week for his first in-person summit talks with US President Joe Biden to discuss North Korea and alliance issues, as well as COVID-19 vaccine cooperation. "Although Moon has welcomed the mention of diplomacy, his preference for more aggressive engagement

North Korea May 20, 2021

The defense ministry said Thursday it will communicate more actively with residents around the US THAAD missile defense base as clashes continue to happen every time supplies are brought onto the base. Residents in the central county of Seongju have long opposed the US Forces Korea (USFK) base in their town where the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is deployed, and they have clashed with police when the ministry brought construction equipment and other items for troops onto t

Defense May 20, 2021

Defense Minister Suh Wook convened a meeting of top military commanders Thursday to discuss troops' living conditions, his office said, amid continued complaints over poor meal quality, especially for those under coronavirus quarantine. Earlier this month, the defense ministry unveiled a set of measures to improve service members' living conditions, including a plan to raise the average daily meal cost, following a series of complaints over the quality of meals. Yet questions were raised over

Defense May 20, 2021

South Korea's trade dispute agency on Thursday held a public hearing on anti-dumping cases of flat-rolled stainless steel imported from three countries, prior to its final ruling slated in July. The move came after South Korea decided to launch an investigation against Chinese, Taiwanese and Indonesian flat-rolled stainless steel products in September last year, according to the Korea Trade Commission. South Korea's top steelmaker POSCO filed the complaint with the commission over anti-dumping

Economy May 20, 2021

South Korea's oceans ministry said Thursday it has won a deal worth 58.7 billion won ($51.8 million) to export dried laver products to Japan. Dried laver, called "gim" in Korean, is usually roasted with sesame oil and fine salt and served as a side dish with Korean meals. Exports of dried laver products reached $600 million in 2020, up 3.6 percent on-year, amid growing popularity of Korean food in the Asian market. Of the volume, Japan accounted for the largest share of 22.2 percent.

Economy May 20, 2021

JEJU -- A ban on unlicensed harvesting of marine life at night has invited strong protest from a group of hobbyists who called the move "unconstitutional." Dozens of hobbyists and leisure industry workers held a press conference on the island earlier this week to demand the provincial government of Jeju scrap the ban immediately. The measure "seriously constrains the constitutional rights to pursuit of happiness of non-fishermen," they said. Last month, the island banned u

Social Affairs May 20, 2021

Thirteen North Korean ships underwent safety inspections while docked at ports in the Asia-Pacific region last year and all of them were found to have defects, an intergovernmental port control agency said Thursday. A total of 64 safety deficiencies were discovered with the vessels, and two ships with serious defects were banned from sailing until the problems are fixed, according to the annual report on Port State Control (PSC) by Tokyo MOU. It also placed North Korea on its blacklist, along

North Korea May 20, 2021

Nine Army soldiers and a military civilian employee have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday. Of them, eight soldiers were from a unit in Hongcheon, about 100 kilometers east of Seoul, where a COVID-19 case was reported earlier. Around 390 members of the unit received virus tests after the initial case was reported, and around 70 of them are still waiting for their test results, according to the ministry. Separately, another soldier in the southwestern

Defense May 20, 2021

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose above 600 for the second day Thursday amid continued cluster inflections and spreading variant cases. The country reported 646 more COVID-19 cases, including 619 local infections, raising the total caseload to 134,117, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Thursday's daily caseload compares with 654 on Wednesday, 528 on Tuesday and 619 on Monday. There were four additional virus deaths, raising the total to 1,916. South Ko

Social Affairs May 20, 2021

North Korea has opened a large hospital in an eastern province to provide better medical service to the people outside its capital, state media said Thursday as the country continues its fight against the global coronavirus pandemic. An opening ceremony took place Wednesday for the hospital renovated from the People's Hospital of South Hamgyong Province, with provincial party leaders in attendance, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The hospital "has been turned into a comprehen

North Korea May 20, 2021

South Korean battery maker SK Innovation Co. and American automaker Ford Motor Co. are set to announce a battery joint venture in the United States to ensure a stable supply of batteries for electric vehicles, industry sources said Thursday. The two companies plan to announce a memorandum of understanding on the joint venture later in the day, as South Korean President Moon Jae-in meets with US President Joe Biden in Washington this week to discuss bilateral issues, including EV industry coope

Mobility May 20, 2021

Gfriend, known for its powerful performances and formerly school girl concept, bid farewell to fans after its longtime agency announced the termination of its contract. Source Music, which had represented the six-piece group since its debut in 2015, on Tuesday announced their contract will end Saturday. While the label, which was acquired by K-pop powerhouse Hybe in 2019, did not officially use the term "disbandment," it said in a statement that the group has agreed to walk "sep

K-pop May 20, 2021

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday in his first official activity of a five-day trip to the United States, according to Cheong Wa Dae. He arrived in Washington D.C. on Wednesday afternoon for summit talks with President Joe Biden on such issues as North Korea, COVID-19 vaccines and bilateral economic cooperation. Moon is scheduled to pay tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, located on t

Politics May 20, 2021

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden will award the highest military medal to a Korean War veteran this week in a ceremony that will also be attended by his visiting South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, the White House said Wednesday. "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., will award the Medal of Honor to Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr., United States Army, Retired, for conspicuous gallantry during the Korean War. President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea will join this ceremony," it said

Foreign Affairs May 20, 2021

WASHINGTON -- The United States' goal is to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday, ahead of an upcoming summit this week between the leaders of South Korea and the United States. The summit between President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, is expected to partly focus on ways to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table. "When it comes to DPRK. I can't underscore enough that our goal remains clear -- that

Foreign Affairs May 20, 2021