Trump picks ex-N. Korea policy official as his principal deputy national security adviser

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump named Alex Wong, who was engaged in working-level nuclear talks with North Korea during his first term, as his principal deputy national security adviser amid expectations he could seek to reengage with Pyongyang after returning to office. Trump issued a statement on his decision to appoint Wong, who served as the deputy special representative for North Korea and the deputy assistant secretary for North Korea in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at th

Foreign AffairsNov. 23, 2024

North Korean leader ‘convinced’ dialogue won’t change US hostility

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his previous efforts for dialogue and diplomacy could not change US hostility toward his country. “We had explored every path we can with the US through dialogue. The only outcome that can come from it, I am convinced, is the superpower’s implacable logic of force and unchanging policy of hostility toward our country,” Kim was quoted saying in the Workers’ Party of Korea-affiliated newspaper Rodong Simun on Friday. Kim has yet to offic

North KoreaNov. 22, 2024

Russia sent 'anti-air' missiles to Pyongyang, Yoon's aide says

President Yoon Suk Yeol's national security adviser said Friday that Russia had already provided North Korea with military equipment and "anti-air" weapons in return for North Korea's recent troop dispatch to the Ukraine war. Shin Won-sik, director of the presidential National Security Office, said in a televised interview with SBS Friday that these weapons were sent to Pyongyang, which would "allow North Korea to address vulnerabilities in its anti-air defense capability." T

PoliticsNov. 22, 2024

Two jailed for forcing disabled teens into prostitution

Two business owners were jailed Thursday for luring two teenage girls with intellectual disabilities to an entertainment establishment they ran and forcing them into prostitution. On Thursday, the Suwon District Court sentenced two defendants to five and four years in prison. They were also ordered to complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment and banned from employment at institutions dealing with children, youths and disabled people for seven years. The two men were indicted on charges of

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2024

Japan confirms vice-ministerial level figure attending Sado mine memorial

Akiko Ikuina, parliamentary vice minister at Japan's Foreign Ministry, will attend the Sado gold mine memorial ceremony on Sunday to commemorate wartime forced labor victims there, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday. From Saturday to Sunday, Ikuina will visit Sado, in Japan's Niigata prefecture, to "attend the memorial service for the Sado Island Gold Mine and also tour (the mine)," the Japanese government said in a notification. South Korean Ambassador

PoliticsNov. 22, 2024

South Korean military plans to launch new division for future warfare

The South Korean military plans to establish a division for multi-domain operations to boost its cyber and space capabilities, which have emerged as new battlefields of future warfare. The Ministry of National Defense said Friday it was seeking an amendment to the laws concerning the Joint Chiefs of Staff to “proactively respond to the changing security environment with the advancement of science and technology and the rise of new areas of battle.” According to the ministry, the mult

DefenseNov. 22, 2024

Dongduk Women’s University halts coeducation talks

Dongduk Women’s University has reached an agreement with student representatives to temporarily suspend discussions on transitioning to a coeducational institution, weeks after the college's proposal reignited debates over the future of women’s universities in South Korea. The university confirmed that the coeducation talks would be paused indefinitely and that any future discussions would involve direct consultation with students. As part of the agreement, the student council pledge

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2024

Gold bars and cash bundles; authorities confiscate millions from tax dodgers

Nearly 700 high-income tax evaders have been uncovered in South Korea, including who hid millions of won in kimchi containers and another who drove a Rolls-Royce while dodging taxes, the National Tax Service said Thursday. The agency revealed a list of 696 individuals suspected of evading taxes through sophisticated methods. These include 216 who concealed assets despite having the means to pay, 81 who transferred wealth to family members through fraudulent transactions and 399 who lived extrava

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2024

Final sentencing hearing for Cho Kuk draws near

Rep. Cho Kuk, an ally of former Democratic Party of Korea President Moon Jae-in, is due to be sentenced by the highest court in three weeks. Cho faces a dozen charges. Most notably he is charged with using illicit means to get his children into prestigious schools, for which his wife Chung Kyung-shim was handed four years in jail in 2022. The court ruling led to their daughter Cho Min losing her admission to Korea University and medical school at Pusan National University. He is also charged wit

PoliticsNov. 22, 2024

Teen smoking, drinking decline, while mental health, dietary habits worsen

A recent state-conducted health survey revealed a significant drop in smoking and alcohol consumption among South Korean teenagers over the past 20 years, but other negative trends in mental health and dietary habits are emerging. The Ministry of Education and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency revealed Friday that the “current smoking rate,” -- measuring students who smoked at least once in the past month -- dropped from 11.8 percent in 2005 to 3.6 percent this year. Simi

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2024

Yoon's office signals supplementary budget review

The presidential office on Friday signaled it would consider a supplementary budget with President Yoon Suk Yeol addressing the issue of social polarization as the policy priority its administration should tackle. A senior official of the presidential office said that it "will not rule out the possibilities of the proactive fiscal intervention including the allocation of an extra budget," adding the timing for the supplementary budget "has yet to be determined." This signals

PoliticsNov. 22, 2024

Parked EV crashes into restaurant; four pedestrians injured

An electric vehicle without a driver at the wheel crashed into a restaurant building in Gangnam, Seoul, injuring four pedestrians, police said Friday. The incident occurred at around 5:17 p.m. on Thursday, leaving pedestrians with minor injuries. According to authorities, the vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz electric car, was parked when the accident happened. The car owner, a woman in her 30s, was seated in the passenger seat changing her shoes. She claimed to have pressed the car’s “auto

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2024

Yoon's approval rating 'unchanged' after opposition leader's conviction: poll

President Yoon Suk Yeol's job approval rating has remained unchanged for two straight months, despite Yoon's handling of foreign affairs during his trip to the South American countries and the conviction of the opposition leader for election law offenses the previous week. According to Gallup Korea's weekly poll result of 1,001 respondents released Friday, Yoon's popularity came to 20 percent. His job disapproval rating edged up 1 percentage point to 72 percent compared to th

PoliticsNov. 22, 2024

JCS to launch new multidomain unit for future warfare readiness

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is set to launch a new unit tasked with bolstering readiness in the domains of space, cyber and electronic warfare, officials said Friday, amid South Korea's push to better prepare for future warfare. In a legislative notice, the defense ministry said the plan is aimed at better responding to changes in the security environment, such as the development of high-tech science and technology, expanding the domains of warfare and the growing importance of cognitive oper

DefenseNov. 22, 2024

Foreign troops train with K9 howitzer, K2 tank in S. Korea

South Korea has launched an education program on the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the K2 main battle tank for military personnel from seven nations, including Poland, Romania, and Qatar, the Army said Friday. Unlike the first round of the program held in July, which focused on the K9 howitzer, the second round of the three-week program that began Monday also includes education on the K2 tank, according to the Army. A total of 35 personnel from seven nations, up from 14 personnel from three nat

DefenseNov. 22, 2024

S. Korea completes production of core vacuum vessel sectors for intl. nuclear fusion research project

South Korea has completed the production of vacuum vessel sectors for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor project, aimed at achieving fusion power production at power plant scale, the science ministry said Friday. The country has completed building four vacuum vessels for the ITER, the world's largest tokamak to be set up in southern France, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. A tokamak is a magnetic fusion device created to demonstrate the viability of fusion as

PoliticsNov. 22, 2024

S. Korea expects to create W59t in economic effect via zero carbon energy sources by 2033

South Korea expects to achieve an economic effect worth 59 trillion won ($42 billion) by enhancing the country's "zero carbon energy ecosystem" by 2033, the industry ministry said Friday. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has announced the 5th Energy Technology Plan, outlining its energy technology vision and R&D investment strategy for the next 10 years through 2033. Under the plan, the government will focus on increasing the use of nuclear power, hydrogen, and ren

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2024