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According to the police, the man, who came to South Korea in 2008, had been living by himself on government subsidies since 2010, when he could no l Jan 20, 2020 North Korea South Korea should take active role in denuclearizing North: ex-minister South Korea should take an active stance in dealing with North Korea amid stalled inter-Korean ties, such as by showing its resolve to halt joint military exercises with the US, a former unification minister said Monday. “For the past 1 1/2 years since the Singapore summit, Seoul’s stance was that inter-Korean relations need to adjust to the speed of US-North Korea dialogue. But with the deadlocked denuclearization talks, inter-Korean relations are reaching their worst state,&r Jan 20, 2020 Foreign Affairs S. Korea protests Japanese FM's claim to Dokdo The foreign ministry issued a strong protest on Monday over Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi's parliamentary speech that renewed Japan's claim to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.During his speech on foreign policy, Motegi claimed that the East Sea islets are inherently Japan's territory, remarks that overshadowed budding efforts to defuse a row between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime history and trade."The government strongly protests the fact that the Japanese government, Jan 20, 2020 Social affairs [News Focus] Korea’s youth population sees steepest fall among OECD members SEJONG -- Fifty years ago, South Koreans aged 14 and under made up 42.5 percent of the population in the wake of the country’s 1955-1963 baby boom.Korea ranked second in a retrospective comparison of the 36 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which looked back at youth populations relative to total country populations in 1970. While Mexico topped the list for that year, with 46.8 percent of its population no older than 14, the majority of OECD members post Jan 20, 2020 Politics Moon picks Cho Kuk's ex-assistant as new presidential secretary President Moon Jae-in appointed a lawyer who worked as a policy assistant to former Justice Minister Cho Kuk as a new presidential secretary Monday, a choice expected to trigger public controversy.Moon named Kim Mi-kyoung as his secretary for balanced personnel affairs, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Kim served as deputy secretary at Cheong Wa Dae from 2017-2019 under Cho, who was senior secretary for civil affairs.Cho was later picked to lead the Ministry of Justice, causing weeks of massive stree Jan 20, 2020 Social affairs Seoul on alert after 1st confirmed case of coronavirus from China Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Monday ordered health authorities to respond quickly to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus from China, after the first case was confirmed in South Korea. On Monday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that a Chinese woman had tested positive for the coronavirus. On receiving the report, Chung ordered the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the KCDC to work with other concerned organizations to prevent the virus from spreading, Jan 20, 2020 Diplomatic Circuit [Diplomatic circuit] K-pop, soft power experts pin innovation as key to sustain momentum Seven-member Korean boy band BTS rang in the new year with a live performance at New York City’s Times Square. Film director Bong Joon-ho rewrote the history of Korean film with his black comedy “Parasite,” which has been nominated for best picture at the Oscars. Korean culture as a whole is reaching new highs on the international stage.To keep the momentum going, Korean creators should continue to pursue innovation, said Lee Soo-man, one of the most important figures in the K- Jan 20, 2020 Diplomatic Circuit [Diplomatic circuit] Hong Kong Tourism Board seeks to appease travelers’ concerns As pro-democracy protests continue for over 8 months with no sign of abating, Hong Kong Tourism Board in Korea has introduced various tips for tourists hesitant to travel to Hong Kong. Hong Kong Tourism Board said Monday that it has carved out a section of its official blog dedicated to offering real time information on Hong Kong starting Jan. 14. Local Hong Kongers will share their daily lives through the blog and the blog is also expected to launch a system to answer tourists’ questions Jan 20, 2020 Diplomatic Circuit [Diplomatic circuit] IVI, Sweden renew partnership for global public health The International Vaccine Institute, a Seoul-based international organization, has renewed its cooperation with the Swedish International Cooperation Agency for continued efforts to accelerate vaccine research and development for global health, the organization said Monday.As part of a longstanding partnership between the Swedish government and the IVI, the Swedish International Cooperation Agency has pledged to fund the IVI some $5.24 million over the next five years.“We’re proud to Jan 20, 2020 Diplomatic Circuit [Diplomatic circuit] [Photo news] Guatemalan ambassador’s visit Guatemalan Ambassador to South Korea Marco Tulio Chicas Sosa (right) shakes hands with Herald Corp. CEO and Publisher Kwon Chung-won during a courtesy call at the Herald Corp. headquarters in central Seoul on Jan. 15. Chicas Sosa presented his credentials to Korean President Moon Jae-in in November last year. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) Jan 20, 2020 North Korea Seoul pushes for NK tourism despite rift with Washington South Korea is moving forward with its controversial plan to allow individual trips to North Korea by its own citizens, Seoul’s Unification Ministry confirmed Monday, reiterating that the US-led international sanctions in place against the communist state do not apply to tourism. “We are reviewing options on individual travel to North Korea, including how we will consult with Pyongyang over the issue,” a senior official at the ministry told reporters on customary conditio Jan 20, 2020 Defense No. of military deserters falls 80% in 2013-2019: defense ministry The number of military deserters has decreased more than 80 percent since 2013, the defense ministry said Monday.A total of 105 conscripts attempted to abandon their units in 2019, down 83.7 percent from 643 desertions in 2013, according to the ministry. During the cited period, the number of active-duty soldiers who committed suicide fell 22.7 percent from 79 cases in 2013 to 61 last year, the ministry data showed. Such improvement is, at least in part, attributable to a new military help line, Jan 20, 2020 Social affairs Public housing to be built over highway A compact community equipped with public housing, parks, child care and commercial facilities will be built above a highway in northern Seoul as part of efforts to meet housing needs for the young and the newly wed, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday.According to a blueprint revealed by the municipality and the Seoul Housing and Communities Corps., an artificial plot of land will be built above a 500-meter section of the Bukbu Expressway to create a public housing complex for 990 hous Jan 20, 2020 North Korea [Feature] Love without borders, or nuclear threats? A hit drama reflects South Koreans’ deep-rooted interest in North Koreans, despite military hostility Jan 20, 2020 Social affairs [Newsmaker] Opposition leader sends beef jerky to Buddhist monks South Korea’s opposition leader accidentally sent beef jerky to the Jogye Order of Buddhism as a Lunar New Year’s gift, bewildering the country’s largest Buddhist group, which practices vegetarianism.Gift sets containing beef were delivered to several of the group’s senior officials earlier last week under the name of Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn. The main opposition party learned about the mistake Friday and retrieved the gift sets the same day. It sai MORE 15 / 168271
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