outh Korean nationals in Wuhan, China, will be flown back to the country on four chartered flights this week as part of Seoul’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. “About 700 Koreans in Wuhan have expressed hopes to return, and chartered planes will be sent on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31,” Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho said Tuesday. He added that the dates of the flights may be changed, depending on the ongoing negotiations with Beijing. Lee said the decisi

South Korea is ramping up efforts to fend off a new coronavirus spreading fast in China, with an influx of Chinese tourists expected here for this week’s Lunar New Year holiday. The coronavirus has killed nine so far. The country’s health authorities, airports and other related agencies are on heightened alert, with President Moon Jae-in ordering “full quarantine and preventative measures” to prevent the spread of the coronavirus here, in an emergency briefing on Wed

The military will focus on strengthening its ability to respond to nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in 2020, and on applying cutting-edge technologies to its defense systems, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. The plans were revealed in an annual briefing session for President Moon Jae-in at the Gyeryongdae complex -- an Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters near Daejeon. At the briefing, Moon stressed the importance of defense, pointing to the increased def

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,

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that hope remains for the denuclearization of North Korea and resolving the current Seoul-Tokyo discord. Speaking at a New Year’s press conference, Moon said that both North Korea and the US have shown they are open to dialogue. He expressed hopes for renewed momentum, saying prolonging the current deadlock would be detrimental to the process. “The North-US dialogue is not active, but the trust between President Trump and Chairman Kim, and the

The friction between the presidential office and the prosecution is deepening, with both sides accusing the other of wrongdoings in the developments surrounding high-profile investigations. On Monday, the presidential office revealed that it had referred a petition claiming that human rights violations occurred in the investigation into former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk to the National Human Rights Commission.  In making the revelation, the presidential office said that the commission said

During his New Year’s address on Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in pledged to continue his reform drive and revitalize the economy while seeking to improve ties with neighboring countries including North Korea. Moon also called for inter-Korean cooperation to establish conditions that would allow North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit the South. Furthermore, the president once again highlighted his administration’s drive to establish peace on the peninsula. However, unlike his pr

Individuals who served in President Moon Jae-in’s Cheong Wa Dae are entering the general elections in droves, fanning both criticism and expectations in the political arena. According to the ruling Democratic Party, about 60 individuals who have held Cheong Wa Dae posts at various levels have informed the party of their intentions to run in the April 15 general elections. Although not all of them will get party nominations, the number of Cheong Wa Dae-linked hopefuls amounts to a fifth of

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for inter-Korean dialogue to seek ways to increase cooperation, saying that the need for such measures has grown more urgent. “The need to seek practical measures to increase inter-Korean cooperation has become more pressing,” Moon said in his New Year address, saying that inter-Korean relations are backsliding amid US-North Korea denuclearization deadlock.  “An international solution is needed to uphold the three principles of disal

President Moon Jae-in on Friday visited the Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port -- where this year’s first shipment of eco-friendly vehicles were exported -- emphasizing his administration’s focus on aiding the development of next-generation automobile technologies.  “Today, we export over 4,200 vehicles including the electric car Niro and hydrogen truck Neptune to Europe,” Moon said. He was referring to Kia’s Niro, and Hyundai Motor’s hydrogen-powered truck Neptune,

Former presidential contender Ahn Cheol-soo on Thursday announced his plans to return to politics, sending ripples through the political arena as parties gear up for the general elections. “The world is changing at the speed of light toward the future. Unfortunately, seen from outside, the country remains in the past. A country that does not think about the future has no future,” Ahn wrote on his social media account. Ahn went on to say that Korean politics have deteriorated sin

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged to continue his reform drive to achieve the goal of “shared prosperity,” naming prosecution overhaul as one of his top priorities. “The new leap that we must achieve in the new year is (the) ‘leap of shared prosperity,” Moon said, addressing a meeting of business leaders and representatives from various fields held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul. Listing changes and developments from 2019

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s imminent return to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the path along which his political career progresses are likely to be deciding factors for the country’s political arena for the coming year and further down the road. Lee served four National Assembly terms from 2000 to 2014 for the Hampyeong-Younggwang constituency in South Jeolla Province. In 2014, during his fourth term, he ran and won the race for South Jeolla Province governorship. From the

The North Korean ruling party’s plenary session continued for a fourth day Tuesday, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again stressing “aggressive measures” the previous day.  According to North Korean media, Kim offered a “comprehensive report” on his regime’s policies and projects at Monday’s session of the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and called for preparations to be made. “(Kim) gave a c

South Korean authorities are closely monitoring North Korea, following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s mention of “aggressive measures” to ensure sovereignty at the uncommonly long plenary meeting to the North’s ruling party. North Korean media reported Monday that Kim called for “proactive and aggressive measures to guarantee the country’s sovereignty and security befitting to the established political conditions,” on Sunday, the second day of th

Christmas Day has passed without North Korea’s “gift” materializing, but Seoul and Washington are keeping a close eye on Pyongyang amid rising speculation about the regime’s next move. Seoul is said to have seen no unusual signs in North Korea, but the Ministry of National Defense and other concerned organizations remain on high alert.  “The Ministry of Defense is maintaining readiness for various military situations in close cooperation with the US,” Def

Seoul and Washington were on high alert Wednesday over North Korea’s “Christmas gift” and its year-end deadline for US-North Korea denuclearization dialogue. According to reports, Seoul’s presidential office and concerned governmental bodies including the unification and defense ministries were monitoring North Korea for any unusual activities.  The militaries of South Korea and the US are reported to have deployed surveillance assets in and around the Korean Peninsu

President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister agreed to resolve the forced labor and trade issues through dialogue at a bilateral summit held in China, Seoul’s presidential office said Tuesday. At the meeting -- held on the sidelines of South Korea-China-Japan trilateral summit held in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan province -- Moon and Abe stressed the importance of dialogue, but failed to narrow differences over outstanding issues. “(Korea and Japan) confirmed the diffe

President Moon Jae-in on Monday stressed the importance of Beijing’s role in North Korean issues, and called for closer Seoul-Beijing cooperation on the matter in a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Going into the meeting held in Beijing, Moon stressed the importance of Seoul-Beijing relations, saying that the two countries cannot move far apart despite temporary differences, going on to express hopes for stronger cooperation. “As China’s dreams present opportuniti

President Moon Jae-in and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Thursday held a summit meeting in Seoul, discussing ways to improve ties as well as economic and political cooperation. According to Seoul’s presidential office, Moon and Lofven agreed to strengthen Korea-Sweden cooperation in trade, investment, defense, science and technology, and to expand cooperation in responding to the “fourth industrial revolution.”　 “(I) hope the bilateral cooperation to go beyond st