President Moon Jae-in on Thursday appointed five vice minister-level officials, including the first and second vice ministers of foreign affairs.In the reshuffle, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun was appointed as the first vice minister of foreign affairs, and his place was filled by Moon’s trade affairs secretary Lee Tae-ho.Cho is a career diplomat who has served as second vice minister since June last year. Lee is also a career diplomat, and served as deputy minister for econom

Facilitating US-North Korea talks and easing inter-Korean military tension is the aim of the inter-Korean summit, President Moon Jae-in said Monday. Moon is set to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Tuesday. President Moon Jae-in speaks at the meeting with senior aides in Seoul on Monday. Yonhap“My aim for the summit is to speak with Chairman Kim Jong-un with open hearts,” Moon said at Monday’s meeting with his senior aides, saying that building trust is key to improving inter-

The first-ever inter-Korean summit between late President Kim Dae-jung and late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il took place in Pyongyang over three days beginning June 13, 2000.Kim Dae-jung was the first South Korean leader to roll out an engagement policy toward the North labeled the “Sunshine Policy,” and the meeting resulted in the June 15 Declaration. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their first summit meeting on April 27. Cheong Wa DaeThe declaration stated that t

President Moon Jae-in will be accompanied by 64 government, social and business representatives on his trip to Pyongyang, Cheong Wa Dae chief of staff Im Jong-seok said Sunday. Moon is set for a three-day visit to Pyongyang from Tuesday, upon which he will hold his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Cheong Wa Dae chief of staff Im Jong-seok on Sunday announces the retinue that will accompany President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang. YonhapThe 14 government and Cheong Wa Dae officials in

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday urged the judiciary and the National Assembly to push for complete reform of the judicial branch, saying that past wrongs must be addressed. Speaking at an event marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the judicial branch held at the Supreme Court, Moon said that the law is the last refuge of the people and that ongoing reforms must meet the public’s expectations. President Moon Jae-in addresses the public at the event marking the 70th anniversay of

Seoul’s presidential office on Wednesday declined to comment on claims regarding the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement and US military presence here, made in Bob Woodward’s new book, “Fear: Trump in the White House.”The book claims that US President Donald Trump intended to send a 180-day termination letter for the FTA, and told Moon that Seoul must pay for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense system. According to the book, Trump said that South Korea was “ripping us off” and that

US President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would achieve denuclearization, in response to messages from Pyongyang conveyed through Seoul.“Kim Jong Un of North Korea Proclaims ‘unwavering faith in President Trump.’ Thank you Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!” Trump wrote on his Twitter account.  US President Donald Trump. YonhapThe message was a response to revelations by Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who headed the sp

US President Donald Trump asked President Moon Jae-in to act as the “chief negotiator” in dealings between Washington and Pyongyang, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said Thursday. The spokesman also revealed that Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong delivered a message from Trump to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his visit to Pyongyang on Wednesday. “During the phone conversation between the presidents day before yesterday, Trump gave a message to Kim, which was delive

South Korean special envoys to Pyongyang returned with a list of agreements, but their significance will need time to become clear. On Thursday, Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong briefed the nation on the results of his trip to Pyongyang, listing four major agreements. The items include the dates of the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- from Sept. 18 to 20 in Pyongyang -- and Kim’s promise to continue working with Seoul and Wash

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to meet for the third time from Sept. 18 to 20, in Pyongyang.The two leaders first met on the South Korean side of Panmunjom on April 27, marking the first time a North Korean leader had set foot south of the border. Their second meeting took place on May 26 on the North’s side of Panmunjom, and the meeting was made public only after the fact. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their first summit meeting

The third inter-Korean summit will take place in Pyongyang from Sept. 18 to 20, Seoul’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong said Thursday. Chung, who returned from Pyongyang late Wednesday as President Moon Jae-in’s chief special envoy, said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had reiterated his commitment to denuclearization. “South and North agreed to hold the inter-Korean summit from Sept. 18 to 20 in Pyongyang, and to hold working-level talks at Panmunjom next week,” Chung said. The wo

President Moon Jae-in’s special envoys met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and discussed outstanding issues, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. “The special envoys met with Kim Jong-un, and delivered (Moon’s) personal letter, and exchanged views,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said. The delegation arrived in Seoul at 9:40 p.m., after a dinner meeting hosted by the North.  South Korea`s National Security Office chief and chief envoy to North Korea Chung Eui-yong hands President Moon Jae-i

President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation on Tuesday, discussing North Korean nuclear issues, and Moon’s special envoys to Pyongyang. President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. Yonhap“President Moon explained in details about the special envoys to discuss plans for the inter-Korean summit and ways to establish lasting peace on the peninsula through complete denuclearization,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said. Moon’s envoys, headed by Nation

 President Moon Jae-in’s special envoys to North Korea will discuss the planned inter-Korean summit and seek ways to move denuclearization talks forward, the chief envoy said Tuesday. National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who heads the five-man delegation set to leave Wednesday, said that the delegation would discuss the issues with high-level North Korean officials in Pyongyang. Chung is to be accompanied by National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, NIS deputy chief Kim Sang-gyu

President Moon Jae-in should seek to keep denuclearization talks alive, rather than seek a major breakthrough in his planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, says Oxford University’s Lawrence Freedman. Speaking at a discussion with Moon Chung-in, a Yonsei University professor and special adviser to the South Korean president, Freedman said that Seoul and Washington have failed in managing expectations in their dealings with North Korea.  North Korean leader Kim Jung-un (Yonhap)“What

　President Moon Jae-in on Sunday named National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon and National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong to lead his special envoys to North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae revealed. 　The delegation will also include NIS deputy chief Kim Sang-gyun, Vice Minister of Unification Chun Hae-sung and Yun Kun-young, a Cheong Wa Dae official.  Chung Eui-yong (Yonhap)　The presidential office said the envoys will take the air route flying over the West Sea on Wednesday, and return on

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday nominated five new ministers, including ministers of defense and education, and four vice minister-level officials, carrying out his first Cabinet reshuffle since taking office. For the post of Minister of National Defense, Moon tapped Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jeong Kyeong-doo, who built his career in the Air Force. Jeong is to replace Song Young-moo, a former Navy admiral who has been at the center of numerous controversies during his term in offic

The word dosirak has a number of meanings in Korean. The word can mean any meal packed to be carried, the container specially designed for carrying packed lunches, or a Japanese style bento. However, in recent years the word has become almost synonymous with factory produced, ready-to-eat meals on offer at the convenience stores that occupy every nook and cranny of major Korean cities. “Young men seem to pick these up a lot more than young women. I think it might be because there are a lot of pe

From transporting meals in bamboo wicker baskets during the Joseon dynasty, packed lunches, or dosirak in Korean, have evolved with the times, and become a source of nostalgia for some, and a convenience and necessity for others. “Lunch was a big part of school life when I was young. It may sound cliched, but checking out friends’ dosirak and sharing the food was one of the more fun parts of going to school,” Lee Mi-sook, a 56-year old housewife, said, adding that her high-school-age nephews had

Japan and North Korea are working on arranging a summit later in the year, a local news outlet reported Wednesday, on the heels of reports of a secret meeting in Vietnam between representatives of the two countries.According to the Daily NK, a Seoul-based online news outlet specializing in North Korean news, Pyongyang is trying to arrange talks in November between its leader, Kim Jong-un, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.Quoting an unnamed North Korean official posted in China, the Daily N