President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday pledged to focus on economic recovery, and to forge ahead with the Korean New Deal in order to reinvent Korea as a “leading economy.” “The 2021 budget bill the government is submitting is a budget for ‘overcoming the era of crisis to rise as a leading nation,’” Moon said. “The priority is given to quickly overcoming the crisis to support people’s livelihoods, and to achieve rapid and strong economic recovery. I

The fate of US President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will be decided in a week, but for South Korea difficulties lie ahead regardless of the winner. For South Korea, Special Measures Agreement issue -- the negotiations over Seoul’s share of the cost of maintaining US Forces Korea -- will be the most immediate issue, experts say. The talks began late 2019, but the two sides have so far failed to narrow their differences. The US is said to be requesting an increase

The Ministry of Justice is looking into allegations that Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl met with heads of major conservative dailies, as well as developments that led to an investigation into alleged financial fraud being terminated. Speaking at the parliamentary audit of her ministry, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae said that the allegation that Yoon met with the largest shareholders of two leading conservative dailies will be looked into as such actions could violate prosecutors’ code o

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl continue to clash over investigations, with their discord dominating headlines and parliamentary proceedings. Both Choo and Yoon were elevated to their current posts by President Moon Jae-in, and for similar reasons. Choo, a former judge and five-term lawmaker, was chosen to oversee the prosecutorial reform that started during her predecessor’s term. Yoon was touted by Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Democratic Party as t

The South Korean government is making last-minute efforts to rally support for Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee’s run for director general of the World Trade Organization, with top officials asking for support from foreign governments. Yoo, a career bureaucrat who has spent most of her 29-year career on trade issues, is running against Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former finance minister. President Moon Jae-in, who began requesting support for Yoo’s bid from foreign leaders ear

The South Korean government is not seeking to declare the end of the Korean War without denuclearization by the North, Seoul’s envoy to the UN said Wednesday. “I don’t think declaring an end to the war is being sought without a resolution to the denuclearization issue,” Ambassador Cho Hyun said at the parliamentary audit of diplomatic missions via video link. “The government’s position is that permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula and complete denucleariz

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday added the concept of balanced development to the Korean New Deal program, saying that the essence of the program is to shift the “axis of national development to the provinces.” At the second Korean New Deal strategy meeting, Moon again stressed his administration’s drive behind the Korean New Deal and called for cooperation from the heads of 17 provincial and metropolitan government attending the meeting. “In order to further clarify t

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday again called for the formal declaration of the end of the Korean War, urging the US to support the move. In a prerecorded speech to the Annual Gala Dinner of the Korea Society – a New York-based nonprofit organization that promotes Korea-US ties – Moon said that declaring the end of the war will be the first step in establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. “The end-of-war declaration will indeed pave the way for peace on the Ko

South Korean trade chief Yoo Myung-hee’s run for the World Trade Organization director general post will face its next decision Tuesday in Switzerland, with the second round of the selection process coming to a close. The second round will see two candidates selected for the final round, the timeline for which has not yet been decided. As the race heads to a close, Yoo appeared to be in with a good chance, with the European Union choosing to back Yoo and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria&ls

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday offered his condolences to the son of the civil servant killed by North Korean soldiers in response to the son’s letter addressed to the president. “I understand the sentiments of a son who has lost his father. My heart also aches,” Moon was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok. “As the Coast Guard is investigating the situation, let’s wait for the results of the Coast Guard’s investigation and sear

Talks of a Cabinet reshuffle are rising, following a series of controversies surrounding high-profile ministers of the Moon Jae-in administration. Controversies about Cabinet members and nominees have dogged President Moon Jae-in throughout his term, but this time talks of a reshuffle are rising from within the ranks of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Ministers linked to a possible reshuffle include Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and Ministe

Unverified accusations and false information are flooding the country’s political arena and online communities, prompted by the scandal surrounding Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and her son. Choo faces allegations that she used her position as a ruling Democratic Party of Korea leader to give preferential treatment to her son, identified by the surname Seo, during his service with the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army from 2016 to 2018. Unverified information about governm

A South Korean civil servant killed by North Korean soldiers was probably attempting to defect to the North, the Coast Guard concluded Tuesday, based on analysis of information gathered by the South’s military. According to the Coast Guard, the South Korean military’s information showed that the civil servant expressed his intent to defect to North Korean soldiers who discovered and later killed him in North Korean waters on Sept. 22. The Coast Guard also said the North Koreans wer

The five-day Chuseok holiday begins Wednesday and health authorities remain on high alert as the nation begins its first major national holiday amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent resurgence of coronavirus in Seoul and surrounding regions appears to be stabilizing, but health authorities warn the situation is still precarious, as there are likely to be a large number of undetected virus carriers. The country added 38 new virus cases on Tuesday, the lowest daily increase since Aug.11, bri

A North Korean defector who collected information for North Korean authorities after being blackmailed has been given a suspended sentence. The defector, identified by the surname Han, was sentenced to an eight-month prison term suspended for two years for violating the National Security Act. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Han’s actions represented a clear danger of damaging South Korea’s democratic order and national security, as the information Han provided is lik

President Moon Jae-in on Monday offered an apology to the people of South Korea in response to the shock and fury caused by the killing of a South Korean government official last week by North Korea, his office said Monday. He also expressed his condolences to the family of the civil servant who was shot dead on Sept. 22 by the North’s troops after drifting into the country’s waters. “The shock and rage the public felt can easily be expected. The government, which should d

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday apologized for the developments surrounding a South Korean civil servant who was allegedly killed and incinerated by the North Korean military. The North’s Unification Front Department on Friday sent a communique addressed to Seoul’s presidential office outlining the events and including an expression of regret from Kim. “I have apologetic thoughts to President Moon Jae-in and compatriots of the South for the unfortunate incident tha

President Moon Jae-in was briefed on four occasions between Tuesday and Thursday on developments concerning the South Korean civil servant killed by the North Korean military, Cheong Wa Dae said. According to the presidential office, Moon was first briefed on the matter at 6:36 p.m. on Tuesday in the form of a written report. The report was made about three hours after the South’s military obtained intelligence that the civil servant was spotted by the North Korean military. At 10:30

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called on the Japanese government to work together with South Korea to seek a solution to the issue of wartime forced labor. In his first telephone conversation with the new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Moon said that the two countries are each other‘s closest neighbors and that the issue should be resolved, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok. “It is true that the two countries have differences on the forced labor i

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday again stressed the need to declare the end of the Korean War, and requested the UN’s support. Addressing the UN General Assembly in the early hours of Wednesday in Korea time, Moon said the time has come to formally end the war and that the move will ensure peace in the region. “Time has come to remove the tragedy lingering on the Korean Peninsula. The war must end, completely and for good,” Moon said in his speech. “Peace on the