President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Europe last month ushered in a pivotal moment for South Korea: His debut at the Group of Seven meeting signaled the country’s elevated status, on a par with the world’s wealthiest democracies. It also heralded the return of in-person diplomacy since the coronavirus pandemic forced the leaders to communicate virtually for more than a year. It was Moon’s second overseas trip since the pandemic, following his brief visit to Washington for a

Foreign Affairs July 4, 2021

People who have been vaccinated overseas against COVID-19 will be exempted from the mandatory two-week quarantine upon arrival in South Korea starting Thursday.  The new policy applies to Korean nationals and foreigners alike if they are entering Korea to do important business or serve the public interest, for academic or humanitarian purposes, or to visit immediate family.  Previously, Korea waived the self-isolation rule only for those vaccinated in Korea starting May 5.  To

Foreign Affairs June 30, 2021

The United Nations provided $5.9 million to North Korea last year to tackle the country‘s severe food shortage and for its COVID-19 response, UN data showed Tuesday. 　 The Central Emergency Response Fund, a global humanitarian fund established by the UN, said it allocated $5 million to the North in June last year to “tackle severe food insecurity and undernutrition,” in its 2020 annual report. The amount is earmarked for 3.59 million people in the country, it said. 　 

North Korea June 29, 2021

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is continuing his quest to tighten his grip on his country, and to create an image of it as a “normal state.” His new title as of 2021, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, reflects this. On June 29, 2016, Kim was named chairman of the newly established State Affairs Commission, the regime’s top branch of government and policymaking. The SAC replaced the National Defense Commission, the all-powerful

North Korea June 28, 2021

Over 30,000 North Korean defectors have risked their lives to escape their communist homeland and settle in the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. 　 But before starting a new life in the more prosperous South, all refugees must go through a period of investigation and a debriefing by the spy agency.  　 Run by the National Intelligence Service, the North Korean Refugee Protection Center in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, is where defectors get their first glimpse of the South. At

North Korea June 24, 2021

South Korea and the US have agreed to consider ending a controversial working group on North Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, as Washington’s point man on Pyongyang called for a resumption of dialogue with the recalcitrant regime. 　 Pyongyang, however, poured cold water on the allies’ engagement gesture Tuesday when the North Korean leader’s powerful younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, issued a statement saying the US’ expectation for talks would “plunge them in

North Korea June 22, 2021

The US is willing to meet North Korea for dialogue “anywhere, anytime, without preconditions,” President Joe Biden’s point man on North Korea said, expressing hope for a positive response from the reclusive regime. 　 Sung Kim, US special representative for North Korea, made the remarks in Seoul during trilateral talks with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan, Noh Kyu-duk and Takehiro Funakoshi, saying the Biden administration’s policy called for a “calibra

North Korea June 21, 2021

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry is considering requesting an investigation by state auditors or police to find out why a controversial video screened at the P4G summit showed Pyongyang instead of Seoul, and whether it was an intentional act or purely accidental.  The ministry also said it will reprimand officials that were part of the P4G preparatory committee for not thoroughly checking the video content before it was released.  The decision came after the ministry opened an i

Foreign Affairs June 18, 2021

Sung Kim, the newly appointed US special envoy for North Korea, is set to visit South Korea on Saturday for a three-way meeting with his counterparts in Seoul and Tokyo, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.  Kim’s five-day visit, which lasts till Wednesday, marks his first trip to South Korea since being appointed Biden’s point man on North Korea last month.  The US envoy is set to hold a bilateral meeting on Monday with his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, to discu

Foreign Affairs June 17, 2021

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened an important ruling party meeting on Tuesday to discuss ways to tackle the country’s food shortage and deal with the “current international situation,” state media said Wednesday. 　 The multiday plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party’s central committee opened Tuesday, the Korea Central News Agency said, with a mandate to review major state policies and measures to solve pending issues urgent for the economy and people&rsquo

North Korea June 16, 2021

Unification Minister Lee In-young’s planned trip to the US has been put off, his office said Tuesday, as Pyongyang remains largely unresponsive to overtures from Seoul and Washington. 　 Lee had sought to visit Washington this month to meet with officials, think tank leaders and experts to discuss a coordinated approach toward North Korea in hopes of a breakthrough in stalled inter-Korean ties. The US recently completed a policy review on the recalcitrant regime and is now pursuing an app

North Korea June 15, 2021

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had agreed to hold talks on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in England, but Japan unilaterally called the meeting off, citing the Dokdo issue, according to the Foreign Ministry on Monday. 　 The two countries had tentatively decided for Moon and Suga to have a pull-aside meeting on the fringes of the summit, which was held Friday through Sunday at Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate in Cornwall, southwestern England, accordin

Foreign Affairs June 14, 2021

CORNWALL, England/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in exchanged greetings with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday at the G-7 summit in the UK. But a separate session does not appear to be in the cards this time, amid speculation that the two leaders might get together for a bilateral meeting or a trilateral one with the US. 　 Moon and Suga “exchanged greetings” just before the start of an expanded session of the G-7 summit at Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate

Foreign Affairs June 13, 2021

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy as evidence of a “Cold War mentality,” and called for China and South Korea to stick to their political consensus as President Moon Jae-in prepares for the G-7 summit, where Washington is expected to encourage its allies to take a tougher stance toward Beijing.  Wang’s remarks came during a phone conversation with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Wednesday evening, according to

Foreign Affairs June 10, 2021

The ruling Democratic Party and the government agreed Wednesday to push for the ratification of a 2018 inter-Korean summit agreement in hopes of reviving the stalled peace process on the Korean Peninsula, and to strengthen coordination with the US on the implementation of its North Korea policy. 　 During the policy consultation session between the Democratic Party and the government, ministers and lawmakers discussed follow-up measures to last month’s South Korea-US summit. They also tal

North Korea June 9, 2021