Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
[From the Scene] Koreas back to square one as detente fades
PAJU, Gyeonggi Province -- Panmunjom, the Joint Security Area straddling the military demarcation line separating the two Koreas, was eerily quiet on Tuesday afternoon. Outsiders seeing the surroundings for the first time were greeted by near-perfect serenity in the place where the two Koreas vowed peace in April 2018. A historic summit that took place two months later in Singapore between then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raised hopes for detente that many belie
North Korea Feb. 20, 2023
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Tensions rise as allies stage drills over NK missile launch
South Korea and the US staged combined air drills Sunday, a day after North Korea aggravated inter-Korean tensions by firing an intercontinental ballistic missile that South Korea believes could reach anywhere in the continental United States. The launch came ahead of Seoul-Washington nuclear drills scheduled for this week and their annual field exercises for next month -- both of which are intended to help deal with Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. The Hwasong-15 launch, the first ICBM firi
North Korea Feb. 19, 2023
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Yoon likely to hold summit with Biden in April to build on alliance
President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to meet with his US counterpart, Joe Biden, as early as April for the third time following their November talks in Cambodia as the two allies eye a stronger alliance that could ride out deglobalization prompted by the escalating US-China rivalry. On Thursday, Yoon’s office dismissed a Bloomberg News report that said a White House state dinner was scheduled for late April, saying the Biden administration has not officially corroborated it. The White House
Politics Feb. 16, 2023
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S. Korea shifts to rebuilding in Turkey
Helping rebuild Turkey following last week’s earthquakes that killed at least 35,000 people is the new priority for South Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, moving away from the role of first responders to helping Ankara set “long-term recovery goals.” Seoul is to field a second rescue team Thursday night. “It’s all about reconstruction now, rather than rescue,” a senior ministry official told reporters following a multiagency meeting chaired by Forei
Foreign Affairs Feb. 15, 2023
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Three-way talks back checks on N. Korea, China
First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong and his US and Japanese counterparts reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearizing North Korea while countering China to curb its “destabilizing activities” at a meeting in Washington on Monday. The gathering, which last took place in October 2022 in Tokyo, chiefly addresses North Korea and China. Pyongyang fired off a record number of missiles last year and Beijing has recently been accused of sending what Washington says is a spy balloon ov
Foreign Affairs Feb. 14, 2023
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S. Korea redoubles push for forced labor deal, but Japan unmoved
The South Korean government is increasing its efforts to end the long-running historical dispute with Japan over restitution to Koreans forced to work for Japanese companies during World War II, but Japan shows little sign of offering what the victims have long sought: a direct apology and compensation. Cho Hyun-dong, Korea’s first vice foreign minister, was less optimistic of a “quick resolution” to the dispute than before, saying Sunday it was “too early to tell”
Foreign Affairs Feb. 13, 2023
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S. Korea sanctions N. Korea over cybertheft for first time
South Korea has imposed sanctions on North Korean individuals and groups for stealing cryptocurrency assets and coordinating cyberattacks, the first independent steps to curb cybercrimes that Seoul says are linked to bankrolling Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs. Four North Korean computer programmers and seven entities associated with North Korea’s top military intelligence agency -- the Reconnaissance General Bureau -- face the ban, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Friday
North Korea Feb. 10, 2023
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S. Korea resumes issuing visas for China as COVID-19 cases drop
South Korea will restart issuing short-term visas for travelers from China on Saturday, ending a monthlong suspension prompted by a rise in COVID-19 infections in China. Beijing had immediately retaliated with the same suspension, calling it a “countermeasure” and urging Seoul to lift its restrictions first. Kim Sung-ho, the vice interior minister in charge of disaster and safety management, said Friday that the latest shift in policy came in light of the fact that fewer arrivals fro
Foreign Affairs Feb. 10, 2023
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Yoon offers condolences to Turkish envoy during visit
President Yoon Suk Yeol offered condolences Thursday to Salih Murat Tamer, Turkish ambassador to South Korea, over the deadly earthquake that has killed close to 16,000 people in northern Turkey and southern Syria as of Thursday afternoon. According to Yoon’s office, the president reaffirmed his readiness to help the Turkish people in “every way possible” during a visit to the Turkish Embassy in Seoul. There, Yoon promised to field a second rescue team following a 118-member te
Politics Feb. 9, 2023
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Foreign aid hits record high on Indo-Pacific strategy
South Korea will spend more this year on official development assistance to the world’s poorest countries, a record on-year rise in foreign aid that also makes the total expenditure its biggest ever, amid Seoul’s push to leave a bigger global imprint. Since December last year, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has been looking for ways to deliver on its signature foreign policy, the Indo-Pacific Strategy, as Korea tries building on the plan to recast its image as a major player that i
Foreign Affairs Feb. 9, 2023
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Vietnam War haunts S. Korea as it seeks to settle Japan dispute
South Korea is facing potential hurdles in its yearslong battle to put behind once and for all its longtime historical dispute with Japan over forced labor, as it is now forced to revisit a claim that the Korean military was responsible for murdering civilians during the Vietnam War. This week, a Seoul court ruled in favor of a Vietnamese civilian who had asked the Korean government for damages, saying the Korean Marines fighting alongside US forces hurt her and her family -- all unarmed at the
Foreign Affairs Feb. 8, 2023
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S. Korea sends team to aid rescue efforts in Turkey after earthquake
South Korean rescue workers will fly to Turkey shortly before Tuesday midnight after a powerful earthquake killed at least 5,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria. In Turkey alone, the death toll has surpassed 3,400 as of Tuesday afternoon. The 118-member rescue team -- including doctors, emergency medical technicians and special forces trained to deal with disaster recovery -- is the largest single rescue mission ever put together. President Yoon Suk Yeol was one of the first world l
Foreign Affairs Feb. 7, 2023
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South Korea to provide $5m aid, dispatch rescue workers to Turkey
The South Korean government on Tuesday decided to provide $5 million in emergency humanitarian aid, dispatch rescue personnel and provide emergency medical supplies to support Turkey, which is suffering from massive casualties after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Monday. President Yoon Suk Yeol also sent a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express his special condolences and promise that "all possible assistance" would be provided for a speedy recovery. &ldquo
Politics Feb. 7, 2023
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S. Korea, US vow action on N. Korea amid push for new ties
South Korea and the United States, its biggest ally, have reaffirmed their commitment to using their full range of firepower, including US nuclear weapons, to contain North Korea, while also expanding economic and space exchanges in the latest joint push to mark 70 years of relations this year. At a Friday meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, Foreign Minister Park Jin highlighted “watertight coordination” in dealing with threats from North Korea, which fir
Foreign Affairs Feb. 5, 2023
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UN chief backs S. Korea’s efforts to disarm N. Korea
The United Nations is behind South Korea’s efforts to denuclearize North Korea and its measures to deter the isolated country from repeating aggressive actions like another nuclear test, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday at a meeting with Foreign Minister Park Jin in New York. The UN chief said he expects South Korea to play a bigger role in leading global initiatives involving protecting freedom and ensuring peace, a reference to Seoul’s latest Indo-Pacific strate
Foreign Affairs Feb. 2, 2023
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