Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
Impasse over forced labor imperils Seoul’s efforts to mend Tokyo ties
Deepening discord was revealed Thursday over how to bring Japan to make amends to Koreans forced into labor by Japanese firms during World War II, further weakening the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s drive to seek a thaw in frayed Seoul-Tokyo ties. Thursday’s public debate, held at the National Assembly to gather public input that could help settle the dispute, reaffirmed concerns that Japan’s apology and compensation -- two conditions victims demand but that have been denied b
Foreign Affairs Jan. 12, 2023
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China’s ‘retaliatory’ visa ban sign of stormy times ahead
China’s visa ban on South Koreans following Seoul’s tighter COVID-19 curbs on Chinese travelers is the kind of tit-for-tat spat the two Asian neighbors will have to deal with on multiple fronts for some time, experts said Thursday. China this week stopped issuing short-term visas in Korea for business visits, tourism, medical care, transit and other personal matters -- a response to what Beijing said were discriminatory restrictions Seoul had imposed on people arriving from China. Th
Foreign Affairs Jan. 12, 2023
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Yoon may visit US to mark alliance anniversary
A trip to the US by President Yoon Suk Yeol is high up on the priority list for the Foreign Ministry, part of efforts it hopes would help South Korea gain a larger share of the international diplomatic spotlight, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Wednesday. Seoul -- set to mark its 70 years of security ties with Washington in October, its biggest ally -- revealed a month ago its Indo-Pacific strategy, a commitment to help reshape the world order alongside the US, primarily, amid deglobalization p
Foreign Affairs Jan. 11, 2023
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S. Korea, US reaffirm economic ties
South Korea and the United States are “indispensable partners” that share such universal values as freedom and human rights -- the commitment central to their economic solidarity, Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon said Tuesday ahead of marking the allies’ 70 years of security ties in October. Lee and his US counterpart, Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose Fernandez, discussed bolstering support for economic security or plans to de
Foreign Affairs Jan. 10, 2023
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[S. Korea-Japan Reboot] Activist suggests using cultural reach to fight Japan’s ‘revisionism’
This is the second installment of the three-part interview series exploring what experts believe should take place for S. Korea to better advance its interests, while resetting ties with Japan amid disputes. -- Ed. AAAAA/ South Korea should use its growing cultural presence to rally an international audience against Japan’s “revisionist history,” a course of action that is more effectively put in check with international backing while the two Asian neighbors rush to reset ties,
Foreign Affairs Jan. 8, 2023
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[S. Korea-Japan Reboot] Rebalancing S. Korea-Japan relations requires steps, not leaps: Hosaka
This is the first installment of the three-part interview series exploring what experts believe should take place for S. Korea to better advance its interests, while resetting ties with Japan amid disputes. -- Ed. For too long, South Korea has misplaced hope in breakthroughs, while Japan has pursued small steps rather than giant leaps in ties. That is a lesson for Seoul to mirror Japan’s strategy to negotiate better as they seek to reset relations amid longtime historical disputes, accord
Foreign Affairs Jan. 5, 2023
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‘Year of reckoning’: Where South Korea is headed as it readies for defining 2023
The year 2022, marked by unprecedented geopolitical and economic tensions, has been especially brutal for South Korea as it sought greater global clout amid deglobalization prompted by the escalating US-China rivalry. The search for a seat in a new world order is emboldening Korea to take bolder steps, beginning with its longtime ally, the US. The Indo-Pacific strategy revealed Wednesday is the epitome of Seoul’s commitment to helping reshape the world alongside Washington, its biggest all
Politics Dec. 29, 2022
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South Korea eyes global reach with new Indo-Pacific strategy
South Korea is now a global player among Indo-Pacific countries that has to do its part for freedom, peace and prosperity in the region in order to take the next leap, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Wednesday. He made the remarks while unveiling the country’s Indo-Pacific strategy -- the latest foreign policy summarizing the steps needed to expand Korea’s global imprint. The plan, promised back in May when the Yoon Suk-yeol administration took power, comes amid a global rush to gain
Foreign Affairs Dec. 28, 2022
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Outreach key in reminding Japan of pacifism: experts
South Korea should engage more proactively with Japan and through their common ally, the US, as Japan’s pursuit of its largest military buildup since its post-World War II pacifism days heralds a new phase of military competition, according to experts. The outreach would help prevent the kind of arms buildup reminiscent of Japan’s wartime aggression, they said Tuesday. Tokyo’s five-year $322 billion defense strategy, unveiled two weeks ago, is twice the amount spent in the last
Foreign Affairs Dec. 27, 2022
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NK hackers behind attacks on S. Korean security experts
Police said Friday that a North Korean hacker group was behind a series of phishing attacks this year targeting security experts in South Korea by sending them emails and inviting them to click on links to fake websites. The scam, which took place between April and October, involved faking the identity of local reporters covering national security and an assistant to Rep. Tae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to the South and is now a ruling party lawmaker. Of the 892 people w
North Korea Dec. 25, 2022
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Foreign Minister Park highlights 30 years of ties with Vietnam
This year marks a watershed moment for South Korea and Vietnam in their 30 years of relations, as they are about to embark on a new path of greater mutual prosperity, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Thursday at a dinner reception. The gathering -- attended by Park and Vietnam’s Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tung -- is the latest effort by Seoul to cement ties with the Southeast Asian country for a bigger foothold in the region. In a video statement, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Tha
Foreign Affairs Dec. 25, 2022
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South Korea, US hold air drills as North Korea steps up rhetoric
South Korea and the US on Tuesday staged combined air drills involving the Korean F-35A and F-15K fighters as well as the US B-52 bombers and F-22 fighters, the first time such an alliance of warplanes tested their readiness, in a clear response to North Korea’s increasingly hawkish rhetoric amid its uninterrupted missile tests. Hours ahead of the exercises, the North warned that it would take real steps to strongly disapprove of Japan’s turnaround last week from post-World War II pa
North Korea Dec. 20, 2022
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Military maintains NK tested missile
The South Korean military on Monday stood by its earlier assessment that North Korea on the previous day tested ballistic missiles, not space rockets -- a launch Pyongyang claims to have taken place as part of its “final push” to develop a spy satellite. “Our joint assessment about the Sunday test that North Koreans had fired two medium-range ballistic missiles remains unchanged,” a spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said at a briefing, referring to K
North Korea Dec. 19, 2022
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N. Korea tests enhanced engine amid push to improve missiles
North Korea tested what it called a high-thrust solid-fuel engine Thursday -- the latest move by the isolated country to ramp up its campaign to build better missiles and nuclear weapons while rejecting all efforts for peace deals. The test, made public Friday by the state-run Korea Central News Agency, was overseen by leader Kim Jong-un, who KCNA said “encouraged missile researchers for another new weapon.” The test took place at the country’s Sohae Satellite Launching Ground,
North Korea Dec. 16, 2022
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IAEA ready to help push for talks on N. Korea
The International Atomic Energy Agency can provide a platform to help bring North Korea back to nuclear talks because resuming dialogue is “indispensable,” UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Friday, hours before finishing his three-day trip to Seoul. “I am also persuaded that the IAEA can play a constructive role in this regard. Of course, it’s in the hands of the Republic of Korea, and of course, naturally the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as well
Foreign Affairs Dec. 16, 2022
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