Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
Virtual reality tour of N. Korea to be unveiled
The Unification Ministry is working with the Korean Red Cross to roll out a virtual reality tour of North Korea for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the ministry said Sunday. “The project aims to comfort the split families here, as the window of reunion opportunity is getting smaller by the day, given their advanced age,” a ministry official said. The first VR content will be about the hometown of Hyun Mi, an 83-year-old singer who was born in Pyongyang in 1937 and was
North Korea Sept. 6, 2020
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North’s Kim again inspects typhoon-hit area, vows swift recovery
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday toured a province hit by Typhoon Maysak after convening a meeting there where he discussed countermeasures and replaced the provincial party committee chairman, the Korean Central News Agency said Sunday. “We can’t let our people here go on without homes when our national holiday is nearing,” Kim was quoted as saying at the meeting before visiting South Hamgyong Province. The regime celebrates the anniversary of its ruling party Oct.
North Korea Sept. 6, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Hanwha named preferred bidder for W1tr Australia artillery project
South Korean defense firm Hanwha Defense was named the preferred bidder for an artillery project worth about 1 trillion won ($842 million) in Australia, which involves building self-propelled K9 howitzers and K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, the Australian Defense Ministry said Thursday. “Through this project, this Government is delivering the capability Army needs while creating local jobs in and around Geelong that will grow our highly skilled workforce,” Australian Defense Minis
Defense Sept. 3, 2020
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Military doctors to be dispatched to treat COVID-19
South Korean military doctors will be dispatched to understaffed civilian health facilities to help treat coronavirus patients, as trainee doctors carry on their strike amid a surge in the number of severely and critically ill COVID-19 patients, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday. Starting Friday, 22 military doctors will begin work at nine facilities in the Seoul area, including hospitals, screening clinics and other designated centers treating COVID-19 patients. More doctors are expected to
Defense Sept. 2, 2020
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S. Korea seeks biggest defense budget at W53tr
The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday that it was seeking a 5 percent increase in its budget for next year, with most of the total 52.9 trillion won ($44.7 billion) linked to personnel training and facilities maintenance. “We will make sure to invest in beefing up our capabilities to counter any security threat, both conventional and unconventional,” the ministry said. The budget is drawn as South Korea seeks to deter aggression from North Korea amid stalled nuclear talks, w
Defense Sept. 1, 2020
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Air Force chief tapped to head Joint Chiefs of Staff
Air Force chief Won In-choul was named to lead the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday. “He is an operations expert with initiative to power through defense reforms including ongoing efforts to transfer the wartime operational control to South Korea from the US,” the ministry said. Seoul had been making preparations to take over the wartime role from Washington by 2022, but the plan has hit a snag over the reduced joint drills to te
Defense Aug. 31, 2020
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Kim Jong-un did not delegate power: ex-US commander
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not passed down his key posts and that means Kim has not delegated power, retired Gen. Vincent Brooks, who was commander of the 28,500-strong United States Forces Korea between 2016 and 2018, said in response to a South Korean intelligence analysis. The National Intelligence Service told lawmakers on Aug. 20 that while Kim holds absolute power, he has delegated some of it to key aides including his sister Kim Yo-jong, who, the agency added, is the de facto No
North Korea Aug. 31, 2020
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Army chief named to lead Defense Ministry
Army chief Gen. Suh Wook was tapped to head the Ministry of National Defense, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday at a briefing. “He is experienced in field operations and strategy and has as well exceptional expertise in joint operations at the ROK-US Combined Forces Command,” spokesperson Kang Min-seok said, adding that Gen. Suh is fully versed in security initiatives championed by President Moon Jae-in. Suh, a four-star general, has taken on senior roles involving operations and strategy
Defense Aug. 28, 2020
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US seeks to seize 280 cryptocurrency accounts tied to NK
The US government on Thursday sought to seize 280 cryptocurrency accounts believed to have ties to North Korean hackers who stole cryptocurrencies worth millions of dollars from two virtual exchanges and tried to launder the funds through Chinese traders. In a civil forfeiture complaint, the US Justice Department linked the cybertheft to North Korea and referred as well to a UN Panel of Experts report that the state-backed North Korean hackers stole about $500 million from at least five exchang
North Korea Aug. 28, 2020
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N. Korea has yet to report infection: WHO
The World Health Organization said it has been informed of zero coronavirus infection in North Korea so far, since the pandemic outbreak late last year. “As of 20 August, 2,767 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the country and all have tested negative. WHO is yet to get details about the suspected case that was reported in Kaesong,” said Edwin Salvador, WHO representative to North Korea, referring to a city near the inter-Korean border. He told Voice of America in an email th
North Korea Aug. 28, 2020
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US warns N. Korean hackers resumed bank raids
North Korean hackers have resumed robbing banks across the globe by draining cash from ATMs on fraudulent money transfers, multiple US federal agencies warned Wednesday. A technical alert on hacker group BeagleBoyz, jointly written by four different agencies including the Treasury Department and FBI, said North Korea resumed the bank heist campaign in February, ending a hiatus in activity from late last year. North Korea is believed to be funding its nuclear and missile programs with the
North Korea Aug. 27, 2020
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NK meets on typhoon, coronavirus responses
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened a politburo meeting of the ruling Worker’s Party on Tuesday to discuss measures in response to Typhoon Bavi and the coronavirus outbreak, the North‘s Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday. “It is imperative to minimize casualties and crop damage. A good harvest depends on it,” Kim was quoted as saying at the meeting, urging aides to keep people informed of the latest on Typhoon Bavi, which is set to hit the country Wednesday a
North Korea Aug. 26, 2020
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UN set to address NK human rights issues
The United Nations will discuss human rights conditions in North Korea at the coming General Assembly scheduled to open Sept. 15, the Secretariat said. It added that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will report on the latest developments while Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the North, will make recommendations at the UN Third Committee dealing with human rights. The committee has usually looked at human rights abuses in the North in Oct
North Korea Aug. 25, 2020
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Ministry’s push for barter deal with NK hits wall
A barter exchange where South Korea trades sugar for North Korea’s liquor and food products as part of efforts to improve ties could not take place, despite Seoul’s strong push to do so, as the project involves a UN-sanctioned North Korean trading firm, lawmakers said Monday. Earlier in the day, the parliamentary intelligence was briefed on the latest finding by the Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs. Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho held the briefing himself.
North Korea Aug. 24, 2020
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North Korea vows to overcome hurdles at congress next year
North Korea said Monday that it will move to correct its “deficiencies” at a congress scheduled for January, referring to a ruling Workers’ Party plenary meeting a week earlier where leader Kim Jong-un vowed to set a five-year economic plan because “unforeseen hurdles” had hampered economic growth. The state newspaper said in a commentary that the ruling party aims to use the congress to meet challenges here and abroad and to advance the country’s “revo
North Korea Aug. 24, 2020
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