Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
US Congress introduces bill to ban strike on N. Korea
US Sen. Edward Markey and Rep. Ro Khanna introduced Tuesday legislation that would bar President Donald Trump from waging military action against North Korea, unless Pyongyang delivers a preemptive strike or the US Congress authorizes it in advance. The bill, initially introduced in 2017 but which failed to get past the committee approval, surfaced again amid lingering tensions over recent conflicting reports on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s health and his whereabouts. “While d
North Korea April 29, 2020
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Lee widens lead, Hwang plummets in presidential poll
Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon has consolidated his lead among potential presidential candidates, posting an overwhelming lead of 40.2 percent in the latest poll conducted by Realmeter. Lee, who served as prime minister under President Moon Jae-in and won a parliamentary seat in the April 15 general elections, saw his popularity climb by 10.5 percentage points from a month earlier, the local pollster said. He held the lead for the 11th consecutive month and exceeded the 40 percent mark for
Politics April 28, 2020
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Former researchers probed for leaking military secrets
A group of former researchers at South Korea's state-run arms development agency are under investigation for allegedly leaking military secrets to private firms and institutions, military authorities said Monday. “We think about 60 workers left the agency with trade secrets. The National Intelligence Service, along with other authorities, are looking into the event,” a military official said, adding that authorities were focusing on some 20 agents suspected of glaring malf
Defense April 27, 2020
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S. Korean lawmakers push for law to aid USFK workers
Lawmakers from rival political parties are pushing to enact a special law to support South Korean employees of United States Forces Korea, who were recently put on unpaid leave because Seoul and Washington failed to conclude a defense cost-sharing pact. Submitted to the parliament Friday, the two separate but similar bills aim to establish a legal framework for the Korean government to intervene and pay the Korean workers. USFK put half of its 9,000 Korean employees on unpaid leave April 1, ci
Defense April 27, 2020
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UN airs coronavirus concerns over NK prisons
The UN Human Rights Office in Seoul said Thursday it was concerned about coronavirus protection for prisoners in North Korea due to a “lack of transparency and information” on its prison camps. The office said prisoners were vulnerable to the coronavirus because they were locked up in cramped conditions. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said several countries had already made efforts to curb coronavirus infections in prison, in a report submitted to the UN
North Korea April 24, 2020
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US Forces Korea extends health emergency amid virus spread
United States Forces Korea said Friday it had decided to extend its public health emergency declaration to curb coronavirus infections at the US Army Garrison here. Amid growing concerns over the virus spread, the emergency was initially declared March 25 but expired Thursday. Effective until May 23, the renewed declaration did not mean an increased risk level but was a reminder that the commander would exercise authority to enforce the military staff’s compliance with required precaution
Defense April 24, 2020
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US contingency plans for Kim’s death involve China: report
The US government has extensive contingency plans in place in case North Korean leader Kim Jong-un dies or is unable to rule due to failing health, Fox News reported Wednesday, adding that the plans involve China to address the potential for a mass-scale humanitarian crisis. Any mass exodus of North Korean refugees would need China’s support, according to unnamed sources in the US government the new channel cited. The report came amid lingering speculation concerning Kim’s well-be
North Korea April 23, 2020
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Seoul has to pay more for US troops: experts
South Korea will have to pay more than it recently offered in a defense cost-sharing pact with the US, experts said Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump continues to insist on a drastic hike in contributions from Seoul. Trump said Monday that he had rejected an offer from Korea, which reportedly promised 13 percent more than the $900 million it paid last year. Washington had initially asked for $5 billion. “Trump is telling negotiating teams -- both Washington and Seoul -- that he wa
Defense April 22, 2020
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Seoul says no signs Kim Jong-un gravely ill
South Korea on Tuesday played down reports of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un falling seriously ill after surgery, saying nothing in particular signaled Kim's failing health or indicated an emergency in the reclusive country. "So far we haven't come across any unusual signs in North Korea," said Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for Cheong Wa Dae, in a message to reporters sent hours after CNN said Kim was in critical condition following surgery, citing an unidentified US official with dir
North Korea April 21, 2020
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[Breaking] Seoul official plays down report on NK leader Kim's failing health
A South Korean official on Tuesday played down a CNN report that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was in critical condition after surgery. Citing a US official with direct knowledge of the matter, the US news channel said Kim appeared to be in "grave danger" after surgery. An earlier report by a South Korean online media outlet specializing in North Korea news said that Kim had undergone heart surgery and was in recovery. Kim was not present at the celebration of the birthday of his
North Korea April 21, 2020
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[Breaking] NK leader Kim reportedly in critical condition after surgery: CNN
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in critical condition after surgery, CNN said Tuesday, citing a US official with direct knowledge of the matter. Earlier on Monday, a South Korean online media outlet specializing in North Korea news reported Kim underwent a cardiovascular procedure and was in recovery. Kim was not present at the celebration of the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il-sung on April 15, fueling speculation about his health. It was the first time he had been absent from th
North Korea April 21, 2020
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NK warns Trump rapport with Kim shouldn’t be self-serving
North Korea warned US President Donald Trump not to use his personal rapport with leader Kim Jong-un for “selfish purposes,” saying Kim had not sent the “nice note” Trump claimed to have received. “The relations between the leaders of both countries are not to be taken up just for diversion or be misused for selfish purposes,” the North’s Foreign Ministry said on late Sunday in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. The message ca
North Korea April 20, 2020
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Army conscripts released after testing positive for COVID-19
Two Army conscripts from Daegu who are followers of the Shincheonji Church are to be released from military training after testing positive for COVID-19, the Army said Saturday. Two days earlier, another conscript who lived in South Gyeongsang Province near Daegu, also a follower of the sect, tested positive for the virus and was sent to a hospital for treatment. The three men enlisted Monday at a boot camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. About 130 trainees believed to have come into c
Defense April 18, 2020
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New infections drop to 18, lowest since Feb. 20
South Korea reported 18 new coronavirus infections Friday, bringing the tally to 10,653, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday. The number of new infections was the lowest since Feb. 20, when it was 16. After that the daily tallies escalated in the hundreds throughout March, but they dropped markedly in early April and has since remained between 20 and 30. Of the 18 new infections, five occurred in the southeastern city of Daegu and adjacent North Gyeong
Social Affairs April 18, 2020
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US congressmen call for finalizing defense deal with S. Korea
US Congressmen urged the Trump administration Wednesday to conclude the drawn-out defense cost-sharing deal with South Korea to protect US security interests and the readiness of both countries’ forces in Korea. On April 1, Korean national employees working for United States Forces Korea here were put on unpaid, indefinite leave due to a lapse in the bilateral cost-sharing deal for the upkeep of 28,500 US troops in Korea. Two countries had failed to finalize the agreement due to differenc
Defense April 17, 2020
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