Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
With victory under his belt, Hong vows to rebuild conservatives
Hong Joon-pyo, a prominent conservative politician who ran in the election as an independent and won, said Thursday that he would rebuild the political right, which is reeling from a crushing defeat in Wednesday’s general elections. Hong, who was denied candidacy for the conservative main opposition United Future Party, was elected to represent the Suseong-gu constituency of Daegu, a conservative stronghold. He said he would return to the United Future Party as he had promised during his
Politics April 16, 2020
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Ex-police commissioner elected on prosecution reform pledge
Hwang Un-hah, the former commissioner of the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency who is standing trial on power abuse charges, won a parliamentary seat in his hometown of Daejeon in Wednesday’s general elections. Winning the race by a narrow margin against a conservative United Future Party rival, Hwang grabbed a seat on the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s ticket to represent the conservative-leaning Jung-gu constituency of Daejeon. Hwang is an outspoken critic of the prosecutio
Politics April 16, 2020
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Voter turnout surges to 20-year high
Despite the continuing coronavirus outbreak, South Korean citizens flocked to the polls for Wednesday’s general elections, pushing the turnout rate to the highest in years. Nearly 66 percent of the country’s 43 million registered voters had cast their ballot as of 6 p.m., when balloting was still underway for voters quarantined over COVID-19. The turnout was the highest in general elections since 2000. A record 11 million people -- 26 percent of the electorate -- took part in
Politics April 15, 2020
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NK fires cruise missiles in fifth weapons test
North Korea fired what appeared to be multiple cruise missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday morning, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that it was maintaining readiness while monitoring developments in case of additional launches. The projectiles flew at least 150 kilometers from the eastern coastal town of Munchon during the 40-minute firings that began at around 7 a.m., according to the JCS. Along with the projectile launches, the North also flew multiple Sukhoi-varian
North Korea April 14, 2020
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Rival parties expect sweeping victory in longtime strongholds
This year’s general elections are shaping up to be a battle between the ruling party that aims to maintain dominance and the main opposition party that hopes to “pass judgment” on the Moon Jae-in administration. Both project that they will take majority, but the outlook remains unclear. The exceptions are centered on the southwestern city of Gwangju and surrounding North and South Jeolla provinces for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, and Daegu and adjoining North Gyeongs
Politics April 11, 2020
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Army chiefs of S. Korea, US discuss countering COVID-19
The army chiefs of South Korea and the US held a telephone conversation Friday to discuss countering the coronavirus and the readiness of their combined forces. The call between Suh Wook, South Korea’s Army chief of staff, and James C. McConville, his US counterpart, was held at the request of the US. In the call, Gen. Suh highlighted strong measures to track down potential patients and test them while following anti-virus precautions as key to curb the spread of COVID-19. South Korea&r
Defense April 10, 2020
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Dummy missile test suspected at NK shipyard: report
North Korea may have tested dummy missiles at its Sinpo South Shipyard along its east coast recently, Washington-based website 38 North said Wednesday, citing commercial satellite images. The group monitors North Korea. Four unidentified objects were lined up next to the ejection pad, and the service tower on the pad looked operational, with vehicles lined up next to it. The images suggested the North tested dummy missiles, the group said. But the group was unsure whether Pyongyang had c
North Korea April 9, 2020
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In bellwether Seoul, ruling Democratic Party ‘confident’ of victory
Seoul, which is the largest metropolis in South Korea that comprises one-fifth of the country’s 50 million-strong population, is a key battleground in the April 15 parliamentary elections between liberals and conservatives. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said it has a clear lead in at least 33 out of 49 constituencies in the capital. The main opposition United Future Party projected it would secure 17 seats. The governing party expects to pick up seats in its traditional liberal
Politics April 9, 2020
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US soldiers in Korea punished for violating antivirus rules
The US 8th Army in Korea said Sunday it had stripped one sergeant and three soldiers of two months’ pay, as they had visited an off-base bar in violation of the military guidance not to travel outside their base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, where the US military is headquartered. The three soldiers had their ranks downgraded to private as well. Noncompliance with the guidance will be made public so everyone related to the US military understands the consequences of defying the comma
Defense April 6, 2020
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Military delays conscription fitness test
The Military Manpower Administration said Monday that it had decided to postpone the physical examinations for conscript candidates nationwide by another week to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The tests, which have been suspended since Feb. 24, will resume April 20, but they could be further put back depending on the situation. Over the weekend, the government said it would extend the social distancing campaign, requiring citizens to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities for another two weeks.
Defense April 6, 2020
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Anti-N. Korea group helped to hide top diplomat: report
Free Joseon, a clandestine anti-North Korea political group, helped Pyongyang’s top diplomat in Italy go into hiding in November 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. It said Free Joseon arranged a car and a safe house for Jo Song-gil, who was then acting ambassador to Rome, and his wife, citing sources familiar with the matter. Jo, who had told colleagues he was going for a stroll, got into the car with his wife at the embassy compound and fled to a safe house, leaving thei
North Korea April 6, 2020
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[Newsmaker] US military uses Seoul lab to test troops outside Korea
A Seoul-based lab tested 72 American troops positive for COVID-19, but the US military in Korea said they belonged to soldiers stationed elsewhere, and not here, a local report said Sunday. A US hospital at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, where the US military is headquartered, sent clinical specimens to the lab, which shared the results with the city in Gyeonggi Province, as it was bound by law to do so. The city pressed the US military for more details, but it came to confirm only the fact t
Defense April 5, 2020
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Tottenham star Son Heung-min to start 3-week military training
Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min will take part in a three-week basic training for mandatory military service required by South Korea, sources familiar with that matter said Thursday. He is exempt from conscription but will receive the training at a Marine Corps camp on Jeju Island from April 20. All able-bodied South Korean men must serve active duty for at least 18 months, but athletes who win gold at the Asian Games or a medal of any color at the Olympics can complete a basic train
Soccer April 2, 2020
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USFK workers go on unpaid leave as final deal pending
Nearly half of Koreans working at the US military in Korea went on indefinite, unpaid leave Wednesday, taken hostage by drawn-out negotiations between Korea and the US on how to share costs for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops here. “Today, approximately half of the USFK Korean national employee workforce has been furloughed due to a lapse in the Special Measures Agreement,” Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of the US military in Korea, said, referring to the cost-sharing deal the a
Defense April 1, 2020
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North Korea ‘photoshopped’ latest rocket test photo: report
North Korea could have manipulated images of its latest rocket launches, a German rocket expert told Voice of America. Markus Schiller, who specializes in mechanical and aerospace engineering, suspected the North edited some of the launch pictures made public. “If you measure the dimensions of the missile which just seems to have left the launch tube, the missile is too large, diameter is too big and the length is too long to fit into that launch tube,” he said. North Korea launc
North Korea March 31, 2020
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