Articles by Ji Da-gyum
Ji Da-gyum
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com-
US nuclear submarine enters S.Korea in decades as allies launch new nuclear group
The US Navy's nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine entered Busan in South Korea on Tuesday afternoon, on the day the allies officially launched a new nuclear consultative group to develop scenarios and response protocols in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack on the Korean Peninsula. US National Security Coordinator for the Indo Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell made a surprise announcement after the inaugural meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group, or NCG, took place at the So
Defense July 18, 2023
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S. Korea imposes new sanctions on NK following Hwasong-18 ICBM launch
South Korea announced another round of unilateral sanctions on North Korea including on the high-profile director of the army politburo, shortly after a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea's illicit launch of a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile ended without producing collective agreement to condemn it. The Yoon Suk Yeol government on Friday imposed new financial sanctions on four North Korean individuals and three entities in response to North Korea's firing of the
Foreign Affairs July 14, 2023
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NK says ICBM firing a strong warning to S. Korea, US
While admitting to launching the newly developed Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, North Korea on Thursday said the latest missile test the day before was carried out to convey a "strong practical warning" to its adversaries. The Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea made the "strategic judgment and crucial decision" to conduct on Wednesday the second test-firing of the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel ICBM, according to North Korean state-r
North Korea July 13, 2023
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N. Korea fires ICBM ahead of Yoon-Kishida summit at NATO
North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile off its eastern coast toward Japan on Wednesday morning, when the leaders of South Korea and Japan were set to hold a separate summit later in the day on the sidelines of a NATO summit. The intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, was fired from the area of the capital city of Pyongyang toward the East Sea at around 10 a.m., South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The missile was fired at a lofted angle and traveled around 1,000 kilome
North Korea July 12, 2023
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Yoon decries NK provocations, urges stronger security with NATO
VILNIUS, Lithuania/SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned North Korea's latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch and urged a stronger collective message from NATO in a summit held Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania. Yoon decried the launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a threat to global peace, calling on the international community to stand firmly against such provocations. Hours before the summit of NATO and its partners, North Korea launched
North Korea July 12, 2023
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Kim Yo-jong's reference to South as 'Republic of Korea' may indicate change
The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday referred to Seoul as the "Republic of Korea," South Korea's official name, in two statements, signaling a change in its decadeslong strategy to unify the Korean Peninsula under North Korea's lead, according to observers. The name change in Kim Yo-jong's statements -- which were issued in both Korean and English -- may indicate that Pyongyang has started to recognize Seoul as a separate state in a hostil
North Korea July 11, 2023
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Amid declining number of NK defectors, Hanawon turns to vocational training
ANSEONG, Gyeonggi Province – Hanawon has proactively expanded its primary role by offering a diverse array of vocational training programs in order to empower North Korean defectors and equip them with the skills necessary to pursue in-demand careers as baristas, estheticians, manicurists and pet groomers. Before embarking on their journey of assimilation in South Korea, a destination once distant but deeply yearned for, every North Korean defector must pass through a crucial checkpoint: t
North Korea July 10, 2023
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Yoon, Kishida to meet during NATO summit as Fukushima water debate intensifies
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will embark on a six-day trip Monday to attend the NATO summit in Lithuania and visit Poland, but the focus will be on his meeting with the Japanese leader, where the two are expected to discuss Tokyo's plan to release treated wastewater into the sea. The South Korean presidential office confirmed Sunday that the summit between Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will take place on the sidelines of the NATO Vilnius Summit on Tuesday and Wednes
Foreign Affairs July 9, 2023
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Military Manpower commissioner against conscripting women, military exemption for BTS
The head of South Korea's Military Manpower Agency on Wednesday said he opposes the idea of expanding military conscription to female citizens and extending the mandatory military service period for eligible male citizens as potential solutions to address manpower shortages within the military. "It seems impractical to extend the shortened period of military service. In my opinion, it's impossible," said Lee Ki-sik, the commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, du
Defense July 5, 2023
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S. Korea, China deputy FMs agree on need to enhance bilateral ties
The deputy foreign ministers of South Korea and China met in Beijing on Tuesday amid mounting tensions between the two countries over the Chinese ambassador to Korea's open criticism of Seoul's foreign policy last month. South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Young-sam and his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong held an in-person meeting and the two agreed that meticulous efforts are necessary to enhance bilateral relations based on "mutual respect and reciprocity," Sout
Foreign Affairs July 5, 2023
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N. Korea satellite had 'no military utility,' says S. Korea
South Korea and the United States have assessed that the reconnaissance satellite launched by North Korea in May has "no military utility" because its imaging equipment lacks the required resolution, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday. The JCS announced the results of the analysis conducted on the debris of North Korea's spy satellite and space launch vehicle that the South Korean military salvaged in the West Sea. "The major components of North Korea
Defense July 5, 2023
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Reports suggest COVID-19 mask rule lifted in NK
North Korean state media reports suggest that the country has lifted its COVID-19 mask mandate across the country, effective from this month. The state-run Korean Central Television, primarily catering to North Korean audiences, began broadcasting news showing people working at factories and going about their daily lives mask-free on Sunday. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, also began featuring photographs of unmasked North Korean people on Monday. Six indi
North Korea July 4, 2023
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Unification Ministry to shift focus to N.Korean human rights
The Yoon Suk Yeol government is seeking to restructure the Unification Ministry to focus on human rights issues in North Korea and analysis of the Kim Jong-un regime, de-emphasizing its role of facilitating inter-Korean dialogue and other projects aimed at the reconciliation of the two Koreas. Yoon, following his unconventional, concurrent appointments of a hard-liner on Pyongyang as the minister and a veteran diplomat as the vice minister, reiterated on Sunday that the ministry should not prima
North Korea July 3, 2023
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S. Korea enacts drone operation law against NK infiltration
South Korea enacted a new law on Tuesday to establish a drone operations command aimed at conducting both defensive and offensive missions, including striking North Korean drones infiltrating South Korean airspace. The law was proclaimed six months after President Yoon Suk Yeol's order to establish a drone operations command. The order was in response to an incident in which five North Korean drones intruded South Korean airspace, and flew over Seoul and the western inter-Korean border area
Defense June 27, 2023
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Women to serve on Korean submarines from 2024
South Korea's Navy will deploy women officers aboard 3,000-ton submarines for the first time starting next year, breaking the longstanding glass ceiling within the country's military after 31 years since the Navy commissioned its first-ever Jang Bogo submarine in 1993. Seven non-commissioned female officers were selected earlier this month out of a pool of 22 applicants to serve on submarines, the Navy announced Monday. The Navy had initially planned to select four non-commissioned fem
Defense June 26, 2023
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