The central government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government jointly announced a master plan for the development of the Hangang River and its riverbank earlier this week, signaling the start of yet another large-scale attempt to exploit one of the capital’s major assets. [번역] 중앙정부와 서울시가 이번 주 초, 한강과 한강 둔치 개발을 위한 마스터플랜을 공동으로 발표했는데 이는 서울시 주요 자산 중 하나를 개발하려는 또 다른 대규모 계획의 출발을 예고했다. [/번역] The plan, ...

Speaking at a workshop for ruling party lawmakers Tuesday, Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said the “biggest strength” that led to the inter-Korean breakthrough reached earlier in the day was that “the (South Korean) people stayed together.” [번역] 홍용표 통일부 장관은 화요일, 여당 의원들을 위한 워크숍 연설에서 "새벽에 타결된 남북한 합의를 이끈 가장 큰 힘은 국민이 함께 한 것이었다,"고 말했다. [/번역] Hong, who attended days of intensive high-level talk...

It is a relief that South and North Korea reached an agreement to defuse the crisis that had brought the two sides close to a serious armed conflict. The agreement is highlighted by the North’s expression of “regret” over the recent land mine blast in the DMZ and the promise of the South to cease its propaganda broadcasts into the North. [번역] 남북이 심각한 무력 충돌로 이어질 뻔한 위기를 완화하기 위한 합의를 이룬 것은 다행스러운 일이...

President Park Geun-hye vowed to continue with its propaganda broadcasts across the border unless North Korea offered a clear apology for the recent land mine attack and pledged not to carry out further provocations, while top negotiators from both sides continued talks that stretched into a third day. [번역] 남북 고위급 회담이 사흘째로 접어든 한편 박근혜 대통령이 북한이 지뢰 공격에 대해 확실히 사과하고 더 이상 도발하지 않겠다고 약속하지 않으면 대북 선전방송을 ...

South and North Korea sought to find ways of defusing tensions on the peninsula at high-level talks that were resumed Sunday after being adjourned earlier in the day. The talks began Saturday at the truce village of Panmunjeom, an hour after the North’s deadline for the South to halt propaganda broadcasts across their heavily fortified border or face a military attack. [번역] 남북이 일요일 오전에 중단됐다가 재개...

It is welcome news that the country’s conglomerates have recently come up with plans to help increase youth employment. [번역] 대기업들이 최근 청년 고용증대 계획을 내놓고 있는 것은 환영할 만한 소식이다. [/번역] Samsung, the largest business group in Korea, has announced a plan to provide 30,000 young people with jobs or job training over the next two years. Hanwha and Lotte have promised to hire 17,569 and 24,000 workers by 201...

A recent OECD report grabbed headlines in the Korean media as it highlighted Koreans’ low confidence in the country’ public institutions, including the national government and the judiciary. [번역] 최근의 OECD 보고서가 정부, 사법부 등 공공기관에 대한 낮은 신뢰도를 부각시키면서 한국 언론 헤드라인을 장식했다. [/번역] The OECD Government at a Glance 2015 report, based on a survey of 1,000 people in each member state, found that only 34 percent...

While the Blue House says it will make an official statement in the latter part of the week, it is now generally accepted that President Park Geun-hye will visit China in conjunction with that country’s Victory Day. What has not been decided on yet is whether she will attend the military parade that will form the centerpiece of the day’s events. [번역] 박근혜 대통령이 중국 전승절로 방중하는 것과 관련해 청와대가 이번 주 후반에 공...

The South Korean government Tuesday denied local rumors that toxic chemicals from the Tianjin blast in China may affect the peninsula. Unidentified online rumors have spread in the country that the toxic substance allegedly leaked from the Chinese blast site last week would likely affect the peninsula. The postings included those who claimed the U.S. Embassy in China had warned people to avoid ex...

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se last week pledged to make strenuous efforts to arrange for a three-way summit among the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan. He said his intention was to “host this trilateral summit at the earliest possible mutually convenient time before the end of this year” when he met with the outgoing secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat headquartered...

Good leaders aren’t necessarily good speakers, but it is important for them to deliver the right message at the right time if they want to rally people behind their leadership. From that aspect, neither President Park Geun-hye nor Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe can hardly be called good communicators. We could ascertain this in the past few days as both leaders addressed their countries to ma...

South Korea’s ties with North Korea and Japan remain as tense and frayed as ever 70 years since the peninsula’s liberation from Japan’s colonial rule and subsequent division into two parts along the 38th parallel. [번역] 한국은 일본의 통치에서 해방되고 38선을 따라 남북으로 분단된 이후 70년 동안 일본, 북한과의 관계가 여전히 경색돼 있다. [/번역] Tension is escalating along the heavily guarded inter-Korean border in the wake of explosions on Aug...

It is usual for Korean politicians and business tycoons to offer apologies when they are embroiled in big scandals. In most cases, they hope their public apologies will end the furor and return things to normal. [번역] 한국 정치인들과 재계 총수들이 대형 스캔들에 휩쓸리면 사과를 하는 것은 흔한 일이다. 대부분의 경우 그들은 공식적 사과로 소동이 끝나고 모든 것이 정상으로 돌아가기를 바란다. [/번역] But for Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin, such hopes are slim. To be fai...

South Korea and the U.S. have denied a recent report by a Japanese news agency that Washington has asked President Park Geun-hye not to attend China’s high-profile ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of its victory over Japan in World War II. [번역] 미국이 박근혜 대통령에게 중국의 전승절 기념행사에 참석하지 말라는 요구를 했다는 일본 언론의 보도를 한.미가 부정했다. [/번역] An official at Seoul’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as untrue, ...

As a public outcry mounts over sexual molestation and harassment cases at a high school in Seoul, officials are busy announcing measures to curb sexual abuses at schools and other public workplaces. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn presided over a meeting of senior government officials last Friday to discuss the issue. Participants agreed to push for revisions of pertinent laws and regulations to fig...