Articles by Ahn Sung-mi
Ahn Sung-mi
sahn@heraldcorp.com-
NK reinstalls propaganda loudspeakers, gets ready to drop 12 million anti-Seoul leaflets
North Korea is reinstalling propaganda loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border and preparing to drop 12 million anti-Seoul leaflets here, amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula since the North demolished a joint liaison office. South Korea’s military said the North appears to be setting up loudspeakers “in multiple places” inside the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas. Both Koreas dismantled their propaganda loudspeakers in May 2018 after agreeing to st
North Korea June 22, 2020
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Leafleting: decisive propaganda or empty provocation?
Even in the 21st century with all its technical wizardry and social media, old-fashioned propaganda leaflets seem to matter a great deal on Korean Peninsula, the world’s last remaining Cold War frontier. The act of flying huge gas-filled balloons carrying leaflets and other materials denouncing the rival regime has lately become the source of sudden ratcheting up of tensions between the two Koreas. Enraged by defectors here sending anti-North Korea leaflets across the bor
North Korea June 21, 2020
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[Herald Interview] Unfazed by warnings, defector vows to continue leaflet campaign
The practice of sending anti-North Korean propaganda flying across the border attached to hot air balloons has become a thorny issue amid worsening tensions between the two Koreas. Enraged by the defector groups sending leaflets condemning North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the country’s reclusive regime, Pyongyang publicly blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in its border city Kaesong on Tuesday, and warned that it would take further action if Seoul failed to stop the balloon lau
North Korea June 18, 2020
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[Newsmaker] ‘Our worst fear has turned into reality’
Tuesday was a devastating day for a group of South Korean businessmen who once ran factories inside the Kaesong industrial park, a now-shuttered joint manufacturing zone in North Korea’s border city. When Pyongyang blew up the inter-Korean liaison office there, it shattered their last hope of a dramatic breakthrough in cross-border ties that would have allowed their factories to resume operation. “This is tragic. We are devastated that our worst fear has come true,” Chung
North Korea June 17, 2020
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Seoul slams Tokyo over ‘distortion’ of forced labor history at exhibition
South Korea on Monday expressed deep regret over Tokyo’s neglect of its pledge to commemorate victims of wartime forced labor at a newly opened facility celebrating its industrial revolution, and condemned the exhibitions as “distortion of facts.” On Monday, the Industrial Heritage Information Center was opened to the public in Tokyo, introducing 23 modern Japanese Meiji-era sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the notorious Hashima Island, also known as
Foreign Affairs June 15, 2020
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[News Analysis] 20 years after historic peace summit, inter-Korean relations still strained
In June 2000, Kim Dae-jung, then the South Korean president, flew to Pyongyang and was greeted by a broadly smiling Kim Jong-il, then leader of North Korea. The two clutched each other’s hands at the airport, embarking on a three-day summit that marked the first time the leaders of the divided Koreas had met since the 1950-53 Korean War. The highly anticipated meeting culminated in the adoption of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration, in which the two sides pledged to work tog
North Korea June 14, 2020
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Ex-unification ministers call for patience, flexibility after NK offensive
With North Korea severing all communications with South Korea and ratcheting up hostile rhetoric against both Seoul and Washington, there are growing concerns that inter-Korean relations could once again become confrontational. But ex-unification ministers downplayed those concerns and remained optimistic, calling for patience, flexibility and consistency in dealing with North Korea. “There were many similar times like this in the past. Inter-Korean relations are influenced by US-No
North Korea June 11, 2020
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Seoul to press charges against defector groups sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets
The Unification Ministry on Wednesday said it would press charges against two defector-run civic groups for sending anti-North Korean leaflets and bottles filled with rice across the border, a day after Pyongyang ceased all communication with Seoul over the matter. The ministry said the two groups, Fighters for a Free North Korea, led by defector Park Sang-hak, and Keumsaem, headed by Park’s younger brother Park Jung-oh, violated the inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation law by se
North Korea June 10, 2020
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Inter-Korean relations could be put back 20 years, experts warn
After North Korea severed all communications with South Korea, referring to South as its “enemy,” experts in Seoul agreed on the gravity of the situation and called for a breakthrough to mend the frayed ties before things get any worse. “It’s a critical time where there is a mounting sense of crisis that (inter-Korean relations) could revert back to the period before June 15,” Koh Yu-hwan, president of the Korea Institute for National Unification, said Wednesday
North Korea June 10, 2020
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Missed call at border liaison office puts Seoul on edge
An unanswered phone call at the inter-Korean liaison office put Seoul officials on edge for hours Monday, as it came after North Korea’s threats to shut it down completely. The Unification Ministry said that the North finally answered its phone call in the afternoon, after missing earlier ones in the morning. The two Koreas exchanged communication at the scheduled 5 p.m., but the North did not mention why it skipped the earlier call, according to the ministry. There were speculat
North Korea June 8, 2020
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'National interest key to Korea’s path amid US-China spat'
The simmering conflict between the US and China is forcing South Korea to think about its own national interest, as pressure mounts from the two superpowers to pick a side, an international relations expert said. Relying on the US for security and China for trade, Seoul has long had to juggle its loyalties between the two powers. But the latest developments are aggravating the conundrum, according to Chung Jae-ho, a professor of political science and international relations at Seoul National
Foreign Affairs June 7, 2020
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North Korea building case for further provocation: experts
Pyongyang ratcheting up threats against Seoul in the last few days, halting the inter-Korean liaison office and scrapping a military agreement, could be a prelude to military provocations, experts here said Sunday. The North lashed out with a series of threats from Thursday, in retaliation against Seoul’s failure to prevent defector-run civic groups from sending anti-North Korean leaflets across the border. On Sunday, the North’s state newspaper Rodong Sinmun carried pages of rep
North Korea June 7, 2020
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126 Korean-owned shops suffer damage in US protests
More than 120 businesses owned by South Koreans in the US have suffered damage amid sweeping protests against police brutality and racism across the country, officials here said Thursday. The Foreign Ministry said the number of Korean-operated stores reporting damage has continued to increase, numbering 126 across the US as of Thursday. Philadelphia was hit hardest with 56 cases, followed by Chicago (14), Minneapolis (10), St. Louis (10), six in Raleigh, North Carolina (six), and four each i
Foreign Affairs June 4, 2020
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Gangwon to hold events marking 70th anniversary of Korean War
Gangwon Province is holding a series of events on June 25, marking the 70th anniversary of the breakout of the Korean War. The province is holding a special ceremony to remember the victims of the deadly war, which lasted 1950-1953, and pray for lasting peace in the world and on the Korean Peninsula. The official ceremony will start at 11 a.m. at the Peace Culture Plaza in the border town of Cheorwon, which includes special performances, a merit commendation ceremony, paying tribute to
North Korea June 3, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Over 70 Korean-owned properties suffer damage in US protests
Over 70 cases of damage to properties owned by South Koreans in the US have been reported due to violent protests convulsing across the country, fueled by the police-involved death of an African American man George Floyd, officials here said Tuesday. The Foreign Ministry said a total of 79 stores operated by Koreans reported damage -- 50 cases in Philadelphia, 10 in Minneapolis, five in Raleigh, North Carolina, and four in Atlanta -- due to looting and vandalism. No casualties from Korean
Foreign Affairs June 2, 2020
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