South Korea will bar entry to all foreign nationals who have been in China’s Hubei province in the past two weeks, following a wave of countries imposing drastic travel bans as fears of the new coronavirus mount. 　 The restrictions, announced by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Sunday after the country reported a 15th case, will go into effect Tuesday. 　 All foreigners who have visited the Chinese province, the epicenter of the deadly virus, from Jan. 21 will be subject to the entry ban,

Foreign Affairs Feb. 2, 2020

Eight North Korean government officials appear to have defected to China earlier this month, while another seven were caught at the border, a US radio station reported Thursday.  　　 　 North Korean authorities carried out an emergency operation Jan. 2 to capture the defectors, flying a team to Samjiyon Airport near the Chinese border to track them down. The use of an airplane, which is rare in defector chases, indicates the severity of the case, the report said.  　 Eight of the 15 of

North Korea Jan. 30, 2020

South Korea and the North will temporarily suspend the operation of the inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong, amid concerns about the rapid spread of Wuhan coronavirus. 　 The shutdown decision was made after negotiations between the representatives of both countries earlier Thursday morning, the Unification Ministry here said. The office will close down for an unspecified time, until the threat of the spread of the newly identified virus disappears. 　 Fifty-eight South Ko

North Korea Jan. 30, 2020

North Korea on Wednesday ordered all-out prevention to fight the Wuhan coronavirus, describing such preventive efforts as a “grave political matter” that could determine the fate of the nation. 　 “All party organizations must regard efforts of stopping the spread of the new coronavirus as a grave political matter that is concerned with the fate of the nation and reinforce (relevant) political activities,” according to Pyongyang’s official newspaper, the Rodong Si

North Korea Jan. 29, 2020

North Korea is on high alert to contain the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus and is stepping up quarantine efforts, as the deadly respiratory virus that originated in China continues to spread across Asia and the world. 　 Pyongyang’s official newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun on Tuesday said the government has taken emergency measures to prevent the virus from spreading in the country, as it shares a border with China. The newly identified respiratory virus has killed over 100 people in mainl

North Korea Jan. 28, 2020

Seoul on Thursday issued a travel alert for Wuhan, the epicenter of an outbreak of a new coronavirus in China, in an effort to stop the rapid spread of the deadly respiratory disease. 　Airports, ports, train stations and hospitals were put on high alert ahead of the four-day Lunar New Year holidays, a season for travel. 　South Korea’s Foreign Ministry assigned Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province, a warning level of “restraint,” the third-highest in the country’s four-t

Social Affairs Jan. 23, 2020

 Seoul appears to be looking to resume a joint railway project with Pyongyang as it seeks a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations, amid halted nuclear negotiations between the US and North Korea. 　South Korean President Moon Jae-in last week called for a renewed drive on various inter-Korean projects, such as cooperation on the border area, a joint bid to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics, an inter-Korean railway and road project and individual tourism. 　Ever since he floated plans for Seou

North Korea Jan. 22, 2020

The Cheonghae unit, deployed to safeguard a strategic waterway in the Middle East, is South Korea’s first overseas anti-piracy unit, best known for its highly publicized 2011 “Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden.” 　In a dramatic rescue mission, Cheonghae’s commandos stormed a Korean tanker that had been hijacked by pirates off Somalia. All 21 crew members were rescued, and eight of the 17 pirates were killed. Five more pirates were captured, and four escaped. The tanker’

Defense Jan. 21, 2020

South Korea should take an active stance in dealing with North Korea amid stalled inter-Korean ties, such as by showing its resolve to halt joint military exercises with the US, a former unification minister said Monday. “For the past 1 1/2 years since the Singapore summit, Seoul’s stance was that inter-Korean relations need to adjust to the speed of US-North Korea dialogue. But with the deadlocked denuclearization talks, inter-Korean relations are reaching their worst state,&r

North Korea Jan. 20, 2020

A chaebol heiress accidentally crashes in North Korea while paragliding. She is rescued by a North Korean military officer who ends up protecting her and risking his life to send her back home to Seoul. Despite the differences in accent, lifestyle, culture, upbringing and ideology, they fall in love. This is the premise of “Crash Landing on You,” the latest hit drama from tvN. With a top-notch cast led by actress Son Ye-jin and actor Hyun Bin, the rom-com, which premiered Dec. 1

North Korea Jan. 20, 2020

Six people, including four South Koreans, remain missing in Nepal’s northwestern Himalayan region after an avalanche hit the area on Friday, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The Nepali authorities said they have mobilized an additional six to 10 specialized police officers for a search mission that is underway. But heavy snowfall and rough weather conditions are making the search difficult. 　Three search teams consisting of 13 locals who are familiar with the terrain and se

Foreign Affairs Jan. 19, 2020

Seoul is moving to pursue inter-Korean projects -- such as allowing individual South Korean tourists to travel to North Korea -- and seeking ways to work around international sanctions on Pyongyang. Key officials in Seoul have reaffirmed a renewed push for engagement with the North, after President Moon Jae-in said stronger inter-Korean cooperation could break the nuclear impasse between North Korea and the US and pave the way for international sanctions to be lifted. 　Lee Do-hoon, special

North Korea Jan. 16, 2020

South Korea is looking at ways to contribute to the security of the Strait of Hormuz off the Iranian coast from “multiple angles,” according to the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised the issue during his talks with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in the US.In their meeting in Palo Alto, California, Tuesday (US time), which covered outstanding issues between the allies including North Korea, Pompeo urged Seoul to bear responsibility to safegu

Foreign Affairs Jan. 15, 2020

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha left for the US on Monday to discuss outstanding issues between the two allies, including the possibility of dispatching troops to the Middle East and stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea. Kang is set to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in San Francisco on Tuesday (US time), nine months after their last talks in Washington in March. She is also expected to meet Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who is visiting S

Foreign Affairs Jan. 13, 2020

South Korea’s top diplomat vowed to put citizens and the national interest first in dealing with a range of security issues, including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “Since the beginning of the year, it has been a whirlwind. Due to the tension in the Middle East, I think it will be a busy year ahead,” Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told reporters Thursday at a New Year’s press event in Seoul. “The Foreign Ministry has been proactive in response to th

Foreign Affairs Jan. 10, 2020