Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
Yoon doubles down on corruption fight
Corruption erodes freedom, putting democracy at greater risk, President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday, at a meeting South Korea co-hosted to bolster ties among global democracies against authoritarian rule. The speech -- given in person on the second day of the Summit for Democracy, a two-day US-led gathering that started Wednesday with a videoconference of world leaders -- marks South Korea’s latest push to rally behind US efforts to regroup democracies in the Indo-Pacific region against a
Politics March 30, 2023
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UN envoy slams China, Russia for NK falsehoods
Joint efforts by South Korea and the US for North Korea’s denuclearization have been disrupted in part by China and Russia -- the North’s supporters who “wrongly blame” the South and the US for little headway, according to South Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations. At a press briefing Wednesday held on the sidelines of an annual meeting meant to update the foreign minister on the latest issues, Hwang Joon-kook, the envoy, said Seoul has to fight back against th
Foreign Affairs March 29, 2023
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Japan’s textbook revisions threaten thaw in ties
South Korea on Tuesday called in Japan’s deputy chief of mission in Seoul over textbook revisions stating that Japan did not force Koreans to provide labor during its 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula and that the Dokdo islets controlled by Seoul belong to Tokyo. The Foreign Ministry in Seoul summoned Naoki Kumagai, the deputy chief at the Japanese Embassy, and formally lodged a complaint about the textbook changes affecting students entering elementary school in April 2024, sayin
Foreign Affairs March 28, 2023
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Kim Jong-un reveals nuclear warhead, calls for more weapons-grade material
For the first time, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un revealed his country’s nuclear warhead in person alongside a system meant to manage such operations, saying the regime needs an “exponentially bigger” nuclear arsenal amid potential preparations for a nuclear test. The North’s official Korea Central News Agency said Tuesday that on the previous day, Kim inspected new tactical nuclear weapons as well as technologies needed to make compatible all weaponry, including nuclea
North Korea March 28, 2023
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Japan’s right wing ‘changing’: envoy
Japan is moving toward accepting South Korea as a partner that Tokyo can work with following Seoul’s decision to put behind their historical dispute, South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min said Monday in an annual meeting meant to update the foreign minister on the latest issues. The ambassador was referring to a March 6 decision that essentially skips Japan’s official apology for and direct compensation to Korean victims forced to work for Japanese companies during Japan&rsquo
Foreign Affairs March 27, 2023
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Foreign minister puts exports at heart of diplomatic strategy
Foreign Minister Park Jin said Monday diplomatic missions will be key in pushing for exports as South Korea looks for greater economic might amid rising US-China geopolitical tensions. At an in-person meeting in Seoul with 166 mission chiefs, the first in five years over COVID-19 travel curbs, the top South Korean diplomat called safeguarding economic interests a matter of “security.” “What’s more important than efficiency is reliability and stability. Seeking a united fr
Foreign Affairs March 27, 2023
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N. Korea tests undersea drone in latest nuclear drills
North Korea tested a new underwater drone capable of nuclear attacks on South Korea and its biggest ally, the United States, in its latest drills in response to the two allies’ resumption of their annual military exercises this month after a five-year hiatus failed to bring the North back to nuclear talks. The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Friday that leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the three-day drills that began Tuesday, which Kim said should make Seoul and Washingto
North Korea March 24, 2023
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S. Korea plans big to mark 70 years of US ties amid threats
The Yoon Suk Yeol administration is preparing for joint forums and military exercises starting next month to commemorate 70 years of relations with the US, as South Korea looks to cement ties with its biggest ally to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats and a more assertive China. Seoul-Washington ties date back to October 1953, when they signed a mutual defense treaty following the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The two Koreas are still technically at war, having signed a cease-fire bu
Foreign Affairs March 22, 2023
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Sanctions target N. Korean satellites
South Korea on Tuesday revealed fresh sanctions banning items linked to North Korea’s satellite development, pushing for tighter curbs on its nuclear and missile programs amid the isolated country’s search for better “nuclear counterattack capabilities.” The Foreign Ministry in Seoul announced a watchlist of 77 items -- including antennas, optical devices, solar panels and camera power supplies -- to prevent Pyongyang from importing such materials either directly or ind
North Korea March 21, 2023
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Yoon should do more to sell forced labor deal: experts
The Yoon Suk Yeol administration could make better use of its recent deal on Korean victims who suffered Japan’s forced labor during its rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-45, if it addresses a split public directly, expert said Tuesday amid growing skepticism Yoon invited the wrong kind of closure. The two-day summit between Yoon and his Japanese counterpart that ended Friday in Tokyo reaffirmed Yoon’s March 6 proposal. It breaks down to delaying the pursuit of a specific apolog
Foreign Affairs March 20, 2023
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‘Think long-term,’ experts say of Japan deal on forced labor
Despite the latest deal with Japan meant to end a historical dispute over forced labor, the Yoon Seok Yeol administration is facing a public backlash as the division deepens over whether Yoon has ushered in the right kind of closure. Some experts say the president may just have done so, as South Korea in the long-term can claim the “moral high ground” on the issue. In a potential move against a 2018 Korean court ruling holding Japanese companies liable for damages to Korean victims o
Foreign Affairs March 19, 2023
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North Korea tests missile as allies stage joint drills
North Korea launched yet another ballistic missile toward the sea between South Korea and Japan on Sunday, while South Korea and the United States staged their annual joint military exercises aimed at dismantling the isolated country’s nuclear arsenal. The United Nations Security Council, a 15-member body that includes five countries with veto powers, is expected to discuss the matter Monday, though issuing a UNSC presidential statement condemning the launch is highly unlikely given potent
North Korea March 19, 2023
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Yoon, Kishida say Japan firms won’t be asked to pay damages
The Japanese companies held liable for damages by a 2018 South Korean court ruling for forcing Koreans to provide labor during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula will not be asked to reimburse Korean company funds used for such compensation. President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida both publicly denied speculation that Seoul would go after the Japanese firms to enforce the plan after compensating the Korean victims on its own, largely because Tokyo refuse
Politics March 16, 2023
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Yoon calls Japan to action ahead of first summit in 12 years
President Yoon Suk Yeol said he expects Japan to roll out actions commensurate with its recently renewed commitment to a forward-looking South Korea-Japan relationship built on a past apology for its 1910-45 rule of the Korean Peninsula. Yoon flew to Japan on Thursday for a two-day summit. In a joint interview with major Japanese newspapers Thursday, Yoon said the March 6 decision to use Korean company funds to compensate Korean victims forced to work for Japanese companies during the colonial p
Politics March 16, 2023
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Democratic summit to raise Korea’s global profile: ministry
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to lead one of the plenary sessions at the Summit for Democracy, a US-led meeting of democratic countries united against authoritarian rule, will raise South Korea’s international profile as a leading democracy committed to peace, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Tuesday. US President Joe Biden has invited Yoon to chair a session held on March 29 -- the first day of the two-day gathering where world leaders will virtually discuss advancing human r
Foreign Affairs March 14, 2023
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