Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
Moon to attend Major Economies Forum on climate
President Moon Jae-in will attend a virtual meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate on Friday to discuss global warming ahead of the UN climate summit, known as COP26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in October. The MEF is a US-led initiative that aims to ramp up supplies of clean energy while reducing carbon emissions. US President Joe Biden will convene the Friday meeting to strengthen the climate ambitions of the 17 members, including Australia, Canada, China, the EU and
Politics Sept. 17, 2021
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NK says ballistic missiles tested from new rail-borne system
North Korea said Thursday that its ballistic missile test the previous day was carried out by its new railway-borne missile system, stoking concerns over stalled talks on inter-Korean peace. “For the first time, we tested the viability of our railway-borne missile system to check on the combat readiness and strike capability,” the official Korean Central News Agency said. According to the KCNA, the missiles hit targets 800 kilometers away in the East Sea after being fired from a tra
North Korea Sept. 16, 2021
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Inter-Korean missile race intensifies amid tension
South Korea and North Korea are locked in an expanding arms race to bolster their naval power through submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) with no end to tensions in sight. SLBMs are hard to intercept because they are fired from submarines deep in the sea. Seven countries that have nuclear weapons -- China, France, India, North Korea, Russia, the UK and the US – have developed them. South Korea is the only non-nuclear state to have tested them, recently. Nuclear warheads make No
Defense Sept. 13, 2021
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Netflix series shows S. Korean soldiers still face abuse: NK
Enlisted soldiers in South Korea still have to deal with abuse and violent crimes, North Korea’s propaganda outlet, Meari, said Saturday, referring to Netflix’s Korean thriller “D.P.” The Deserter Pursuit team, made up of rank and file soldiers, depicts some of the physical and psychological abuse that take place on the team and within the military in general. All able-bodied South Koreans serve active duty as conscripts for at least 18 months. The military runs a sepa
Defense Sept. 12, 2021
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NK holds parade without missiles amid nuclear standoff
North Korea held a military parade Wednesday at midnight to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of its founding, the official Korean Central News Agency said. Similar midnight parades took place in January this year and in October last year. But this time, leader Kim Jong-un did not make a speech or reveal the latest missile, amid a nuclear standoff with the US. Pyongyang has refused to reopen dialogue with Washington. The parade, attended by Kim, saw a show of force by the regime’s paramili
North Korea Sept. 9, 2021
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Navy suicide fuels calls for civilian oversight of military
Calls are growing for increased civilian oversight of the military after a recent Navy suicide, with a military human rights group saying an independent commissioner is needed to look into recurring rights violations in the military. The Center for Military Human Rights Korea, an advocacy group, said Tuesday a seaman took his life after he had been bullied by soldiers senior to him, and accused the Navy of having done little to punish his abusers. The latest allegation comes as the military
Defense Sept. 8, 2021
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South Korea tests first SLBM
South Korea has become the first non-nuclear state to develop a submarine-launched ballistic missile, having run a test-firing from a newly built submarine, sources said Tuesday. SLBMs have been developed by seven countries -- China, France, India, North Korea, Russia, the UK and the US -- all of which have nuclear weapons. A Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine, the country’s first 3,000-ton underwater vessel revealed last month, carried out the underwater ejection tests last week after similar
Defense Sept. 7, 2021
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[Herald Interview] Basic income a key policy: Yeoju mayor
Being mayor of a city in Gyeonggi Province with a little over 110,000 residents means putting people first, says Yeoju Mayor Lee Hang-jin, and a universal basic income for farmers is one way to do that. Yeoju was the first city in the province to provide an annual allowance to farmers, who make up a third of the city’s population, beginning last year. This year, the city is partnering with the province to provide farmers with a universal basic income, and five other cities in the provinc
Politics Sept. 6, 2021
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Moon asks new parliament to support budget bill
President Moon Jae-in on Friday asked the parliament to support the bill to determine next year’s budget, during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae with the National Assembly’s leaders and the chairs of its standing committees. The meeting was arranged to congratulate the new deputy speaker and seven committee chairs, who are all from the main opposition People Power Party. “With it, the government is looking for a full recovery and a leap forward. I hope the National Assembly
Politics Sept. 3, 2021
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Military to resume search for Korean War dead
The military is resuming its search for the remains of Korean and UN soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, the Ministry of National Defense said Friday. The first search, from April 2019 to June 2021 near Arrowhead Hills inside the Demilitarized Zone, uncovered the remains of 424 people. It is expected that a similar number will be found at the second site to be searched, near White Horse Hills next to Arrowhead Hills. It is estimated that 1,000 soldiers died there in one of the war&rsqu
Defense Sept. 3, 2021
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Military to build ‘Korean Iron Dome,’ enhance strike capability
The military said Thursday it will pursue a homegrown missile defense system and a greater strike capability as part of a 315 trillion-won ($271 billion), five-year plan starting next year. About 106 trillion won goes to bolstering defense capabilities to build weapons, such as anti-missile systems and ballistic missiles, while the rest is set aside to cover operating costs. “We will have ironclad defense against North Korean fire targeting Seoul and the surrounding areas,” the Mi
Defense Sept. 2, 2021
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NK rejects offer of 3m Sinovac vaccine doses
North Korea has asked for China’s Sinovac COVID-19 shots offered by COVAX to be redirected to other countries low on vaccines, UNICEF said Tuesday, referring to a global vaccine program. “The DPRK Ministry of Public Health has communicated that the 2.97 million doses being offered to the DPRK by COVAX may be relocated to severely affected countries in view of the limited global supply of COVID-19 vaccines and recurrent surge in some countries,” a UNICEF spokesperson told Voice
North Korea Sept. 1, 2021
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Soldier welfare key to military spending next year
The military is spending drastically more on soldier welfare in its budget for next year by providing better meals, pay and terms for soldiers’ savings, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday in its proposal that links most of the 55.2 trillion won ($47.5 billion) spending to maintenance. Soldiers, who take part in mandatory military service that lasts as long as 21 months, make up more than half the country’s 550,000-strong military. The National Assembly will start looking
Defense Aug. 31, 2021
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Panel accuses military of sitting on human rights reforms
The Ministry of National Defense is not living up to its promise to better protect human rights, members of a civilian-led advisory panel said Monday. The 88-member panel – of which 15 have either left or decided to walk out – was put together by the Defense Ministry in late June, amid a public outcry following the death of an Air Force master sergeant who died by suicide after alleged sexual abuse. Her family claims cover-ups led to her death. “I had thought the ministry was
Defense Aug. 30, 2021
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Parties lock horns over vote on ‘fake news’ bill
The floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party are expected to debate the contentious “fake news” bill one last time before Monday’s plenary session. National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug had arranged a meeting of the two sides on Sunday, for the second time in less than a week to help settle their differences over the bill that would impose drastically higher penalties on media organizations for “fake news.&rdq
Politics Aug. 29, 2021
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