Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
Military reaches out to villagers over hosting US missile shield
Senior officials from the Ministry of National Defense met on Monday with villagers protesting the military’s decision to host a US anti-missile system near their homes. It was their first in-person gathering to work out the yearslong disagreement. The government delegation, led by Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min and municipal leaders, sat down with community members and civic groups in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, which houses the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense syst
Defense May 24, 2021
-
Moon, Biden agree to bolster chip alliance, lift missile ban
President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden agreed to work together on expanding semiconductor supplies and terminate a missile pact that capped Seoul’s missile development at their first in-person meeting over the weekend in the US. Moon wrapped up the five-day trip Sunday. The two allies are seen as bolstering economic and military ties as the US increasingly finds itself at odds with China seeking to exert influence in the region. Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest me
Politics May 23, 2021
-
[#WeFACE] Climate goals deepen but challenges linger
Fighting climate change is now a top domestic and international priority for many countries, as world leaders solidify their carbon-cutting commitments for a greener future. But experts say the goal may be harder to realize than thought. The climate summit in late April, joined by dozens of world leaders and hosted by US President Joe Biden seeking to restore American leadership on climate policy, marked a renewed global push to tackle the crisis after years of lukewarm response to the challeng
Foreign Affairs May 19, 2021
-
Anti-junta coalition says ready for dialogue with conditions
The National Unity Government fighting Myanmar’s military junta is ready for dialogue to rebuild the country torn by monthslong clashes between protesters and troops, if the junta stops killing people and returns power to people, the unity government’s minister of international cooperation said Friday. Dr. Sasa, a doctor-turned-politician who goes by the single name and was working with elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi before the military detained her and seized power on Feb. 1, rule
Foreign Affairs May 17, 2021
-
S. Korea, US seek talks with Japan amid new NK policy
Senior South Korean and US defense officials agreed to hold three-way minister-level talks with Japan in the coming days, potentially to discuss security issues involving the Korean Peninsula, at a two-day dialogue that ended Thursday in Washington. The trilateral talks, which last opened at an expanded meeting of ASEAN defense ministers in 2019, are expected to resume at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 4-5. The gathering is coming at a critical time for the US seeking to engage
Defense May 14, 2021
-
Swedish firms join forces to aid Korea’s green growth
Thirteen Swedish companies based in South Korea pledged to support Seoul’s initiative to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, at a ceremony at the Swedish Embassy in Seoul on Thursday. “Our own Swedish experience shows that green growth and innovation is a winning strategy, both the climate and for our wallets. It has simply become common sense to future-proof industries across the world and first movers are amply rewarded,” said Jakob Hallgren, Swedish ambassador to Korea. The
Foreign Affairs May 13, 2021
-
S. Korea, US to discuss security amid new NK policy
Senior defense officials of South Korea and the US will hold a two-day dialogue on Korean Peninsula issues as the Biden administration seeks to engage North Korea with a new policy it recently revealed after a monthslong review. The biannual talks, which began Wednesday US time in Washington, are expected to address ways the two allies can coordinate their approach to Pyongyang. Biden’s policy on North Korea, which many see as striking a middle ground between Trump’s “grand b
Defense May 12, 2021
-
Gen Z call for fairness puts military in focus
South Korea’s military is looking to revamp living conditions for conscripts as soldiers of Generation Z – those born between mid-1990s to early 2010s – have hit out at the military over subpar living environments amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Two weeks ago, Korea’s National Human Rights Commission said it will launch an investigation into allegations that the military violated rights of conscripts in quarantine. The soldiers posted on Facebook that they had been fed poorl
Defense May 10, 2021
-
Israeli foreign, economy ministers visit Seoul
Israel’s foreign and economy ministers are visiting Seoul this week to hold talks with their Korean counterparts, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday. From Monday to Thursday, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Economy Minister Amir Peretz will sit down with the Korean foreign and trade ministers to discuss deepening senior-level exchanges and expanding ties ahead of marking 60 years of diplomatic relations next year. Israel will also sign a free trade agreement with Korea,
Foreign Affairs May 9, 2021
-
Gavi expects delay in vaccine shipments to North Korea
North Korea will receive COVID-19 vaccines as early as July with a shipment delay over global supply shortages, the Gavi alliance, which co-leads the COVAX vaccine sharing program with the World Health Organization, said Wednesday. “Depending on the supply situation, a COVID-19 vaccine introduction could be envisaged in the second half of 2021,” a Gavi spokesperson told Radio Free Asia, refraining from fixing concrete dates. The North was expected to receive nearly 2 million doses o
North Korea May 6, 2021
-
[Herald Interview] Open, inclusive Indo-Pacific is common goal: Australian envoy
South Korea has a role to play in bringing about an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region anchored by international rules, as the Quad alliance -- a group of Pacific democracies including the US, India, Japan and Australia -- seeks a partnership between like-minded countries, the Australian ambassador to Korea says. The US-led coalition is seen as trying to counter China’s growing influence in the region, and that represents a challenge for Korea. Seoul is looking to balance its alliance
Foreign Affairs May 6, 2021
-
S. Korea, US and Japan discuss expanding security ties
The South Korean, US and Japanese military chiefs on Thursday discussed deepening security cooperation amid a growing threat from North Korea to promote peace and stability in the region, at their first in-person three-way talks in Hawaii since the COVID-19 outbreak in January a year earlier. The talks, held on the sidelines of a change-of-command ceremony at the US Indo-Pacific Command, opened as the US seeks to establish what it calls a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific regi
Defense April 30, 2021
-
Watchdog to probe military for abuse allegations in COVID response
South Korea’s National Human Rights Commission said Thursday that it will launch an investigation into allegations that the military violated rights of conscripts who said they had been fed poorly and denied access to bathrooms because of the COVID-19 response. The previous week, an Army conscript prompted public outcry when he revealed on Facebook that he had been given insufficient meals while in quarantine, showing a picture of what appeared to be a nearly empty tray. The militar
Defense April 29, 2021
-
[Newsmaker] Disaffected young men call for gender equality in conscription
South Korea’s mandatory military service is back in the limelight as younger men step up calls for conscription for women as a matter of gender equality. But experts say this movement faces a long road ahead. The fresh debate about subjecting both men and women to mandatory military service was sparked by ruling Democratic Party Rep. Park Yong-jin, who suggested revamping the conscription system as part of his 2022 presidential election campaign. Park proposed an all-volunteer military o
Defense April 28, 2021
-
Korea, China not in talks over Quad alliance: Defense Ministry
South Korea and China have not discussed the Quad alliance, a US-led democratic coalition comprising the US, Australia, India and Japan to contain an increasingly assertive China, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday. “It’s an unequivocal no. We have not been in talks on the matter and on whether we will join the group,” ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said, referring to a report that Beijing had repeatedly asked Seoul whether it planned to join the group amid gro
Defense April 26, 2021
Most Popular
-
1
Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
-
2
Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
-
3
Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
-
4
Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
-
5
Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
-
6
[Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year
-
7
[KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
-
8
North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
-
9
Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
-
10
Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023