Articles by Jo He-rim
Jo He-rim
herim@heraldcorp.com-
Government reviews allowing South Koreans to tour JSA in small groups
South Korean nationals will be able to tour the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone bordering North Korea in small groups, authorities said Monday.According to an official from the Ministry of Unification, the ministry and other concerned government bodies have begun reviewing a plan to allow small groups of South Korean tourists from the first half of next year. Currently, South Korean nationals wishing to visit the area must apply in groups of more than 30 and fewer than 45. While t
Defense Sept. 30, 2019
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[Herald Interview] US veterans of Korean War recall fiercest, coldest battle at Jangjin Reservoir
For Milton Walker and Henry Schafer, the piercing cold and sound of war that surrounded them remains as clear as if it were yesterday. Returning to the country where they had fought after decades, the two American veterans of the Korean War recalled their experience Friday.“We were surrounded when we were attacked in midnight, and I was hit,” Schafer told The Korea Herald in a joint interview in Seoul. “I was shot four times, on my arms and in the back. The first three bul
Defense Sept. 29, 2019
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Seoul criticizes Tokyo for repeating ‘unfair’ claims on Dokdo
South Korea criticized Japan Friday for repeating unilateral disputed defense agendas in its latest defense white paper, including its claims on Dokdo islets.Seoul’s Foreign Ministry released a statement strongly denouncing Tokyo, saying that Japan should realize that its “unfair” and “absurd” claims would not help the bilateral relationship in any way. “We strongly protest Japan’s claim of unfair sovereignty over Dokdo, that is clearly our territo
Defense Sept. 29, 2019
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UN Command denies reports it wants to remain in control
The United Nations Command flatly denied news reports that it may be seeking exercise control over military activities on the Korean Peninsula after the transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea. The UNC told The Korea Herald in an email response that its role will remain the same even after the OPCON transfer, and that it has no plans to become an operational command.“Media reports that the US wants to use the UNC as a means to get around OPCON are unfounded. There is no plan
Defense Sept. 25, 2019
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Kim Jong-un may visit S. Korea if denuclearization negotiations work out: spy agency
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit South Korea to take part in a multilateral summit if denuclearization negotiations with the US work out, Seoul’s spy agency said Tuesday.In a closed-door session of the parliamentary intelligence committee, South Korea’s National Intelligence Agency chief Suh Hoon told lawmakers that working-level talks between the United States and North Korea are expected to take place in two to three weeks, according to the committee’s lawmakers, who
North Korea Sept. 24, 2019
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[Feature] Conscientious objectors wait for alternative service as legislators remain idle
The military conscription system in South Korea has been in place for decades. Conscientious objectors’ fight against the system that criminalized them lasted nearly as long, and they chose to go to jail rather than serve in the military because their faith forbids bearing arms. Their decadeslong struggle came to an end in June 2018, when the country’s Constitutional Court made a landmark ruling that would lift the stamp of “guilt” from thousands of conscientious objector
Defense Sept. 23, 2019
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[Diplomatic circuit] Foreign defense attaches visit military facilities
Foreign defense attaches based in South Korea are visiting military facilities as part of a three-day program designed to boost their understanding of the country’s security situation, the Defense Ministry said Monday.During the program organized by the Defense Intelligence Agency, 50 defense attaches and their spouses from 25 countries are scheduled to visit the Navy’s Third Fleet headquarters, the Air Force’s 20th Fighter Wing, and the Army’s armor school located in Sou
Defense Sept. 23, 2019
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N. Korea’s seasoned negotiator responds quickly to Trump’s ‘new method’
Kim Myong-gil, who recently released a statement confirming that he is the head of the North Korean delegation for the envisioned working-level negotiations with the United States, is known to be a US expert. Having participated in various levels of nuclear weapons negotiations with the US since the 1990s, Kim may be able to bring about a more productive outcome for North Korea in the upcoming denuclearization negotiations, experts here say. Amid speculations that Kim would be the counterpart of
North Korea Sept. 22, 2019
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USFK says it is committed to returning bases to South Korea
United States Forces Korea said Wednesday that it is committed to the plan to return its bases to South Korea, following Seoul’s announcement seeking the prompt return of 26 US bases.In a statement, USFK said some of its military installations had already been cleared out for return. “Fifteen of the 26 US military installations, including four sites specifically requested for transfer at the earliest possible date … have been vacated, closed and available for transfer to
Defense Sept. 18, 2019
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[News focus] One year on, inter-Korean military pact remains unfulfilled promise
The inter-Korean military agreement that was hailed as a “nonaggression pact” when it was signed just a year ago has become a “merely nominal” agreement as its first anniversary approaches Thursday.The defense chiefs of the two Koreas signed the Comprehensive Military Agreement on Sept. 19, 2018, in Pyongyang on the sidelines of the third summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It was not the first bilateral military ag
North Korea Sept. 17, 2019
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[Newsmaker] NK’s test-firing of new rocket launcher likely failed
North Korea said Wednesday it test-fired its “super-large multiple rocket launcher” the previous day, however there is speculation in Seoul that one of the projectiles failed to reach its target in the sea. The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim Jong-un guided the weapons test. It is the second test of the super-large multiple rocket launcher after Aug. 24, and the 10th launch of projectiles conducted by the regime this year.“The Supreme Leader l
North Korea Sept. 11, 2019
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[Newsmaker] N. Korea’s short-range projectiles possibly ‘super-large MRLS’ or ATACMS: experts
North Korea on Tuesday fired two short-range projectiles from its northwestern area toward the East Sea, its 10th launch this year, South Korea’s military said. According to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pyongyang fired the projectiles from Kaechon, South Pyongan Province, at 6:53 a.m. and 7:12 a.m., with one of the projectiles flying 330 kilometers east. The JCS did not provide further details such as the altitude and speed of the projectiles launched, saying it is analyzing the in
North Korea Sept. 10, 2019
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[Feature] Concerns raised over support policy after N. Korean refugees die of hunger
On the last day of July, the decomposing bodies of a mother in her 40s and her 6-year-old son were found in their apartment in Seoul, their deaths apparently due to starvation. The case would be shocking on its own, but the impact of the news was compounded when it was revealed that the mother was a North Korean who had fled the North for a better life in the South.As questions piled up as to how the defector and her young son died of hunger in South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy, a
North Korea Sept. 8, 2019
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Defense chief vows to work with patience on N. Korea, urges cooperation of neighboring countries
South Korea’s Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said Thursday the nation would continue to work with patience to build trust with North Korea for lasting peace, urging multilateral cooperation.Speaking at the 2019 Seoul Defense Dialogue, he appeared to touch on the recent feud with Japan, raising concerns that the competition between countries is intensifying due to their own national interests. The SDD is an annual multilateral consultative forum hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of
Defense Sept. 5, 2019
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US tests THAAD interception of missiles amid N. Korea’s launches
The United States successfully tested the capability of its anti-missile system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles in an apparent move to keep North Korea in check. The test was carried out from the US Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands on Friday, according to the US Missile Defense Agency. “Preliminary indications are that planned flight test objectives were achieved and the target was successfully i
Defense Sept. 3, 2019
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