North Korea has been banned from the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics as punishment for skipping the Tokyo Games this summer, thwarting Seoul’s hopes of using the occasion as an opportunity for rapprochement with the reclusive regime. 　 International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Wednesday announced that the North’s national Olympic committee would be suspended from the IOC until the end of 2022 as a result of the regime’s “unilateral decision” to not

North Korea Sept. 9, 2021

The Japanese government is set for a leadership change, but a dramatic turnaround in Seoul-Tokyo relations is unlikely, experts say. 　 In the wake of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s abrupt decision to step down last Friday, many here are wondering what the new Japanese leadership will mean for South Korea as an array of candidates vies to succeed Suga at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, set for Sept. 29. 　 The new LDP president is effectively assured of becoming

Foreign Affairs Sept. 7, 2021

North Korea has turned down some million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which may be largely out of concerns about side-effects as well as mistrust over the vaccine efficacy, pundits have said. 　 The reclusive regime recently rejected about 3 million doses of China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccine, and asked for them to be sent to other severely affected countries instead, according to the UNICEF, which is in charge of distributing doses on behalf of the COVAX facility -- a multinational program t

North Korea Sept. 5, 2021

The Unification Ministry on Thursday said it had proposed a 1.9 percent increase in its budget for cooperation projects with North Korea next year, despite escalated tensions and a stalemate in cross-border projects.   　 A total of 1.27 trillion won ($1.09 billion) has been earmarked for the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund next year, up from this year’s 1.24 trillion won, according to the ministry.   　 The fund, established in 1991 to facilitate humanitarian and economic exchange

North Korea Sept. 2, 2021

 South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday the proposed 5.7 percent increase in its budget next year included a record amount set aside for foreign aid, as the country seeks to expand its role on the international stage.   　 The ministry sought an allocation of 3.02 trillion won ($2.61 billion) for 2022, up from this year’s 2.84 trillion won, in what would be a record high if approved by the National Assembly later this year.   　 It earmarked 1.11 trillion won,

Foreign Affairs Sept. 1, 2021

South Korea and the US discussed potential humanitarian aid to North Korea and reiterated calls for the reclusive regime to return to dialogue, Washington’s top nuclear envoy said Monday, as Pyongyang may be on track to expand its nuclear program.   　 Sung Kim, the US special representative for North Korea, made the remark after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, who is in Washington through Wednesday for talks with officials at the State Department and the Wh

North Korea Aug. 31, 2021

North Korea appears to have restarted operations at its main Yongbyon nuclear reactor in July, a UN nuclear watchdog said, raising the alarm that the reclusive regime could be increasing its nuclear arsenal.   　 The International Atomic Energy Agency, in an annual report dated Friday, said it detected “deeply troubling” indications that the 5-megawatt nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex -- the country’s main source of weapons-grade plutonium -- has been reac

North Korea Aug. 30, 2021

  The second and final group of Afghan evacuees who worked alongside the South Korean government arrived here on Friday, as part of Seoul’s mission to rescue civilians fleeing the war-torn country following the Taliban takeover.  The group of 13 Afghans onboard a C-130 military jet landed at Incheon International Airport at around 1 p.m., after leaving the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Thursday, according to the Foreign Ministry. Their arrival came a day later than the first

Foreign Affairs Aug. 27, 2021

A military jet carrying 378 at-risk Afghans who worked alongside the Korean government arrived in South Korea on Thursday, as part of Seoul’s mission to evacuate civilians fleeing the Taliban takeover. 　 The evacuees on board the KC-330 tanker transport plane touched down at Incheon International Airport at 4:24 p.m. on Thursday, after leaving the Pakistani capital of Islamabad earlier in the day, according to the Foreign Ministry. 　 Another plane, carrying 13 remaining p

Foreign Affairs Aug. 26, 2021

South Korea is airlifting a total of 391 Afghans out of the war-ravaged country, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, as part of Seoul’s mission to evacuate civilians who worked alongside the Korean government and are therefore vulnerable to retaliation. 　 Afghan allies and their families were expected to arrive at Incheon International Airport aboard military jets Thursday. In the operation, code-named “Operation Miracle,” Korea deployed three military planes to Afghanistan

Foreign Affairs Aug. 25, 2021

Unification Minister Lee In-young met with the visiting US envoy for North Korea on Tuesday and together they discussed ways to resume stalled nuclear talks at the earliest and engage with Pyongyang.  During an hourlong breakfast meeting, Lee and the US special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, shared their views on the North’s recent attitude and the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, a ministry official said.  Lee stressed the need for the stable management o

North Korea Aug. 24, 2021

Seoul and Moscow on Tuesday reaffirmed the importance of close coordination and the need to induce Pyongyang back to the stalled denuclearization talks, in the meeting between the two sides’ top nuclear envoys.  South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk held talks with visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, who doubles as the country’s top nuclear envoy, on Tuesday. The pair exchanged views on the overall situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways fo

North Korea Aug. 24, 2021

The US holds no hostile intent toward Pyongyang, President Joe Biden’s point man on North Korea said Monday, reaffirming a willingness to meet his North Korean counterparts “anywhere, at anytime.” 　 Sung Kim, the US special representative for North Korea, held talks with South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk in Seoul on Monday, to look for ways to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. Their session comes as the allies are holding combined military drills

North Korea Aug. 23, 2021

The top nuclear envoys from Russia and the US are in Seoul to hold talks with their South Korean counterpart on the stalled nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang amid fresh tension over ongoing US-South Korea military exercises. 　 Sung Kim, the US special representative for North Korea, arrived here Saturday for a four-day visit, days after Pyongyang warned of a “security crisis” over the joint military drills that are due to end Thursday. 　 “I’m looking forward to very clo

Foreign Affairs Aug. 22, 2021

The UN-backed vaccine-sharing program COVAX has allocated around 3 million doses of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine to North Korea, but it remains to be seen whether the reclusive regime will accept them. 　 According to Radio Free Asia on Thursday, Edwin Salvador, head of the World Health Organization office in Pyongyang, said the program allotted 2.97 million shots of China’s Sinovac to the North during the latest round of vaccine allocation. COVAX is a multinational program that distri

Foreign Affairs Aug. 19, 2021