A journal article written by a Harvard professor has provoked fury here for its assertion that “comfort women” were not sex slaves, but prostitutes who chose to work at military brothels under voluntary agreements.  In the paper, titled “Contracting for sex in the Pacific War” and published in the International Review of Law and Economics, Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese legal studies at Harvard Law School, argued that Korean comfort women -- as th

Foreign Affairs Feb. 3, 2021

South Korea on Tuesday expressed “deep concern” over the takeover of Myanmar by the country’s military and called for the immediate release of detainees including the country’s top civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.  “Our government voices deep concern over the recent political situation in Myanmar,” Choi Young-sam, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said, reiterating that Seoul respects the desire for democracy that Myanmar’s people expressed

Foreign Affairs Feb. 2, 2021

A dramatic shift in Korea-Japan relations is unlikely, despite anticipation for change with Joe Biden taking control of the White House in the US and expected pressure from Washington for its two key Northeast Asian allies to mend ties. 　 For Washington, forging strong trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo is critical, as it views a security coalition of like-minded allies as central to tackling mounting challenges in the region, such as containing China’s aggression and North Kore

Foreign Affairs Feb. 1, 2021

Gyodongdo, an island in Incheon, west of Seoul, lies right below the western sea border with North Korea. Just 2 to 3 kilometers away from the North’s South Hwanghae Province and separated only by a stretch of water, it’s quite possible for visitors to get a peek at the reclusive nation with their own eyes.  The cross-border tensions have waxed and waned for decades since the separation of the two Koreas. But the small island is surprisingly calm -- longtime residents are busy

Travel Jan. 30, 2021

Washington could seek the now-defunct four-party or six-party talks with Pyongyang to resolve the nuclear issue with Antony Blinken, a strong advocate of multilateral diplomacy, at the reins of the US State Department, experts said on Wednesday. Blinken, a long time foreign policy aide to President Joe Biden, was sworn in as the new Secretary of State Tuesday (US time), after being approved by the Senate with a vote of 78-22.  With the top diplomat in place, Washington will kick off a re

Foreign Affairs Jan. 27, 2021

Unification Minister Lee In-young on Monday stressed the need to find a flexible solution to the upcoming joint military exercise between Washington and Seoul, to prevent any further flare-up of cross-border tensions. 　 Lee underlined four areas that need to be taken into account when deciding whether to hold the combined military drills, which have long irked Pyongyang. These are COVID-19, the Tokyo Olympics, the lack of an established US policy on the Korean Peninsula, and Seoul’s envi

North Korea Jan. 25, 2021

South Korea on Saturday called on Japan to make “genuine efforts” to heal the wounds and restore the dignity of the women who were forced into sex slavery during World War II, after Seoul’s recent court ruling on the issue drew a strong rebuke from Tokyo. 　 In a statement, the Foreign Ministry here acknowledged that the 2015 bilateral deal on the victims – euphemistically known as “comfort women,” was an official agreement, and thus said Seoul will not seek

Foreign Affairs Jan. 24, 2021

Gone are the days when the leaders of the US and North Korea exchanged “love letters” -- or threats of “fire and fury.”  US President Joe Biden took office Wednesday, and the world is now watching Biden to see what actions he will take -- not just unraveling years of Donald Trump’s policies, but how US foreign policy will formulate under the new leader, who declared that “America is back, ready to lead the world.” North and South Korea are also k

North Korea Jan. 21, 2021

Antony Blinken, incoming US President Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, said the North’s nuclear problem has “gotten worse” and that the new administration is planning a full review of Washington’s approach to Pyongyang. 　 “I think we have to review and we intend to review the entire approach and policy toward North Korea because this is a hard problem that has plagued administration after administration, and it is a problem that has not gotten bet

North Korea Jan. 20, 2021

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Tuesday vowed to strengthen the alliance with US under the incoming Joe Biden administration to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.  She made the remark during an opening address of a meeting of related offices and academia to discuss policy direction and ways to strengthen US-South Korea alliance under the new Biden administration, a day before Biden is set to be inaugurated as the next US President on Wednesday.  “We

Foreign Affairs Jan. 19, 2021

North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament gathered Sunday to pass decisions made by a recent ruling party congress and carried out a major reshuffle of officials in charge of economic affairs, state media said Monday.   　 The 14th Supreme People’s Assembly gathered for a fourth session in Pyongyang on Sunday, with delegates unanimously approving the five-year economic development plans unveiled at the Workers’ Party congress that ended last week, according to the North&rsquo

North Korea Jan. 18, 2021

The Ministry of Unification on Thursday said it will spend 800 million won ($727,000) to carry out a survey of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, to check their status and to prepare for possible future family reunions. 　 The ministry decided to conduct the survey of around 50,000 members of divided families during a meeting of a civilian-government committee on inter-Korean exchanges, presided over by Unification Minister Lee In-young. 　 The survey, which will run from April to Oc

North Korea Jan. 14, 2021

North Korea wrapped up a rare eight-day party congress Tuesday, with its leader Kim Jong-un calling for stronger nuclear deterrence and maximum military power to round off one of the biggest political events in Pyongyang in the last five years.  With only a week until US President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office, Kim’s outlining of ambitious military goals and a wish list of advanced weapons during the longer-than-usual congress is a message of defiance against Washington, expe

North Korea Jan. 13, 2021

North Korea’s rare party congress appears to be nearing its end, with officials reviewing a draft resolution on the policy goals laid out by the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and with key officials receiving invitations to “celebrations” of the congress, which could mean a military parade. 　 The delegates gathered for the ongoing eighth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party discussed a draft resolution for “thoroughly implementing the tasks set forth in the

North Korea Jan. 12, 2021

South Korea and Iran remain at odds on the issue of a Korean tanker in Iranian custody despite senior diplomats’ efforts to negotiate the release of the vessel, as well as the matter of Iranian funds frozen in Korean banks. 　 Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun met with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran to discuss pending bilateral issues on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. 　 Choi’s meeting came days after Iran’s Revol

Foreign Affairs Jan. 11, 2021