Articles by Ji Da-gyum
Ji Da-gyum
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com-
Inter-Korean ties hit new low as NK calls Seoul 'primary foe'
Inter-Korean relations hit a new low as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the removal of all symbols of reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas, a highly volatile and intricate relationship that endured for over 50 years, despite changes in South Korean governments and hereditary power succession in North Korea. South Korea will also be designated as the "primary foe and invariable principal enemy" in the North Korean constitution by Kim's order on Monday, Nort
North Korea Jan. 16, 2024
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N. Korea says tests hypersonic missile
North Korean state media on Monday claimed that the country had successfully test-fired a solid-fuel hypersonic missile with an intermediate-range for the first time on Sunday, the same day the country's foreign minister arrived in Russia. The South Korean military said it was evaluating North Korea's claim. Hypersonic missiles fly at lower altitudes, offering greater maneuverability up through the terminal phase, and travel at speeds of at least Mach 5, equivalent to five times the sp
North Korea Jan. 15, 2024
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Top priority for new FM: 'Economic-security integrated diplomacy'
The primary strategic focus of the South Korean Foreign Ministry is to strengthen diplomatic capabilities to enhance economic security, especially at a time when security and the economy are intricately entwined amid the US-China tech rivalry, said newly appointed Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Friday. "I will seek to strengthen the capabilities of economic and security integrated diplomacy, aligning with the contemporary context where the US-China competition for technological hegemony ha
Foreign Affairs Jan. 12, 2024
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N. Korea using Ukraine as 'test site' for nuclear-capable missiles: Seoul
South Korea raised the alarm at the UN Security Council that Russia's use of North Korean missiles has opened the door for North Korea to use Ukrainian territory as a "testing site of its nuclear-capable missiles," posing new security challenges. The 15-member Security Council convened Wednesday to discuss the grinding war in Ukraine after the US disclosed North Korea's illicit transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia and Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles t
Foreign Affairs Jan. 11, 2024
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48 countries, EU unite in condemning NK-Russia arms transfer
A united front of 48 countries, alongside the European Union, unequivocally expressed their condemnation in the "strongest possible terms" against North Korea's export of ballistic missiles and Russia's recent use of the ballistic missiles in the assault on war-torn Ukraine. The joint statement, featuring endorsements from foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, Japan, Ukraine, and other participating countries, was issued on Wednesday, Seoul time. "Our gove
Foreign Affairs Jan. 10, 2024
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US presidential election top global risk in 2024: report
The US presidential election could be the foremost global risk, with anticipated effects extending more broadly and profoundly across global security, stability and economic outlook than any other event, according to a report. The biggest challenge in 2024 is the "United States versus itself," marked by the presidential election scheduled in November, Eurasia Group, a New York-based political risk consulting firm, said in its annual forecast report that listed the top 10 risks to the w
Foreign Affairs Jan. 9, 2024
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China trust needed but priority remains on US: FM nominee
Cho Tae-yul, the nominee for South Korean foreign minister, said Monday that the country should manage its relations with China in a way that does not compromise the Korea-US alliance. Cho said the core of South Korea's approach to China is to "define its position amid the strategic competition between the US and China." "During our response to it, the focus should be on the Korea-US alliance," Cho said during his parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assemb
Foreign Affairs Jan. 8, 2024
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N. Korea fires shells near western sea border for third day
North Korea has continued to fire shells near the western maritime border area for the third consecutive day since Friday, despite South Korea's repeated calls for an immediate cessation of such military action defying the Sept. 19, 2018, inter-Korean military agreement. The North Korean military fired around 90 shells north of South Korea's front-line island of Yeonpyeongdo from around 4 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. local time, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We issue a grave warni
Defense Jan. 7, 2024
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S. Korea, US, Japan address China, NK, Russia at 1st Indo-Pacific Dialogue
South Korea, the United States and Japan jointly condemned deeper military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait during the first Indo-Pacific Dialogue. The three governments held the inaugural trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue in Washington on Friday, following up on the agreement established during the Camp David summit in August last year. The leaders of South Korea, the US and Japan previously agreed to launch
Foreign Affairs Jan. 7, 2024
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S. Korea to disband foundation for Kaesong industrial park
South Korea has decided to disband the sole government-run foundation tasked with handling matters concerning the now-shuttered Kaesong industrial park, once a pivotal inter-Korean cooperation project, amid simmering tensions between the two Koreas. The Unification Ministry issued a public announcement on Thursday regarding the dissolution of the Gaeseong Industrial District Foundation, which was first established in 2007 under the auspices of the ministry, announcing the decision nearly eight y
North Korea Jan. 4, 2024
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Unification Ministry's NK election interference warning raises concerns
A statement by the Unification Ministry on Thursday has raised concerns as it urged South Korean voters to remain vigilant against North Korea's attempts to interfere in the upcoming April legislative elections. This remark seems inappropriate for the ministry, the primary role of which is to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula, and is supposed to maintain political neutrality, according to political commentators here. Stressing that North Korea has consistently sought to interfere in So
North Korea Jan. 4, 2024
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[KH Explains] How will South Korea use its seat on UN Security Council?
South Korea embarked on its two-year tenure as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council as 2024 commenced, aiming to foster unified action on crucial security matters, including North Korea's nuclear buildup, amid ongoing discord among the five veto-wielding permanent members. South Korea's Foreign Ministry has underscored the growing importance of its present seat on the UN Security Council, even though the country previously held the position during the periods of 1996-1997 a
Foreign Affairs Jan. 2, 2024
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Korea enters 2024 in fog of uncertainties
As the calendar flicks over into 2024, South Korea finds itself entangled in an intricate tapestry of mounting uncertainties. In charting its course forward, Korea will need to navigate rising diplomatic complexities and elevated security risks -- especially the possibility of inter-Korean clashes -- while protecting its economic security amid the strategic competition between the United States and China. The challenges stem from two pivotal factors, over 10 experts based in South Korea told The
Foreign Affairs Jan. 1, 2024
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S. Korea slaps sanctions on NK foreign intelligence chief
The South Korean government on Wednesday imposed sanctions on the head of North Korea's primary intelligence agency responsible for overseas operations, along with seven other North Koreans. The announcement on unilateral economic sanctions was in response to North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Dec. 18, contravening multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. A total of eight designated North Korea
North Korea Dec. 27, 2023
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Top envoys of S. Korea, US, Japan condemn NK missile launch
The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Thursday issued a joint statement condemning North Korea's consecutive launches of short and long-range ballistic missiles, pledging concerted efforts to block the Kim Jong-un regime's channels for illicit revenue. The joint statement was issued in the days following the UN Security Council meeting Tuesday, which, unfortunately, failed to produce any tangible actions once again to address North Korea's launches in vi
Foreign Affairs Dec. 21, 2023
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