A third South Korean court on Wednesday refused to remit government money as compensation to the family members of Korean victims forced into labor during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule, a process mandated by the March 6 settlement agreed by Korea and Japan. The March deal requires a state-run foundation to pay the 15 victims, not Japanese companies held liable by a 2018 Korean court ruling amid the firms’ opposition. Four victims -- two alive, two dead -- and their representatives ha

Foreign Affairs July 5, 2023

The South Korean government will soon disclose a safety assessment on wastewater to be discharged from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, officials in Seoul said Wednesday, noting it respects the latest safety evaluation by the International Atomic Energy Agency. A day earlier, the UN nuclear watchdog endorsed Japan’s plans to filter and discharge the water into the Pacific Ocean in stages, saying in a report that the release “would have a negligible radiological impact

Politics July 5, 2023

A South Korean court on Tuesday refused to remit government money as compensation to a Korean victim forced into during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule. She contends that the compensation should come from the Japanese companies held liable for damages as per a 2018 Korean court ruling. Yang Geum-deok, 94, is one of the four victims that have refused such deposits mandated by the March 6 settlement, which relieves the Japanese firms from having to compensate the 15 victims and requires a Kore

Foreign Affairs July 4, 2023

The government is preparing to finalize the remaining payment owed to four South Korean victims of Japan’s 1910-45 forced labor who have refused to accept it because it is coming from a state-run fund and not the Japanese companies held liable, the Foreign Ministry said. Under the March 6 settlement, signed by the two countries’ leaders, Japanese companies held liable for damages by a 2018 Korean court ruling would not pay the 15 victims. A government foundation would instead make th

Foreign Affairs July 4, 2023

A 151-member South Korean disaster relief team has embarked on a 30-day mission Sunday to assist Canada in combating devastating wildfires that have ravaged the country. The team, which includes firefighters, first responders and personnel experienced in disaster response, will land in the province of Quebec to contain the country’s worst wildfire season since 1989. As of Sunday, wildfires had affected at least 8.8 million hectares of land. This marks the second time this year Korea has di

Foreign Affairs July 2, 2023

The South Korean government has decided to send a disaster relief team to Canada to help contain the wildfires there, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Thursday. The 151-member team, which includes firefighters, first responders and personnel experienced in disaster response, will land in Canada on Wednesday for a 30-day mission, according to an announcement made during an interagency meeting chaired by Foreign Minister Park Jin. “I hope the team offers momentum for South Korea and Canada

Foreign Affairs June 29, 2023

진행자: 최시영, Ali Abbot 1. Samsung chief touts ‘meaningful trip’ to France, Vietnam 기사요약: 6박7일 출장에서 부산 엑스포 유치 활동과 경제사절단 활동을 마치고 귀국한 이재용 [1] Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong returned home Saturday after a seven-day business trip to France and Vietnam. He accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol on his latest state visits to the two countries. --accompany: 동행하다 --state visit: 국빈방문 /공식방문(official visit) 실무방문(working visit) 사적방문(private visit) [2] Lee traveled to Paris to

Podcast June 29, 2023

South Korea unveiled sanctions on a Russian citizen of Korean descent and his company, as well as on a separate North Korean citizen and a joint venture run by the two individuals, the latest efforts to crack down on North Korea’s attempts to fund its weapons programs. Choi Chon-gon set up Hanne Ulaan, a company in Mongolia, to bankroll Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs. He also founded a joint venture called Epsilon with a North Korean citizen, according to the South Korean F

North Korea June 28, 2023

Two South Koreans are in critical condition after being shot in Mexico, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. The victims, all currently in a local hospital after the afternoon shooting, were shot near Mexico City, the ministry said Tuesday evening, noting it had asked authorities to immediately open an investigation while offering consular services. The ministry did not detail the identity of the victims and it was not immediately clear whether the Koreans were caught in the crossfire.

Foreign Affairs June 27, 2023

A senior Foreign Ministry official in Seoul warned South Koreans about the potential fallout from China’s latest anti-espionage law, which is set to take effect in July. “Those traveling or staying there should now take more precautions,” the official told a media briefing Thursday, referring to the fact that the law could catch Koreans off guard as new changes written into the law have widened Chinese authorities’ discretion over what constitutes espionage. Previously, t

Foreign Affairs June 23, 2023

South Korea and the United States set up a working group on cybersecurity, a follow-up on what the two allies agreed at the April summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US counterpart Joe Biden, Yoon’s office said in a statement Friday. At a three-day in-person meeting in Washington that ended Thursday, senior Korean and American officials responsible for cybersecurity established a senior steering group to start responding to threats in cyberspace, according to the statement. The

Foreign Affairs June 23, 2023

South Korea said Thursday it will provide an additional $130 million in aid to help Ukraine recover from Russia’s invasion, at a two-day annual conference that started a day ago in London for the second time. At the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which brought together officials from 61 countries and 33 international organizations and at least 400 companies, Bang Moon-kyu, minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said Seoul pledged a $30 million increase in its budgetary su

Foreign Affairs June 22, 2023

South Korea and the United States said Wednesday the two allies will continue openly calling on China to back their efforts to denuclearize North Korea, following Washington’s briefing in Seoul about its latest talks with Beijing. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Monday to stabilize their relations to prevent further conflict, during Blinken’s two-day trip to Beijing that started a day earlier. Such a meeting last took place five years ago.

Foreign Affairs June 21, 2023

As the US and China have agreed to stabilize their escalating rivalry in talks that have partially calmed growing worries over a full-on confrontation between the two superpowers, efforts should be made for South Korea to repair ties with China as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the year, experts said Tuesday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands on a more stable relationship during a rare visit by a top American diplomat, the first in five

Foreign Affairs June 20, 2023

North Korea called the botched attempt last month to launch a military reconnaissance satellite the “most serious failure,” vowing to try a second launch without offering exact dates at the ruling party’s key meeting held from Friday to Sunday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday, officials responsible for the May 31 launch were rebuked at the plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which leader Kim Jong-un

North Korea June 19, 2023