Articles by Ji Da-gyum
Ji Da-gyum
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com-
S. Korea-China ties as crucial as US alliance: FM nominee
Cho Tae-yul, the nominee for South Korean foreign minister, told reporters on Wednesday he intends to foster an improvement in Korea-China relations in harmony with Seoul's alliance with Washington. "Given that the relations between Korea and China are no less important than the Korea-US alliance, I will strive to seek ways to maintain the bilateral ties harmoniously," Cho said to reporters during his first day of preparations for a parliamentary confirmation hearing. Cho said he
Foreign Affairs Dec. 20, 2023
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S. Korean, US border guards resume armament in JSA
The security battalion comprising South Korean and US guard forces responsible for securing the Joint Security Area has reinstated armaments in response to North Korean soldiers carrying firearms across the inter-Korean border, according to the United Nations Command. The two Koreas had withdrawn firearms from the JSA in the truce village of Panmunjom in late October 2018, around a month after signing the Inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement. The JSA is the sole location where soldiers
Defense Dec. 19, 2023
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Chinese, Russian warplanes enter S. Korean air defense zone
Two Chinese and four Russian military planes on Thursday entered South Korea's air defense zone without providing prior notice, prompting responsive measures by the South Korean military. The simultaneous intrusion marks the first occurrence of its kind since June this year. The six aircraft entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone, or KADIZ, off its east coast between 11:53 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. local time, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on the same day in a statement
Defense Dec. 14, 2023
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NK may use provocations to impact S. Korea, US elections: report
North Korea may resort to military provocations and psychological warfare, and escalate tensions to influence crucial elections in South Korea and the United States next year, the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification said Wednesday in an annual report. The elections will be crucial factors in shaping North Korea's foreign policy approach and strategic decisions in the coming year, experts at the KINU said during a briefing on the forecast of the security landscape on t
North Korea Dec. 13, 2023
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8 NATO envoys to visit Seoul to discuss Indo-Pacific security
A delegation of representatives from eight NATO member countries is set to visit Seoul later this week, in a rare collective visit reflecting the transatlantic security alliance's heightened interest in the Indo-Pacific region amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The three-day visit from Wednesday to Friday aims to "engage in discussions on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and other pertinent issues," South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Monday. The participating
Foreign Affairs Dec. 11, 2023
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Yoon travels to Netherlands for chip allaince, strategic partnership
President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to embark on a state visit to the Netherlands on Monday, mainly to "forge a chip alliance" and level up the existing bilateral strategic partnership in diplomacy, defense and economic security, the South Korean presidential office said Sunday. The two countries are expected to strengthen cooperation in addressing a diverse set of challenges, including chip supply chain issues compounded by the intensifying US-China tech war. "To forge a chip alliance
Foreign Affairs Dec. 10, 2023
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Korean attorney elected as new ICC judge
South Korean attorney Paek Kee-bong was elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court on Wednesday. He is the third Korean to be elected to the court. Paek will serve a nine-year term from 2024 to 2033 at the ICC headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Six new judges were elected, comprising one-third of the court's total of 18 judges, during the annual session of the Assembly of States Parties in New York. ICC judges play a
Foreign Affairs Dec. 7, 2023
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[News Focus] Why Kim Jong-un spotlights mothers
North Korea orchestrated a unique event on Tuesday, where personally curated gifts from leader Kim Jong-un were presented to participants at the national mothers' meeting, continuing the trend of promoting the pivotal role of mothers in state-controlled media. North Korea hosted the fifth National Conference of Mothers in Pyongyang on Sunday and Monday, marking the first occurrence of the event since 2012. Speaking at the event, Ri Il-hwan, the secretary of the Central Committee of the Work
North Korea Dec. 6, 2023
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N. Korea closes 7 embassies, now down to 46, says Seoul
North Korea has closed seven embassies across Africa, Europe and Southwest Asia, reducing its total from 53 to 46, amid persistent challenges in earning hard currency abroad exacerbated by economic sanctions, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. Pyongyang has closed embassies in Guinea, Nepal, Bangladesh, Senegal, Spain, Angola and Uganda as of Tuesday. News about a series of embassy closures started emerging in October. But the Foreign Ministry disclosed the withdrawal of North Kor
Foreign Affairs Dec. 5, 2023
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S. Korea successfully tests solid-fuel space rocket
South Korea successfully launched a solid-fuel space rocket carrying a small commercial satellite in the final round of tests for an actual launch planned for two years later, according to the Ministry of National Defense on Monday. The test launch was conducted at around 2:00 p.m. from a barge located in waters south of Jeju Island. It was the first instance of the country integrating an operational satellite, not a dummy satellite, into the developmental phase of a solid-fuel space rocket. Mon
Defense Dec. 4, 2023
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S. Korea, US, Japan, Australia jointly announce sanctions on NK
In an unprecedented move, South Korea, the United States, Australia and Japan collectively and consecutively declared the imposition of unilateral sanctions on North Korea on Thursday and Friday. The united front is a direct response to North Korea's launch of a purported "military reconnaissance satellite" on Nov. 21, highlighting the coordinated efforts of like-minded countries in the face of a notable absence of actions at the United Nations Security Council. South Korea has im
North Korea Dec. 1, 2023
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Yoon sends condolences over Kissinger’s death
President Yoon Suk Yeol has conveyed a message of condolences following the passing of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the South Korean presidential office said on Friday. Yoon called Kissinger the "strategist and international political scholar who laid the foundation for US foreign policy, and I deeply appreciate his lifelong dedicated efforts toward global peace and freedom" in his message. "I cherish the memory of your unwavering support for the South Korea-US allia
Foreign Affairs Dec. 1, 2023
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NK will never discuss 'sovereignty' with US, says Kim Yo-jong
North Korea will never discuss its "sovereignty" in negotiations with the United States in any circumstances, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Thursday in a statement, framing the recent launch of a purported military spy satellite as an assertion of sovereignty. Kim, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, denounced Washington for publicly criticizing Pyongyang’s launch of what it claimed to be a military
North Korea Nov. 30, 2023
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Seoul reviews scenarios for restoring guard posts in DMZ
South Korea has initiated a comprehensive examination of scenarios aimed at restoring guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone that were deactivated and dismantled in alignment with a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, military sources said Wednesday. One potential first step involves the restoration of a disarmed guard post, the structure of which has been exclusively preserved for historical purposes through mutual consent with North Korea. South Korea has deemed it essential to implement coun
Defense Nov. 29, 2023
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Trilateral cooperation unaffected by US election outcomes: Goldberg
The existing trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan will remain enduring, regardless of the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election, US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg said Tuesday. Goldberg highlighted that the foundation of the three-way cooperation among like-minded countries -- grounded in shared values such as democracy, free markets and the rule of law -- inherently signifies sustainability. "We share so many of these values and interests
Foreign Affairs Nov. 28, 2023
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