ROK and Inter-Korean relations July 2005

ROK and Inter-Korean relations

July 2005

274 secret tapes are confiscated from ex-agent
July 30, 2005 ? Prosecutors announced yesterday that they had seized 274 secret tape recording at the home of Kong Un-yeong, a former official with the central intelligence agency who headed an illegal eavesdropping operation that targeted prominent figures. Each tape is two hours long, the authorities said. Prosecutors also confiscated 13 volumes of transcripts, each 200 to 300 pages long.
1st Meeting of Panel for North-South Cooperation in Fisheries Opened
Kaesong, July 27 (KCNA) -- The 1st meeting of the panel for north-south cooperation in fisheries took place in Kaesong from July 25 to 27 in accordance with the agreement of the 10th meeting of the North-South Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation. At the meeting both sides discussed proposals for cooperation in fisheries to ensure peace and the common interests of fishermen of the north and the south in the West Sea according to the basic spirit of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and adopted an agreement of the 1st meeting of the panel for north-south cooperation in fisheries.
Working-level Contact Between North and South
Kaesong, July 28 (KCNA) -- A working-level contact concerning August 15 north-south football matches for reunification was held in Kaesong on July 26 and 28. At the contact the north and the south noted that leader Kim Jong Il received the chairperson of Hyundai Group and the vice-chairman of Hyundai Asan of south Korea and complied with the request of Minister of Unification Jong Dong Yong offered through them, thus making it possible to hold August 15 north- south football matches for reunification on the occasion of the significant 60th anniversary of the liberation of Korea.
Professor Kang Makes Another Pro-North Korean Remark
By Moon Gwang-lip Staff Reporter
Kang Jeong-koo, sociology professor at Dongguk University, said in a column posted yesterday on an Internet news site that the 1950-1953 Korean War should be regarded not as a ``war for sovereignty usurpation'' but as a ``war for the great cause of unification,'' a statement similar to North Korean propaganda. ``No South Korean history textbook depicts Wang Kun and Kyon Hwon as invaders. Wang is revered as a great king who worked for unification,'' Kang said, advocating the communist country's reasoning behind the war. Wang (A.D. 877-943) was the founder of the Koryo Dynasty (A.D. 918-1392), unifying the three kingdoms split from the Silla Kingdom after defeating Kyon Kwon of Hu-Paekche. In the column entitled ``True Knowledge About MacArthur,'' Kang claimed the three-year war could have ended in a month without the intervention of the United States. ``Without U.S. intervention, Korea would not have suffered such bloodshed and destruction. To 4 million Koreans killed during the war, the U.S. is not a lifesaver or friend but an enemy,'' Kang said.
Koreas reach fishing agreement
July 28, 2005 ? North and South Korea yesterday three days of maritime talks in Kaesong, agreeing to cooperate to prevent boats from third countries from fishing in portions of the Yellow Sea belonging to the two Koreas. The two sides agreed in principle to designate a joint fishing zone in the Yellow Sea near the inter-Korean maritime border. A South Korean official said that more than 200 illegal fishing boats from third coutries operate daily in Korean waters, exhausting the two Koreas' maritime resources and needlessly aggravating cross-border tensions. However, they failed to reach an immediate agreement on the specific areas to be designated joint fishing zones. Instead, the two Koreas announced they will finalize the location and details associated with the proposed joint fishing zone, including fishing operation timelines, at a planned meeting between the two countries' military officials. A date for that meeting has yet to be set. Working-level officials from the North and South Koreas also agreed to work together to carry out joint projects in fisheries production, processing and sales. Separately, the two Koreas will begin talks today in Kaesong on railroad and road reconnection projects.
2 Koreas to Block Illegal Fishing in West Sea
Joint Press Corps and Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter
Shim Ho-jin, right, South Korean chief delegate, enters a conference room with his North Korean counterpart Cho Hyun-ju during the third and last day of working-level inter-Korean talks on fishery cooperation in Kaesong, North Korea, Wednesday. / Korea Times KAESONG, North Korea _ South and North Korea agreed to join hands in fending off illegal fishing boats from a ``third country,'' presumably meaning China, from their territorial waters in the West Sea. The agreement is part of the six-point results obtained from the three-day working-level consultations on marine cooperation, which ended on Wednesday. South Korean officials commuted from Seoul to the meeting venue in the North by bus each day.
Ambassador Hong to resign
July 27, 2005 ? South Korea's ambassador to the United States, Hong Seok-hyun, expressed his intention to resign in the wake of political tumult over his alleged involvement in providing illegal political funds to presidential candidates in 1997. Separately, a former national spy agency official, who played a role in implicating Mr. Hong in the scandal, stabbed himself yesterday in a suburb of Seoul in a failed suicide bid.
Roh to Accept Amb. Hong's Resignation
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter President Roh Moo-hyun has decided to accept the resignation of South Korean Ambassador to the United States Hong Seok-hyun over his alleged involvement in a slush funds scandal, Chong Wa Dae said on Tuesday.
Propaganda removal resumes along DMZ
July 27, 2005 ? North and South Korea resumed dismantling loudspeakers and propaganda billboards along their respective borders, yesterday, as part of an agreement reached last week to minimize tensions along the demilitarized zone. The initial agreement to remove all propaganda related equipment was reached in June of last year but was halted after incidents in the Yellow Sea in which North Korean naval vessels entered South Korean waters. The removal of all propaganda material is scheduled to be finished by Aug. 13. Both sides are expected to have more talks the day before to verify the process. While they have agreed to hold general-level talks at Mount Paekdu in the North, no date has been set. Last week, both sides agreed to finish establishing communication offices in order to reduce the risk of clashes in the Yellow Sea.
An apology for actions that were inappropriate
We are offering a sincere apology over recent reports concerning the National Security Planning Agency's transcript of a secretly recorded conversation involving then-JoongAng Ilbo President Hong Seok-hyun. The JoongAng Ilbo has taken pride in playing a role in creating a fair and just society by watching over those with political, economic and social power. But the transcript in question seems to imply that former President Hong was involved in the political evil of the past. In view of the gravity of the case, the JoongAng Ilbo offers its deepest apologies to the people and pledges to painstakingly reflect on our track record, even before authorities launch investigations to verify the validity of the content of the transcript. After being appointed Ambassador to the United States in February, Mr. Hong resigned as leader of the JoongAng Ilbo. Yet the JoongAng Ilbo cannot say it has nothing to do with this matter. It makes us feel bitter. The JoongAng Ilbo endured great suffering in connection with the 1997 presidential election. The Kim Dae-jung administration pressured the JoongAng Ilbo after its victory, and Mr. Hong was detained on charges of tax evasion in 1999. The so-called "Bokwang tax evasion scandal" was actually a result of the Kim administration's displeasure with the Joong-Ang Ilbo for supporting Mr. Kim's opponent. At the time, Mr. Hong himself offered a public apology. He served his jail term
Reception Given by South Side's Delegation
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- The delegation of the south side gave a reception at the People's Palace of Culture Sunday evening for the participants in the meeting of Korean writers for the implementation of the June 15 joint declaration
Korea University Develops Anti-Plagiarism Program
By Kim Cheong-won Staff Reporter It took nearly four hours for Kim Mi-kyoung, a university student, to write her 10-page history class assignment with a pencil. If she had typed it, it would have taken less than 30 minutes. But she had to write it by pencil because her professor requested it to prevent students from copying off the Internet. However, she may not have to do it any more. Korea University has developed a program that can tell whether reports are plagiarized or not.
8 SNU Professors Under Probe for Allegedly Embezzling Funds
By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Prosecutors are investigating eight additional Seoul National University (SNU) professors after arresting two professors on charges of embezzling research funds
Ambassador Hong Likely to Resign
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter South Korean Ambassador to the United States Hong Seok-hyun is likely to announce his plans on Monday amid escalating demands for his resignation. The demands erupted after news reports were released alleging his involvement in illicit dealings during the 1997 presidential election campaign.
Secret recordings stir furor in media
July 23, 2005 ? A national television network detailed yesterday a 1997 conversation between JoongAng Ilbo Publisher Hong Seok-hyun and senior Samsung executive Lee Hak-soo, revealing the men discussed possible political contributions by the Samsung Group to the campaigns of the two leading presidential candidates at the time. In doing so, the station, MBC, appeared to defy a court order not to disclose the contents of what was an illegally recorded exchange about political donations before the 1997 presidential election. The tape had been secretly made by the National Intelligence Service. MBC explained that its reporting was based on a 1997 intelligence service briefing and not on the tape itself. In its prime-time nightly newscast, MBC reported on the conversation between Mr. Hong, now South Korea's ambassador to the United States, and Mr. Lee, the chief planning officer of Samsung. The report said Mr. Hong was involved in the delivery of political donations to the campaigns of Lee Hoi-chang and Kim Dae-jung on behalf of Samsung Group.
Agency cites origin of Park foundation
July 23, 2005 ? An investigation by a special committee set up by the National Intelligence Service reported yesterday that in 1962 a Busan- based businessman was forced, apparently upon the orders of Park Chung Hee, to relinquish his assets, one year after Mr. Park's coup d'etat. The assets were subsequently used to establish a scholarship foundation controlled by Mr. Park, and later by his daughter, Grand National Party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye.
Mr. Kim's family claims that the charges were politically motivated because Mr. Kim had refused to help finance Mr. Park's coup d'etat, which took place on May 16, 1961. On June 20, 1962, the day after military prosecutors sentenced Mr. Kim to seven years imprisonment, Mr. Kim agreed to surrender his property to the Park regime. Only after doing this was he released. The committee said yesterday, "To hide the fact that Mr. Kim signed the consent while in detention, the written consent was fabricated to make it look like Mr. Kim signed it on the 30th after he was released." Mr. Kim's assets, including his stakes in the media companies and an 81-acre estate belonging to a scholarhsip foundation he had founded, were used to establish the May 16 Scholarship Foundation. In 1982, the foundation changed its name to the Chungsu Scholarship Foundation. Ms. Park headed the foundation until February of this year.
Getting to the truth
The so-called "X-file" is stirring up the whole nation. Curiosity about the unidentified material whose authenticity no one can confirm is sweeping the whole nation. Verification of the truth is neglected. Perhaps people are getting excited while pursuing a phantom, so it is important to find out the truth. The truth shouldn't be buried -- we should dig it out. The wisest solution lies in approaching the problem from the truth and facts.
We cannot but be surprised to find that such illegal activities were committed during the civilian government that boasted of being the first democratic government, not a military- backed regime. As there were more than 8,000 recorded tapes, most of the leaders of our society were the victimes of wiretapping. It must also be clarified whether such illegal tapping was committed by the governments that succeeded the first civilian government. We cannot leave alone the reality where people carry multiple numbers of mobile phones out of fear of having their conversations tapped.
Korean Writers Meet to Implement June 15 Joint Declaration
Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- A meeting of Korean writers for implementing the June 15 joint declaration was held at the People's Palace of Culture on Wednesday. Present there were Vice- Premier of the Cabinet Ro Tu Chol, Chairman of the C.C., the General Federation of the Unions of Literature and the Arts of Korea Kim Jong Ho, writers and poets in Pyongyang.
KCNA Refutes Threadbare Fiction about "North Korean Defector"
Pyongyang, July 22 (KCNA) -- Media in the United States and south Korea again floated the threadbare fiction about a "north Korean defector-asylum seeker." Recently they spread a whopping lie that a deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly who had allegedly worked in the field of munitions industry sought "asylum" in south Korea. They reported that this "defector" testified to the fact that the north has manufactured nuclear weapons with plutonium and developed "special weapons." The DPRK can not but draw attention to the smear campaign kicked up by unsavory forces against it at a time when the north-south relations are making favorable progress and the six-party talks for the solution to the nuclear issue are expected to resume soon. As we have already clarified, the alleged defection of a deputy to the SPA is a sheer fabrication because there is no such institution in the DPRK as the "marine industrial institute" to which he allegedly belonged and no man with such position from the DPRK had ever made a business trip overseas. [Disinformation]
Working Contact Made between Authorities of North and South
Kaesong, July 22 (KCNA) -- A working-level contact between the authorities of the north and the south of Korea took place in Kaesong on July 22 in connection with the expected participation of the delegations of the authorities of both sides in the "August 15 grand national festival for independence, peace and reunification" slated to be held in the area of the south side under an agreement reached at the 15th inter- Korean ministerial talks. At the contact the north and the south issued an agreement after deciding to make the Aug. 15 grand national festival a significant grand festival which would demonstrate internally and externally the will of all Koreans for national independence, their desire to achieve national reconciliation, unity and co-prosperity through their concerted efforts.
Samsung Campaigned for Lee
MBC Reports Intelligence Agency's Eavesdropping in 1997 By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter
Korea's leading television network MBC broadcasts a series of detailed reports on a tape recording that sparked controversy over eavesdropping and 1997 presidential election campaign on its prime-time news program at 9 p.m. Friday. / Korea Times Samsung Group campaigned for Lee Hoi-chang, then ruling party candidate in the 1997 presidential race, and Hong Seok-hyun, then president of JoongAng Ilbo, played a key role, a major broadcaster reported. Following its initial reports the previous day, MBC television reported in more detail on the ``Lee Sang-ho X-File,'' named after its reporter who first obtained an audiotape containing a secret conversation between executive officers of Samsung and JoongAng Ilbo. ``Samsung is suspected of having contributed about 10 billion won ($9.8 million) to Lee Hoi- chang, then candidate of the ruling camp, ahead of the 1997 presidential election and Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee sent Hong Seok-hyun to deliver the money,'' MBC said.
Hong Pressed to Resign Over Scandals
Political Parties Moving to Uncover Truth Behind Illegal Election Dealings By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter
South Korean Ambassador to the United States Hong Seok-hyun is caught in the biggest scandal of his seven months in office over illicit dealings in the lead-up to the 1997 presidential race. He has so far managed to sidestep hullabaloos that threatened his career, but now he faces a graver quandary, as some have questioned whether he should continue his duties as one of the key diplomats to represent the in handling such important problems as the North Korean nuclear issue.
Park Chung-hee's Media Control Plot Unveiled
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter The late President Park Chung-hee forced a businessman to give up his scholarship foundation and shares in news companies to muzzle the press in 1962, an investigation report of a special committee said on Friday. The Puil Scholarship Foundation, a predecessor of the Chungsoo Scholarship Foundation, was donated by its late owner Kim Ji-tae, a wealthy businessman and former lawmaker, to Park's military government, according to the report by the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Chairwoman of the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) Park Geun-hye, who is the daughter of the late president, had headed the foundation, which remains the 100 percent owner of the Pusan Ilbo, a vernacular daily, and 30 percent of the Seoul MBC, since the late 1990s until February this year.
Assailants strip soldiers of weapons
July 22, 2005 ? Three unidentified men assaulted two armed South Korean soldiers on patrol near Donghae, a coastal city in Gangwon province, and stripped them off their weapons and ammunition before they escaped. One of the soldiers was cut with a knife. In response, the South Korean military declared a security alert in the area in a bid to catch the men and recover the arms. In March of 2002, two K-2 assault rifles were stolen from the Capital Defense Command and then later used in a bank robbery in Seoul.
The officials said it was unlikely that North Korean agents were responsible. Experts said yesterday that North Korean agents are more likely to avoid contact with other people before melting into the populace of the city or going inland. The Seoul dialect and Gangneung dialect used by the men also suggested that the assailants had no ties to the North.
Inter-Korean Military Working Talks Held
Pyongyang, July 20 (KCNA) -- The third military working talks took place in the portion of the south side in Panmunjom today over the issue of implementing the agreement reached at the north- south general-level military talks. Present at the talks were the military working delegation of the north side led by Senior Colonel of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces Yu Yong Chol and the military working delegation of the south side headed by Colonel of the Ministry of National Defense Mun Song Muk.
Meeting of Korean Writers Held
Pyongyang, July 20 (KCNA) -- A meeting of Korean writers was held here Wednesday to implement the June 15 joint declaration. The meeting that brought together writers in the north and from the south and overseas was the first of its kind in the history of national division. It discussed the duty and role of writers of national literature in achieving national reunification under the banner of the June 15 joint declaration, the issues of forming the "June 15 association of writers of national literature" as a common organization of writers in the north and the south and overseas and instituting "June 15 Prize for Reunification Literature."
Spy Agency's Eavesdropping Under Probe
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter The nation's spy agency said on Thursday it will investigate illegal eavesdropping cases allegedly committed during the President Kim Young-sam government of the 1990s. The Agency for National Security Planning, predecessor of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), allegedly recorded private meetings of politicians, executives of conglomerates and senior journalists between 1993 and 1998, a local vernacular daily Chosun Ilbo reported. [human rights]
Anti-Samsung Professor to Lead Korea University Business School
By Choi Kyong-ae Staff Reporter Jang Ha-sung Korea University, which recently received a large amount of financial assistance from Samsung Group, Thursday named Jang Ha-sung, known as the anti-Samsung scholar, as dean of its college of business administration. Jang, 52, teaches business administration at Korea University and works as an economic adviser to the shareholder activities group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD). The appointment came several months after Samsung Group donated 41.8 billion won for the university to build a library named ``Samsung Hall.'' Jang has earned a nickname of ``Samsung sniper'' for his harsh ``Samsung bashing.''
Army Will Be Streamlined Into More Mobile Force: Defense Chief
Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung SEOUL (Yonhap) _ South Korea is considering downsizing its 680,000-member military by one- fourth by 2020 and streamlining its combat organizations in an effort to carry out a comprehensive reform of its armed forces, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said Wednesday. ``Since the objective of current military reform is to transform the organization of South Korea's military to a quality-based structure from a quantity-based one to create small but strong, advanced and elite forces, the reorganization of military structure is a key task,'' Yoon said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. South Korea plans to set its number of troops at around 500,000, reducing it in three stages by 2020, Yoon said, adding the cut will be offset by the introduction of sophisticated weapons. ``Yesterday, I received a report from a staff officer that when we have 500,000 troops, our ground forces will be on an equal status with North Korean ground troops. The Navy and Air Forces' strengths are 130 and 150 percent of those of North Korea,'' Yoon said. [military balance]
S, N Writers to Form New Association
SEOUL (Yonhap) ? In their first-ever gathering, writers of South and North Korea announced in Pyongyang that they will form an association aimed at promoting reunification of the peninsula, the (North) Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday.
Militaries agree on new hotline
July 21, 2005 ? Military officials from North and South Korea met in the truce village of Panmunjeom yesterday and agreed to resume measures aimed at minimizing border tensions, including the establishment of a 24-hour hotline between the two navies. The meeting was aimed at avoiding conflicts such as the naval clashes in the Yellow Sea that have taken place in recent years. Higher-ranking officials had agreed last year to implement the hotline and other measures, but work on the projects was stopped after a South Korean ship fired warning shots in response to a maritime border crossing by a North Korean vessel.
Military talks resume
[Photo]
Optical Fiber Communication Cables Connected for TV Dialog between Separated Families and Relatives
Kaesong, July 18 (KCNA) -- Optical fiber communication cables for TV dialog between separated families and relatives in the north and the south of Korea were connected under an agreement reached at the 15th inter-Korean ministerial talks and the inter-Korean working- level Red-Cross contact. A ceremony of connecting the cable links took place in the Demilitarized Zone of the Military Demarcation Line on July 18. Present there were persons concerned including communication personnel in the north and the south of Korea.
Spokesman for DPRK FM Dismisses Sheer Lie Spread by Some Unsavory Forces
Pyongyang, July 19 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry Tuesday gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA refuting the sheer lie that a deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly allegedly working in the field of the munitions industry sought an "asylum" in south Korea, the fiction floated by some media of the U.S. and south Korea: The fiction is a sheer fabrication as there is no such institution in the north as the "marine industrial institute" to which he allegedly belonged. The "statement" allegedly made by him was full of lies. Some unsavory forces fabricated "the issue of a renegade-deserter," a fiction, in a bid to mislead the public opinion. This is, however, nothing but a despicable and ridiculous plot to tarnish the image of the dignified DPRK. The DPRK cannot but maintain high vigilance and draw attention to the fact that the hostile forces are getting frantic in their false propaganda against it at a time when the north- south relations are making positive progress and the resumption of the six-party talks for the solution to the nuclear issue is near at hand. [Misinformation]
S-N writers' meeting
S-N writers' meeting: A delegation of South Korean writers read a statement before their departure for Pyongyang at Incheon International Airport in Inchon City, Wednesday. The writers left to attend the first meeting in 60 years with their North Korean counterparts. [photo]
Koreas Agree to Establish Military Liaison Offices
By Joint Press Corps & Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter PANMUNJOM _ Military officers of South and North Korea Wednesday agreed to establish liaison offices to avoid accidental armed clashes along their disputed western sea border, the Defense Ministry said. Colonels of the two sides met at the truce village of Panmunjom to set the date and the agenda for a third round of inter-Korean general-level talks on tension-reducing measures along the heavily fortified border, ministry officials said. The two sides also agreed to restart dismantling remaining propaganda facilities along the 248-kilometer-long Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) from July 25 to Aug. 13, they said.
Forgotten Spy Saga Sparks Call for Reinvestigation
SEOUL (Yonhap) _ Decades after a prominent North Korean journalist was executed by hanging in South Korea on espionage charges, calls have risen to reinvestigate one of the country's most intriguing spy sagas, one that had been long forgotten.
The question is whether the purported defector was a real communist spy or a mere turncoat who just sought personal comfort after being disenchanted with the harsh systems in both Koreas of the time. Some even suspect that the Cold War episode might have been a South Korean put-up job aimed at strengthening its anti-communist campaign. But one thing is clear: he was a victim of intense inter-Korean rivalry. On March 22, 1967, Lee Su-kun, then vice president of the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency, defected to South Korea while covering a Korean War armistice commission meeting at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. Lee's defection was dramatic enough to capture world headlines. In a pre-planned arrangement with U.N. Command officials, the North Korean journalist jumped into a sedan waiting for a British general that was about to leave the meeting site. [Refugee reception] [Evidence] [Human rights]
N. Korea to Present Deal to Energy Proposal
By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter Pyongyang will likely present a counterproposal to Seoul's offer of electricity aid, demanding that Seoul also build power plants in North Korea, a former unification minister said at a lecture on Monday. A high-ranking Seoul official, however, said on Tuesday that North Korea would accept South Korea's proposal at the six-party nuclear talks, which will begin in Beijing on July 26, and will not request big changes to it.
Seoul said ready to pay 'cost of peace'
July 19, 2005 ? Responding to questions over how Seoul expects to cover the cost of doubling North Korea's electricity supply, South Korea's top energy official said yesterday that the government would undertake to pay whatever was needed to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and reach a successful conclusion to the six- party nuclear negotiations. "Though we need more discussion with Pyongyang to decide how to cover the costs of supplying electricity to North Korea, we will consider the 'cost of peace'," Energy Minister Lee Hee-beom said yesterday in a briefing. His comment follows by a week a huge offer announced by Unification Minister Chung Dong- young to provide 200 million kilowatts of electricity for energy-starved North Korea in exchange for its ending its nuclear weapons development program. In announcing the plan, Mr. Chung said the government will cover the 1.5 trillion won ($1.4 billion) to 1.7 trillion won needed to build high-voltage lines, transformers and other infrastructure by using money already earmarked for light-water reactors under the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization [Agreed Framework]
Inter-Korean soccer match to take place
July 19, 2005 ? For the first time since September 2002, a soccer match, scheduled for Aug. 15 in Seoul, will take place between North and South Korea. The game is being held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the country's independence, a government official said yesterday. The official said that in a meeting over the weekend between Hyun Jeong-eun, Hyundai Group's chairwoman, and the North's leader, Kim Jong-il, Ms. Hyun delivered the government proposal, and Mr. Kim agreed to it. Mr. Kim also offered Ms. Hyun the right to open Mount Paektu and the city of Kaesong to South Korean tourists from next month.
A changed world for Korea's returnees
July 18, 2005 ? One came back for a father-in- law; one came back for God. More than one came back for profit. Another calls Korea "an abnormal, sick society," and in the same breath says, "I'm more patriotic than anybody I know." They left Korea decades ago, while the country was in the grip of dictators, in search of a better life in the United States. With most now closing in on their retirement years, they have returned to their homeland and discovered a new political, economic and social landscape. Some embrace it, some do not. The first-generation returnees interviewed for this article are generally well-to-do, are fluent in English, possess degrees from American universities and, in most cases, have U.S. passports. Many of them are back in Korea for the same reason they left all those years ago: They're simply following the opportunities. The return doesn't mark a circular journey, but a linear one.
2 Koreas Plan Liberation Day Football Match
By Reuben Staines Staff Reporter South and North Korea have agreed to play a football match as part of joint Liberation Day celebrations in Seoul next month, the government said Monday. Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun proposed the match on behalf of the South Korean government during a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in the North's port city of Wonsan on Sunday, Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Hong-jae said.
No domestic problem with electricity supply
July 18, 2005 ? The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy announced yesterday South Korea would not suffer from a shortage of power when it begins supplying North Korea with 2 million kilowatts of electricity a year starting in 2008. Lee Won-geol, head of the ministry's energy & resources policy office, said although the power supply in the South could become problematic when providing the North with electricity starting next month, the government would come up with measures to prevent shortages. A new generator is under construction at Incheon's Yeongheung Thermoelectric Power Plant, and the completion date has now been set at June 2008, instead of March 2009 as previously scheduled. The new generator is expected to produce 800,000 kilowatts.
2 Koreas May Discuss Guard Post Removal From DMZ
By Yoon Won-sup Staff Reporter South and North Korea will likely discuss the simultaneous withdrawal of guard posts from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) when they meet in a rare round of general-level military talks next month, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said. ``The inter-Korean military talks will cover a variety of measures to build peace on the Korean Peninsula, and the withdrawal of the guard posts from the DMZ will likely be on the main agenda,'' Yoon said in an interview with SBS TV on Friday.
Hyun Jung-eun and Kim Jong-il [Photo]
Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun, third from left, poses for the camera with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, fourth from left, during her visit to the North Korean port city of Wonsan, Saturday. From left are Hyundai Asan executive Yuk Jai-hee; Lim Dong-ok, an official of the North's Communist Party; Hyun; Kim; Hyundai Asan vice chairman Kim Yoon-kyu; and Hyun's daughter Chung Ji-hee.
2 Koreas to Connect Fiber-Optic Link for 'Video Family Reunions'
SEOUL (Yonhap) _ The two Koreas will connect a fiber optic cable across their heavily armed border on Monday to allow video conferencing links for separated families, South Korean officials said Sunday. The cable linking Munsan in the South to Kaesong in the North will be connected during a ceremony to be held on the southern side of the border at 2 p.m., officials at the Unification Ministry said. The project is part of a plan to allow families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War to undertake ``video reunions'' around Aug. 15, when the two Koreas mark the 60th anniversary of their liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese colonization of Korea.
North Korea May Demand More Concessions
By BO-MI LIM The Associated Press Monday, July 18, 2005; 2:35 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- It could be called electro-diplomacy _ an offer by South Korea to double North Korea's electricity supply if it gives up its nuclear weapons program. The United States likes the idea, but analysts here are warning that North Korea may be leery of having to depend on its neighbor's power.
But "North Korea would live in constant fear that electricity may be cut off suddenly," Kim said. "They would demand that the South build power plants for them to disperse this fear."
Upper 5% of Property Holders Own 83% of Land
By Kim Jae-kyoung Staff Reporter The nation's wealthy property holders possessed more than four-fifths of total individual properties at the end of last year, as a result of the escalation of asset polarization between the rich and the poor. According to the latest data complied by the government, the upper 5 percent of real estate holders has 82.7 percent of the total individual properties measured at 57,218 square kilometers. The figure represents an increase of 17.5 percentage points from 65.2 percent in 1986.
Parties Differ Over NK Energy Aid Plan
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter Ruling and opposition parties collided Friday over how to implement the government's plan to supply North Korea with electricity for Pyongyang's abandonment of its nuclear weapons program. On Tuesday, Seoul unveiled its ``important proposal,'' offering 2 million kilowatts of electricity annually to the North, which suffers from chronic electricity shortages. According to experts, the total amount of electricity that the North can generate stands at about 7.7 million kilowatts per year, which is about one seventh South Korea's capacity.
Energy Aid to N. Korea Faces Technical Hitch
By Seo Jee-yeon Staff Reporter South Korea has offered North Korea electricity in exchange for the reclusive nation's return to the six-way disarmament talks, but it remains unclear whether the actual supply is technically possible. Under the plan led by the Ministry of Unification, the South plans to directly supply 2,000 megawatts of power to the North, almost the equivalent of present electricity output in the impoverished communist state, by 2008, if Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear weapons programs. The government plans to link electricity networks of the two Koreas for the power supply, with electricity cables being linked between Pyongyang and a power station in Paju, north of Seoul. But some experts are doubtful about the practicality of the plan. Chang Young-sik, former president of the Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO), warned of a possible technology hitch when the South directly supplies electricity to the North
Conservative GNP to Soften Policy on NK
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter The largest opposition Grand National Party (GNP) is likely to adopt a revised party platform that includes an about-turn on its hostile attitude toward North Korea. The new platform put forward by the party's innovation committee says that the GNP aims at joint development of the two Koreas based on the principle of ``mutual co-existence,'' while making concerted efforts to recover a common identity as one people.
NK Electricity Aid to Cost Taxpayers W2.5 Tril.
By Seo Jee-yeon Staff Reporter The large-scale electricity aid to North Korea is only a small portion of the South's total electricity demand and will have little impact on the Korean economy, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) said Wednesday. ``Two million kilowatts of electricity, which the government promised to provide to the North by 2008 if it scraps its nuclear ambitions, amounts to the energy consumption of Inchon or fourfold the electricity needs of Cheju Island,'' a ministry official at the public relations team said on condition of anonymity. ``The energy aid to the North will not effect the South's electricity supply.''
Seoul Not to Abuse Energy Aid Plan
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter South Korea would never use its proposed electricity aid to North Korea as ``leverage'' to pressure the impoverished country once its nuclear weapons problem is resolved, a high-profile official in Seoul said Wednesday. ``When the North dismantles its nuclear program and the South starts to provide electricity, it means they are moving forward toward co-prosperity on the peninsula based on mutual trust,'' he said on condition of anonymity. ``How can we use it as leverage to pressure the North?'' The official, who has been deeply involved in designing the ``important proposal,'' stressed electricity aid is, like the Kaesong industrial complex, fundamentally aimed at developing the economies in a balanced manner.
Korean blues By Ignacio Ramonet
PESSIMISM is the prevailing mood in South Korea these days when you talk with politicians and trade unionists. Relations with the United States over what to do about North Korea are going from bad to worse. Tensions are evident in relations with Japan, because Japanese schoolbooks persist in minimising the cruelties inflicted on the Koreans during the Japanese occupation (1905-1945), and because of the row over the Dokdo islands, to which both sides have territorial claims. Seoul is opposed to Tokyo's diplomatic ambition to have a permanent seat on the new UN security council next September, after the reform of the UN. Above all the economy is going badly.
Kim Jong-il has just announced his intention to resume negotiations on denuclearisation within the Group of Six (North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the US) and has indicated that his country could rejoin the non-proliferation treaty, ending its nuclear threat. The ball is in the US court. Will Bush be willing to backtrack on aggression and follow the recommendations of his South Korean ally? [Friction]
New intelligence chief vows to overcome past
July 12, 2005 ? Former Justice Minister Kim Seung-kyu was inaugurated yesterday as the new director of the National Intelligence Service, pledging to make the agency "globally competitive." In order to do so, Mr. Kim, who is the second spy chief appointed by President Roh Moo-hyun, said he will work to "abandon the dark past" of the agency. For decades, the spy agency, once known as the Korea Central Intelligence Agency, was known for human rights abuses, and for being used by those in power to advance their own interests.
S. Korea-Japan Joint Naval Maneuver Denounced
Pyongyang, July 10 (KCNA) -- 50 civic and social organizations including the Solidarity for Implementing the South-North Joint Declaration, the Council for National Reconciliation and Independent Reunification and the south Korean Federation of University Student Councils reportedly released a joint statement titled "We denounce the south Korea-Japan joint naval maneuver" on July 7. Noting that the coastal police office of south Korea and the Japan Coast Guard staged a "joint naval maneuver" under the pretext of "combating terrorism" from July 7, the statement said that the U.S. has justified its wars of aggression under the signboard of "anti-terrorism." It termed the on-going exercise part of such "anti-terrorism war". [Role of ROK military]
Beach unsealed
Sealed off since the early 1970s with barbed wire fences after North Korean commandoes came ashore into the South, Oeongchi Beach in Sokcho, Gangwon province, was reopened yesterday to the public after three decades. Representatives of local residents and Kim Bok-cheon, deputy mayor of Sokcho, (second from right) cut a ribbon to mark the opening of the site [Assassination]
Daewoo chief gets Korean citizenship
July 09, 2005 ? The Justice Ministry said yesterday that it has approved the application of the once-fugitive Daewoo Group founder, Kim Woo-choong, to reclaim his Korean citizenship. Mr. Kim is thus Korean now and no longer French. Mr. Kim fled Korea in 1999 after his company encountered financial reverses. He had tried to fend off bankruptcy by manipulating company accounts and seeking loans that were illegal. Thousands of employees suffered in the debacle.
Mr. Kim obtained French citizenship in 1987, which he said was an effort to open businesses in Eastern European countries, which then did not have diplomatic relations with South Korea. Korean citizenship law does not allow dual citizenship, and Koreans who voluntarily become foreign nationals automatically lose their Korean citizenship.
Kim Il-sung Legacy Controversial in S. Korea
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, right, talks with former U.S. President Jimmy- Carter on an excursion boat in this file photo taken in June 1994. Yonhap It has been exactly 11 years since Kim Il-sung, the founding leader of North Korea, passed away on July 8, 1994. Called the ``Great Leader,'' the late Kim is still honored by his son, ``Dear Leader'' Kim Jong-il. But in the South, his clout seems to linger as well. When the news of the sudden death of the North's founding leader plastered newsstands in Seoul in July 1994, then-South Korean president Kim Young- sam ordered the entire army to be put on the highest alert in case of an emergency. That stiff reaction had shattered the prospects of the inter-Korean summit that seemed to be just around the corner thanks to the mediation of Jimmy Carter, former U.S. president, amid high tensions of the first nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. The pattern repeated when Seoul refused to allow a civilian delegation to visit the North's capital to mourn the 10th anniversary of Kim's death last year. It became one of the reasons Pyongyang later cited for suspending normal inter-Korean dialogues.
This week, a staunch conservative from the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) launched an attack against Han Hong-gu, a progressive scholar working for a committee to examine past wrongdoings of the nation's counterespionage agency. During a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on the new chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Rep. Chung Hyung- keun demanded the dismissal of Han, a history professor at Sungkonghoe University working for the NIS Development Committee for Clarifying the Past (NISDC). In his argument, the prosecutor-turned-lawmaker cited Han's article last year that described Kim Il-sung as a ``20th century nationalist'' and questioned whether 10 years of time is still not enough to evaluate the ``leader of our brethren.''
Few Signs for 2nd Inter-Korean Summit
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter President Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday the possibility of another round of inter-Korean talks remains low but pledged to continue to seek a solution to the stalemate over North Korea's nuclear program. ``The government has sought and continues to seek a second inter-Korean summit. At present, however, we haven't seen any imminent `good signs' over the issue'' Roh said during a luncheon meeting with managing editors of newspapers and broadcasting networks at Chong Wa Dae.
Defectors reportedly enter Chinese school
July 06, 2005 ? Citing an unidentified source with a group that supports North Korean defectors, Yonhap News Agency reported yesterday that 10 North Koreans entered a Korean international school in Qingdao, China, and requested asylum in South Korea. The source was quoted as saying that two men and eight women, all from Hamgyong province, entered the school through the front gate while students were leaving. A South Korean government official would not confirm the report. Last month, three North Koreans defected to the South ? two escaping together on a boat while a third succeeded in crossing the Demilitarized Zone on foot. In January, Seoul lowered the resettlement funds it gives to defectors and vowed to tighten its screening process to root out North Korean agents posing as defectors.
Spy service: 7 agents caught in 3 years
July 06, 2005 ? Seven North Korean spies have been arrrested over the last three years, two of whom are suspected of transferring information back to the North over the Internet, National Intelligence Service officials reported yesterday. The information was released to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee before the confirmation hearing of Kim Seung-kyu, who has been nominated to head the National Intelligence Service. One suspect was arrested on charges of contacting North Korea's propaganda agency, the National Democratic Front, via e-mail. Another suspect was arrested on charges of uploading information on an Internet bulletin board that could be accessed by North Koreans. Further details were not released. Three North Korean agents were arrested in 2003, and three were taken into custody last year. So far this year, the intelligence service has arrested one agent. Spy agency officials also said that about 50 Internet sites are engaged in pro-Pyongyang activities. [Human rights] [ICT] [Double standards]
2 Cyber Spies for NK Tracked Down: NIS
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) has rounded up seven North Korean agents in the past three years, two of them cyber spies, according to a NIS report released Tuesday. It is the first time North Korean Internet spies were exposed. ``We have watched cyber spy activities very closely, but just two were actually caught,'' the NIS reported to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee. ``Spying activities based on the Internet are hard to track down due to passwords and anonymity.'' One of the cyber spies was a 27-year-old referred to by the surname Park, who attempted to send an email to a North Korean agency operating overseas as part of an operation to spread the North's ideology among South Koreans. The other, a 74-year-old with the family name of Kang, posted a report to be read by the North on a Web site, according to the NIS. [human rights] [ICT] [Double standards]
Panel Eyes Inquiry Into Shooting Sprees in 1984
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter A Defense Ministry fact-finding panel said Monday that it might investigate shooting incidents that occurred during previous authoritarian governments, as part of its plan to review past misdeeds by the military. Lee Hae-dong, chairman of the ad hoc committee, said the panel, if required, will include shooting incidents, which occurred in 1984 when former President Chun Doo-hwan ruled, in the list of investigations.
The panel will also decide whether to investigate the persecution of Buddhism in 1980 by the Chun junta, as the Buddhist community has officially requested a probe into the case, Lee said. Chun's military regime raided Buddhist temples around the nation on Oct. 27, 1980, and arrested more than 20 Buddhist leaders, under what was called a ``purge of the Buddhist community,'' according to the ministry.
The panel will also delve into the training of special agents aimed at assassinating North Korean leader Kim Il-sung. [Unit 684]
DLP Lawmakers to Visit North Korea in Late July
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter
A delegation composed of lawmakers of the minor opposition Democratic Labor Party (DLP) will visit Pyongyang late this month to hold a five-day meeting with their counterparts of the North Korean Social Democratic Party (KSDP), DLP officials said Monday.
Delegates of the two parties will discuss ways to boost exchanges between the two sides as well as inter-Korean cooperation in the first-ever official meeting between political parties of the two Koreas since the division of the Korean Peninsula.
Conservative Veterans Slam Splinter Group
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter
The Korea Veterans' Association (KVA) criticized a retired Army general Friday for his bid to establish another veterans' association, labeling it an ``unlawful attempt break up'' the nation's organization.
On its official Website (www.veterans.or.kr), the veterans' group harshly criticized retired Brig. Gen. Pyo Myung-ryul, who is organizing ``progressive veterans' association'' which, the KVA says, is motivated by political ambition. Pyo, a former chief of the Army's Troops Information and Affairs, said last month he plans to inaugurate a new veterans' group, tentatively named the ``Peace Koreans Veterans' Association,'' by Aug. 15, Liberation Day. The envisaged group will push for measures to correct the ``distorted'' military history and culture, which it says has been swayed by pro- Japanese forces and those in power under authoritarian governments, Pyo said. [Role of ROK military]
Blind Drunk Scholar Casts Off Academic Restraint
Police have booked an academic with a leading Korean university for causing a drunken disturbance aboard an aircraft after the inebriated scholar threw crockery and attempted to barge into the cockpit. Police at Incheon International Airport on Friday said a 46-year-old professor of administration with a university in Seoul on Wednesday boarded a Korean Air flight from Jakarta, Indonesia, where he had been on a business trip. The professor, identified by his family name of Chung, was already steaming when he took his business-class seat and proceeded to guzzle two glasses of champagne, two glasses of white wine and two glasses of red wine, all within an hour.
"It appears I made mistakes while drunk out of my mind," Chung told police.
Peace Forum of S. Korean Religious Organizations
Pyongyang, July 1 (KCNA) -- South Korean religious organizations reportedly held a "Christians' forum on peace" in Seoul on June 27 to mark the fifth anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration. Present there were members of 12 religious organizations including the National Pastoral Council for Justice and Peace, the south Korean Christian Professors Council, the Christian Women's Society, the south Korean Women Theologians Council and the Korean Nation's Exchange and Cooperation Fund.
Roh's Approval Rating Plummets: Survey
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter
Recent surveys show that the public has seriously lost confidence in President Roh Moo- hyun and the ruling Uri Party. Surveys of 1,086 students at Seoul National University (SNU) conducted over the last three years indicate many are increasingly disappointed in the leadership of President Roh. According to the surveys by Professor Kim Kwang- woong of SNU, only 19.5 percent of the students interviewed positively assessed Roh as an appropriate leader for this era.
Roh Stresses Trust Between South, North
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter President Roh Moo-hyun Friday stressed the importance of inter-Korean trust, asking North Korea to put the agreements it made with the South into practice. ``One of the most important tasks for us is to accomplish the unification of the two Koreas, which can start by having faith in one another,'' Roh said in a speech at the 12th general meeting of the Advisory on Democratic Peaceful Unification.
Jets to roar tonight in nationwide drill
June 30, 2005 ? The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday announced a nationwide military exercise that will last from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. tonight. The military drill will involve 17 fighter jets, including 16 F-16's, and eight helicopters. The drill will simulate an attack on South Korea by the North Korean air force. An official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned that the public might be able to hear noise coming from the planes in certain areas. South Korea regularly holds military drills, which sometimes include civilian participation, in order to ensure readiness in case of a conflict with the North. [Role of ROK military] [Threat]
Roh contributes to leftist newspaper
June 30, 2005 ? President Roh Moo-hyun has pledged 10 million won ($9,700) in a fundraising campaign for the liberal daily newspaper Hankyoreh, according to Blue House staff. The money will come entirely from Mr. Roh's personal funds, a staffer said. "This is what Mr. Roh has been doing, as a personal act, since the launch of the newspaper," said a public relations staffer at the Blue House. "No more, no less." Mr. Roh, who has had a rough relationship with Korea's conservative mainstream newspapers since his days as an attorney, owns 360 shares of Hankyoreh stock, worth 1.8 million won. He has been a shareholder since the founding of the newspaper in 1987. The Hankyoreh, whose name means "one nation," was launched after the landmark June 1987 pro- democracy protests, by a group of democracy activists and reporters who had been fired from other newspapers. [Media]
Konglish' Slogans Hurt Image
By Kim Ki-tae, Reuben Staines Staff Reporters
Corporate slogans using poor English are hurting the image of Korean companies, according to marketing experts and foreign residents. ``The more they invest in marketing overseas, the worse their image may become,'' said Choe Yong-shik, marketing lecturer at Sejong University, referring to the awkward English catchphrases of the country's biggest firms. Choe criticizes the companies for their ``Konglish'' slogans in his new Korean-language book ``What's Wrong With Korea's Global Marketing.'' Slogans consisting of puzzling wordplays such as Samsung Electronics' ``Digital Exciting Anycall,'' SBS' ``Humanism Thru Digital'' and HTH Logistics' ``36.5�C Delivery Service'' are listed in the book with comments from English native speakers. Choe pointed out that many local firms fail to observe even the very basics of English in choosing their slogans. Foreign residents in Seoul canvassed by The Korea Times agreed that many slogans are weak, confusing or even inadvertently amusing due to their poor use of English. ``They are a bit wonky,'' said Ivan Milin, a Canadian English instructor who has worked in South Korea for the past four years. ``It's like someone translated the slogans literally with a dictionary.'' Commenting on the ``Bravo Your Life'' slogan for Samsung Life Insurance, Milin said: ``It comes across as comical because it's not really proper English.'' But Park Jong-won, marketing professor at Korea University, was more accepting of the company slogans. He said slogans don't have to strictly follow grammatical rules as long as they appeal to customers. ``Even in the United States, slogans are poetic or symbolic. The English isn't always perfect,'' he said. Park said the young South Koreans who the slogans are aimed at are unlikely to be put off the products but will instead accept the catchphrases as they are. However, he noted that local companies need to be more careful about their slogans if they want to become global brands.
Cho Yong-pil to Sing in NK
Cho Yong-pil Pop star Cho Yong-pil is expected to hold a concert in North Korea in early August. The Unification Ministry said in a press briefing yesterday that the private-run broadcasting company SBS is driving a plan for Cho to perform in the communist country. Cho said that ``I received the request a long time ago but have also seen five plans scrapped. I am ready to perform at any time when a schedule is confirmed.'' SBS, which received an approval from the ministry to promote South-North exchange programs, said it is awaiting an answer from the North to settle the concert.
Pictures of Naked Soldiers Prove Human Rights Abuse
By Kim Rahn Staff Reporter This is a picture released by the Citizens' Solidarity for Human Rights Wednesday. It shows soldiers standing at attention in a shower room of an unidentified military unit. /Yonhap A human rights' group disclosed dozens of photos of naked soldiers Wednesday, confirming claims that stripping and rights abuses have been prevalent in the military. Since Friday, four pictures had been posted on personal Web sites showing soldiers, mainly junior comrades, standing without their clothes on. The pictures were titled ``promotion ceremony.'' Police and the military authority have claimed the pictures were taken a couple of years ago for fun and with the consent of the soldiers in a few military units. But the dozens of photos released yesterday indicate there have been infringements of human rights in the military over many years in a practice of shaming soldiers. [Human rights] [Role of ROK military]

Return to ROK and Inter-Korean relations page