ROK and Inter-Korean relations October 2005

ROK and Inter-Korean relations

October 2005

South Korea Unknown, Misunderstood Overseas
By Tony MacGregor Contributing Writer South Korea is still an unknown country. There are many cases that lend credence to the view that South Korea is not understood or known overseas. Chang Se-moon, a U.S.-based columnist for The Korea Times, is disappointed in how little is known about Korea in the U.S. He pointed out that the latest issue of the Business View, the monthly magazine of the Mobile Chamber of Commerce in Alabama, published a map showing the flags of all the countries that invested in the area. To represent South Korea, the map depicted the flag of North Korea. Hyundai Motor has built a plant in the region. In the recent economic essay contest organized by The Korea Times, an African student referred to the division between North and South Korea as the division between South Korea and East Korea. The CIA Fact Book describes the East Sea as the Sea of Japan.
21 POWs and Abductees Alive in NK
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Ten South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) captured during the Korean War and 11 people abducted by North Korea after the war have been confirmed to be alive in the North, a senior official at the Unification Ministry said Tuesday. South and North Korea have exchanged information on the lives and whereabouts of selected separated family members on the occasion of cross-border family reunion sessions, of which 11 rounds have been held since 2000. The first round was held shortly after the inter-Korean summit in June 2000. ``We have now requested confirmation for the life of 51 abductees and 52 POWs,'' Ko Gyoung-bin, director-general at the ministry's Bureau of Social and Cultural Exchanges, told reporters in a briefing. ``Among them, North Korea has informed us that 11 abductees and 10 POWs are alive,'' he said. ``The North confirmed the deaths of 10 abductees and six POWs, and said the lives of 34 abductees and 38 POWs cannot be confirmed.'' [Abductees]
Chung Denies Constitutional Change for Unification
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Tuesday the government is not considering a revision of the Constitution in preparation for the possible unification of the two Koreas. Dismissing rumors concerning the possibility of holding the second inter-Korean summit early next year and inter-Korean discussions over the new Constitution for a unified Korea, Chung said, ``I can clearly say that the government has not taken the issue into account.''
N Korea admits South kidnappings
North Korea has admitted it is holding 21 South Koreans either captured during the 1950-53 Korean War or subsequently, the South Korean government has said. Seoul had pressed the North about 52 POWs and 51 citizens it believes were abducted after the war. Seoul has been raising the issue for decades, but has recently been wary of campaigning too hard for fear of damaging relations, analysts say. It is not clear why the normally secretive North Korea has responded. "North Korea has confirmed there are 11 abductees and 10 prisoners of war alive in the North," a South Korean Unification Ministry official told Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity. Of the other South Koreans whom Seoul had inquired about, the North said 10 kidnapped citizens and six POWs were dead, and the rest unaccounted for. Many people in South Korea believe around 1,000 South Koreans are alive in the North. These include more than 540 POWs, according to the Red Cross. [Abductees] [Media]
Seoul sends regrets after death in North
October 25, 2005 ? Reversing past practice, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young sent an official condolence letter to North Korea yesterday after the death of a senior defense official who was deeply involved in North-South Korean affairs.
W620 Tril. Needed for Defense Reform 2020
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The Navy's 3,200-ton class KDX-I "Yangmanchun" destroyer, left, and 4,200-ton class KDX-II "Moonmu the Great" leave the port of Chinhae in South Kyongsang Province, along with an anti- submarine Super Lynx helicopter, for a South Korea-Japan joint search and rescue naval exercise on Aug. 4-7. / Courtesy of the Korea Defense Daily About 620 trillion won ($580 billion) will be spent for overhauling the country's military into a high-tech force suitable for future warfare over the next 15 years, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said. [Military balance]
Former Medic of N. Korean Army Works on Records
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Yu Chun-do It was a sunny, windy morning with a clear blue sky, and the first thing Yu Chun-do, then a 23-year-old medical student at a Seoul university, did in the morning was the laundry. She later went out with a friend to watch a movie at a Seoul theater. When the screen, on which a British film was being projected, suddenly turned blank, she had a feeling that something was wrong on that June 25 day in 1950. Out on the streets, the headlines of extra newspaper editions proclaimed that a war had broken out at the inter-Korean border, but as there had often been limited warfare near the border, nobody was sure of its scale or intensity. The next morning, Yu and her classmates saw their university hospital rapidly fill up with injured South Korean soldiers screaming in pain, and they realized that the situation was serious. There was yet another turnaround. On the morning of June 28, the hospital was almost empty, as the South Korean army retreated from Seoul. In marched the soldiers with red stars on their military caps. ``For the first few days, I was surprised to see professors line up for meals with the students and nurses,'' writes Yu in a recently released autobiographical account, ``Mute Bird," published by Dangdae Publishing. ``I was curious as to whether this was socialist equality,'' continues Yu, ``But on the other hand, the sudden destruction of hierarchy did not feel entirely good.'' But it did not take long for Yu to join the North Korean army as a voluntary medical officer. She enlisted in mid-July.
``At that time, young people were saddened by the national division and agonized over ways to overcome social absurdities that have abounded since our liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945),'' Yu recalled. ``Only at that time, those who happened to be the ones I though highly of as diligent and righteous were sort of left-leaning.'' The wartime experiences Yu underwent accompanying the North Korean army for three months turned her into a thorough pacifist for the rest of her life. She readily admits that her book tilts emotionally toward soldiers of the North Korean army, describing them as more disciplined and humanitarian than those of the South Korean or the United States armies. ``I can't help it. I spent three months with them after all,'' Yu laughed. She could not like the United States army as they ``dropped bombs and destroyed houses in her land,'' and the South Koreans who were even more eager to kill ``commies.'' [Human rights] [Korean war events] [Abductees]
'Commandos Captured NK Commander in 1954'
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter A former South Korean commando chief has published his memoirs, revealing secret missions of South Korean agents to North Korea. Kim Dong-sok, 82, recalled the assignments that he and his agents undertook in his book, ``This Man, War Hero Kim Dong-sok.'' Published on Sunday, the book is the first to reveal top secret missions carried out in the North by a former South Korean agent. As one of the untold Cold War-era episodes, Kim and a group of his agents went to the North to kidnap Li Yong-hi, a division commander of the North Korea's People's Army, in February 1954 about one-and-a-half years after the 1950-53 Korean War ended. His team infiltrated Tongchon, a North Korean-held area in Kangwon Province, and captured the North Korean commander, making him surrender to the South. Kim, who led his commandos for 11 years from the 1950s to the early 1960s, said he decided to write his memoirs after the release of the Korean blockbuster ``Silmido.''
In his book, Kim also recounts his encounter with late President Park Chung-hee, who was serving as a Japanese army officer in Manchuria, northeastern China, in the early 1940s. Months after Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945, Park was captured by the then Soviet army for his collaboration with Japan. After escaping from the Soviets, Park met Kim, who helped the fugitive return home. In recognition of Kim's life-long dedication, the 2nd Infantry Division of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) established a hall in his memory inside its museum. It has also named him one of four heroes of the Korean War, along with Gens. Douglas MacArthur, Matthew Ridgway and Paik Sun-yup. [Japanese collaborator] [Park Chung-hee] [Pro-Americanism] [Armistice] [Abductees]
Poll shows sharp divisions over free speech and law
October 24, 2005 ? A JoongAng Ilbo survey showed that a majority of Koreans do not agree with an outspoken left-wing professor's thoughts on the Korean War and General Douglas MacArthur, but are sharply divided over what to do about him. Earlier this year, Dongguk University's Kang Jeong-koo defined the Korean War as the "North Korean leadership's war for reunification" and described the American military leader as a "warmonger" whose statue in Incheon should be removed. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents said they wanted the statue to stay, and 83 percent said he had a wrong-headed view of the war. Mr. Kang made headlines again when the justice minister intervened in an investigation by prosecutors to forbid them from detaining Mr. Kang while they tried to determine whether the pro-North Korean remarks were a violation of the draconian National Security Law. The responses suggested that a majority here still supports the law and prosecutions under it [Human rights] [National Security Law] [Public opinion]
20% of N. Korean Defectors Need Psychiatric Care
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter ANSONG, Kyonggi Province _ A female North Korean defector clutches her baby tighter to her breast as her eyes widen upon seeing a group of reporters approach. When some begin to ask her what they think are friendly questions, the 29-year-old woman who came to Seoul via Myanmar almost loses her balance as she steps back up the stairs behind her. Sensing her apparent nervousness, some give up and leave. At Hanawon, nestled in the peaceful countryside, are North Korean defectors who made it to South Korea. They learn how to adapt to the capitalist South over three months, during which 420 hours of classes are given. A total of 50 hours, or 11.9 percent of the program, are spent on counseling the minds upset by long, anxiety- ridden journeys in the constant fear of being arrested. [Refugee reception]
Former ambassador gets second summons
October 22, 2005 ? Prosecutors yesterday issued a second summons to Hong Seok-hyun, Seoul's former top envoy to Washington, to be questioned on allegations of his involvement in illegal political donations before the 1997 presidential election. Last July a media company made public an illegally recorded tape, which purported to be of Mr. Hong and a Samsung official discussing donations to politicians. The tape led to the discovery of massive illegal surveillance by the state intelligence agency in the recent past, which is subject to an ongoing investigation. Mr. Hong, also the former chairman of the JoongAng Ilbo, resigned from his ambassadorial post last month and has since remained in the United States. [Corruption]
Former Envoy to US Asked to Honor Summons Again
Hong Seok-hyun SEOUL (Yonhap) _ The prosecution has again requested the former South Korean ambassador to the United States to comply with a summons for investigation into his alleged past wrongdoing, prosecutors said Friday. The second summons was issued as Hong Seok-hyun defied the first summons delivered three weeks ago over claims that he was involved in illegal political donations prior to the presidential election in 1997. ``We asked Hong to appear before the prosecution as early as possible,'' a prosecutor said. He did not elaborate on when Hong, now in the U.S., was called in. [Corruption]
English-only education planned in free zones
October 21, 2005 ? The Education Ministry has announced more sweeping plans for the country's education system, focused on free economic zones. The ministry and a vocational education institute said yesterday that Korean schools in those proposed economic zones - not the international schools that the government wants to attract there - will begin in 2008 to teach all their classes in English as part of a language immersion program.
N. Korea to attend Red Cross meet
North Korea said it will attend an international Red Cross conference on Nov. 11-18 in Seoul, the Ministry of Unification said yesterday. The North accepted the South's invitation to the 15th General Assembly of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. Representatives of 181 national societies are expected to attend.
Daughter Calls for Abducted Father's Return From North
By Kim Cheong-won Staff Reporter Choi Woo-young, president of the Families of the Abducted and Detained in North Korea /Yonhap Choi Woo-young, 35, president of the Families of the Abducted and Detained in North Korea (FAD), still vividly remembers the day when her father and 11 other fishermen were abducted by North Koreans. ``The entire family got together to hold a service to honor our ancestors. My younger brother suddenly rushed into the house, saying that he heard that my father's fishing boat, Tongjin-ho, was kidnapped,'' said Choi, daughter of Choi Chong-suk, the captain of the boat. The fishing boat was captured by the North near the maritime border on the West Sea on Jan. 15, 1987. ``He went out to sea to fish, and it was the last time I saw his face. He is still a 42-year- old father to me although 18 years have passed since his disappearance,'' she said. After being separated from her father at the age of 17, her mother tried to earn a living by running a shabby restaurant. She came to know that her father was detained in a North Korean camp for political prisoners in 1999.
Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, the North has abducted 3,790 South Koreans, the South Korean government said. The two Koreas are still technically at war since a peace treaty was not signed at the end of the war. [Abductees]
Chung Downplays Pro-NK Stir
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday the disputes over a sociology professor's pro-North Korean remarks should not be considered a matter of the nation's ideological identity, but part of its fast-changing society. In a forum organized by Dongguk University in Seoul, Chung said he did not agree with what Dongguk Professor Kang Jeong-koo had claimed. Chung instead argued that the largest opposition Grand National Party is making use of old-fashioned but still sensitive ideological disputes. Prof. Kang has stirred controversy by describing the 1950-53 Korean War as a North Korean effort to unify the divided peninsula and calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. [human rights] [National Security Law]
Ideological Battle Polarizes Society
By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter The justice minister's controversial directive to prevent the prosecution from detaining a professor, who allegedly violated the anti- communist National Security Law, is polarizing South Korean society. The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) said it will hold outdoor demonstrations ``to save the nation'' as the ruling camp is slackening its ideological vigilance. In reaction, Kim Man-soo, presidential spokesman, said at a press briefing that the government feels perplexed as it seems like the ``specter of the Yushin dictatorship'' is swaggering at the center of South Korea. [Human rights] [National Security Law]
Uri Criticizes GNP for Inflaming Ideology Issues
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter Ruling Uri Party chairman Moon Hee-sang Tuesday strongly attacked the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) for taking advantage of an ideological dispute resulting from a sociology professor's pro-North Korean remarks. [Human rights] [National Security Law]
Three Forms of National Cooperation Called for
Pyongyang, October 14 (KCNA) -- The three forms of cooperation for national independence, for peace against war and for reunification and patriotism serve as a banner of unity of all Koreans and as a banner of struggle. They are called upon to realize these three forms of cooperation. Rodong Sinmun Friday says this in a signed article. It goes on: It is a vital and essential task before the Korean nation to realize these forms of cooperation. National independence is a core issue in carving out the destiny of our nation and resolving the national issues. The national independence guarantees the dignity and rights, honor and happiness of the nation. Peace is a crucial matter related to the security of the Korean nation as it is the generally accepted idea of humankind. Protecting peace from a war is a very urgent task before the Koreans who underwent horrible war disaster in the 1950s and have been exposed to the constant threat of war for many years.
Moon Delivered His Wish to Visit NK: Aide
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter Ruling Uri Party chairman Moon Hee-sang has delivered his wish to visit North Korea to ranking officials of the communist country through his close aide, party officials said Monday. Rep. Kim Jae-hong of the ruling Uri Party conveyed Moon's wish for the visit aimed at discussing a second inter-Korean summit to the North Korean officials during a South Korean delegation's visit to Pyongyang last month, they said.
Parties Trade Accusations Over Pro-NK Remarks
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter The ruling and opposition parties traded barbed attacks against each other Monday in the recent face-off over the prosecution's investigation into a pro-North Korean scholar. The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) denounced President Roh Moo-hyun and his administration for being devoid of reason, while the ruling camp countered that it is the opposition party that has lost its reason. [Human rights]
Seoul Briefs Envoys on Military Plan
The Defense Ministry explained the government's new military reform plan to military attaches of foreign embassies in Seoul last Friday, ministry officials said Monday. In a closed-door meeting at the ministry headquarters in Seoul, officials explained major programs and the necessity of the ``Defense Reform 2020,'' which was announced on Sept. 13, to the military attaches, Lt. Col. Kim Lag-jung said.
The plan includes measures to cut one-fourth of the country's 681,000 troops to 500,000 by 2020 and modernize weapons systems toward achieving a self-reliant military capability.
Under the 15-year plan, the ministry seeks to increase the defense budget by 11.1 percent per year until 2015 to develop the country's manpower-intensive forces into ``smaller but stronger'' ones equipped with high-tech weapons. To this end, the country needs to spend more than 680 trillion won ($680 billion) including 289 trillion won in procuring advanced weapons systems by 2020, according to the ministry. [Military balance]
NK Fishing Boat Violates Sea Border
A North Korean fishing boat sailed back to its territorial waters Monday, hours after accidently violating the disputed western sea border with the South, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The 1-ton motorless wooden ship was found drifting at 10:10 a.m. due to tidal changes, after sailing 4.2 kilometers past the maritime border, the JCS said in a statement. Two men were aboard the boat, it added. The South Korean Navy let the Northern boat sail back to its territorial waters at 1:50 p.m. as its crews wished, the statement said. The sea border was demarcated by the American-led U.N. Command at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War without consulting North Korea. The North has insisted the sea border be drawn further south. [NLL]
The President's Train
By Andrei Lankov At dawn on June 27, 1950, a special train left the Seoul station and headed south. It had only a handful of passengers: in that train President Syngman Rhee fled the capital - and the approaching communist divisions. On that same morning, Seoul radio stations were broadcasting Rhee's speech in which he extolled South Korean citizens to fight against the invasion, and promised that Seoul would be saved from the advancing enemy.
In the long run, the capital was indeed doomed: the South Korean army was unable to stop the invaders. However, the President's early escape - when it eventually became known - greatly damaged the morale of the resistance. I tend to agree here with Professor Pak Myong-rim, a leading authority on Korean politics during the war. Professor Pak thinks that Syngman Rhee came to believe in his own exceptional value to Korean independence - to some extent he was undoubtedly influenced by his own propaganda, which presented him as an embodiment of Korea's democracy. Therefore, he did not want to put his precious life at risk - and chose to run at the first sign of danger. [Korea War events]
Kim Jong-il Sounds Out Return Visit to South
North Koreans' Tribute to War Dead Barometer of Pyongyang Leader's Visit to Seoul
By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter
Pyongyang might have offered to pay tribute to South Korea's war dead in Seoul to test ``what would happen'' if Kim Jong-il visited the South Korean capital, according to experts on Sunday. ``The North might consider this event a barometer to check whether the time has come for its leader to come to Seoul,'' Koo Kab-woo, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told The Korea Times.
Most of the South Koreans believe that the fratricidal war began with the North's invasion. An opposite idea is prevalent in the North. The war ended with an armistice treaty instead of a peace treaty, leaving the two sides to remain technically at war. North Korea experts have so far predicted that Kim, well aware of the situation in the South, would carefully indicate the date of his visit as a ``trump card'' to win the most from South Korea. Many of them have also said that the place where Kim would visit will not be Seoul as he will try to avoid any possible protest against him. [Summit]
Top prosecutor offers to resign over Kang case
October 15, 2005 ? After two days of pondering, Prosecutor General Kim Jong-bin decided yesterday to resign his position. The news came three hours after his spokesman told the press that Mr. Kim had accepted the justice minister's order not to detain Kang Jeong-koo, a controversial academic who is being investigated on charges of violating the National Security Law in his pro-North Korean and anti-U.S. statements. [Human rights] [National Security Law]
Koreans cast wary eye on world
October 15, 2005 ? A new poll suggests that a few traces of Korea's history as a "hermit kingdom" still linger in modern South Korea. The poll suggests that the general public here has a strong distrust of neighboring countries and favors the acquisition of nuclear weapons to deter outside pressure. The poll, conducted by the Joong-Ang Ilbo and the East Asia Institute, surveyed Korean attitudes toward globalization 60 years after the nation's liberation from Japanese rule. The survey of 1,038 adult Koreans from Aug. 31 to Sept. 16 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. In short, Koreans dislike the idea of integrating this country into the affairs of the outside world and cling to a suspicion of those who do not share their ethnic identity. Only 40 percent said Korea should increase its aid to poorer countries, for example, and two-thirds opposed the idea of easing the requirements for foreigners to obtain Korean citizenship. More than 57 percent rejected the idea that Korea should follow decisions of international organizations that differed from sentiment here. Two-thirds of Koreans in the poll said they believed this country did not get the respect it deserved from the outside world, and an even larger majority, 72 percent, said any country had to have strong military power to survive in the world. In a corollary to that view, support for the development of nuclear weapons has risen sharply in the past year, perhaps inspired by the assertions of North Korea that it has a nuclear deterrent. In the new poll, nearly 67 percent favored arming this nation with nuclear weapons, up from about 51 percent in a JoongAng Ilbo poll in September 2004. Korea's economy is very dependent on trade, but Koreans are largely resistant to opening up markets here. Nearly 69 percent said rice imports should not be allowed, and 58 percent said foreign business giants are hurting the domestic economy. Although the specific question appears a bit ambiguous, about 70 percent of Koreans said they did not trust other countries that have important relationships here, either because of geography or alliance. Only about 20 percent said they trusted the United States, another 44 percent said they did not, and the remaining 36 percent said they did not know or gave no answer. "The poll shows the magnitude of Korea's diplomatic challenges because of its geopolitical position, surrounded by four major powers," said Kim Tae-hyun, an international relations professor at Chung-Ang University. "History made a large contribution in creating those negative and close-minded views of the international community. To overcome such challenges and to promote Korea's interests in the competitive international arena, strong political leadership is a must." by Shin Chang-woon, Chun Young-gi [SK attitude US] [SK attitude NK] [Nuclear weapons]
Academic freedom?
Editorial
South Korean society's identity is under serious threat. A professor, who wrote in a guest book at Mankyongdae, the house where North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung was born, "let's uphold the Mankyongdae spirit and achieve unification," now argues that "If you know the true nature of General MacArthur, you would want to destroy his statue immediately." Recently, there have been demonstrations in Incheon to remove the statue. Another professor also posted a statement on the Internet site of the National Association of Professors for Democratic Society that said Kim Il Sung was a great modern leader. By attacking General MacArthur, they confuse the people about the Korean War, started by the North, in which millions of Koreans lost their lives. They even praised Kim Il Sung. Will their next step be a positive evaluation of the Pyongyang regime? Under the name of academic freedom, they defend themselves from criticism by arguing that a liberal democracy has the capacity for diverse engagement [Human rights] [Pro-Americanism]
Prosecutor General Tenders Resignation
Top Prosecutor Protests Justice Minister's Intervention By Kim Rahn & Kim Cheong-won Staff Reporters Prosecutor General Kim Jong-bin Friday has accepted Justice Minister Chun Jung-bae's order to investigate a professor for allegedly making pro-North Korea statements without detaining him while tendering his resignation to Minister Chun. ``Prosecutor General Kim's resignation arrived at the Ministry of Justice. I cannot confirm anything except for that,'' Lim Chai-jin, head of the prosecution office at the Ministry, told reporters. Sources said that Kim's resignation is seen as a protest against Minister Chun's intervening into the investigation of Dongguk University professor Kang Jeong-koo's alleged pro-North Korean remarks. [Human rights] [National Security Law]
Scholar Draws Fire for Praising Kim Il-sung
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- Fierce ideological debate was escalating in South Korea on Friday after a university professor called the late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung a "great modern leader." The controversial remark posted on the Internet by Jang Shi-ki, an English literature professor at Dongguk University in Seoul, has added to the ongoing debate on the legitimacy of the country's National Security Law that requires punishment of those who praise the northern regime. [Human rights] [National Security Law]
Yonsei University Gets W163 Bil. in Donations
By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Yonsei University received 163.3 billion won ($160 million) in donations, the largest sum among local private universities, last year.
Chief prosecutor weighs his options
October 14, 2005 ? Prosecutor General Kim Jong- bin postponed a decision yesterday on whether he would follow an order from the justice minister not to detain Kang Jeong-koo, a sociology professor at Dongguk University. "Mr. Kim was going to announce his position today, but will do so after listening to more opinions of front-line prosecutors," Kang Chan- woo, a spokesman for the prosecution, said yesterday afternoon. On Wednesday, Justice Minister Chun Jung-bae ordered Mr. Kim in writing not to detain Mr. Kang, who has attacked U.S. intervention in the Korean War, while the prosecution investigates whether the sociologist has broken the National Security Law. This was the first such intervention by a Korean justice minister. [Human rights] [National Security Law]
Opposition GNP Seeks to Oust Justice Minister
By Kim Cheong-won Staff Reporter The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) has decided to summit a no-confidence motion to expel Justice Minister Chun Jung-bae, following his order for the prosecution to investigate a professor without detaining him over his alleged pro-North Korean remarks. [Human rights] [National Security Law]
Ruling Party Chief Calls for Inter-Korean Summit
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Ruling Uri Party chairman Moon Hee-sang Thursday called for a second inter-Korean summit at an early date, saying that he would visit North Korea to facilitate it. During a speech at the National Assembly, Moon also called for exchanges between the South's ruling party and the North's Workers' Party and inter-Korean parliamentary talks. Moon emphasized that leaders of the two Koreas should meet regardless of time and place to come up with a plan for the coexistence and prosperity of 70 million Korean people and build a permanent peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula. ``We already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Communist Party last September,'' Moon said. ``To enhance the level of trust between the two Koreas and move toward peace and prosperity, the ruling parties of the two sides should also start exchanges and cooperation.'' To that end, inter-Korean parliamentary talks are needed as well, he added. [Peace efforts]
2 Koreas to Discuss Agenda for Talks
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter South and North Korea have agreed for the first time to discuss the agenda for the upcoming inter-Korean economic cooperation talks ahead of the opening of the talks, a senior Unification Ministry official said Thursday. Underlining the importance of the unprecedented move for fruitful results of the talks, Vice Unification Minister Rhee Bong-jo said the South and North Korean delegates will meet in Kaesong next week for preparatory talks aimed at setting the agenda. The 11th round of inter-Korean talks on economic cooperation is scheduled to open on Oct. 25.
Minister vetos academic's detention
October 13, 2005 ? Justice Minister Chun Jung- bae, in an unprecedented intervention into the law enforcement system here, ordered prosecutors not to attempt to detain Kang Jeong-koo, a sociology professor at Dongguk University. Mr. Kang, who seems to revel in the controversy his repeated pro-North Korean and anti-U.S. remarks have created, is under investigation for the third time for provocative remarks about the merits of North Korea. [Human rights]
Koreans sober about unification
October 13, 2005 ? South Koreans' strong sense that blood is thicker than water appears to be fading just a bit, especially in their views toward North Korea and reunification. The JoongAng Ilbo and the East Asia Institute recently completed a survey of South Korean attitudes as the nation marked the 60th anniversary of its liberation from Japanese colonial rule. The survey was conducted from Aug. 31 to Sept. 16 by Hankook Research, which interviewed 1,038 Korean adults. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent, with 95-percent confidence in those results. Views on North Korea have changed significantly, the survey said. In the past, South Koreans considered the North as temporarily off-limits national territory that should be reintegrated as soon as possible, the group studying the poll results said, and considered reunification the nation's major task. But this poll said that longing for unification is weakening; 78 percent of those surveyed said that the two Koreas are separate countries. Other thinking on reunification has changed as well; the academics termed it more realistic than in the past [Unification]
Birthrates Sag in South, North Korea
By Kim Cheong-won Staff Reporter South Korea's total fertility rate stands at 1.22 this year, far behind the world average of 2.6, according to a U.N. population report. In the State of World Population 2005, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said Wednesday that North Korea's birthrate is estimated at 1.97, higher than in the South. But the North's figure is still lower than the average of developing countries' 2.82, indicating that a low birthrate prevails over the entire Korean Peninsula.
Korea's English Programs to Debut in China
By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter
Korea's English education programs will create a new paradigm for children learning English in kindergartens in China, said Lim Young-ki, founder and CEO of Kid's College. Kids' College, a private English immersion school for children, said that it reached an agreement with Beijing Normal University (BNU) in China on Aug. 30 to provide its kindergarten English classes. Under the agreement, the institute will offer its operational manuals and education materials to kindergartens affiliated with BNU for six years. Lim Young-ki Founder and CEO of Kid's College ``In China, studying English is becoming a boom due to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and its accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) just like South Korea which set out an English-oriented policy nationwide around the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games,'' he said in an interview with The Korea Times.
Prof. Accused of Violating National Security Law
By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter A professor accused of making pro-North Korean remarks will soon face criminal charges, deepening a dispute over the application of the National Security Law. Kang Jeong-koo, 60, sociology professor at Dongguk University, triggered controversy over the remarks about the 1950-53 Korean War. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Wednesday said that it will decide whether to indict Kang on charges in a couple of days. ``Although freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution, it is restricted by the National Security Law to the extent it does not violate individual rights,'' a prosecution official said. [Human rights] [NSL]
Quick travel approvals rile conservatives here
October 12, 2005 ? Unhappy conservative lawmakers continued to question administration officials yesterday about shortcuts in the procedures required before a South Korean citizen can travel to North Korea. At a hearing on the operations of the Ministry of Justice yesterday, Kim Jae-kyung of the Grand National Party quizzed ministry officials about why 520 South Koreans were able to travel to Pyongyang without the required identity checks. Mr. Kim raised the issue in his questions for the ministry, claiming that the tourists were allowed to go to the North to see the communist regime's Arirang festival without the Justice Ministry's required identification checks. In order for a South Korean to visit North Korea, a government approval is a must, and the identification check is a precondition for the travel permit. [Human rights]
Parties sparring on controversial remarks by Kang
October 12, 2005 ? The ruling and opposition parties are currently engaged in a heated debate over the issue of whether professor Kang Jeong- koo, who continues to voice his pro-North Korean and anti-American stance in seminars, should be punished by law. Grand National Party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye said yesterday the professor should be punished if he has broken the National Security Law that bans pro-North Korean speech. [human rights]
Reckless travel approvals?
[EDITORIALS] Among those who traveled to North Korea's Mount Kumgang in July for a unification-related event, the Unification Ministry reportedly gave travel permission to ten people who have been monitored for security reasons and who the National Intelligence Service says should not be allowed to visit the North. The ministry also allowed 520 applicants who wanted to see the North's Arirang festival to visit Pyongyang without a proper identity check by the Justice Ministry. There is strong criticism that the government has been poorly controlling its citizens' visits to the North, and concerns are growing about the aftermath. [human rights]
Arms Buildup in S. Korea
Pyongyang, October 10 (KCNA) -- The south Korean army introduced two "F-15Ks" from the U.S. on Oct. 7, according to south Korean MBC. The military authorities decided to purchase a total of 40 "F-15Ks" by 2008. These fighters selected as ones for the next generation are said to have an operation sphere wider than that of those used by the south Korean army as this type of fighter is equipped with ultra-modern missiles including precision direct attack bombs. The south Korean military authorities have recently released a "national defence reform plan" in a bid to purchase ultra-modern weapons. [Military balance]
Unification Ministry Allowed Ex-Spies' NK Visit: Lawmaker
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter An opposition lawmaker Tuesday criticized the government for not properly screening South Koreans wanting to visit North Korea. Rep. Kim Jae-gyeong of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) said that the Unification Ministry last July granted approval to 10 people under government surveillance to visit the North, despite a negative opinion from the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Five of them actually crossed the border for a three-day trip to Mt. Kumgang in the North, Kim said.
First 'Unity Baby' Born in North
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter A South Korean woman visiting North Korea gave birth to her second daughter in Pyongyang on Monday, according to the Unification Ministry Tuesday. The event happened when Hwang Sun, 32, was on a two-day visit to Pyongyang for sightseeing and viewing the Arirang Festival, the spectacular mass gymnastics and art show currently held in the North Korean capital to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party.
The ministry will extend the approval period for Hwang to stay in the North further as they cannot board a plane yet. But a ministry official confessed to bureaucratic difficulty, saying ``the case yet needs legal reviewing as the baby has no certificate for visiting the North.'' [human rights]
Warning Shots Fired at NK-Bound Boats
The South Korean military fired warning shots Tuesday to prevent 10 fishing boats from crossing the sea border with North Korea, military officials said. All 10 South Korean boats were stopped and their crew members are now under investigation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
NK Bought $10 Mil. in Arms Last Year
North Korea spent an estimated $10 million in 2004 to purchase Chinese and Russian defense products, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. In a report to parliament, the ministry said the communist North sought to improve its conventional war capabilities by importing components of military trucks, ship engines and warships. Beijing and Moscow are key arms trade partners with North Korea. The report also said North Korea has set up an airdefense system by deploying surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft missiles around the country and has been working to improve airdefense capabilities. 10-11-2005 20:08 [military balance]
Next-Generation Battle Tank to Debut by 2010
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The country's next-generation main battle tank equipped with advanced weapons systems will be deployed in the military by 2010, a state-run defense research institute said Tuesday. During the Korea Ground Forces Festival 2005, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) made public the Korea Next-Generation Main Battle Tank (KNMBT). The Army's five-day event started simultaneously in Seoul and the Chungchong and Kyonggi provinces earlier in the day. The agency has spent about 240 billion won ($230 million) for the development of the battle tank since 1995. [military balance]
Chong Wa Dae Denies S-N Summit
Chong Wa Dae said Tuesday that it has no concrete plan to push for a second inter-Korean summit at the moment, in a denial of a media interview of a senior presidential advisorearlier in the day. Kim Doo-gwan, special presidential advisor on political affairs, said on a radio program that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il could make a reciprocal visit to South Korea, or maybe President Roh Moohyun could visit the North this year. "The National Security Council (NSC) would have been preparing for it," Kim said. "There is no specific plan for us to push for aninter-Korean summit," Roh's spokesman Kim Man-soo told reporters. "Nor do wehave a plan to send a special envoy to the North."
Academic's advocacy was illegal, police say
October 11, 2005 ? The National Police Agency, which has been investigating a Dongguk University professor for his outspoken pro-North Korean advocacy, said yesterday it has asked prosecutors to charge him with violations of the National Security Law. Kang Jeong-koo has been interrogated on three occasions after publicly defending and praising the regime to the north. A conservative civic group complained to police after remarks last week that had the United States not intervened in the Korean War, the nation would have been reunified within a month. Huh Joon-young, the head of the police agency, said that academic freedom was one thing, but that Mr. Kang had violated the controversial anti-communist statute that bans pro-North Korean speech. Prosecutors said they are studying the complaint. [Human rights]
Lawmakers Debate Wartime Command
By Reuben Staines Staff Reporter Opposition and ruling party lawmakers clashed Monday over moves by President Roh Moo-hyun to reclaim from the United States the right to command South Korea's military forces in times of war. Responding to comments by the president that Seoul will soon take over wartime command from its long-standing ally, conservative lawmakers described the push as reckless and premature. [Pro-Americanism] [Sovereignty] [Friction] [US dominance]
New warbirds begin to arrive here
October 08, 2005 ? South Korea received the first of a multibillion-dollar purchase of new fighter jets yesterday. Two of the sleek F-15K aircraft touched down yesterday at Seoul Airport, a military airfield in Seongnam, Gyeonggi province. The aircraft are the first to arrive of the 40 that Seoul bought from the Boeing Company at a price tag of $5.4 billion. The two two-seat fighters, crewed by an American and a Korean each, left the Boeing assembly plant in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday. The 16,000-kilometer (9,600-mile) trip across the Pacific included a stop at a U.S. Air Force base in Hawaii and two midair refuelings. [Military balance]
North Korea journey canceled by governor
October 08, 2005 ? Sohn Hak-kyu, the governor of Gyeonggi province, yesterday canceled a scheduled visit to North Korea. He said the communist country's government had pressed him to attend the Arirang Festival, a celebration of the North's leaders and ideology. Mr. Sohn had planned to visit early this month a pilot farm in the North that has been supported by the Gyeonggi provincial government. A spokesman for the provincial government said Northern officials asked Mr. Sohn to extend his visit to two days to see the festival performance in Pyongyang. Mr. Sohn reportedly said his schedule precluded more than a day trip there. "I canceled the trip because North Korea clearly tried to use me for political purposes," Mr. Sohn said. "But support for the projects between North and South Korea should continue."
Can Federalism Be Model for Korea?
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Korea certainly sees a long and winding path to reunification. The way to federalism, if it ever started, would be just as complicated, not least because the nation has had no such experience in its history. Therefore, it might even seem to border on absurdity to start a discussion on those two subjects right now.
Ruling Party Chief Plans to Visit N. Korea
TOKYO (Yonhap) _ The head of South Korea's ruling Uri Party said Thursday that he will push for visiting North Korea for a meeting with its leader Kim Jong-il to call for an early inter-Korean summit. ``I will press ahead with a plan to visit North Korea,'' Rep. Moon Hee-sang told South Korean reporters here. ``I will meet with Kim and propose holding a summit between the two Koreas as he promised five years ago.''
Deployment of F-15Ks Starts in 2007
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter F-15K Strike Fighter F-15K Strike Fighters, the South Korean Air Force's next-generation fighter jets, will be deployed in stages starting in 2007, according to the Air Force Thursday. [Military balance]
Good luck, except for the pig
Mike Rees, chief executive officer of Standard Chartered Bank's wholesale banking unit (center), and Park Eee-chul, vice president of SC First Bank (right), at a ceremony marking the opening of a new currency dealing room in Seoul yesterday [photo]
UN Seeks NK Human Rights Resolution
By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter South Korea does not exclude the possibility that a resolution on North Korea's human rights situation could be introduced to the U.N. General Assembly in the coming weeks, a Seoul official said Thursday. Such a resolution, the first of its kind if adopted by a General Assembly committee, is expected to draw strong resistance from the Pyongyang regime. Seoul has kept a low profile on the issue to promote inter-Korean relations. South Korean delegations used to abstain from voting, as they did in April of this year at the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations. This maneuver has drawn criticism from human rights activists, especially those in the U.S.
Ex-Intelligence Agent Arrested for Bugging
By Kim Tong-hyung Staff Reporter The prosecution Thursday arrested Kim Un-sung, former deputy chief of the National Intelligence Services (NIS), on charges of masterminding the wiretapping of key politicians during the Kim Dae-jung administration. Kim, 50, became the first spy agency official, retired or incumbent, to be arrested on criminal charges.
Deployment of F-15Ks Starts in 2007
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter
F-15K Strike Fighters, the South Korean Air Force's next-generation fighter jets, will be deployed in stages starting in 2007, according to the Air Force Thursday. ``From January 2007, the F-15Ks will be used for operational flights in a limited manner and are expected to be fully deployed by September that year,'' said First Lieutenant Park Seung-yup of the Air Force's public affairs office at the Defense Ministry. Since June last year, South Korean Air Force aircrew have been sent to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, the United States, for F-15K flight training, he said.
Under the ``Defense Reform 2020,'' the ministry wants an 11.1 percent increase in military spending per year until 2015 to purchase sophisticated weapons systems, including fighter jets, airborne early warning aircraft systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, while downsizing the number of troops. [Military balance] [US military dominance]
N. Korea cancels its party festival invitation to Seoul
North Korea has withdrawn its invitation to South Korean delegates to participate in celebrations of the North's ruling party foundation, the Ministry of Unification said yesterday. The reason for the abrupt decision is not known. The administration signaled its intention to invite the South Korean civilian delegation as part of 60th anniversary celebrations of the foundation of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party on Oct. 10, in Pyongyang last week. But on Tuesday the North has canceled without explanation. "We do not know the reason yet," Yang Chang-seok, the spokesman of ministry, said. "But the North did cancel the invitation."
Speak up for human rights
[EDITORIALS] The National Human Rights Commission recently held a series of internal discussions on whether to take a stand on the North Korean human rights issue. Though the discussions did not reach a conclusion, it is a desirable move, compared to the commission's past stance, which was to maintain total silence. But, considering the reason for the commission's existence, we are sorry to see it still vacillate over a task that it should already have finished. The North Korean human rights issue has positioned itself as a core issue in the international community. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has adopted a resolution to improve North Korean human rights for three consecutive years. The United States even appointed a special envoy on human rights in North Korea. Great Britain and Japan said last April at the UN Commission on Human Rights that the trampling on human rights in North Korea has reached a level that the international community can no longer overlook.
Activists Protest Move to Repatriate Former NK Spies
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter An opposition party and civic groups are raising their voices against the government's move to repatriate former North Korean spies and communist guerillas. Civic groups with links to families of South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) and abductees that are believed to still be held in the North protested the decision in front of the Government Complex Building in central Seoul Wednesday. Some 20 people holding placards tried to enter the building, where the Unification Ministry is located, calling for a meeting with Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. Police blocked the protesters but there were no clashes. They said the government's decision to review the possibility of repatriating former North Korean spies and communist guerillas should not proceed unless the North also returns South Korean POWs and abductees after the 1950-53 Korean War. [Abductees]
South Korea to Repatriate Long-Term Prisoners to NK
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter The Unification Ministry indicated Tuesday the government will decide this week to allow the remaining long-term prisoners with communist beliefs to return to North Korea. The move has infuriated family members of South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) captured during the 1950-53 Korean War and South Koreans abducted after the war, believed to be still held in the North, as the ministry made it clear that it would not deal with the matter in an ``action-for-action'' approach. ``Long-term prisoners'' is a term referring to former North Korean spies dispatched to the South or former members of the North's People's Army who were arrested in the South and often served more than 30 years of imprisonment for refusing to disavow their communist ideology. [Espionage] [Human rights]
Foreign Ministry Misinforms Visitors
By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter Most foreigners who have an interest in how the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry works in South Korea would visit its English Web site. But if one visited its Web site at www.mofat.go.kr, one would be sorely disappointed; it could likely misinform a visitor. South Korea has had two vice ministers in the ministry since July this year. But, until Oct. 4, the English Web site indicated that Lee Tae- sik, who was named by Chong Wa Dae as Seoul's ambassador to Washington on Sept. 29, was the one and only vice minister. In reality, Lee and Yu Myung-hwan, formerly Seoul's ambassador to the Philippines, were the first and second vice ministers, respectively.
Automatic Ammunition Supply Vehicle to Debut
By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter
K10 Thunder Ammunition Resupply Vehicle is capable of carrying 104 rounds of ammunition and automatically loading 12 rounds for firing. /Korea Times The South Korean Army has developed an automatic ammunition supply vehicle for the K9 self- propelled howitzer, making it the first country to deploy such a system, Army officials said Tuesday. [Military balance]
Contradictions by YANG Gui-ja
Translated by Stephen EPSTEIN and KIM Mi-Young
YANG Gui-ja is one of Korea? major literary figures of the last generation, with a succession of literary prizes and best-sellers to her credit. Her most representative early work, the 1987 Wonmi-dong saramdeul, is available in English as A Distant and Beautiful Place. In the 1990s her writing took an increasingly personal turn with a series of popular works including Contradictions (Mosun), South Korea? best-selling novel in 1998.
Relenting, Seoul rethinks its ban on repatriation
October 04, 2005 ? As South Korea was repatriating the remains of a former North Korean spy back to his country on Sunday, officials in Seoul said that they are debating whether to allow some additional North Koreans living here to return home. Some of the North Korean agents captured in the South had been imprisoned for decades. Earlier, many of those prisoners who had renounced communism were released and allowed to live freely, but only within South Korea's borders. Others had clung to their ideological beliefs and continued to languish in prison. All those "unconverted" North Koreans have now been repatriated, but Seoul insists that those who renounced communism had opted to live in the South and would not be allowed to return to their homes in the North. That may be changing. "The Unification Ministry is considering the repatriation of converted North Koreans, and an announcement of a list of candidates for repatriation might come as early as this week," one government official said. A civic group, the Committee for the Repatriation of Unconverted Long-Term Prisoners, confirmed that it has been discussing such plans with the government. "In recent inquiries to the Red Cross and Unification Ministry, officials told us that the government is considering repatriation without any preconditions," a member of the civic group said. According to the committee, 28 North Koreans, once spies or prisoners of war, want to return to the North. They are all over 70, and all have been monitored closely by the government after being released from long prison terms. Officials of the committee contend that most of them renounced communism under government duress or even torture. [Human rights] [Espionage]
At the end of a spree, stuffed and mounted
October 04, 2005 ? The Seoul Metropolitan Government said yesterday that the wild boar killed in the city on Friday will be stuffed and displayed at Gildong Ecology Park in Gangdong- gu, Seoul in about 40 days. "Wild boars are rarely seen in the city and the animal will have educational value," a city official said. The four-year old boar weighed 130 kilograms (287 pounds) and was 160 centimeters (5 feet, 3 inches) long. The animal injured two people and eluded hunting dogs, 90 patrolmen with anesthetic guns and professional hunters before being surrounded nearly 12 hours after it was first spotted. Even then, the hunters were unable to control the beast without lethal force.
Ideological Disputes Still Haunt S. Korea
By Lee Jin-woo Staff Reporter
With the government's ongoing efforts to form a reconciliatory atmosphere on the Korean Peninsula, an increasing number of ideological disputes are likely to prevail in South Korea, as freedom of expression regarding the North is still not permitted, at least for the time being. Police said they will again summon Professor Kang Jeong-koo of Dongguk University on suspicion of violating the National Security Law in his pro-North Korean remarks. The 60-year-old sociology professor was questioned by the police twice last month after saying that the 1950-53 Korean War should be regarded as a ``war for unification,'' according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA). [Human rights]
Spending on Overseas Studies Skyrocketing
Koreans' spending on studying abroad surged during the first eight months of the year from a year earlier, as an increasing number of high- income earners sent their children overseas for better education. According to the Bank of Korea (BOK), South Koreans spent $2.25 billion on overseas studies in the January-August period, up 41.2 percent from the same period of last year.
Spy's Body Sent Back to NK
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter The body of an unconverted North Korean spy was repatriated to the North through the inter- Korean border village of Panmunjom Sunday following an unprecedented decision by the South Korean government. Chung Soon-taek, one of 29 former North Korean spies who served long prison terms in the South for refusing to disavow their communist beliefs, died Friday in a Seoul hospital after months of battling pancreatic cancer. [Human rights] [Espionage]

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