ROK and Inter-Korean relations October 2012

ROK and Inter-Korean relations

October 2012

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Park Geun-hye concerned over possibility of single opposition candidate
Posted on : Oct.30,2012 16:26 KST The three main candidates in December’s presidential election, (from left to right) Ahn Cheol-soo, Moon Jae-in and Park Geun-hye hold hands and bow to the audience at an event to support small retailers, which was held at the 63 Building in Seoul’s Yeouido district on Oct. 29. It was the first time all three have appeared in public together since the campaign for the presidency began. (by Lee Jeong-woo, staff photographer) NFP candidate is seeking response to a deal that could jeopardize her chances for the presidency By Shin Seung-keun, staff reporter The New Frontier Party (NFP) is seeking solutions to a potential deal by Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo to float a single opposition presidential candidate. The topic has become something a black hole, sucking attention away from other political issues. Not only is it pulling the spotlight from NFP candidate Park Geun-hye, but if a deal to avoid splitting the opposition vote does come to pass, the looming possibility of a defeat for her cannot be ruled out.
State ordered to atone for civilian massacres
By Kim Rahn A local court has held the state accountable for the massacre of civilians by South Korean soldiers and police officers during the Korean War, allowing the bereaved families to get compensation. It said the truth about the incident was uncovered in 2009 thus paving the way for the payment of compensation to the surviving relatives of the victims. [Korean War] [War crimes]
Moon Jae-in says he would seek to restart six-party talks
Posted on : Oct.27,2012 13:25 KST Modified on : Oct.27,2012 13:25 KST Moon Jae-in visits the grave] for independence activist Ahn Jung-geun at Hyochang Park in Seoul‘s Yongsan district, Oct. 26. (by Shin So-young, staff photographer) DUP candidate says if elected he would maintain US-SK alliance, seek dialogue with North Korea By Seok Jin hwan, staff reporter Moon Jae-in told former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian affairs Christopher Hill that he plans to resume the six-party talks on the North Korea nuclear issue if elected. The Democratic United Party presidential candidate met with Hill on Oct. 26 at the National Assembly. Hill, a onetime US ambassador to South Korea and chief representative for the US at the six-party talks during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, is considered one of the best informed Americans on Korean issues. [SK NK policy] [Engagement]
Opposition candidates visit deceased progressives’ graves
Posted on : Oct.27,2012 13:18 KST Ahn Cheol-soo at the March 15th National Cemetery in Changwon, South Gyeongsang province, Oct. 26. (New1) Visits to activists’ graves take place on same day that Park Geun-hye visited her father’s grave By Kim Bo-hyeop and Song Chae Kyung-hwa, staff reporters Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo paid visits to different grave sites on Oct. 26, which is the 33rd anniversary of former President Park Chung-hee's assassination. Moon, the Democratic United Party's presidential candidate, paid respects at Hyochang Park in Seoul's Yongsan district, the gravesite for independence activist Ahn Jung-geun, who assassinated Ito Hirobumi, the first Prime Minister of Japan and the first Japanese Resident General of Korea 103 years ago. Independent candidate Ahn, who is currently on a visit to South Gyeongsang province, traveled to the March 15th National Cemetery in Changwon. [Election]
N.Korean Patrol Boat Crosses Maritime Border
As if on cue, a North Korean patrol boat on Thursday briefly crossed the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border, but sailed back soon afterward. The border violation comes a day after the South Korean and U.S. defense ministers called on North Korea to respect the line [NLL]
Joking about North Korea gets young leftists thrown in jail
Posted on : Oct.26,2012 15:25 KST National security establishment thinks jokes about North are dangerous instead of funny By Jang Hwan-bong, staff reporter “The great General is using his magical method of covering great expanses in short time,” “The great Leader is a symbol of the fate of our country and nation, and all happiness.” University student Kim Jeong-do, 21, thought that such comments posted on the Twitter account, “Uriminzokkiri” run by North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea were funny, so he retweeted them to his Twitter followers. He sometimes posted North Korea’s harsh criticism of the Lee Myung-bak administration. “I thought it was funny for them to post such remarks as propaganda,” he explained. He never imagined retweeting the remarks to lampoon the North Korean regime would cause him to become the subject of an investigation by the national security branch of the National Police Agency. On Oct. 23, National Security Investigation Unit 3 of the National Police Agency summoned Kim to a branch located in Seoul’s Hongjae neighborhood. The police had detailed documentation of Kim’s email transactions and Twitter postings over the last three years. [Human rights] [NSL]
Seoul starts war games to counter Pyongyang
AFP | 2012-10-26 0:15:05 By Agencies South Korea on Thursday kicked off an annual, large-scale military exercise aimed at countering threats from North Korea at a time of heightened cross-border tensions. The week-long military maneuvers will involve 240,000 army, navy, air force and marine corps personnel, along with police officers, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). About 500 US soldiers will also take part [Military exercises] [Inversion]
East Asian civic groups launch campaign to calm territorial disputes
Posted on : Oct.25,2012 16:39 KST Prof. Wang Xiaoming of Shanghai University Citizens from SK, Japan, China and Taiwan make efforts to avoid nationalistic and militaristic tensions By Park Min-hee, Beijing correspondent A signature-seeking campaign designed to overcome prolonged territorial disputes has been started by groups of concerned citizens across East Asia. The East Asian Civic Forum, consisting of intellectuals and civilians from South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan, declared in a statement, “Standing before history, let’s solve disputes and move toward peace”. They will begin gathering signatures in each country at the same time next week. This is part of civil society’s efforts to collect voices for peace and find alternative solutions while contemplating the historical origins of today’s crisis so that recent territorial disputes do not give rise to nationalistic or military tensions. [Territorial disputes]
President's son quizzed
President Lee Myung-bak’s only son, Si-hyung, answers questions from reporters before entering the independent counsel’s office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, Thursday. He was grilled over the land he bought together with the Presidential Security Service to build a retirement residence for his father. / Yonhap Lee Si-hyung pledges to ‘tell truth’ about property deal By Na Jeong-ju An independent counsel questioned President Lee Myung-bak’s only son, Lee Si-hyung, Thursday, over a dubious property deal to build the President a retirement residence in southern Seoul. The 34-year-old appeared at the counsel’s office at 10:10 a.m., escorted by presidential security officers. This is the first time in South Korean history that a child of a sitting president has been questioned by prosecutors. [Corruption]
Top official says he saw transcript of 2007 summit dialogue
A top security official said Friday he saw a transcript of the 2007 summit dialogue between former President Roh Moo-hyun and then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il amid allegations the late leader made remarks undermining the legitimacy of the western sea border. The allegations, raised by a ruling party lawmaker, have been a key issue ahead of December's presidential election as they could work against opposition presidential candidate Moon Jae-in, who served as Roh's chief of staff at the time of the summit. Moon's main opposition Democratic United Party has strongly rejected the allegations that Roh told the North's leader that Seoul would not insist on the Yellow Sea border, called the Northern Limit Line or NLL, which Pyongyang refuses to recognize as a legitimate maritime border. [NLL]
Steep increase in income inequality since 1990s
Posted on : Oct.24,2012 16:24 KST Modified on : Oct.24,2012 16:48 KST New academic study showed that real income for low earners has dropped, while high earners are making more By Ryu Yi-geun, staff reporter Recent research has shown that since the mid-1990s, real wages for workers in the bottom 20 percent of the economy has declined by 24 percent, while earnings for those in the top 20 percent have increased by 41 percent. The growing income disparity between the two groups is mainly due to income growth for those in the highest economic strata. Additionally, the income of low- to mid- level earners has decreased or remained at the same level, creating a bigger gap between them and high earners. The findings are from a paper titled, “Income Inequality in South Korea between 1963 and 2010, Based on Wage Income” written by Dongguk University Professor of Economics Kim Nak-nyeon. In the paper, which was presented to the Hankyoreh on Oct. 23, Kim argues that the crucial factor in income inequality is steep increases for the highest earners. The annual average wage-based income per person among the top 20 percent of wage earners (the top fifth of the population) hit 68.56 million won (US$62,000) in 2010, up 41.3 percent from 1996. [Inequality]
Former dictator travels in style on diplomatic passport
Posted on : Oct.24,2012 16:10 KST ??? facebook0 twitter2 A MOFAT officer gives a diplomatic passport to former president Chun Doo-hwan, while saying, “Take care and don’t worry, there are lots of people who evade taxes and use stolen money.” (by Jang Bong-goon) Chun Doo-hwan is still in debt to the state, but traveling overseas with special privilege By Jin Myeong-sun, staff reporter It recently came to light that former president Chun Doo-hwan had requested and received a diplomatic passport from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT), and then used it to travel overseas. According to a report presented to Rep. Hong Ik-pyo of the Democratic United Party (Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee) by MOFAT on Oct. 23, the former president has been issued four diplomatic passports, each valid for five years. Chun received his first diplomatic passport in February 1988, and his most recent on Sept. 18. Article 10 of the enforcement degree of the Passport Act stipulates that former presidents are able to receive a diplomatic passport if they apply. The bearer of a diplomatic passport has the privilege of diplomatic immunity, meaning exemption from arrest or detention while overseas. [Chun Doo-hwan]
Documents show Park Chung-hee informed NK of Yushin in advance
Posted on : Oct.18,2012 11:10 KST Modified on : Oct.18,2012 11:36 KST A classified “secret” cable sent by the US embassy to the State Department on Oct. 31, 1972 that refers to a meeting between North Korean deputy prime minister Pak Song-chol and KCIA chief Lee Hu-rak. Park claimed the Yushin constitution was for national security, but was really for his long-term power By Kim Jong-cheol, political correspondent In attempting to justify its Yushin military coup, the Park Chung-hee regime explained that it was needed to strengthen national security. In his declaration of emergency martial law on Oct. 17, 1972 - almost exactly forty years ago - Park said that “major changes are afoot in the balance of power for the major countries around the Korean Peninsula, and this is expected to have a potentially dangerous impact on South Korea’s security.” [Park Chung-hee]
Lee's brother returns to face questioning
Lee Sang-eun, the eldest brother of President Lee Myung-bak, reacts to photographers as he walks through the lobby of Incheon International Airport after arriving from a trip to China, Wednesday. He faces questioning by an independent counsel over a dubious property deal involving the President’s retirement home project. / Courtesy of the Hankyoreh By Na Jeong-ju President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother, Lee Sang-eun, returned to Korea Wednesday to be questioned by an independent counsel over a dubious property deal involving Cheong Wa Dae. [Corruption]
Final unit of 'Peace Eye' early warning aircraft delivered to Air Force
A fourth and final unit of the early warning aircraft Peace Eye has been delivered to Korea's Air Force, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday. The delivery marks the completion of a US$1.6 billion project launched in 2006 to buy four modified versions of the high-altitude surveillance aircraft from Boeing to strengthen South Korea's aerial surveillance capabilities against North Korea. [Buildup] [Surveillance] [Military balance]
2 Koreas Ready Artillery
The South Korean military maintained its highest alert level against North Korea all day Monday, even though police prevented activists from floating propaganda leaflets across the border. Pyongyang earlier threatened to attack the Imjingak pavilion overlooking the border if activists went ahead with their plan to float propaganda leaflets across the border from there. North Korean artillery batteries on the western frontline, which can strike the area, were reportedly on alert until the afternoon. [Buildup] [Provocation]
Police prevent release of anti-North leaflets over safety concerns
Posted on : Oct.23,2012 15:47 KST Police block vehicles attempting to traverse the Dangdong interchange in Paju near the border with North Korea, Oct. 22. (by Park Jong-shik, staff photographer) North Korea threatened a strike if anti-North materials were released over the border By Park Kyung-man, North Gyeonggi correspondent in Paju A plan by North Korean defectors groups to send leaflets by balloon into the North on Oct. 22 was blocked by the South Korean police over concerns about the possibility of military conflict. The groups clashed with police near the border while the militaries of the two Koreas were locked in a tense standoff. Determined to ban the launch of anti-North leaflets planned by the Alliance for the Advancement of Democracy in North Korea (whose members are mostly North Korean defectors), South Korean military and police set up a joint situation room at six in the morning on Oct. 22 at the Imjin Pavilion. Starting at 8:40 a.m., two roads to the pavilion, the Dangdong interchange and Yeougogae junction were blocked off by military police. More than 800 personnel were deployed. [Buildup]
North and South Korea 'on the verge of nuclear war'
A senior North Korean diplomat warned a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York that "a spark of fire could set off a thermonuclear war" on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean Deputy Vice Minister Pak Kil-yon addresses the United Nations General Assembly Photo: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II By Julian Ryall in Tokyo 6:41AM BST 02 Oct 2012 Pak Kil-yon, Pyongyang's vice-foreign minster, put the blame for the tense state of inter-Korean relations firmly on South Korea's conservative government and claimed the citizens of the North feel "shame" and "political terror." Monday's speech was the first time a representative of North Korea has addressed the General Assembly since Kim Jong-un assumed power after the death of his father in December last year. "Since taking office, the current South Korean government has caused the worst situation in North-South relations by making all inter-Korean agreements null and void," Pak said, referring to pacts with previous South Korean administrations that sought reconciliation between the two ideological enemies and an expansion of economic co-operation. [Media]
Military Admits Lies and Lapses Over Defection
A North Korean soldier who crossed 4 km of heavily armed border to defect to South Korea on Oct. 2 had to knock on the door of barracks to draw attention to himself, it was revealed Wednesday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff previously claimed that while neither the observation post nor a guard post further north noticed the soldier, he was picked up by a surveillance camera.
N.Korean Army Chief Demoted After Defections
Hyon Yong-chol wears the insignia of a four-star general during a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to mark the 67th anniversary of the North Korean Workers Party on Wednesday (top); Hyon wears the insignia of a vice marshal at a Supreme People’s Assembly meeting on Sept. 25. /[North] Korean Central TV-Yonhap The North Korean Army chief has apparently been demoted in the wake of several defections by soldiers across the heavily armed border.
Roh 'Did Talk About NLL with Kim Jong-il'
President Roh Moo-hyun did tell North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2007 that he would not insist on the Northern Limit Line, a former high-ranking government official claimed Wednesday. The official was responding to a claim by Saenuri Party lawmaker Chung Moon-hun on Monday during the parliamentary audit of the Unification Ministry. The source looked through what Chung claimed were minutes of a conversation between Roh and Kim taken by an official. The authenticity of the minutes has not been confirmed. The official added, "I can't remember every one of the words used." [NLL]
Roh associates dispute claims he gave up the NLL
Posted on : Oct.11,2012 15:46 KST Modified on : Oct.11,2012 15:47 KST Current and former government officials say there are no records of Roh yielding to Kim Jong-il By Park Byong-su and Kim Won-chul, staff reporters Untimely new revelations of alleged secret dialogues between Kim Jong-il and the late President Roh Moo-hyun have suddenly emerged before the presidential election. On the issue of New Frontier Party lawmaker Jeong Mun-heon’s contention that in the North-South summit held in October, 2007, then-president Roh Moo-Hyun said that he would not insist on the Northern Limit Line (NLL), his party has stepped up the offensive with calls for a full-scale investigation of the issue. Opposition party leaders, for their part, said that the claim is “groundless and a political offensive focused on affecting the presidential election.” The Northern Limit Line is the maritime boundary between North and South Korea. It acts as the de fact maritime border though it has never been recognized by North Korea. [NLL] [Roh Moo-hyun]
Controversy over NLL
Roh’s remarks during 2007 summit must be clarified It’s shocking to hear an allegation that the late former President Roh Moo-hyun surrendered the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border in the West Sea, during his landmark inter-Korean summit in 2007. The allegation was made unilaterally by a ruling party lawmaker but those involved in the summit vehemently deny that it’s true. In this regard, this matter should be verified thoroughly, even through a parliamentary investigation, as the governing Saenuri Party argues. [NLL]
Lax Border Security Is a Scandal
A North Korean soldier crossed over the heavily-armed border separating the two Koreas just before midnight on Oct. 2, managing to pass through a South Korean guard post over a barbed wire fence and walk up to a observation post completely unnoticed. Sentries both at the guard post near the border and at the observation post further down south were totally unaware of the soldier as he walked for more than 4 km. He was only apprehended when a security camera picked him up standing in front of the observation post of a military base in the demilitarized zone. If he had been a saboteur rather than a defector, the incident could have led to a horrific ending. The military tried to hide the incident until it was revealed in a National Assembly audit on Monday.
N.Korea Is Laying a Trap for S.Korean Politicians
North Korean fishing boats crossed over the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea, the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas, six times from Sept. 12 until Saturday. On Friday, the South Korean Navy issued two warnings over loudspeakers to six North Korean fishing boats and was forced to fire warning shots when the boats refused to turn back across the NLL. The fishing boats finally retreated 30 minutes after hearing the warning shots. Some 13 North Korean fishing boats crossed over the NLL on Sept. 12, 13 on Sep. 14, eight on Sept. 15, and two on Thursday. Even on Saturday, a day after the South fired the warning shots, another fishing boat crossed the NLL into the South Korean waters. [NLL] [Inversion]
Would-Be Kidnapper of Kim Jong-nam Indicted in Seoul
A North Korean agent ordered by the regime to kidnap Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of former leader Kim Jong-il, was indicted on Tuesday. Kim Yong-su (50) was arrested on Sept. 12 after he came to South Korea posing as a defector. Prosecutors said the agent was also under orders to watch Park Sang-hak, a defector and activist who sends anti-Communist leaflets to the North attached to helium balloons.
Who would head Moon-Ahn ticket?
Ahn Cheol-soo, independent presidential candidate, tastes a cucumber during his visit to a farm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. / Yonhap Joint candidacy is viable option to beat Rep. Park By Chung Min-uck The camps of presidential candidates Ahn Cheol-soo and Rep. Moon Jae-in have dismissed it, but the scenario of an alliance based on sharing power could prove irresistible if the two decide they can’t beat the Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye individually. The power sharing scenario was entertained in a liberal newspaper Wednesday but the independent and main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) candidates have denied it. The catch is the power sharing formula ? who would become president and who would be prime minister. The idea of a joint ticket has been favored by liberals as it could be the best formula to minimize a possible split of support in the Dec. 19 presidential poll. “It is true that we are reviewing the implementation of a new governmental organ strictly in charge of the nation’s future vision,” Ahn’s spokesman Yoo Min-young told The Korea Times, Wednesday. [Election]
S. Korean military defines pro-N. Korean forces as 'enemy'
The defense ministry said Wednesday it has defined pro-North Korean groups in South Korea as "enemies" in its education guideline for service members. The guideline, submitted to an opposition lawmaker, said those who "recklessly follow North Korea's policy aimed at threatening the national security of the Republic of Korea" are "enemy benefiting forces." The Republic of Korea is South Korea's official name. The ministry singled out nine pro-North Korean civic and student groups as "anti-state organizations," citing a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that defined North Korea as an "anti-state entity seeking to build a communist society in the South." The guideline states, "They are clearly the enemy of the (South Korean) military." [Human rights]
Parties clash over Roh’s NK policy
DUP says accusations against late Roh groundless By Lee Tae-hoon The ruling Saenuri Party Wednesday ramped up its attack against the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) over an allegation that the latter failed to protect national interests during an inter-Korean summit in 2007. Rep. Lee Hahn-koo, floor leader of the governing party, called on the DUP to give the green light to his party’s push for a parliamentary investigation into the former liberal Roh Moo-hyun government’s alleged abuse of authority in favor of the North.
Candidates’ shift toward NK engagement draws concern
By Chung Min-uck Experts are concerned that both liberal and conservative presidential candidates are leaning too much toward a policy of engagement with North Korea as part of campaign tactics geared at signaling a departure from the hard-line policies employed by President Lee Myung-bak. [SK NK policy] [Election] [MISCOM]
Is Ahn Cheol-soo just a nicer Lee Myung-bak?
Posted on : Oct.6,2012 15:46 KST Modified on : Oct.6,2012 15:57 KST Some find similarities in both men's backgrounds in business, entrances to politics By Choi Sung-jin, staff reporter "Park Geun-hye is Park Chung-hee, Moon Jae-in is Roh Moo-hyun, and Ahn Cheol-soo is a nicer Lee Myung-bak." This is how some people are summing up the 2012 presidential election. The first two are fairly familiar comparisons: Park, the New Frontier Party (NFP) candidate, keeps summoning the specter of her father, former president Park Chung-hee, while Moon, the Democratic United Party candidate, is forever recalling Roh, a close friend under whom he served as Blue House Chief of Staff. Both candidates have stressed the need to weigh both the good and the bad about their predecessors. This suggests that after acknowledging the achievements of the former presidents - one a father, the other a friend - they will be able to overcome their limitations. [Ahn Cheol-soo] [Election]
N.Korea Test-Fires Missile
North Korea test-fired a short-range missile off its west coast on Sept. 27. The launch came a day after President Lee Myung-bak warned Pyongyang against provocations in the wake of recent incursions by North Korean fishing boats across the maritime border. "North Korea test-fired a short-range, surface-to-ship missile on the west coast of South Pyongan Province on Sept. 27," a government source here said. It is believed to have been a KN-01 missile with range of 120 km, which is adapted from China’s Silkworm missile. [Inversion] [Buildup]
Moon Jae-in explains his North Korea vision
Posted on : Oct.5,2012 15:41 KST DUP candidate’s proposed North Korea policy would emphasize bilateral dialogue By Lee Tae-hee, staff reporter Moon Jae-in has proposed policy to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through a peace treaty, if he is elected president in December’s election. Calling North Korea’s nuclear capabilities unacceptable, the Democratic United Party presidential candidate said he would push this approach while establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. In particular, Moon said that if elected, he would take steps early on to discuss the matter closely with Washington and Beijing. The candidate’s approach on the North Korea issue carries on the policies of the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, but with more realistic ideas that take into consideration the current situation with Pyongyang. [SK NK policy]
Civic groups from both Koreas say it’s time to honor Oct. 4 Joint Declaration
Posted on : Oct.5,2012 15:44 KST Inter-Korean agreement could turn contentious West Sea into a “sea of peace” By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter The fifth anniversary of the October 4 Joint Declaration was greeted with calls to finally put its terms into practice. In particular, civic groups from North and South Korea said the agreement, made at a 2007 summit between then-South and North Korean leaders Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Jong-il, needs to be resurrected from its dead letter status under the Lee Myung-bak administration, with implementation of such terms as a special peace zone in the West Sea. Kim Sang-geun, South Korean chair of the All Korean Committee for Implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration, blasted the Lee administration during a fifth anniversary ceremony Oct. 4 at the Press Center in Seoul. “For the past five years under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the vision of peace and joint prosperity in the October 4 Declaration has been buried and inter-Korean relations have broken apart and chilled, leading to artillery fire and the loss of innocent lives,” said Kim. [Joint Korean] [SK NK policy]
N.Korean Fishing Boats Cross into S.Korean Waters
North Korean fishing boats on Saturday again crossed over the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea, the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas. It was the second incursion across the NLL in two days. South Korean naval boats fired warning shots on Friday to repel fishing vessels that had crossed into South Korean waters. "A North Korean fishing boat crossed around 400 m south of the NLL on Saturday morning northwest of Yeonpyeong Island," a military spokesman here said Sunday. "The vessel moved back north immediately after we gave it a warning." [NLL]
Park Geun-hye apologizes for abuses by her father’s regime
Posted on : Sep.25,2012 14:31 KST By Seong Yeon-cheol and Song Chae Kyung-hwa, staff reporters Park Geun-hye apologized on Sept. 24 for misdeeds during the rule of her father, former president Park Chung-hee. The New Frontier Party (NFP) presidential candidate said constitutional values were “compromised” by the 1961 coup that brought her father to power, his Yushin Constitution administrative system in the 1970s, and persecution of the People’s Revolution Party, and that she believed they had the effect of “delaying the Republic of Korea’s political development.”
Seeking answers to East Asia’s stubborn maritime disputes
Posted on : Sep.24,2012 15:17 KST Modified on : Sep.24,2012 17:05 KST Scholars gather in Taiwan to discuss range of complicated standards on maritime rights By Kang Tae-ho, senior staff writer in Taipei While the three major countries in East Asia, Korea, Japan and China, are in dispute over territorial warers boundaries, a special international seminar on “the geographical character in East Asian oceans and laws of the sea” was held in Taipei on September 20-21. The seminar, which was jointly organized, by Korea’s Ieodo Research Society and the Asia Pacific Research Center of the Academia Sinica of Taiwan gathered scholars of not only the three countries where the clashes have been especially sensitive but also experts from the host country, Singapore, Vietnam and other neighboring countries to find solutions to maritime disputes. [Territorial disputes]
Seoul Must Not Let Guard Down in Asian Territory Disputes
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, the country's leader-in-waiting, told visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Wednesday that Washington must not meddle in the territorial dispute between Beijing and Tokyo over the Diaoyu or Senkaku islands. Xi called Japan's "purchase" of the Diaoyu islands a "farce" and criticized Tokyo for failing to reflect on the pain and suffering it brought to its Asian neighbors before and during World War II. Meanwhile, two Chinese naval frigates on Thursday entered waters near the islands where 16 Chinese maritime patrol vessels and fishing guidance ships are facing off against around 50 Japanese patrol boats. This is the first time that Chinese battleships have appeared in waters surrounding the islands.
Ahn Cheol-soo Declares Bid for Presidency
Software tycoon Ahn Cheol-soo finally declared his bid for the presidency on Wednesday, ending a year of speculation about his political ambitions. "People expect political reform from me," Ahn said in a prepared speech in front of reporters and supporters in downtown Seoul. "By running in this presidential election, I want to fulfill their desires." Ahn, who trained as a doctor, founded his own anti-virus software company and taught at the prestigious universities such as Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Seoul National University.
[Editorial] Next government must take a fresh approach to North Korea
Posted on : Sep.22,2012 12:14 KST On Sept. 21, five hundred tons of wheat flour was provided as flood aid to North Korea by the international relief group World Vision. It is to be delivered to kindergartens and primary schools in the cities of Anju and Kaechon in South Pyongan province, where flood damage was particularly severe. We hope this provides some small amount of assistance to our fellow Koreans in the North, who are reeling from a double disaster of flooding and typhoons. The aid is especially significant because it is the first given to North Korea since the death of Kim Jong-il in December 2011. It leaves a somewhat sour taste, however, to see the only aid coming from the private sector, not the government. [SK NK policy]
Experts agree: next administration should change NK policy
Posted on : Sep.21,2012 16:38 KST None of the 112 experts surveyed say current administration’s policies should be maintained By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter Experts on South-North Korea relations agree that the next government must depart from the current administration’s policies on North Korea, according to a recent survey. The Hyundai Economic Research Institute recently surveyed 112 experts on South-North Korea relations and found that 50% of them responded that current policies on North Korea must be completely changed. The other 50% responded that changes must take place but that they should be carried out softly. None of the experts surveyed responded that the current policy should be maintained. [SK NK policy]

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