ROK and Inter-Korean relations
June 2017
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To become an advanced country, S. Korea should reckon with Vietnam War massacres
Posted on : Jun.29,2017 17:23 KST Modified on : Jun.29,2017 17:23 KST
To Ngoc Luyen, an exchange student from Vietnam, reads a letter during a press conference in front of the Central Government Complex in central Seoul, June 28. (by Choi Soo-yeon, trainee reporter)
Vietnamese exchange student and civic groups calling on Moon government to hold official investigation into civilian deaths during the Vietnam War
The sun was beating down at 3 on the afternoon of June 28. The voice of To Ngoc Luyen, a 40-year-old exchange student from Vietnam, rang out in front of the Central Government Complex in downtown Seoul. At the press conference, which was held to encourage a just resolution to the issue of massacres of Vietnamese civilians by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War, To began slowly reading an open letter to the South Korean public.
“Living in South Korea, I have seen how South Korea endlessly resents Japan,” she said.
“Anyone who goes to another country and kills people for any reason should reflect on that, and I myself have been angered by the way the Japanese government seems not to have done that,” she continued.
“I think that South Korea can become a truly advanced country once it reflects on the many Vietnamese civilians who lost their lives at the hands of South Korean soldiers.”
[Vietnam] [War crimes]
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North Korea to give death penalty to those involved in plotting assassination against Kim Jong Un
Source: Xinhua Published: 2017/6/28 22:59:46
North Korea said Wednesday it would impose the death penalty on those involved in an assassination plot against its top leader Kim Jong Un.
Those involved in the assassination plot included former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, said a joint statement by North Korean Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of People's Security and the Central Public Prosecutor's Office.
North Korea demanded the immediate handover of Park by South Korea or it would face an "adverse effect" in relations with the North if Seoul refuses to do so, according to the statement.
North Korea has got enough evidence to prove that Park started plotting to kill Kim since late 2015, said the statement.
Park signed a specified operation plan of the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) made with the support of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to kill Kim through a car crash or train derailment, it said.
Pyongyang said it had foiled a plot in April to kill Kim during mass celebrations by NIS and CIA agents who have infiltrated into North Korea .
The agents were all arrested and confessed to the crime. The method to kill Kim also included using biochemical and radioactive material when he appeared in public, said North Korean officials.
"There have been a series of revelations of state-sponsored terrorism of the enemies targeting the supreme leadership of North Korea," said the statement, which was carried by local media.
[Kim Jong Un] [Assassination] [Park Geun-hye]
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Victims of S. Korea's dark history still searching for justice
Posted : 2017-06-28 17:09
Updated : 2017-06-28 18:50
Six victims of abuse at the Brothers Home give testimony, Tuesday, during a conference at the National Assembly. Han Jong-sun, left, led the calls for an investigation into abuses at the former government-funded juvenile detention center. / Korea Times photo by You Soo-sun
In pursuit of truth, child victims demand government investigation
By You Soo-sun
Thirty years after the atrocities of the Brothers Home were brought to light, much still remains in the dark, its former inmates said during a conference, Tuesday, at the National Assembly. Six survivors from the detention center spoke of the horrors - forced labor, beatings, rapes and killings - that continue to haunt them, as they pleaded for justice.
The victims urged the Moon Jae-in administration to help enact a special act, proposed by 73 lawmakers including Rep. Jin Sun-mi of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), to identify and punish those accountable, including those still in the government, and compensate the victims. Brothers Home was a government-funded detention center that trafficked in people for hard labor between 1975 and 1987. Often referred to as a concentration camp, the Brothers Home was found responsible for at least 500 deaths. Yet, no one has been held accountable.
Who were the inmates at the Brothers Home?
The so-called brothers were mostly children, and many had been homeless or disabled ? but others were detained for little reason, often just for being unaccompanied in public. Following then-President Park Chung-hee's order in 1975 to "clean up" the streets, police officers and local officials picked up people from the streets to put them in 36 detention centers nationwide. They took in over 16,000 people, and two previous investigation attempts were suppressed by senior government officials according to a 2016 AP article.
[Human rights] [Park Chung-hee]
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Source: Park signed off on plot to oust, even kill, Kim Jong Un
By YOSHIHIRO MAKINO/ Correspondent
June 26, 2017 at 15:45 JST
SEOUL--As South Korean president, Park Geun-hye approved a covert plan to oust North Korean leader Kim Jong Un--including assassination--and to cover Seoul’s tracks, a source said.
The plan was floated when the conservative Park was growing increasingly frustrated and taking a more confrontational stance against the northern neighbor, according to the source knowledgeable about policy toward North Korea during Park’s administration.
[Park Geun-hye] [Assassination] [Kim Jong Un]
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Language, Sports and Cultural Exchange: #Shigak no. 46
By Sino-NK | June 24, 2017
by Sino-NK
It’s an internationally-flavored #Shigak this week, featuring news that the linguistic talents of the new ROK Foreign Minister may be leaving a nasty taste in the mouths of some South Korean journalists, the arrival of North Korean athletes at a South Korean ski resort, and news that Moon Jae-in’s North Korea policy is potentially in trouble already.
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy] [Sports diplomacy]
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In South Korea, Confidante of Ousted President Gets 3 Years in Prison
By CHOE SANG-HUN
JUNE 23, 2017
Choi Soon-sil, a longtime friend of Park Geun-hye, the ousted president, in Seoul. She was sentenced on Friday but is also charged with other, more serious crimes. Those trials are continuing. Credit Park Ji-hye/News1, via Reuters
SEOUL, South Korea — A longtime friend of Park Geun-hye, the ousted president of South Korea, was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday on charges of abusing her influence to get her daughter illegally enrolled in a prestigious university.
[Choi Soon-sil]
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Moon Has No Reason to Be Cheerful About N.Korea
June 22, 2017 12:59
With just one week left before his U.S. summit, President Moon Jae-in has been giving back-to-back interviews to American media about his views on North Korea. His approach is to start dialogue with the North on condition that Pyongyang freezes its nuclear and missile development programs. The ultimate aim is for North Korea to give up its nuclear arms programs altogether.
Moon said he intends to discuss this plan with U.S. President Donald Trump and stressed several times that the American president shares his thoughts. The two sides have been fine-tuning their official positions, and any discord will probably be packaged diplomatically
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy]
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N. Korea repeatedly slanders President Moon
Posted : 2017-06-22 16:49
Updated : 2017-06-22 19:33
By Choi Ha-young
North Korea is stepping up its smear campaign against President Moon Jae-in over his tough stance on the North's provocations.
"His pledge to strengthen international sanctions is a betrayal of South Koreans' wish to enhance inter-Korean relationships," the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland said, Thursday.
This was in response to President Moon's speech last week to mark the 17th anniversary of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration, in which he criticized Pyongyang's "disparity between what it says and what it does." There, Moon presented the conditions of dialogue ? no more nuclear tests and missile test-firings.
[Moon Jae-in] [NK SK]
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Moon Wants to Bring N.Korea to Negotiating Table 'This Year'
June 21, 2017 10:12
President Moon Jae-in on Monday said he wants to bring North Korea to the negotiating table this year.
"What I hope to achieve by the end of this year is to draw North Korea out to the table for negotiation through the implementation of various and strong sanctions and pressure," he told CBS News at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday.
Asked whether talks with the North would be tantamount to caving in to its demands at a time when Pyongyang is refusing to make any concessions, Moon said, "I have never mentioned a dialogue with no preconditions whatsoever."
"I believe that first we must vie for a freeze of North Korea's nuke and missile programs. And then, as a second phase, try to achieve the complete dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program," he added.
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy] [Agency] [Self-delusion]
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[News analysis] President Moon says dialogue with North Korea is still “necessary”
Posted on : Jun.21,2017 13:37 KST Modified on : Jun.21,2017 13:37 KST
A screengrab from President Moon Jae-in’s interview with CBS program “This Morning”
Recent death of Otto Warmbier could create pressure for South Korea to join tougher sanctions on the North
The CBS interview with President Moon Jae-in that was broadcast on June 20 underscored Moon’s belief that dialogue with North Korea to resolve the North Korean nuclear weapon and missile issue should continue despite the strain on North Korea-US relations resulting from the death of Otto Warmbier.
Even while strongly criticizing Pyongyang, Moon strove to leave open the door for dialogue by emphasizing that his policy toward the North is much the same as the Trump administration’s. Moon’s remarks appear aimed at clearing away the major roadblock caused by the unexpected death of Warmbier shortly before the South Korea-US summit that is scheduled for the end of this month, while also making room to implement his own plan for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.
“I think that dialogue is necessary,” Moon said when the CBS reporter asked if he could engage in negotiations with an unreasonable leader. “The sanctions and pressure that the international community has used in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions have been insufficient to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.”
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy]
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Moon says reopening of inter-Korean industrial complex 'possible only after N. Korea agrees denuclearization'
Posted : 2017-06-21 11:23
Updated : 2017-06-21 14:54
South Korean President Moon Jae-in stressed the need to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table while telling the communist North that denuclearization was the "right path" to ensure its safety in a recent interview published Wednesday.
In his interview with The Washington Post, the new South Korean president said his country may also consider reopening its joint industrial complex with the North but only after "some progress" on North Korea's denuclearization.
"For example, the reopening of Kaesong. This is something we can do at a later stage, when North Korea has made some progress on denuclearization," he was quoted in the U.S. newspaper as saying.
But for now, "we must continue to strengthen our sanctions and pressure on North Korea," he said.
Moon also stressed a need to add dialogue to the available options to deal with the provocative North.
"To resolve the issue we have to add dialogue to the current menu of sanctions and pressure. Every time North Korea commits an additional provocation, the U.N. Security Council passes another resolution. But when it comes to dialogue, currently there is nothing set," he said, adding he hoped to discuss the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump when they meet later this month in Washington.
[Kaesong] [Preconditions] US dominance] [Moon Jae-in]
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Moon administration bringing back North Korea policy officials from the era of engagement
Posted on : Jun.15,2017 16:42 KST Modified on : Jun.15,2017 16:42 KST
In the short term, a significant thawing of inter-Korean relations is unlikely, due to North Korea’s continued provocations
From left to right, National Security Office chief nominee Chung Eui-yong, National Intelligence Service director nominee Suh Hoon, Minister of Unification nominee Cho Myung-gyun
The nomination of Cho Myung-gyun as Minister of Unification on June 13 effectively marked the last of the Moon Jae-in administration’s foreign affairs and national security Cabinet appointments. While the position of National Security Office second deputy director remains vacant and National Assembly confirmation hearings still have to be completed for Minister of Foreign Affairs nominee Kang Kyung-wha and other nominees, the outline for the new administration‘s foreign affairs and national security policy appears to be in place.
[SK NK policy]
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With Kori-1 shutdown, Pres. Moon signals major turn away from nuclear energy
Posted on : Jun.20,2017 17:04 KST Modified on : Jun.20,2017 17:04 KST
President Moon Jae-in takes a photo with children from the area around Kori Nuclear Power Plant, as they push the button to shut down Kori Reactor 1, during a ceremony at the Kori Nuclear Power Headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), located in Gijang County, Busan, June 19. (Blue House photo pool)
Changed energy policy prioritizes public safety, in line with South Korea’s turn from developing to developed country
“Permanently shutting down operations at Kori-1 is the beginning of a journey toward a nuclear-free country; it is the turning point toward a safe country. I will soon be preparing a roadmap for the nuclear power phase-out that can set South Koreans’ hearts at ease,” President Moon Jae-in said on June 19. With anxiety increasing around the world about the safety of nuclear power following the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, Moon has become the first South Korean president to declare a nuclear power phase-out, signaling a major change in the country’s energy policy.
“Since South Korea has to import the majority of its energy, nuclear power was the energy policy chosen when we were still a developing country, but now it’s time to change that,” said Moon during an address delivered at a ceremony marking the permanent shutdown of Kori-1. The ceremony took place at the Kori Nuclear Power Headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), located in Gijang County, Busan.
Moon’s declaration of the goal of making South Korea nuclear-free signifies his willingness to turn the country’s current energy policy paradigm on its head. It affirms a transition from the energy policy of developing countries, which prioritize cheap power and efficiency, to that of developed countries, which place a premium on the environment and on the people’s right to life.
[Nuclear energy]
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South Korea’s first female Minister of Foreign Affairs officially appointed
Posted on : Jun.19,2017 16:55 KST Modified on : Jun.19,2017 16:55 KST
Opposition parties decry Kang Kyung-wha’s appointment as amounting to the “disappearance of co-governance”
President Moon Jae-in officially appointed Kang Kyung-wha on June 18 as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The appointment came 28 days after Moon nominated Kang on May 21. With opposition party lawmakers who opposed Kang’s nomination now loudly denouncing the “disappearance of co-governance,” gridlock is predicted for other Cabinet confirmation hearings and passage of the revised supplementary budget.
Moon presented Kang with a certificate of appointment at the Blue House on the afternoon of June 18.
“With the South Korea-US summit coming up shortly and the G-20 summit ahead, we cannot afford to have the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs vacant,” Moon said.
“I believe even the opposition will generally understand this situation,” he added.
After the National Assembly failed to adopt a hearing report for Kang following her confirmation hearing, Moon made an additional request for the report the day before. When the National Assembly did not respond, he proceeded with Kang’s appointment on June 18 according to legal procedure.
[Kang Kyung-wha]
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Another North Korean defector says he’s stuck in South Korea, wants to go home
Posted on : Jun.18,2017 11:46 KST Modified on : Jun.18,2017 11:46 KST
Kwon Cheol-nam, a North Korean defector who is seeking to return to North Korea, answers reporters’ questions after a press conference in Seoul, June 15. (by Park Su-ji, staff reporter)
Defector Kwon Chol-nam says he was tricked by a broker, then accused of espionage in the South
Another North Korean defector has come forward claiming he was tricked into coming South by a defection broker and demanding to be sent back. It’s the second case of a defector identifying themselves by name as demanding repatriation, after Kim Ryon-hui, 48.
The group Christian Ministers for Peace Action held a press conference in front of the UN North Korean human rights office in Seoul’s Jongno district on the morning of June 15 to issue a “declaration of conscience” on behalf of defector Kwon Chol-nam, 44, and demand his return to North Korea.
A statement requesting the release of North Koreans arrested after attempting to flee to the South and the immediate repatriation of all defectors wishing to return home, including Kwon, was also presented to the UN North Korean human rights office.
[Defector] [Returnee]
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Pres. Moon says inter-Korean railroad will make the Silk Road complete
Posted on : Jun.17,2017 14:36 KST Modified on : Jun.17,2017 14:36 KST
President Moon Jae-in makes the congratulatory address at the second annual conference of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), at the International Convention Center Jeju on June 16. (Blue House photo pool)
Speaking at AIIB conference, Moon says South Korea will link developing Asian countries to advanced economies
“The reality of the Korean Peninsula is that the severed Seoul-Sinuiju Line [from South to North Korea] has yet to be reconnected,” said President Moon Jae-in while attending the second annual conference of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which kicked off at the International Convention Center Jeju on June 16. “The new overland and maritime Silk Road will be brought to completion when North and South Korea are linked by railroad.” This suggests that Moon will push to link the inter-Korean railroad with the Asian infrastructure projects that the bank supports.
In his congratulatory address on June 16, Moon linked the Seoul-Sinuiju Line to the ancient Silk Road, which he said “connected East and West, opened markets, and led to sharing of cultures,” with the Korean Peninsula “at the far eastern terminus of the Asian continent.”
“Most of all, I hope peace on the Korean Peninsula will contribute to stability and integration in Asia,” he said.
On South Korea’s role in Asia, Moon said it would “use its past experiences to serve as a partner in the economic and social development of Asia’s developing countries.”
[Railways] [Inter-Korean] [Eurasia Landbridge] [Wishful thinking]
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Pres. Moon says unconditional dialogue if North Korea halts nuke development and provocations
Posted on : Jun.16,2017 13:52 KST Modified on : Jun.16,2017 13:52 KST
At event commemorating June 15 Joint Statement, Moon says inter-Korean relations “must be reestablished and developed”
President Moon Jae-in said during a congratulatory address at an event marking the 17th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Joint Statement, which took place in the 63 Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on June 15. (Blue House photo pool)
“A decision by North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons would be a sign that it is willing to implement its agreements with South Korea. If the North halts further provocations with its nuclear weapons and missiles, we’re willing to engage in unconditional dialogue with the North,” President Moon Jae-in said on June 15. “The agreements reached by previous governments, including the July 4 Inter-Korean Joint Statement, the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement, the June 15 Joint Statement and the Oct. 4 Summit Statement, are important assets that must be respected even when the administration changes. The government will handle the inter-Korean agreements of previous administrations under the principle that North and South Korea ought to return to them together.”
“Inter-Korean relations must be reestablished and developed, if only to resolve the crisis we are facing,” Moon said during a congratulatory address in an event marking the 17th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Joint Statement, which took place in the 63 Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on June 15. It was the first time since 2006 (since former president Roh Moo-hyun, in office 2003-08) for a sitting president to attend this event, which commemorates the inter-Korean summit meeting attended by former president Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003) on June 15, 2000. With his summit with the US approaching at the end of this month, Moon used his congratulatory address to lay out his overarching plan for restoring inter-Korean relations, which have been disrupted by North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations.
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy] [Preconditions] [Agency] [Self-delusion]
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Calls for a new era of inter-Korean relations on anniversary of 2000 summit
Posted on : Jun.16,2017 13:55 KST Modified on : Jun.16,2017 13:55 KST
Former Unification Minister Lim Dong-won makes his congratulatory address for an academic conference held on the 17th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit Meeting at the Kim Dae-jung Library at Yonsei University in the Seodaemun District of Seoul, June 15.
Experts, politicians and activists call for resumption of operations at the Kaesong Complex and tourism to Mt. Keumgang
“We need to play a leading role on the Korean Peninsula issue.” “It’s crucial that we create a sustainable policy for North Korea.” “The North Korean nuclear issue and the Korean Peninsula issue can’t be resolved without improving inter-Korean relations.”
On June 15 – the 17th anniversary of the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in 2000 when the leaders of North and South Korea sat down together for the first time since the division of the peninsula – scholars, politicians, social activists and former government officials came together to offer the administration of President Moon Jae-in advice for its North Korea policy. While participants differed somewhat in their proposed solutions, they were united in their understanding of the challenging situation on the Korean Peninsula.
[SK NK policy] [Summit00]
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North Korean defector desperately wants to go home, but is facing possible arrest
Posted on : Jun.15,2017 16:47 KST Modified on : Jun.15,2017 16:47 KST
Kim Ryon-hui, a defector who is asking to be repatriated to North Korea
Kim Ryon-hui says she is stuck in South Korea against her will, and is accused of National Security Law violations
A North Korean defector who has demanded repatriation, claiming she was tricked by a defection broker and came to South Korea by mistake, is once again in danger of arrest.
Police are closing in with their investigation of Kim Ryon-hui, 48, and considering requesting an arrest warrant for her on charges of National Security Law violations. In response, Kim and civic groups supporting her held a press conference on June 14 to demand her repatriation.
[Defector] [Return] [NSL] [NIS]
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More Koreans Support THAAD Deployment
June 19, 2017 12:57
More than 50 percent of Koreans support the deployment of the U.S.' Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery here, a poll out last Friday suggests.
Gallup Korea polled 1,003 adults from last week, and 53 percent supported the THAAD deployment, while only 32 percent were against. This was up two percentage points in favor and down eight points against from a similar poll in January.
Even among supporters of the ruling Minjoo Party, 39 percent were in favor and 44 percent against, compared to 30 percent for and 61 percent against in the January poll.
Meanwhile, a whopping 83 percent approved of President Moon Jae-in's performance, up another percentage point from a week earlier, and a mere 10 percent disapproved of his performance, despite squabbling among the parties over some of Moon's ministerial appointments.
[THAAD] [Public opinion]
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6 S.Koreans Held in N.Korea
By Kim Myong-song
June 15, 2017 12:28
Six South Korean citizens are being held captive in North Korea, according to the government's latest assessment. Three of the six are North Korean defectors who have South Korean passports.
Some were kidnapped by North Korean agents while either proselytizing or helping defectors on the Chinese side of the border.
But Kim Jung-wook, a Baptist missionary, was arrested in October 2013 after sneaking into North Korea from Dandong, China in a crackpot mission to spread the gospel. He was charged with spying and sentenced to life in prison. Kim Kuk-gi and Choi Chun-gil, also both South Korean missionaries, were also charged with spying in 2014 and sentenced to life.
Kim Won-ho, a defector who became a missionary, was abducted on the Chinese side of the border in March last year, as was Koh Hyon-chol in May. He was paraded before the state media in July that year. Another defector with South Korean citizenship was also abducted around the same time.
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All Politics Is Local: #Shigak no. 44
by Sino-NK
This edition of #Shigak explores the link between national-level political concerns and their local implications. It looks at an industrial area in the southwest of South Korea, which fell foul of the bilateral spat between China and South Korea over THAAD deployment, and the difficulty of getting the National Assembly to confirm ministerial appointees due to the ethical stain of “false residency registration.” We also update the ongoing debate over THAAD and the variables driving the conservation domestically.
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South Korea: the corruption that built its economy
On May 9, democracy triumphed in South Korea, as the country elected a new leader – the Democratic Party candidate Moon Jae-in. Back in March, the country’s Constitutional Court had removed President Park Geun-hye on charges of corruption. This momentous decision came after an independent investigation last year alleged Park had used her office to enrich a childhood friend and solicit donations from major companies in exchange for favors.
Michael Rock
The scope of these allegations and the magnitude of their consequences brought into focus South Korea’s complicated relationship with corruption. This latest instance of government malfeasance thrust the country into some turmoil, but corruption has not always been so detrimental to Korea. In fact, if not for the economic benefits of corruption, South Korea would not be the industrialized nation it is today.
In most places in the world, corruption tends to be growth-reducing, but this is much less true in East and Southeast Asia, where it tends to be growth-enhancing.
[Corruption]
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Conditions for Dialogue: #Shigak no. 45
By Sino-NK | June 16, 2017 | No Comments
This installment of #Shigak looks at the conditions set by President Moon for the resumption of North-South dialogue during a recent speech to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the North-South Joint Declaration, recent North Korean defections, and the ongoing legislative battle over Moon’s nominee to lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy]
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Kim Jong-un’s Calculations and the Moon Jae-in Administration
Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Scott A. Snyder
June 15, 2017
Park Hyeong Jung is a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
With the inauguration of Moon Jae-in as the new president of South Korea, North Korea is sure to launch a renewed push to achieve its foreign and security policy objectives. Here are five main drivers of North Korea’s policy toward South Korea and the United States.
First, Kim Jong-un believes that even a liberal South Korean president would be incapable of delivering what North Korea wishes to achieve strategically in relations with the South. North Korea may have three wishes: first, separate the issue of inter-Korean rapprochement from his nuclear and missile provocations; second, persuade the South Korean public to take strong enough measures to guarantee the Kim regime’s survival as it is politically, economically, and security wise; and third, make South Korea exert influence on the United States to soften its North Korea policy.
[NK SK policy]
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A New Perspective on the Evolution of South Korea’s Developmental State
by Jong-sung You
It is commonly acknowledged that Park Chung-hee established a developmental state with a meritocratic bureaucracy after the military coup in 1961, ending the predatory state and its patronage-ridden bureaucracy. “Demystifying the Park Chung-Hee Myth: Land Reform in the Evolution of Korea’s Developmental State”1) questions this assessment with careful process tracing of the development of a meritocratic bureaucracy in South Korea. The findings suggest that the contrast between Syngman Rhee’s predatory regime (1948–1960) and Park Chung-hee’s developmental regime (1961–1979) has been exaggerated. Meritocracy in South Korea’s bureaucratic recruitment and promotion systems developed gradually over several decades, including during Rhee’s regime as well as the short democratic episode (1960–1961).
[Development] [Meritocracy] [Corruption] [Park Chung-hee]
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Moon Flounders on Key Foreign and Defense Challenges
By Jeong Woo-sang
June 09, 2017 12:05
President Moon Jae-in marks his first month in office Friday amid solid approval ratings. But he faces significant challenges in the diplomatic and defense areas due to North Korea's missile launches and the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. here.
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters Thursday, "We faced difficulties in diplomacy and national security from the onset." But Moon is still struggling to appoint his foreign and defense ministers.
North Korea on Thursday continued its missile provocations with a volley of surface-to-ship cruise missiles into the East Sea. It was the fifth missile test the North conducted since Moon took office.
North Korea has succeeded in testing a wide range of missiles. If it manages to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland, the isolated country's nuclear and missile capabilities will be nearly complete.
Pyongyang has rejected overtures from Moon, and even the friendly opposition is criticizing his approach to the North. People's Party policy chief Lee Yong-ho said, "It looks like unrequited love."
[Moon Jae-in]
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One month in, Moon administration displaying open governance, comfort and tolerance
Posted on : Jun.9,2017 16:01 KST Modified on : Jun.9,2017 16:01 KST
President Moon Jae-in presides over a meeting of his senior secretariat, at the Blue House, June 8. (Blue House photo pool)
For the public, Moon’s unpretentious style has been a welcome break from the authoritarian style of predecessors
The Moon Jae-in administration marks one month in office on June 10. The administration, which came out of an unprecedented presidential impeachment and snap election, began its term when Moon took his oath of office on the morning of May 10, the day after voting. It faced tough going from the outset, taking office without a transitional committee or a majority in the National Assembly. But it has managed to overcome its circumstances, thanks in large part to popular support levels over 80%.
[Moon Jae-in]
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Moon with highest approval in presidential history, one month in
Posted on : Jun.9,2017 16:04 KST Modified on : Jun.9,2017 16:04 KST
President Moon Jae-in presides over a meeting of his senior secretariat, at the Blue House, June 8. (Blue House photo pool)
To maintain strong support levels, Moon will need to effectively address economic and security matters
One month into office, Moon Jae-in has the highest approval rating of any President in South Korean history.
In a survey of 1,004 adults nationwide by the polling organization Gallup Korea for Moon’s fourth week in office on May 30-June 1 (95% confidence level, ±3.1 percentage point margin of error), 84% of respondents rated Moon as doing a “good job” with his duties, a record since Gallup first began surveying presidential performance ratings in 1984. The total was over 10 percentage points higher than those of Kim Young-sam (in office 1993-98) and Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003), each of whom had a 71% approval rating after the first month in office in Mar. 1993 and Mar. 1998, respectively. Roh Moo-hyun (2003-08) had a 60% approval rating as of Apr. 2003, while Lee Myung-bak (2008-13) earned 52% in Mar. 2008. Moon’s number was nearly double the first-month approval rating for Park Geun-hye (2013-16), who earned just 44% in her fourth week in office in Mar. 2013.
[Moon Jae-in]
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Presiding over first National Security Council meeting, Moon condemns N. Korea’s provocations
Posted on : Jun.9,2017 16:06 KST Modified on : Jun.9,2017 16:06 KST
President Moon asking senior officials to “come up with some good ideas for dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program”
“The only thing that North Korea has to gain from its provocations is international isolation and economic hardship, and it will lose its opportunity to develop. The South Korean government declares that it will neither compromise nor retreat a single step when it comes to national security and public safety,” President Moon Jae-in warned on June 8.
[Moon Jae-in] [Dilemma]
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Ex-UN chief Ban to become chair professor at Yonsei University
Posted : 2017-06-08 13:44
Updated : 2017-06-08 18:54
By Park Si-soo
Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be named as a chair professor at South Korea's Yonsei University on July 4, the school said Wednesday.
Ban will also represent the university's Global Social Contribution Center. It will open a research unit specializing in climate change and global warming on his appointment. The center was named the "Ban Ki-moon Center for Sustainable Development."
Ban is now visiting the United States and will return home on July 3.
[Ban Ki-moon]
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S. Korea's military seeks 8.4% hike in 2018 budget
Posted : 2017-06-08 10:39
Updated : 2017-06-08 10:39
South Korea's defense ministry said Thursday it has requested a record budget of 43.7 trillion won ($38.7 billion) for next year, citing growing threats from North Korea and the need for reforming the South's military under President Moon Jae-in's campaign pledge.
It represents an 8.4 percent increase from 2017.
[Military expenditure]
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Moon says missile tests only deepen isolation of North Korea
Posted : 2017-06-08 16:20
Updated : 2017-06-08 16:23
South Korean President Moon Jae-in launched a strong warning against North Korea Thursday, saying the communist state will only get further isolation and international sanctions from its missile provocations.
The remarks came hours after the North fired what appeared to be surface-to-ship cruise missiles from its east coast.
The short-range missiles apparently held no immediate threat to South Korean and U.S. forces here, but they marked the North's fifth missile or rocket launch since the Moon Jae-in administration came into office on May 10.
[Missile test] [Moon Jae-in]
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Unification Ministry Begs Chilly N.Korea for Dialogue
By Kim Myong-song
June 08, 2017 11:50
The Unification Ministry on Wednesday urged North Korea to allow South Korean civic groups to visit Pyongyang as part of cross-border exchanges despite being cold-shouldered earlier this week
"There is no change in the government's desire to resume civilian exchanges with the North for better inter-Korean ties," Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duk-haeng told reporters. "In that sense, we are urging North Korea to respond the civic groups' requests to visit North Korea."
[SK NK relations]
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N.Korea Tells Seoul to Make Good on Old Promises
By Kim Myong-song
June 07, 2017 10:01
North and South Korea look set to repeat a familiar fan dance as Pyongyang on Tuesday called on Seoul to live up to hasty promises made over a decade ago that came to naught as the North accelerated its nuclear program.
The demand came a day after North Korea spurned an offer from South Korean civic groups to resume aid and civilian exchanges.
"The North-South relations don't improve of themselves just because a new administration has come into power in South Korea," the state-run Rodong Sinmun daily wrote Tuesday. "Nobody can expect the relations to improve just because they allow some humanitarian aid or civilian exchanges that the previous conservative clique halted."
[Renege]
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In Memorial Day address, Pres. Moon makes not a single mention of North Korea
Posted on : Jun.7,2017 17:13 KST Modified on : Jun.7,2017 17:13 KST
President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook visit Korean War veteran Hwang Eui-seon, 93, at Seoul Veterans Hospital in Gangdong district, June 6. (Blue House photo pool)
Moon’s predecessors as president have used the occasion to send Pyongyang stern messages
During his Memorial Day address on June 6, President Moon Jae-in did not use the phrase “North Korea” a single time. This was in stark contrast to former presidents Lee Myung-bak (2008-13) and Park Geun-hye (2013-16), who used their Memorial Day addresses to send tough messages to North Korea, which maintains its standoff with the South, divided by the armistice line.
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy]
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North Korea calls on the South to implement past inter-Korean agreements
Posted on : Jun.7,2017 17:19 KST Modified on : Jun.7,2017 17:19 KST
Members of the South Korean Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Statement hold a demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, calling for improvement of inter-Korean relations and expansion of private sector exchange, June 2. (Yonhap News)
Pyongyang may be seeking to gauge Seoul’s commitment to resuming inter-Korean exchange under Moon administration
North Korea is urging the Moon Jae-in administration declare its commitment to implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration of 2000 and the October 4 Declaration of 2007.
It also called on Seoul to address fundamental issues in the deeply strained relationship between the two sides before attempting to resume humanitarian aid and private exchange. Many are questioning the aims of Pyongyang’s message, which comes as joint events by South, North, and overseas Koreans are being planned for the first time in nine years ahead of the June 15 Declaration‘s 17th anniversary.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of [North] Korea, published a “political analysis” titled “We Must Respect and Implement the North-South Declarations” on June 6.
[SK NK relations] [Summit00] [KR_Summit07] [Renege]
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N. Korea urges S. Korea to end confrontation for revival of exchanges
Posted : 2017-06-07 13:58
Updated : 2017-06-07 13:58
North Korea's propaganda website urged South Korea on Wednesday to show sincerity in ending its confrontational policy, including its 2010 punitive sanctions against Pyongyang, before Seoul seeks to resume civilian inter-Korean exchanges.
The North's propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri also cited Seoul's suspension of a joint tour program at Mount Kumgang in 2008 and closure of a joint industrial complex in 2016 as the main hindrance in improving inter-Korean ties.
"Inter-Korean relations cannot be improved just by reviving humanitarian assistance or civilian exchanges that were suspended under previous South Korean conservative governments," it said.
It claimed that the ties can be improved when Seoul has a firm stance in lifting anti-Pyongyang measures taken under conservative administrations.
[Kumgangsan] [Kaesong] [Moon Jae-in]
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South and North Korea make contact on tentative June 15 commemorative event
Posted on : Jun.6,2017 13:43 KST Modified on : Jun.6,2017 13:43 KST
Members of the South Korean Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Statement hold a demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, calling for improvement of inter-Korean relations and expansion of private sector exchange, June 2. (Yonhap News)
First contact under Moon administration suggests holding joint anniversary event in Pyongyang
North Korea has responded to a private South Korean organization’s request for contact for the first time since South Korea’s new administration took power. This is improving the prospects for North and South Koreans overseas holding a joint event on June 15, an annual event that has been suspended since 2008.
“The North Korean committee suggested that the joint event commemorating the 17th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Statement be held in Pyongyang,” the South Korean Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Statement (under permanent president Lee Chang-bok) said in a statement released on the afternoon of June 5. This is the first time that North and South Korea have exchanged communications since the launch of the Moon Jae-in administration, albeit in the private sector. On May 28, South Korea’s Unification Ministry approved the committee’s request to make contact with the North with the aim of holding the June 15 joint event.
[Inter-Korean] [SK NK policy] [Summit00]
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Inter-Korean relations continue to thaw with eight more approvals for contact
Posted on : Jun.5,2017 16:58 KST Modified on : Jun.5,2017 16:58 KST
Members of the South Korean Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Statement hold a demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, calling for improvement of inter-Korean relations and expansion of private sector exchange, June 2. (Yonhap News)
Moon administration using private sector contact as momentum to push for more substantial rapprochement with North Korea
After a long freeze, private-sector exchange between North and South Korea is finally starting to thaw. While several of the key positions in South Korea’s diplomacy and security establishment (the Blue House National Security Office and the Unification and Defense Ministers) have yet to be filled, the new administration seems to be speeding up its efforts to repair severed ties with the North.
On June 2, the Unification Ministry announced it had approved eight requests for making contact with North Korea that had been filed by humanitarian aid organizations and religious groups. “We approved two requests for contact with residents of North Korea from humanitarian aid groups and six from religious groups. The purpose of contact is deliberations about humanitarian aid and purely religious exchange,” said Lee Yu-jin, deputy spokesperson for the Unification Ministry, in the regular press briefing.
[SK NK policy]
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New South Korean president receives WCC delegation to discuss churches’ role in peace initiatives for Korean peninsula
New South Korean president receives WCC delegation to discuss churches’ role in peace initiatives for Korean peninsula
WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and president of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in. Photo: Peter Prove/WCC
May 31, 2017
On 30 May 2017 a delegation led by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit met with the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, who took office on 10 May 2017.
Mr Moon is a former human rights lawyer, who once served as a member of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) Busan Chapter for human rights.
“That President Moon received us so early in his term is a sign of his recognition of the role that churches in Korea and the WCC have in building relations for peace on the Korean peninsula,” noted Tveit.
President Moon received the delegation – comprising WCC general secretary Tveit, Dr Sang Chang (WCC President for the Asian Region), Mr Peter Prove (director of the WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs), Metropolitan Ambrose-Aristotle Zographos (of the Orthodox Church in Korea, and President of the NCCK), Rev. Dr Kim Young Ju (NCCK general secretary), and Rev. Shin Seung-min (NCCK Programme Executive) – in his executive office in the “Blue House,” in Seoul.
[Moon Jae-in] [Religion] [SK NK policy] [Spin]
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Kim Jong-un Has No 'Good Intentions'
By Chosun Ilbo Columnist Lee Ha-won
May 26, 2017 13:02
The comments that stirred up the biggest controversy during the last presidential election campaign were made by South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung, who said former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye pursued their policies with "good intentions." Frontrunner Moon Jae-in's camp relentlessly attacked Ahn for the comment, and Moon criticized Ahn for "lacking anger" at Park, who went down in a massive corruption and influence-peddling scandal. The remark played a decisive role in causing voter support for Ahn to wane.
But now Moon's administration seems to believe that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un harbors "good intentions," unlike the former presidents. Moon accuses his predecessors of being brazen thieves but leaves open the possibility of a summit with the North Korean leader, vowing during his campaign to travel to Pyongyang even
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First 1.5-track inter-Korean meeting under Pres. Moon to take place in Sweden
Posted on : Jun.1,2017 17:41 KST Modified on : Jun.1,2017 17:41 KST
Unlike preceding conservative administrations, Moon has expressed willingness to have dialogue with North Korea
Shin Bong-kil, a visiting professor at the Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies
The first track 1.5 inter-Korean meeting since President Moon Jae-in took office is taking place in Sweden.
Sweden’s Institute for Security & Development Policy (ISDP) will be kicking off a private two-day forum in Stockholm on May 31, which is to be attended by experts and government figures from South and North Korea, the US, and China, multiple foreign affairs sources reported on May 31. One of the South Korean attendees will be Shin Bong-kil, a visiting professor at the Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies.
The North Korean attendees will reportedly include figures from the Foreign Ministry’s Disarmament and Peace Institute. From the US, former White House aide and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst Sue Mi Terry and Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Bruce Klingner will reportedly be attending.
[SK NK] [Track 1.5]
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Supreme Court upholds three-year prison sentence for labor leader
Posted on : Jun.1,2017 17:42 KST Modified on : Jun.1,2017 17:42 KST
Jan Erik Wetzel, Senior Policy Advisor Amnesty International East Asia (second from the right), passes a press conference calling for the release of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions President Han Sang-gyun, on the day of an appellate hearing in Han’s case, at Seoul Central District Court, Dec. 8. (by Kim Bong-kyu, staff photographer)
International labor and human rights groups call for the release of Han Sang-gyun
South Korea’s highest court has upheld a three-year prison sentence for Han Sang-gyun, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). The international community has publicly denounced the ruling for violating international legal standards related to the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly and has called for Han’s release.
[Repression]
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S. Korea OKs additional civilian exchanges with N. Korea
2017/06/02 17:18
SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government on Friday approved an additional eight requests by local aid providers and religious groups to have contact with North Koreans over inter-Korean exchanges.
The Ministry of Unification said that it gave the green light to plans by two humanitarian aid providers and six religious groups to come in contact with North Korea as the government decided to revive civilian exchanges with the North.
[SK NK policy]
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Change and Continuity
by Sino-NK
We are three weeks into Moon Jae-in’s presidency. With a new government taking shape comes the articulation of new priorities; herein we see both change and continuity. This issue of #Shigak looks at both: a new vision for the country’s spy agency (change) and a commitment to the installation of THAAD, the anti-missile defense system, despite controversy (continuity). We also take a took at new political appointees and the accompanying scandals.
[Moon Jae-in] [THAAD] [Continuity]
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South Korea Asks for Pope’s Mediation in Negotiations with North
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.1 Jun 201725
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The newly elected president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, sent a special emissary to the Vatican to ask Pope Francis to mediate in efforts toward reconciliation in the Korean peninsula.
“I was sent by the president to ask the Holy Father for his support in the reconciliation process between North and South Korea, and I hope the Vatican can act as a mediator,” Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-jong told Catholic News Agency (CNA).
[Moon Jae-in] [Pope]
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Moon says will handle N.K. issues without role of foreign countries
2017/06/01 15:01
JEJU ISLAND, June 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new administration will take the initiative in global efforts to denuclearize North Korea without depending on the role of foreign countries, President Moon Jae-in said Thursday.
"We will take the lead in dealing with Korean Peninsula issues without relying on the role of foreign countries," Moon said in a congratulatory video message to the opening of the Jeju Forum, which kicked off a three-day run on this resort island. "We will launch an entirely renewed initiative and boldly implement it for lasting peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula."
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy] [Denuclearisation] [Self delusion]
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With Growing Threat From North Korea, South Korean President Seeks Church’s Help
Joshua Gill
5:13 PM 05/31/2017
Newly Elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) Tuesday to discuss the church’s role in a peace initiative for the Korean Peninsula as tensions with North Korea mount over the growing missile crisis.
Moon, a former member of the National Council of Churches in North Korea (NCCK), urged the WCC and the NCCK to help work toward his goal of establishing a “peace regime” and achieving denuclearization on the peninsula. Chances for making headway on that initiative are slim in light of Pyongyang’s continued missile tests and threatening behavior toward the U.S.
The president said that while his administration remains committed to establishing peaceful dialogue with North Korea, the North’s recent missile tests have made communication all but impossible at present, reports a WCC press release.
[Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy] [Subservience] [Religion]
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Civic Groups Get Green Light to Contact N.Korea
By Kim Myong-song
June 01, 2017 12:58
The Unification Ministry on Wednesday approved a request by several civic groups here to contact North Korea and discuss joint celebrations to mark the 17th anniversary of the historic inter-Korean summit in 2000.
The last anniversary celebration took place in 2008.
A ministry official said, "Just like any other civilian exchange, we approved the application… as long as such contacts do not damage the framework of international sanctions against North Korea."
The groups want to discuss the schedule and locations of events with North Korean officials by fax, e-mail, parcel messages and telephone calls.
If the North agrees, a South Korean delegation will travel to Pyongyang.
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President Moon meets with former Indonesian president
May 30, 2017
By Lee Hana
President Moon Jae-in met with former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri on May 29 in Seoul.
Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Su-hyun announced in a press briefing that, "President Moon and former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri spent the majority of their time discussing various measures that would speed up the normalization of relations between South and North Korea."
"The Korean government is pushing to shift the paradigm insofar as to address North-South relations," said President Moon. "The two sides need to play the main roles in resolving problems rooted in the Korean Peninsula. Unlike previous administrations, which relied solely on sanctions and outside pressure, the current government will enforce these measures while also seeking to open the floor for debate."
"Korea and ASEAN member states need to strengthen our diplomatic relationships so that they are at the same level as the relationship between Korea and the U.S., China, Japan and Russia. I hope that Indonesia will play a central role in fortifying the Korea-ASEAN alliance," said the president.
"The North and South are originally one nation, so it makes sense for the two sides to be reunited," said former President Megawati Sukarnoputri. "However, it's important to note that underlying problems cannot be solved through politics alone. It's necessary to approach the issue from social, cultural, educational, public health and economic points of view to get the full picture," she said.
[Megawati] [Moon Jae-in] [Indonesia]
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