Peace in Korea: Next Steps
I thank the organizers of the Jeju Forum for giving me the opportunity to contribute to these important discussions. I am not an expert on Korea. I am sorry to say it, but I must admit that I do not even speak Korean, as all modern people should. I can only offer some experience in […]
Moon Jae-in and the Politics of Reform in South Korea
One year and five months have passed since South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office. During this period, Moon’s democratic leadership style and spirit of service have lifted public morale and salved past wounds. In his inaugural address, he voiced his desire to become a president who communicates with the public in order to create […]
My trip to Pyongyang: Finding South Korea there
Part I As the shaky Antonov An-148 aircraft descended, it was nothing but North Korea below us, or so I thought. With the plane trundling up to the terminal at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, I glanced out of the window to see the Taegukgi ― South Korea’s national flag. It was painted on the side […]
Two Koreas begin clearing mines along DMZ
The two Koreas began removing landmines buried along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Monday, to fulfill a joint military agreement signed during the latest inter-Korean summit last month, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday. The move is in line with their bilateral agreement to disarm the DMZ. Both sides […]
Kim welcomes Moon
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un welcomed South Korean President Moon Jae-in with a big smile at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang, Tuesday. Kim and Moon embraced and flashed wide smiles, after Moon and his wife Kim Jung-sook walked out of the presidential plane at around 10:08 a.m. The two leaders will hold formal talks from […]
Man fined W6 million over women’s toilet spycam
A man in his 20s was fined 6 million won ($5,360) for secretly videotaping inside women’s toilets in North Chungcheong Province in May. The Cheongju Provincial Court made the ruling on Wednesday, finding the man, 21, guilty of violating the Sexual Violence Act. The court also ordered the accused to do a 40-hour sexual crime […]
South Korea: racist book about Filipinas banned
Major book retailers have stopped selling an “obscene and racist” book about Filipinas. Online retailers, including Aladin, Yes24 and Bandi & Lunis, have removed the e-book, “How to Treat Bar Hostesses in the Philippines.” This move came after a tweet about the book was widely spread earlier this month. Many people have taken issue with […]
War-separated families meet for first time in 65 years
Relatives separated by the 1950-53 Korean War tearfully reunited at Mount Geumgang in North Korea, Monday, for the first time in 65 years. Participating from the South were 89 people who registered with the Korean Red Cross to find their relatives in the North, accompanied by family members. Kim Choon-sik, 80, embraced his two sisters […]
The situation of canine butcher shops in South Korea
Moran Market in the suburban city of Seongnam is an iconic venue illustrating the dramatic change in Koreans’ perceptions of dogs. In the past, dogs were viewed as a cheap, readily available source of protein. That sweeping perception has changed a lot over the past decade, particularly after the mid-2000s. Today, dogs are Koreans’ favorite […]
Tearful reunion: 181 South Koreans to meet separated family in North on Aug. 20-26
One hundred eighty one elderly Koreans _ 93 from the South and 88 from the North, will meet their relatives during a reunion of separated families scheduled from Aug. 20 to 26. The list was finalized and exchanged between the Red Cross organizations of the South and North, Saturday, through the truce village of Panmunjeom […]
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