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Politics
Trump threatened to pull troops if South Korea didn’t give $5 billion: Bolton memoir
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to pull American troops from South Korea if Seoul did not pay US$5 billion under a defense cost-sharing deal, his former National Security Adviser John Bolton said in his memoir. In “The Room Where It Happened,” set to be published Tuesday, Bolton recalled an…
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Politics
Vietnam, Japan agree on gradual easing of travel restrictions
HANOI: Vietnam and Japan have agreed to gradually ease travel restrictions between the two countries, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced. The two governments have worked closely together in COVID-19 prevention and control, the ministry said. Vietnam and Japan spoke highly of each other’s efforts in the fight…
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Politics
Moon accepts unification minister’s resignation
SEOUL: President Moon Jae-in accepted Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul’s resignation Friday, Cheong Wa Dae (the President’s office) announced, two days after he offered to step down to take responsibility for strained relations between the two Koreas highlighted by the North’s demolition of a joint liaison office. Keen attention is being…
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Politics
North Korea blows up joint liaison office in Kaesong
SEOUL: North Korea blew up the inter-Korean joint liaison office in its border town of Kaesong on Tuesday, sharply escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula after near-daily threats to punish Seoul over anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets. The surprise explosion sparked concern that the communist nation could put other threats against the…
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Politics
The symbol of Democrats’ resistance and the controversies
By Peter Jaegeul Song Staff Reporter at The Asia N SEOUL: On Monday, June 8, a few dozen Congressional Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, tried to honor George Floyd’s memory by kneeling in the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall for 8 minutes and 46 seconds;…
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Politics
Singapore eyes July or September to hold general elections
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: General elections as early as in July, or latest in September. This is what Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) appears to have set its mind on as it sees the Covid pandemic outbreak in the Republic as stabilising, with restrictions…
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Politics
In second setback this year, Dr Mahathir loses party membership
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been dismissed from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), the political party he founded in 2016 A letter signed by the party’s executive secretary Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya said that the party memberships of Dr Mahathir, Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir, Bersatu…
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Politics
Some leaders win virus bonus; whammy for million$ skippers
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Feared as the Evil Genie everywhere, the Coronavirus is displaying almost mystical abilities to impact the fortunes of politicians across the globe, for better or for worse. Take South Korea’s Moon Jae-in. The president’s political fate took an unexpected upswing…
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Politics
40 years later, Gwangju’s heroic movement remains deeply entrenched in South Korea’s collective memory
By Habib Toumi During my first visit to South Korea in 2019, I had the chance to discover several beautiful cities, amazing edifices, attractive sites and breathtaking landscapes. From mountains to seas, from simple temples to complex structures, from sophisticated areas to natural attractions, the country presented a multitude of…
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Politics
Chun’s commander warned South Korea could end up like Vietnam unless Gwangju uprising quelled: U.S. documents
SEOUL: The martial law commander at the time of South Korea’s 1980 pro-democracy uprising warned the then-U.S. ambassador that the country could end up a communist nation like Vietnam unless the revolt was quelled, declassified U.S. documents showed Friday. The commander, Gen. Lee Hui-sung, also tried to justify the martial…
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