Articles by 송상호
송상호
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Uncertainties over inter-Korean ties grow
Uncertainties over the prospects of inter-Korean ties rose Saturday as the rare cross-border talks broke down due to differences over a series of pending issues including the stalled tours to Mount Geumgangsan and the issue of families separated by the border. The vice minister-level talks that started amicably Friday turned into a grueling tug-of-war as Pyongyang officials insisted on resuming the lucrative tours to the mountain and linking the issue to the issue of separated families, Seoul of
North Korea Dec. 13, 2015
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Japanese police arrest Korean suspect of Yasukuni bombing
Japanese police Wednesday arrested a 27-year-old Korean man suspected of having triggered a small explosion in a restroom at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo last month, according to Japanese reports.The man, identified by his surname Jeon, denies the charges, reports said. Jeon was arrested on charges of “intruding in the shrine without a valid reason” as soon as he landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on the day. Seoul’s Foreign Ministry sent a consul to meet him and provide any necessary government
Foreign Affairs Dec. 9, 2015
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‘China has used nationalism for domestic purposes’
This is the ninth installment in a series of interviews with scholars and experts on China as a resurgent Asian power that is changing the regional order. This installment looks into China’s growing nationalism. -- Ed. China has utilized growing nationalism for domestic purposes such as fostering national unity and reinforcing the governing legitimacy of the Communist Party, China expert Lee Dong-ryul said, calling its nationalism a “state-controlled” one.Lee Dong-ryulUnlike South Korea, the C
Foreign Affairs Dec. 8, 2015
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S. Korea, V4 open new chapter of ties
Relations between South Korea and a group of four central European nations opened a new chapter on Thursday as they agreed to step up their cooperation in infrastructure development, security, climate change and other areas during their first-ever summit in the Czech Republic. President Park Geun-hye (second from left) and the leaders of the four-nation "Visegrad Group" hold a joint press conference in Prague, the Czech Republic on Thursday. (Yonhap)At the summit with the “Visegrad Group” -- als
Foreign Affairs Dec. 4, 2015
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S. Korea, U.S., Japan agree to send 'stern' message against N.K. provocations
The top nuclear negotiators of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan shared the need to continuously send a “stern” message to deter North Korea’s provocations such as its test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, during their trilateral meeting on Thursday.After the meeting in Washington, Seoul’s chief negotiator Hwang Joon-kuk said that the three sides agreed to continue their joint efforts to press Pyongyang to return to the dialogue table for its denuclearization, and enhance the “efficacy”
National Dec. 4, 2015
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Korean man suspected in Yasukuni explosion
A South Korean man is suspected of triggering an explosion in a restroom at the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japanese war dead, in Tokyo last month, Japanese news reports said Thursday, citing police officials.Mainichi Shimbun reported that an investigation is underway after the police found that a South Korean man in his 30s appeared in the footage of a surveillance camera installed near the restroom right after an explosion that caused no casualties.In the footage, he was seen wandering aroun
Foreign Affairs Dec. 3, 2015
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S. Korea, Czech Republic agree on nuclear reactor cooperation
South Korea and the Czech Republic agreed to cooperate in the latter’s project to build and maintain additional nuclear power plants during their summit Wednesday, paving the way for Korean firms to join the project estimated to be worth more than 10 trillion won ($8.6 billion).President Park Geun-hye and Czech President Milos Zeman shake hands before their summit talks Wednesday at the Prague Castle in the Czech Republic’s capital. (Yonhap)On the occasion of the summit between President Park Ge
Foreign Affairs Dec. 2, 2015
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‘Geography critical factor in U.S.-China rivalry’
This is the eighth installment in a series of interviews with scholars and experts on China as a resurgent Asian power that is changing the regional order. This installment looks into China’s military power vis-a-vis that of the U.S. Due to the depth and extent of areas covered in this installment, the interview is published on two consecutive pages to provide an unabridged version. -- Ed. China remains far inferior to the U.S. in terms of aggregate military power, but it would be wrong to und
Foreign Affairs Dec. 2, 2015
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Park struggles to promote Northeast Asia Development Bank
In March 2014, President Park Geun-hye unveiled an ambitious plan to build a multilateral bank to develop North Korea and other areas in Northeast Asia, saying it would help bolster inter-Korean exchanges, ease cross-border tensions and lay the groundwork for reunification. Park continued to tout the initiative most recently at the G20 summit last month.President Park Geun-hye speaks during a U.N. climate change forum in Paris, France on Monday. (Yonhap)But the much-trumpeted plan faces a series
Foreign Affairs Dec. 1, 2015
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Koreas to hold vice minister-level talks on Dec. 11
The two Koreas agreed to hold vice-minister-level talks at the joint industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong on Dec. 11 to discuss bilateral pending issues to improve cross-border relations, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Friday. Kim Ki-woong (right), assistant minister of South Korea’s Unification Ministry’s Special Office for Inter-Korean Dialogue, shakes hands with Hwang Chol (left), a senior official of the North’s Committee for Peaceful Unification of the Fatherla
North Korea Nov. 27, 2015
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Two Koreas hold rare working-level talks
The two Koreas on Thursday held a working-level meeting to arrange high-level government talks, amid concerns that Pyongyang’s continued criticisms against Seoul’s policies could hamper the budding mood for dialogue.Kim Ki-woong (right), assistant minister of South Korea’s Unification Ministry’s Special Office for Inter-Korean Dialogue, shakes hands with Hwang Chol (left), a senior official of the North’s Committee for Peaceful Unification of the Fatherland before their talks in Tongilgak on the
North Korea Nov. 26, 2015
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‘Lack of popular mandate Chinese party’s weakness’
This is the seventh installment in a series of interviews with scholars and experts on China as a resurgent Asian power that is changing the regional order. This installment looks into the strengths and weaknesses of the Communist Party of China. -- Ed.The greatest vulnerability facing the Communist Party of China is that it has never been given a popular mandate to rule the nation, China expert Yang Gab-yong said, underscoring the importance of the trust of the Chinese people to keep its govern
Foreign Affairs Nov. 26, 2015
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Fighter development project faces setback
South Korea’s project to develop its own fighter jet appears to be facing yet another setback, as some Washington officials are reportedly opposed to a U.S. defense firm’s transfer of technologies to facilitate the project.Defense Minister Han Min-koo(left) and Chang Myoung-jin, the head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, attend a parliamentary session on Wednesday.(Yonhap)Lockheed Martin has agreed to offer the 21 technologies in “broad terms,” but the U.S. State Department dema
Defense Nov. 25, 2015
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DAPA under fire over plane tech transfer date
South Korea’s defense acquisition agency came under fire again Tuesday upon concerns that their plans to secure all technologies from the U.S. this month to develop an indigenous fighter jet may not be feasible on time. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration had said that Washington would give its approval for the export of 21 technologies from Lockheed Martin by early November, and that Washington should do so under a bilateral agreement.But the U.S. requested recently that the two side
Defense Nov. 24, 2015
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Seoul faces dilemma over constitutional claim to N.K.
South Korea is facing a diplomatic dilemma over the clause in its Constitution that treats North Korea as part of its territory, as Japan’s plans for contingencies on the peninsula appear to disregard it.Seoul has argued that as South Korea’s sovereignty extends across the North according to its domestic law, Tokyo should secure consent from Seoul should it want to deploy troops there.But Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said during his talks with Seoul’s Defense Minister Han Min-koo last
Defense Nov. 24, 2015
