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Asia

The Korea Times

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Columnists

12. Yang Moo-jin

Inter-Korean prospects in first half of 2022

A new year has begun. When U.S. President Joe Biden was inaugurated in January of last year, there were high expectations of a new opportunity to improve relations with North Korea. Unfortunately, no tangible results were made. However, the uncertainty of the situation on the Korean Peninsula has decreased and a positive atmosphere has been created for the resumption of dialogue.

2022-01-04 17:15

Reflections on inter-Korean peace

Recently, conservatives and some opposition parties have been criticizing the results of the Moon Jae-in administration's foreign and security policy as well as its policy on North Korea for being insufficient. To some extent, the government's efforts are being devalued as a “peace show” or a “chant for peace.” I would like to look back on the past year and suggest what kind of efforts should be made to move forward toward peace for the Koreas.

2021-12-06 16:58

Inter-Korean cooperation

The key focus of President Moon Jae-in on his trip to Europe to participate in the G20 summit was peace on the Korean Peninsula. As the first official duty on his itinerary, President Moon met with Pope Francis and asked him to visit North Korea. It was also unusual for Unification Minister Lee In-young to accompany the President on an overseas trip. It is noteworthy that Lee met with the heads of major international organizations such as the WFP and WHO and asked for cooperation in providing humanitarian assistance to North Korea, especially in the health and medical sector. This seems to s...

2021-11-08 16:20

Three meanings of the end-of-war declaration

In his speech at the U.N. General Assembly this year, President Moon Jae-in emphasized that the declaration of an end to the Korean War is an important starting point for making a new order of “reconciliation and cooperation” on the Korean Peninsula, and urged the international community to join forces in supporting an end-of-war declaration.

2021-10-11 16:26

Yongbyon nuclear facility assessments: three contradictions

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report issued at the end of August that North Korea appears to have restarted its 5 MW reactor and reprocessing facility in Yongbyon. Many different assessments of the Yongbyon nuclear facility were reported in the media and it seems that quite a few of them are contradictory and biased, as if revealing the disorderly state of the North Korean nuclear issue itself. I would like to outline them in the following “three contradictions.”

2021-09-13 17:05

Brokering US-North Korea dialogue: Breaking away from 'you first' attitudes

The situation on the Korean Peninsula, which has been frozen since the Hanoi summit between the United States and North Korea, is still in a stalemate. North Korea is focusing on self-reliance and internal solidarity while refusing to engage in dialogue with the U.S. and South Korea. However, the conflux of problems, including sanctions against North Korea, natural disasters, COVID-19 and the de facto closure of the border for preventive measures against the pandemic are exacerbating North Korea's economic difficulties.

2021-08-30 17:20

North Korea's VNR Report

On July 13, North Korea participated in the Voluntary National Review (VNR) held at the High-Level Political Forum under the U.N. Economic and Social Council, and reported on the implementation of the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” VNR is a process in which all developed and developing countries participating in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), voluntarily share and review experiences, challenges and lessons.

2021-08-16 16:13

China's peninsula engagement

China and North Korea seem to be getting closer these days. The leaders of the two countries exchanged congratulatory messages on the 60th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance on July 11. In the message, they emphasized advancing the development of respective socialist causes and strengthening strategic communication, based on the friendship between the two sides that was forged in blood.

2021-07-19 16:27

Problems in media reports related to NK

At the ROK-U.S. summit, the two leaders agreed that diplomacy and dialogue based on existing agreements between the two Koreas and between the U.S. and North Korea are essential for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a regime under peace. The two leaders also confirmed U.S. President Joe Biden's support for inter-Korean dialogue, engagement and cooperation.

2021-06-21 17:04

ROK-US cooperation needed to promote N. Korea human rights

Last week in Washington, D.C, leaders of both the Republic of Korea and the United States reaffirmed the rock-solid cooperation between the two countries. I hope the summit will be the gateway to restart the US-North Korea dialogue to make progress for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

2021-05-24 17:26

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