The Korea Herald

Lee’s chief auditor nominee faces tough hearings

Jan 7, 2011

Civil service marred by ethical problemsChief state auditor nominee Chung Tong-ki faces tough questions at his parliamentary confirmation hearings about his political impartiality and his earnings at a law firm after resignation as a prosecutor.President Lee Myung-bak last week nominated his former aide Chung as the new chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection.Opposition legislators argue th
S. Korea to repatriate 3 stray N. Koreans

Jan 7, 2011

South Korea will return on Friday three North Korean fishermen who had drifted on a boat across the countries’ tense western sea border about a month ago, an official said.The fishermen were rescued by the South Korean Navy on Dec. 3 near the island of Yeonpyeong in the West Sea, Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung said in a briefing.The island was the site of an attack by North Korean ar
Ex-KH editorial writer dies

Jan 7, 2011

Kim Kak, former editorial writer for The Korea Herald, died of bile duct cancer Friday morning at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital. He was 76.Kim had been a journalist for four decades since he joined the Korea Times as a reporter in 1957. He became an editorial writer for The Korea Herald in 1972. Kim KakKim also briefly served as former President Park Chung-hee’s secretary for public relations in 1973.
Seoul, Tokyo ministers talk on cooperation

Jan 7, 2011

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan met with Japan’s national strategy minister Friday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two neighboring nations, including the possibility of a free trade agreement.Koichiro Genba, Japan’s state minister in charge of national policy, arrived in Seoul on Thursday for a two-day visit that includes meetings with Foreign Minister Kim, Trade Minister Kim Jon
Allies skeptical over N. Korea’s dialogue offer

Jan 6, 2011

South Korea and the U.S. have dismissed North Korea’s proposal for “unconditional talks” as insincere, insisting actions still had to be made ahead of any kind of dialogue. Nuclear envoys of Seoul and Washington agreed Wednesday that peace talks between the two Koreas should precede the resumption of the six-party denuclearization negotiations. The reclusive North made the rare proposal through an
Lee calls for FMD solutions

Jan 6, 2011

Officials told to secure enough vaccines to prevent future outbreakPresident Lee Myung-bak on Thursday instructed his government to come up with fundamental solutions to prevent another outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease next year in addition to ongoing quarantine efforts. “With an increasing number of travelers moving in and out of the country, we need to do more than just quarantine work,” Lee s
Ex-president offers to donate all his wealth

Jan 6, 2011

Former President Kim Young-sam on Wednesday offered to donate all of his wealth to the public. Kim’s residence in Seoul and land in his hometown of Geoje Island will be bequeathed to a nongovernmental organization named after him while the house where he was born will be returned to the municipal government of Geoje, according to his aides. The total value of Kim’s assets is estimated at about 5 b
S. Korea, U.S. coordinating terms of resuming nuke talks

Jan 5, 2011

South Korea and the U.S. are in agreement that North Korea should first solve issues with Seoul before rejoining the multinational peace talks with four other regional powers, a Seoul official said Wednesday. Top envoys of Seoul and Washington on North Korea discussed the terms of resuming the stalled six-nation denuclearization talks with the reclusive state, apparently noting the inevitable need
Is Lee waging anticorruption campaign?

Jan 5, 2011

A series of irregularities among public office holders is drawing attention to whether the Lee Myung-bak administration would launch an all-out campaign to tighten the discipline of civil servants as it enters its fourth year.President Lee emphasized in his New Year’s address Monday that the government “has so much to achieve this year,” reiterating his call on public officials to focus on work to
Allies move toward resuming 6-way talks

Jan 4, 2011

Preconditions for reopening dialogue to be delivered to the North ‘via inter-Korean channel’While maintaining tough rhetoric, South Korea and the U.S. appear to be opening the door to possible peace talks with North Korea, apparently sending messages Pyongyang that the issue depends upon its attitude from this point on. Positive changes have been brewing on the tense Korean Peninsula since North K
Korea, Japan to discuss bilateral military relations

Jan 4, 2011

Defense chiefs to hold talks in Seoul next weekDefense chiefs of South Korea and Japan will meet in Seoul next week for talks on a proposed agreement on protection of military secrets and bilateral cooperation on military supplies, Seoul officials said.During their talks next Monday, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa are also expected to exchange views on
Park keeps lead in opinion polls of presidential hopefuls

Jan 3, 2011

Rep. Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the ruling Grand National Party, has maintained an overwhelming lead in all recent opinion polls on those hoping to run in the 2012 presidential election.However, observers say it remains to be seen whether Park will continue to remain the favorite in the polls, citing the possibility of her suffering an unexpected setback in the unstable political scene be
Door for talks with N.K. open: Lee

Jan 3, 2011

Vows to speed up defense reform for stronger deterrencePresident Lee Myung-bak on Monday said the door for dialogue with North Korea still remains open, hinting hopes that the frozen inter-Korean relations might abate as members of the six-nation talks prepare for resumption of the nuclear negotiations.Lee also vowed to speed up defense reform to strengthen deterrence against North Korea’s threats
‘Koreas must take lead in defusing tensions’

Jan 3, 2011

Former unification minister urges Lee government to seek ‘exit strategy’ from standoffSo as not to lose the initiative to other regional powers in solving issues on the peninsula, South Korea must restore trust with the rival North and work on resuming the stalled multinational talks aimed at denuclearizing the growingly provocative state, a former unification minister here said.Before the Lee Myu
Lee says door for inter-Korean dialogue still open

Jan 3, 2011

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Monday that the door for inter-Korean dialogue remains open but North Korea should first show its seriousness about the talks.President Lee Myung-bak makes a New Year's address on Monday. (Yonhap News)"I remind the North that the path toward peace is yet open. The door for dialogue is still open," Lee said in his New Year's address broadcast live.Lee reite