Day: January 15, 2024

SEOUL, A group of former lawmakers and mayors quit the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Monday, saying they would join a new party that former DP leader Lee Nak-yon is trying to launch, amid attention over how deep the DP’s split will go.

The departures of the five people — former lawmakers Shin Kyoung-min and Choi Woon-youl, former Goyang Mayor Choi Sung, former Bucheon Mayor Jang Deog-cheon and former Jecheon Mayor Lee Keun-kyu — came four days after Lee Nak-yon left the DP to create a new party of his own ahead of April’s general elections.

A day before Lee’s departure, three incumbent lawmakers — Reps. Cho Eung-chon, Kim Jong-min and Lee Won-wook — also left the DP, criticizing the way DP Chairman Lee Jae-myung runs the party, amid views that they are unlikely to win party nominations in the upcoming elections.

The series of departures raised questions about whether there will be more people leaving the DP, especially sitting lawmakers, and how much impact these will have on the parliament
ary elections less than three months away.

On the side of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), former PPP leader Lee Jun-seok left the party in late December and is making preparations to launch a new party amid speculation that defectors from both sides could join hands to create a “big tent” party.

Also Monday, Rep. Ryu Ho-jeon of the minor opposition Justice Party also quit the party.

But the DP’s leadership is skeptical of the possibility that more lawmakers could leave the party.

“Some incumbent lawmakers who expect to lose the party nominations could leave the party, but they won’t have much of an impact,” a DP official said.

Former DP leader Lee, whose envisioned party is accepting promoters until midnight, anticipated that more people would join.

“More than 20,000 have signed up as of Sunday night. This is more than 100-fold of the 200 required by the Political Parties Act,” Lee said in a radio interview Monday, projecting the number to rise later in the day.

When asked about how many seats his
party aims to win in the upcoming elections, Lee said it would be “at least 50 to 60.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui arrived in Russia on Monday for an official visit, state media reported, as the Kremlin said it aims to further develop ties with the North in all areas.

Choe left Pyongyang on Sunday to visit Russia from Monday through Wednesday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, with their talks set to take place Tuesday.

Her delegation arrived in Moscow and was greeted at the airport by officials from Russia’s foreign ministry and North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a short dispatch.

Later Monday, the Kremlin said it intends to further develop its partnership with North Korea in all areas, calling the North its “closest neighbor” and “partner,” according to foreign media reports.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said dialogue between the two nations will continue on all levels, not ruling out a possible meeting between Choe and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Peskov was also quoted saying Moscow
hopes for a visit by Putin to North Korea to take place in the “foreseeable future,” adding that further coordination, including its timing, will be discussed through diplomatic channels.

Her visit appears to be a reciprocal trip following Lavrov’s visit to Pyongyang in October and comes amid suspicions that North Korea has provided weapons to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine in return for Russia’s technical assistance for Pyongyang’s weapons programs.

Pyongyang and Moscow have denied any arms deals so far.

Also drawing attention is the issue of whether Choe and Lavrov will discuss a possible trip by Putin to North Korea, as the Russian leader accepted Kim Jong-un’s invitation to visit the North during their summit at Russia’s Vostochny spaceport in September last year.

In April 2019, the North’s state media said Putin had accepted Kim’s proposal to visit Pyongyang during their first summit in Vladivostok. But at that time, the Kremlin did not confirm it, nor did Putin visit the North.

At a year-en
d party meeting, the North’s leader vowed to strengthen solidarity with countries standing against the United States. He is seeking to bolster ties with China and Russia vis-a-vis the strengthening of security cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

South Korea’s unification ministry warned against “illegal” cooperation of the suspected arms trade between Pyongyang and Moscow following the Kim-Putin summit.

“North Korea and Russia should be clearly aware that (the international community) is keeping close tabs on Choe’s visit to Russia,” Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at the ministry, told a regular press briefing.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui arrived in Russia on Monday for an official visit, state media reported, amid deepening military cooperation between the two nations.

Choe left Pyongyang on Sunday to visit Russia from Monday through Wednesday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Her delegation arrived in Moscow and was greeted at the airport by officials from Russia’s foreign ministry and North Korea’s ambassador to Moscow, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a short dispatch.

In a separate report, Russia’s state-run news agency TASS said Choe and Lavrov are scheduled to hold talks Tuesday, citing a foreign ministry official.

Her visit appears to be a reciprocal trip following Lavrov’s visit to Pyongyang in October and comes amid suspicions that North Korea has provided weapons to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine in return for Russia’s technical assistance for Pyongyang’s weapons programs.

Pyongyang and Moscow have denied any arms deals so far.

L
ast week, the White House said Russia recently fired additional North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine following earlier such launches on Dec. 30 and Jan. 2.

Also drawing attention is the issue of whether Choe and Lavrov will discuss a possible trip by Putin to North Korea, as the Russian leader accepted Kim’s invitation to visit the North during their summit at Russia’s Vostochny spaceport in September last year.

In April 2019, the North’s state media said Putin had accepted Kim’s proposal to visit Pyongyang during their first summit in Vladivostok. But at that time, the Kremlin did not confirm it, nor did Putin visit the North.

At a year-end party meeting, the North’s leader vowed to strengthen solidarity with countries standing against the United States. He is seeking to bolster ties with China and Russia vis-a-vis the strengthening of security cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

South Korea’s unification ministry warned against “illegal” cooperation of the suspected arms trade between
Pyongyang and Moscow following the Kim-Putin summit.

“North Korea and Russia should be clearly aware that (the international community) is keeping close tabs on Choe’s visit to Russia,” Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at the ministry, told a regular press briefing.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that a semiconductor industry cluster being built outside Seoul is expected to create at least 3 million jobs over the next 20 years.

Yoon made the remark during a policy debate held at Sungkyunkwan University’s Natural Sciences Campus in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul, the third in a series of debates on people’s livelihood issues.

The plan for a “semiconductor mega cluster” was announced last year and envisions the creation of a hub for chip companies and research centers in cities across southern Gyeonggi Province, including Pyeongtaek, Hwaseong, Yongin and Icheon.

On Monday, the government unveiled measures to support the cluster, which is expected to be completed in 2047 with the investment of 622 trillion won (US$472 billion) from Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. and other companies, such as by extending tax credits and building a new power plant running on liquefied natural gas in Yongin.

“Our initial estimate is an investment of 622 trillio
n won, which has started already, and over the next 20 years, we expect it to newly create at least 3 million quality jobs,” Yoon said, noting that in the shorter term, 158 trillion won will be invested over the next five years, creating 950,000 jobs.

“Currently our chip sector has 180,000 jobs, but once the cluster is completed, this fab alone will produce 70,000 more jobs,” he said, before citing an expected increase of 200 trillion won in sales for related industries, such as design, parts and materials.

Yoon said nuclear power has become indispensable for the stable supply of electricity not only to the chip industry but also to other cutting-edge industries, disputing the signature nuclear phaseout policy of his predecessor, Moon Jae-in.

He also vowed to extend tax credits for investments in the semiconductor industry, which are due to expire this year, and dismissed criticism that the scheme favors big businesses only.

“I think we have to make it clear once again that such talk is nothing but false
instigation,” he said. “If tax credits lead to greater investment by semiconductor businesses, all businesses in the same ecosystem will greatly increase their profits and jobs, leading to an increase in state tax revenues.”

Samsung Electronics is currently the world’s largest memory chip maker.

Yoon credited the company’s late founder Lee Byung-chull, as well as former President Park Chung-hee, with paving the way for South Korea’s rise to a global chip powerhouse.

“Our country really had some pioneers,” he said, noting that Park set aside a budget equivalent to the annual budget of the Seoul metropolitan government at the time to invest in the semiconductor industry and entrusted Lee with nurturing the sector.

“Chairman Lee Byung-chull saw at the time how in Japan, large scale integrated circuits were becoming chips and it was receiving large orders from the United States and producing them,” he recalled. “He started by thinking that’s where we should stake our national destiny, and experienced many ups
and downs.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering Co. (HD KSOE) said Monday it has received a 310 billion-won (US$235 million) order to build two liquefied petroleum gas carriers for a shipper in the Middle East.

The two LPG ships will be built at the shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. in Ulsan, 299 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for delivery by November 2027, HD KSOE said in a regulatory filing.

The company didn’t identify the name of the shipper.

HD Hyundai, formerly known as Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings, has HD KSOE as a subholding company under its wing.

HD KSOE has three affiliates — HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co.

With this latest order, the country’s leading shipbuilder has achieved 17.7 percent, or $2.38 billion, of its annual order target of $13.5 billion for the year, the statement said.

The company said it had set a “conservative” order target this year compared with its achievement last year because it has alre
ady secured ample ship orders for years to come.

In 2023, it obtained a total of $22.6 billion worth of ship orders, far exceeding its annual target of $15.7 billion.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Comedian Jee Seok-jin rejoined filming for the popular TV variety show “Running Man” on Monday, a month after taking a break to focus on his health, the show’s broadcaster said.

SBS said the latest episode filmed will be aired Jan. 28.

The 57-year-old, who has been a popular fixture on the show since July 2010, took a temporary break last month after undergoing a health checkup that called for additional care.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, The science ministry said Monday it will invest 542.1 billion won (US$410.4 million) in the development of original biotechnology this year.

The budget marked a 3 percent decrease from the previous year’s allocation of 559.4 billion won, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

In detail, the ministry plans to inject 151.8 billion won in research and development projects focusing on new medicines, medical equipment, regenerative medicine and related areas.

Around 361.2 billion won will be funneled into the development of core biology strategic technologies, including synthetic biology and advanced neuroscience, and the establishment of a digital research ecosystem.

Some 29.1 billion won was set aside to create a research network with foreign partners, the ministry said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, North Korea is scheduled to convene a key parliamentary meeting Monday amid key attention over whether its rubber-stamp parliament will approve a constitutional revision on inter-Korean unification.

The meeting comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean ties as relations between “two states hostile to each other” at a year-end party meeting, saying there is no point seeking unification with South Korea.

The North earlier announced its plan to hold the 10th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) on Monday to discuss the state budget of 2024.

North Korean state media has not reported whether the SPA session started. The session is widely expected to last for at least two days, and its outcome could be made public Wednesday.

The SPA is the highest organ of state power under the North’s constitution, but it actually only rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).

Drawing keen attention is whether North Korea’s parliament will revise the Consti
tution or related acts to take into account its leader Kim’s new definition of inter-Korean relations.

North Korea has maintained a blueprint for unification that the country’s late founder Kim Il-sung unveiled in 1980.

North Korea has claimed the only realistic way to achieve unification is the federation system, which calls for respecting each other’s differences in political ideology and government system in the form of “one state and two systems.”

Lee Kyu-chang, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, said North Korea is expected to take measures to provide legal grounds for setting inter-Korean relations as the state-to-state relationship.

“In a follow-up to the WPK’s plenary meeting, North Korea is likely to push to delete or revise clauses related to unification under the Constitution and revise the nationality law to regard South Koreans as foreigners,” Lee said in a recent report.

In September, the SPA stipulated the policy of the country’s nuclear for
ce in the constitution, after the North’s leader called for an “exponential” increase in the nation’s nuclear arsenal at a year-end party meeting in 2022.

Kim is not one of the deputies to the SPA, but he may attend the parliamentary meeting to deliver his hawkish stance against South Korea or the United States.

In an SPA session in April 2019, Kim voiced his willingness to hold his third summit with then U.S. President Donald Trump following the no-deal second summit in early 2019. In a meeting in September 2021, Kim said he would restore the severed inter-Korean communication channel.

During an SPA meeting in September 2022, the North’s leader publicly announced the legalization of nuclear weapons, as its parliament approved a new law that allows for a preemptive nuclear strike.

Source: Yonhap News Agency