Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has captured the attention of the world with her enigmatic persona and prominent role within the North Korean regime. While often portrayed as a powerful figure in her own right, her life and background remain shrouded in mystery. This essay delves into the life and background of Kim Yo Jong, exploring her rise to prominence, her family dynamics, and her influence on North Korean politics.
Early Life and Family Background Born on September 26, 1987, Kim Yo Jong is the youngest daughter of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and his wife, Ko Yong Hui. She is the full sister of current leader Kim Jong Un and the granddaughter of North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung. Growing up in the privileged environment of the ruling Kim family, Kim Yo Jong received a comprehensive education, likely tailored to prepare her for a future role within the regime. Kim Yo Jong's family background is deeply intertwined with the power dynamics of North Korea. Her father, Kim Jong Il, ruled the country with an iron fist for seventeen years until his death in 2011, leaving his young and relatively inexperienced son, Kim Jong Un, to assume leadership. Kim Yo Jong's close relationship with her brother, Kim Jong Un, has been speculated to play a significant role in her rise to prominence within the North Korean hierarchy. Rise to Prominence Kim Yo Jong's ascent to prominence began in 2014 when she was appointed as a senior official in the Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling political party of North Korea. Over the years, she steadily climbed the ranks, assuming various roles within the regime's propaganda and guidance departments. Her public appearances alongside her brother, Kim Jong Un, during official events and summits have further solidified her image as a trusted confidante and advisor to the North Korean leader. In recent years, Kim Yo Jong has emerged as one of the most visible and influential figures in North Korean politics. Her portfolio includes overseeing key government agencies and spearheading diplomatic initiatives, particularly in relations with South Korea and the United States. Notably, she played a prominent role in the 2018 Winter Olympics held in South Korea, leading the North Korean delegation and capturing global media attention. Influence and Political Dynamics Despite her relative youth and lack of formal titles, Kim Yo Jong's influence within the North Korean regime cannot be underestimated. As a member of the ruling Kim family, she holds significant sway over decision-making processes and enjoys privileged access to her brother, Kim Jong Un. Her proximity to power, combined with her astute political acumen, has positioned her as a formidable figure within the secretive and hierarchical structures of North Korean politics. Kim Yo Jong's influence extends beyond her familial ties. She is regarded as a key figure in shaping North Korea's propaganda machine, employing sophisticated media strategies to bolster the regime's image both domestically and internationally. Additionally, her involvement in diplomatic endeavours underscores her role as a trusted envoy and interlocutor in North Korea's interactions with the outside world. Challenges and Speculations Despite her rise to prominence, Kim Yo Jong's role within the North Korean regime is not without challenges and speculations. The authoritarian nature of the regime, coupled with the pervasive culture of secrecy, makes it difficult to discern the true extent of her power and influence. Moreover, questions regarding her health and well-being have periodically surfaced, leading to conjectures about potential power struggles and succession issues within the ruling elite. Furthermore, Kim Yo Jong's image as a progressive and moderate figure has been met with scepticism by analysts who view her as a product of the same repressive regime that her family has upheld for decades. Her involvement in orchestrating propaganda campaigns and enforcing strict social controls underscores the complexities of her persona and the inherent contradictions within North Korean politics. In conclusion, Kim Yo Jong's life and background offer a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of North Korea's ruling elite. As the younger sister of Kim Jong Un and a member of the powerful Kim family, she occupies a unique position of influence within the regime. Her rise to prominence, coupled with her enigmatic persona and strategic manoeuvring, has made her a figure of intrigue on the global stage. However, unravelling the complexities of her role and motivations remains a daunting task amidst the opaque and tightly controlled political landscape of North Korea.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un joined his troops in a training exercise involving a newly developed battle tank on Wednesday, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has reported. The military showcase described as a “training match” was designed to test the combat capabilities of tank crews and make them familiar with combat action on different tactical missions. The exercises involved a new type of main battle tank that Kim called “the world’s most powerful,” KCNA said. The North Korean leader, along with Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam and other senior officials, observed as tank units maneuvered through simulated combat conditions. During the training exercise, the tanks demonstrated precision and fired rounds at targets. “Swiftly weaving their way through [the] worst combat circumstances, heavy tanks hit targets at once with powerful strikes and broke through strong defence lines with high manoeuvrability,” the report claimed. Kim expressed “great satisfaction” that the battle tank had successfully demonstrated its striking power in its first performance and called for bigger efforts to prepare for war, according to KCNA. During the drills, Kim mounted one of the tanks and was reported to have driven it himself, “adding to the high militant spirit of the tankmen of our army,” KCNA said. In a photograph published by KCNA, the North Korean leader could be seen with his head peeking out of a tank. The exercise included units stationed close to the border, within striking distance of “the enemy’s capital,” KCNA said, referring to Seoul. The training drills coincided with annual military drills involving the US and South Korea off the Korean Peninsula, which are due to end on Thursday. Kim has called these joint exercises a “rehearsal” for an invasion of North Korea and a provocation of war. The 11-day exercises, which this year involve twice the number of troops compared to last year, are reportedly focused on deterring North Korea’s nuclear threats. The drills involve live-firing, bombing, air assault, and missile interception, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun. Last week, North Korea’s Defence Ministry strongly condemned the joint US-South Korea wargames, describing them as “reckless.”
In a statement released last week by ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, Pyongyang described the drills as a “further escalation of military threats” and as “an invasion attempt” against a sovereign nation. Meanwhile, Seoul has portrayed the exercises as purely defensive.
After that effort failed, Pyongyang has now effectively “given up.” It believes it has no options left, and has continued developing its nuclear program and increasingly hardening its position, emboldened by the geopolitical context in respect to Russia and China. It might be noted early on that this assessment does not give “hard” evidence of North Korea pursuing such a path, and relies only on changes in Pyongyang’s rhetoric to argue that the DPRK’s claims are not “bluster” but a true reflection of its strategic position. Many things have changed since 2019 that should be taken into consideration: the Biden administration has no interest in negotiating with North Korea, a hostile Presidency has came to power in Seoul under Yoon Suk-yeol, who is pro-Japan and has abandoned the reconciliatory approach of Moon Jae-in, while the US’ confrontation against both Russia and China has given the DPRK new options to try and subvert the isolation it experienced during the era of American unipolarity.
Because of this, the US has completely lost its ability to hold North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs to account, with new sanctions now being blocked at the UN by Moscow and Beijing, and existing ones not enforced. North Korea is increasingly capable of hitting the American homeland with ICBMs. This is also making unilateral, pre-emptive military action by the US against the DPRK an increasingly unrealistic prospect. But why would this enable Kim Jong-un to pursue a war of choice against South Korea and, should he start one, would he truly have a chance of winning it? North Korea’s entire diplomatic strategy from the 1950s onwards has always been to exert maximum leverage for itself as a small country, by creating crisis. This is the Juche ideology’s ultimate focus on independence and sovereignty at all costs, even to its own population. To this end, the DPRK has always been provocative, whether it be killing US soldiers with axes, capturing the US spy ship USS Pueblo, shelling South Korean islands indiscriminately or even sinking a South Korean warship during an exercise. In doing so it aims to force the hands of not only its enemies but also of those who are friendly to it. Recognizing its critical strategic position, Pyongyang has absolutely no problem dragging Moscow and Beijing into a crisis whether they like it or not, and was happy to cause significant trouble during the Sino-Soviet split. Therefore, in an era when China and Russia are both in a state of tensions –even confrontation– with the US, North Korea ultimately calculates opportunity for itself and extended leverage. Kim Jong-un will recognize that neither state in such a geopolitical situation could tolerate the fall of his regime and the reunification of the Korean peninsula on US-centric terms, which, for China, places an American military presence right next to its own border. Indeed, even though Kim Il-sung started the Korean war in 1950 and subsequently faced defeat from the US and its allies, China still saved him – and back then it was much weaker than it is now. So, would Kim Jong-un fancy his chances in unleashing a full-scale war again on the Korean peninsula on the premise China would be forced to intervene? That isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. Does Kim want the US and China to normalize and improve ties? Of course not, because it means they will cooperate against him to force him to denuclearize. As for the benefits of such a reconciliation for the global economy – why would Kim care about that when his country is impoverished and isolated from said global economy anyway? So where does this leave the DPRK? It leaves Kim Jong-un with a window of time to achieve a series of geopolitical objectives and goals, in a context which is favorable to him, and therein raises the prospect of a serious escalation of tensions in some way. We’ve already seen how similar considerations led to a full-scale war, or two now, in the Middle East. We can’t determine whether they will lead to the outbreak of a conflict on the Korean peninsula, but it would be foolish to rule out the possibility, given the world we live in today. Multipolarity has arrived and it heralds the collapse of the US-centric, unipolar order which imposed stability by force as a one-way street. Many obviously assume the DPRK’s Soviet-era military could be destroyed by overwhelming US and allied power in the same way Saddam Hussein’s was in 1991 and 2003, but that was a different world. Here, you have a nuclear capable DPRK that has overseas backers who, while never wanting such a conflict, can’t afford to see the state fail. North Korea has made attempts at peace but met with America’s absolute unwillingness to compromise – therefore, what options does Kim have left to deal with South Korea? The US is not working to create a “NATO for the Pacific” as a way to target China, the White House has claimed, after President Joe Biden declared a “new era” of security cooperation with South Korea and Japan.
Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at Camp David on Friday for the first summit of its kind, where the heads of state agreed on several new initiatives in the military, economic, and technological spheres. “This is the first summit I’ve hosted at Camp David, and I can think of no more fitting location to symbolize our new era of cooperation,” Biden said at a joint press conference, adding that Washington’s commitment to Seoul and Tokyo remains “ironclad.” The US president went on to state that the three allies would enhance their “trilateral defense collaboration” in the Indo-Pacific region, including with “annual multi-domain military exercises.” The drills would build on periodic wargames already staged in the area, which have triggered the ire of both Chinese and North Korean officials. During a separate media briefing earlier on Friday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was asked whether the three-way partnership would be “the beginning of some kind of mini-NATO for the Pacific,” but replied in the negative. “It’s explicitly not a NATO for the Pacific. We’ve said that. We will continue to underscore that and so will both Japan and Korea,” Sullivan said, adding that Friday’s summit was “not against anyone.” Though Biden also claimed the meeting was “not about China,” the president and his allied counterparts referred to the People’s Republic repeatedly in comments to reporters. During a one-on-one meeting with Kishida earlier in the day, Biden said the two leaders would work together to combat Beijing’s “dangerous behavior in the South China Sea,” and stressed the need for “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.” Asked whether Tokyo’s stepped-up military ties with Washington might trigger an “economic cold war” with Beijing, Kishida said Japan would continue to cooperate with China on “common challenges” and “strongly request responsible conduct.” President Yoon also outlined what this new defense cooperation would entail, stating that the three allies would create a framework to respond to attacks on any of their countries, as well as sharing information about North Korean ballistic missile launches in “real time.” He also announced plans for “systematic training and drills” to be carried out on a regular basis. Mr. Big have announced a farewell tour, taking place in 2023 and 2024. As of now the veteran rock band has unveiled dates for a run of Asia this summer, with US, European, and South American shows slated to be revealed for 2024. The tour, dubbed “The Big Finish,” will find Mr. Big playing its 1991 album Lean Into It in its entirety. The LP yielded the band’s smash ballad “To Be With You,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In a press release, Mr. Big said that it’s the right to time to end their touring career following the passing of drummer Pat Torpey, who died in 2018 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. The band also revealed that Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Big Big Train) will fill Torpey’s slot behind the drum kit. “We wanted to do a proper farewell, and this seems like the right way to do it,” stated bassist Billy Sheehan. Guitarist Paul Gilbert added, “We’re in the process of making sure we come up with a suitably big entertainment extravaganza to go along with our music. And since our music has resonated so wonderfully in places all over the world, we’re going to play in as many of those places as we can.” And lead singer Eric Martin concluded, “If we were in the movie business, we’d just put it all up in lights and say, ‘Welcome to The BIG Finish!’ Seriously, I’m glad we’re getting a chance to do it all onstage together as MR. BIG again and raise a flag to everything we’ve done as a band over the years.”As for welcoming D’Virgilio to the band, Sheehan noted, “We found a wonderful drummer in Nick, and he’s got a great voice too.
North and South Korea have exchanged warning shots off their western coast, accusing each other of breaching their maritime border amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang’s weapons tests. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it broadcast warnings and fired warning shots to repel a North Korean merchant vessel that crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto sea boundary, at approximately 3:40am local time on Monday (18:40 GMT Sunday). North Korea’s military said it fired 10 rounds of artillery warning shots towards its territorial waters, where “naval enemy movement was detected”. It accused a South Korean naval ship of intruding into North Korean waters on the pretext of cracking down on an unidentified ship.
“We ordered initial countermeasures to strongly expel the enemy warship by firing 10 shells of multiple rocket launchers near the waters where the enemy movement occurred,” the North Korean People’s Army said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. JCS said the North Korean artillery firings breached a 2018 inter-Korean accord on reducing military animosities and undermines stability on the Korean Peninsula. It said the North Korean shells did not land in South Korean waters but that it is boosting its military readiness. There were no reports of clashes, but the poorly marked sea boundary off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast is a source of long-running animosities between the two countries. It is the scene of several bloody inter-Korean naval skirmishes and violence in recent years, including North Korea’s shelling of a South Korean island and its alleged torpedoing of a South Korean navy ship that killed 50 people in 2010. The members of K-pop band BTS will serve their mandatory military duties under South Korean law, their management company said Monday, effectively ending a debate on whether they should be granted exemptions because of their artistic accomplishments. Big Hit Music said the band’s oldest member, Jin, will revoke his request to delay his conscription at the end of the month and undertake the required steps. The six other BTS members also plan to serve in the military and are “looking forward to reconvening as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment,” the company said in a statement.
No further information on the timing of their service was given. The band members performed together in Busan over the weekend in support of the city’s EXPO bid, which will be their last concert as a group until they finish serving in the military, according to their label. Hybe Corp., the parent company of Big Hit, said in an email to The Associated Press that each member of the band for the time being will focus on individual activities scheduled around their military service plans. In a letter to shareholders, Hybe CEO Park Jiwon downplayed financial concerns related to the BTS hiatus, saying it has a broad enough lineup of artists, including other popular K-pop groups such as Le Sserafim and NewJeans and Western performers Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. “We have always been aware of the eventuality of mandatory military service, and we have long been making preparations to be ready for this moment,” Park wrote. “In the short term, individual activities for several of the members are planned into the first half of 2023, and we have secured content in advance, which will enable BTS to continue their engagement with fans for the foreseeable future.” The announcement came after Lee Ki Sik, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, told lawmakers this month that it would be “desirable” for BTS members to fulfil their military duties to ensure fairness in the country’s military service. After enlisting, Jin and other BTS members will receive five weeks of combat training before being assigned to specific units and duties, according to officials at the Military Manpower Administration, who stressed that the singers would go under the same process as other South Korean men. While South Korea’s military for years had assigned enlisted entertainers to duties related to producing radio and TV material promoting the military, the “entertainment soldier” system was retired in 2013 following complaints over fairness. Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup said in August that if BTS members join the military, they would likely be allowed to continue practicing and to join with the group for tours overseas. Whether the BTS members must serve in the army had been a hotly debated issue in South Korea as Jin faced possible enlistment early next year. Jin turns 30 in December, the age at which men can no longer delay enlistment. Other members are currently between 25 and 29 years old, with Suga turning 30 in March. Under South Korean law, most able-bodied men are required to perform 18-21 months of military service, but special exemptions had been granted for athletes and artists who excel in certain international competitions that have been tied to national prestige. The band — its other members being J-Hope, RM, Jungkook, V and Jimin — launched in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army.” After building a huge following in Asia, BTS expanded its popularity in the West with its 2020 megahit “Dynamite,” the band’s first all-English song that made it the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100. The band has performed in sold-out arenas around the world and was even invited to speak at United Nations meetings. Since South Korea’s draft interrupts young males in their professional careers or studies, the dodging of military duties or creation of exemptions is a highly sensitive issue. Opinion surveys in recent weeks showed that the public was split over whether the BTS members should serve in the military. © 2022 The Associated Press Local private equity companies are increasing their investment in Southeast Asian venture capital businesses, as they see further growth potential in the region. Vietnam, in particular, is one of their favored areas. Korea-headquartered STIC Investments recently decided to participate in the Series E round investment for Tiki, one of Vietnam's largest e-commerce businesses.
The e-commerce company raised about $258 million in the Series E funding, boosting its corporate valuation to nearly $1 billion from the round. Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund also participated in the fund raising, alongside global insurance firm AIA, Taiwan Mobile and Yuanta Fund. STIC Investments, which has diverse investment portfolios in the Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam and Malaysia, also stepped up as one of major shareholders of Carousell ― a Singapore-based online market place start-up ― a couple of months ago. The Korean PEF led the latest $100 million round of investment, bringing the start-up's valuation to over $1 billion. STIC Investments was also one of many Korean private equity funds ― Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, LB Investment and LINE Ventures ― that together invested $33 million in Indonesia's online grocery delivery service, HappyFresh. As Indonesia boasts a large population and a fast-growing market, the country has been one of the favorite investment locations among Korean PEFs. Korea Investment Private Equity also injected $200 million into Vietnamese conglomerate Masan Group ― the country's major food and beverage company ― taking a 2 percent to 3 percent stake in the company. IMM Investment invested in Vietnam's Masan Group in 2018; and Vingroup in 2019, along with SK Group. According to Preqin's alternative investment research report, the private equity and venture capital market in 10 Southeast Asian countries has more than doubled over the past five years. The amount of private equity and venture capital invested in the region stood at $37 billion, a 117 percent jump from $17 billion in 2015. Some market insiders say one of reasons why Korean PEFs are actively placing bets in Southeast Asian regions is the growing uncertainty regarding regulatory policies in China. The Southeast Asian countries' large populations along with booming e-commerce platforms looks promising to Korean PEFs in generating solid returns on investment. Linda Kim SEOUL, August 24 -- North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Saturday morning, the Japanese government said, with the launch coming a day after Seoul informed Tokyo of its decision to scrap a bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact. South Korea's military said North Korea fired what were believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast from Sondok in South Hamgyong Province in Pyongyang's seventh round of such launches since July 25. The missiles, fired at 6:45 a.m. and 7:02 a.m., flew about 380 kilometers at a top speed of Mach 6.5 and reached a maximum altitude of about 97 km, Yonhap News Agency quoted the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying. The missiles were unlikely to have landed in Japan's territory or exclusive economic zone, according to the Japanese government. The country's Defense Ministry said the two missiles flew some 350 km and 400 km, respectively. Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya criticized the launches as "a clear violation" of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban Pyongyang from testing such missiles. Tokyo has already lodged a stern protest against North Korea over the missile firings, Japan's parliamentary vice foreign minister Kiyoto Tsuji told ruling party lawmakers Saturday. However, U.S. President Donald Trump downplayed the latest launches, saying Washington and Pyongyang have a really good relationship and that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been "pretty straight with me." Linda Kim BEIJING, August 21 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday asked Japan and South Korea to seek a solution to resolve their differences "through dialogue," amid concern that worsening relations between Tokyo and Seoul may threaten regional economic stability down the road. Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono also called on Beijing and Seoul to bolster trilateral cooperation even when respective bilateral ties sour, but his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung Wha lambasted Tokyo's moves to tighten export controls against her country. "While maintaining a constructive attitude, it is important (for Japan and South Korea) to find out an appropriate solution through dialogue," Wang said at the outset of a foreign ministerial gathering of the three nations in Beijing. Kono said, "Two countries sometimes face various difficulties respectively, but even under such circumstances, Japan, China and South Korea should work together trilaterally." A Japanese government official briefing reporters later in the day quoted Kono as telling Wang and Kang that the foreign ministers "should refrain" from raising issues related to bilateral relations during the trilateral meeting. Kang, however, told Kono and Wang that South Korea hopes that the three nations will stick to "free and fair" trade for prosperity in the region in an apparent jab at Japan, underscoring that strains between Tokyo and Seoul are unlikely to wane soon. She also said at a joint press appearance following the talks, "It is important to eliminate unilateral and arbitrary trade retaliatory steps and remove uncertainties" in East Asia. Kang did not single out Japan. The Japanese official said Wang did not make comments aimed at mediating in the row between Tokyo and Seoul. Recently, Japan-South Korea ties have plunged to the lowest point since normalization in 1965 over Japanese imposition of export control measures in the wake of a string of South Korean court rulings last year ordering compensation for wartime labor. At a three-way meeting in Bangkok earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged his Japanese and South Korean counterparts to make efforts to ease their confrontation, but no resolution has been in sight. Although Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul agreed Wednesday to accelerate negotiations to reach regional free trade agreements, Japan-South Korea trade spats would make it more difficult for them to be realized, foreign affairs experts say. Linda Kim SEOUL, August 16 -- North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles into the Sea of Japan early Friday, South Korea's military said, in its sixth round of such launches in just over three weeks. The projectiles were launched around 8:01 a.m. and 8:16 a.m. from Tongcheon County in Gangwon Province, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. They both flew about 230 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of about 30 kilometers and flying at a top speed of Mach 6.1, the JCS said in a statement, adding that South Korean and U.S. authorities are analyzing the specification of the projectiles. It was the sixth launch of projectiles by the country since July 25, with the previous one occurring on Saturday when it fired what were believed to be short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. South Korea's National Security Director Chung Eui Yong held an emergency meeting with his council members, where they urged North Korea to stop such moves as they could escalate military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The latest launches are likely another warning against a South Korea-U.S. joint military drill that started last week and runs through late this month. The Japanese government said that it has not confirmed any projectiles flying into Japan's exclusive economic zone and that the projectiles posed no immediate security threat. "We will do all we can to ensure the safety of the people by working closely with the United States among others," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters after North Korea's latest launches. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said, "The advancement of missile-related technology by North Korea is a very serious issue for the entire region and the international community. We will take all possible measures toward vigilance and surveillance." North Korea did not immediately comment on the latest launches. However, earlier in the day, a North Korean state organ issued a statement harshly criticizing South Korean President Moon Jae In's appeal for inter-Korean cooperation and dialogue in a speech the previous day. A spokesperson for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, a body that manages Inter-Korean relations, said in the statement Pyongyang has "nothing to talk any more with the south Korean authorities," according to the Korean Central News Agency. "Even at this moment, there go on in south Korea joint military exercises against the DPRK. Does he have any face to talk about dialogue atmosphere, peaceful economy and peace-keeping mechanism," the statement said, reiterating the leadership's criticism of the exercises. DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Linda Kim SEOUL, August 15 -- South Korean President Moon Jae In called on Thursday for a dialogue with Japan amid frayed bilateral relations over wartime history and trade policy, saying Seoul will "join hands" if Tokyo chooses the path of talks. "Better late than never. If Japan chooses the path of dialogue and cooperation, we will gladly join hands," Moon said as he spoke at a ceremony in Cheonan, south of the capital Seoul, to mark the end of Japanese colonial rule 74 years ago. Moon also made a conciliatory gesture to Tokyo, saying Seoul has "not dwelt on the past" and expressed "hope that Japan will play a leading role together in facilitating peace and prosperity in East Asia while it contemplates a past that brought misfortune to its neighboring countries." His speech came as ties between the two Asian neighbors sank to the lowest point in recent years after South Korean court decisions last year that ordered Japanese companies to compensate plaintiffs who claim to have been conscripted as laborers during World War II. The compensation issue, which Tokyo claims to have already been settled by a 1965 bilateral accord, has recently escalated into tit-for-tat tightening of export controls. Moon said his country aims to become an economic powerhouse despite Japan's tightened export controls. "In the face of Japan's unwarranted export restrictions, we will continue our determined march toward a responsible economic powerhouse," he said. The president emphasized that the normal flow of trade could be disrupted if a country uses its comparative advantage in a sector, referring to Japan's move that requires manufacturers of semiconductor-related materials to seek approval each time before shipping to Seoul. "If any country weaponizes a sector where it has a comparative advantage, the peaceful free trade order will inevitably suffer damage. A country that achieved growth first must not kick the ladder away while others are following in its footsteps," he said. He explained that his government would channel efforts into improving competitiveness of domestic materials, parts and equipment industries, while enhancing cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises and conglomerates to build "an economy that will never be shaken." South Korea calls Japan's recent tightening of export controls "an economic retaliation" as Tokyo views that Seoul has failed to deal with months-long disputes over wartime labor. As for inter-Korean relations, Moon also highlighted his government's efforts to help keep a dialogue going between North Korea and the United States. "In spite of a series of worrying actions taken by North Korea recently, the momentum for dialogue remains unshaken," he said, adding that Seoul is committed to denuclearization and bringing about peace on the Korean Peninsula during his term as president. North Korea has recently fired a series of short-range ballistic missiles, which it claims to be "new-type tactical guided missiles," as a warning against South Korea-U.S. joint military drills that started on Aug. 5 and run through late this month. U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed displeasure at the military exercise in a letter to him and that the two leaders would have another meeting. With ongoing provocative actions by Pyongyang, Moon may be well aware of people's concerns over forming a "peace economy" with North Korea as he suggested. Moon reiterated that his government's intention is not to give unilateral aid to North Korea, but to promote mutual benefits. "Both Koreas will be able to reduce not only huge defense expenditures but also the invisible cost of the division, the so-called 'Korea Discount,'" said Moon. Pete McGee SEOUL, August 14 -- South Korean company to start making Isocell Bright HMX sensor, developed with Chinese firm Xiaomi, that offers detailed images similar to those of high-end DSLR cameras. Samsung announced a new camera sensor on Monday, designed for smartphones, which packs 108 megapixels. Smartphone cameras typically have about 12 to 16 megapixels, where each megapixel, or million pixels, represents the small individual areas on a computer screen that are used measure the quality of an image or digital screen. However, Samsung’s new 108-megapixel camera sensor, the Isocell Bright HMX, is the first to go above 100 megapixels for a smartphone camera, the South Korean technology company says. The megapixel count is comparable to a high-end digital single-lens reflex camera. With its 108 megapixels, the Isocell Bright HMX is designed to take extremely detailed photos. It’s also designed to take better lowlight shots by merging the pixels to absorb more light. When the pixels are merged, the megapixel count is reduced from 108 to 27, which is still more than twice as many as a standard smartphone camera. For recording video, Samsung’s Isocell Bright HMX can shoot up to 6K resolution at 30 frames per second, where the highest video resolution that smartphone cameras have been able to shoot is 4K at 60 frames a second. Samsung worked in partnership with Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi to develop the sensor, so it is likely that it will be featured in a forthcoming Xiaomi phone. The South Korean firm did not mention whether its own smartphones or other smartphone makers in the future will feature the 108-megapixel sensor. It said it was starting mass production of the Isocell Bright HMX sensor this month. Linda Kim SEOUL, August 10 -- North Korea has fired two unidentified projectiles into the sea off eastern coast on Saturday, Yonhap news agency reported citing South Korea's military. South Korea's defense ministry said it is closely following the developments. No further details are available at this point. On August 6, North Korea launched new guided missiles under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un. The two missiles flew around 450 km and struck targets in the Sea of Japan. After test launches, Kim Jong-un said that this was "a warning over joint military drills" held by South Korea and the United States. On August 5, the United States and South Korea started joint military drills. According to preliminary reports, the military exercise will last until August 20. "This is a serious issue for the international community," Japanese Senior Vice Defense Minister Kenji Harada told reporters after the launches. North Korea's missile launch would constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the country from using ballistic technology. South Korean military officials and the defense minister held an emergency meeting after the latest launches and took them to be another warning against a South Korea-U.S. joint military drill that started from Monday and runs through late this month. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that its launches a day earlier were a "warning" to the United States and South Korea over their ongoing joint military exercises. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he received a "beautiful" letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in which he said he does not like conducting the short-range ballistic missile tests North Korea has been doing in recent weeks but justified the move as a response to the U.S.-South Korea drills. The U.S. president said on Aug. 1 he was not worried about the missiles being tested by the North, calling them "very standard," short-range devices. "Short-range missiles, we never made an agreement on that. I have no problem. We'll see what happens," Trump told reporters after North Korea carried out a series of missile launches. South Korean and U.S authorities are currently working on identifying the exact type of the projectiles, said the JCS, while warning that additional launches are highly likely as North Korea is now conducting summer military drills. The Japanese government said Saturday that it has not confirmed any ballistic missiles flying into Japan's exclusive economic zone and that the projectiles posed no immediate security threat. Even so, "we will strengthen our air and missile defense capabilities," Harada said. Linda Kim TOKYO, August 9 -- President Moon Jae In on Friday tapped a semiconductor expert as his next science and technology minister as South Korea grapples with Japan's tightening of chip-making material shipments to the country. Choi Ki Young, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University, is a global authority in semiconductors and has helped South Korea become the world leader in memory chips, presidential spokeswoman Ko Min Jung said. The latest reshuffle within the Moon administration also includes the appointment of diplomat-turned-lawmaker Lee Soo Hyuck as new ambassador to the United States. Lee, a first-term National Assembly member from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, was South Korea's top negotiator at six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States. Tapped as new gender equality and family minister is Lee Jung Ok, a sociology professor at Daegu Catholic University. The minister's portfolio includes the issue of "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels. The issue, which stems from Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945, has been a source of diplomatic tension between South Korea and Japan. |
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