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Korea should focus on protecting national interests South Korea and China have agreed to realize a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Seoul as soon as safely possible after the COVID-19 pandemic dies down. The agreement was made during a meeting between President Moon Jae-in's national security adviser Suh Hoon and Yang Jiechi, a member of the Central Committee of the Political Bureau of t..

More careful preparations needed It is regretful that the Ministry of Unification was forced to reconsider its plan to allow barter transactions between a farmers' organization in South Korea and a trading firm in North Korea. The plan was disrupted because the North's Kaesong Koryo Insam Trading Co. was found to be the subject of international sanctions. The company is an umbrella apparatus of ..

Close watch needed on sudden change in NK The country's intelligence agency triggered a controversy by reporting that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has partially delegated his authority to his younger sister Kim Yo-jong. The National Intelligence Agency (NIS) also said Kim was sharing some of his power with close aides. Lawmakers belonging to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee quoted..

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has delegated some of his authority to his younger sister Kim Yo-jong and his close aides, according to the South Korean spy agency, Thursday. However, the move is believed to have nothing to do with the leader's health, it added. “Kim Yo-jong, the first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, is currently administering over..

Opposition leader should go beyond symbolism Kim Chong-in, interim leader of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP), stole the spotlight Wednesday by kneeling down and bowing his head for about 15 seconds in front of a memorial tower at the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju. He paid his respects to those who lost their lives during the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement. He also apolog..

Rival parties should cooperate in fighting COVID-19 Scenes of political haggling over every routine issue are common at the National Assembly. But the current wrangling between the rival parties over the responsibility for the rapid spread of a new COVID-19 outbreak is all the more shameful in light of the seriousness of the problem. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has criticized the ..

Shincheonji nightmare should not be repeated The Moon Jae-in government has decided to ban all religious gatherings in churches in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan areas starting Wendesday to prevent any further spread of COVID-19. Only online worship services are allowed under stricter social distancing guidelines. The move came Tuesday after conservative pastor Jun Kwang-hoon was subject..

Lotteria, the fast-food chain of retail giant Lotte, has come under criticism for its bungled management of a COVID-19 outbreak that occurred among its employees, which is raising concerns over the possibility of a bigger outbreak. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), at least 11 employees, including managers, from eight Lotteria branches in Seoul have been c..

Time to take bolder measures to prevent disasters Heavy rainfall is wreaking havoc on the country in this persisting monsoon season, causing severe loss of life and property damage. The season which began June 24 will likely continue through the week, setting a new record over 2013's monsoon which lasted 49 days. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters under the..

DPK, UFP should wake up and smell coffee It had seemed unlikely that the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) would ever get close to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in terms of approval ratings but this is what is happening. Pollster Realmeter announced last Thursday that the DPK's weekly approval rating stood at 35.1 percent, just a little higher than the 34. 6 percent earned b..