S Korea
US awaits N.Korean response to dialogue proposals
Addressing reporters in Washington Thursday, Department spokesman Ned Price also stressed that the US remains actively engaged in diplomacy with its allies to discuss ways to enhance their collective security, reports Yonhap News Agency. "We do stand prepared to meet with the DPRK without preconditions. We have made, in fact, specific proposals to the DPRK and we will await a response. We will await outreach from the DPRK." DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name
'US, S.Korea working to restart dialogue with Pyongyang'
In a parliamentary audit on Wednesday, Lee said the countries are also discussing ways to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table that may include the provision of humanitarian assistance to the impoverished country, reports Yonhap News Agency. "(We) are discussing various ways to build trust such as the provision of humanitarian assistance to create a favourable condition for talks with North Korea," the diplomat said.
S.Korean provincial chief nominated as ruling party's prez candidate
In the party's presidential primary that began on September 4, Lee has won 50.29 per cent of all votes cast by both party members and ordinary citizens, reports Xinhua news agency. It was followed by former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon with 39.14 per cent, former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae with 9.01 per cent and two-term lawmaker Park Yong-jin with 1.55 per cent.
N.Korea seems to maintain strict land border controls: Seoul
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that it has begun shipping Covid-19 medical supplies to North Korea through the Chinese port of Dalian, indicating that Pyongyang might be opening a maritime route that has been blocked since July last year due to the pandemic, reports Yonhap News Agency.
Only 44% S.Koreans think unification with Pyongyang necessary
According to the poll of 1,200 adults by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies (IPUS) at Seoul National University, 44.6 per cent replied that unification is necessary, recording the lowest percentage since the survey began in 2007, reports Yonhap News Agency. The proportion of those who replied that unification was unnecessary stood at 29.4 per cent, it showed.
Two Koreas hold daily liaison, military calls after restoring communication lines
On Monday, the two Koreas reopened the cross-border communication lines following a near two-month suspension, Yonhap news agency reported. The move came hours after the North's state media announced that the lines would be back in normal operation as of 9 a.m. on the day. The resumption of daily calls came 55 days after the North began refusing to answer South Korea's calls in protest of an annual combined military exercise between the South and the US.
Koreas restore cross-border hotlines 55 days after suspension
The two sides had contact through a military hotline and a separate joint liaison office channel, Yonhap News Agency quoted South Korean officials as saying. Hours earlier, North Korea's state media announced that the lines would be back to normal operation as of 9 a.m. on the day. The hotlines were briefly back in operation in late July before being suspended by North Korea in protest of an annual combined military exercise of South Korea and the US.
Incheon Port Authority to lift entry ban on international cruise ships in 2022
The South Korean government imposed an entry ban on luxury liners in February 2020 to contain the spread of the coronavirus after reports that 130 confirmed cases were found on a cruise ship quarantined off the Japanese coast near Yokohama, reports Yonhap News Agency. Incheon Port Authority said it will allow three international cruise ships to stop at Incheon Port, about 40 km west of Seoul, next year.
S.Korean Prez records highest approval in 2nd quarter than predecessors
In the three-day survey by Gallup Korea of 1,002 voters nationwide through Thursday, 38 percent gave a positive assessment of Moon's leadership, up 2 percentage points from a week earlier, reports Yonhap News Agency. The proportion of those who disapprove dropped 3 percentage points to 54 percent, Gallup said.
S.Korea to begin last parliamentary audit under Moon Jae-in
A total of 745 government ministries and agencies will be subject to this year's parliamentary investigation to be simultaneously conducted by the assembly's 17 standing committees, Yonhap News Agency quoted legislative officials as saying.
Advertisement