Latest news with #NationalInstituteforUnificationEducation
Iraqi News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
South Korea president vows to build ‘military trust' with North
Seoul – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung vowed Friday to 'respect' North Korea's political system and build 'military trust', a day after Pyongyang said it had no interest in improving relations with Seoul. Lee has pledged to reach out to the nuclear-armed North and pursue dialogue without preconditions since his election in June — a reversal from his hawkish predecessor. Speaking at an event marking the anniversary of liberation from Japanese rule, Lee said the South Korean government 'will take consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust' with the North. 'We affirm our respect for the North's current system,' said Lee, adding Seoul had 'no intention of engaging in hostile acts'. 'I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue,' he said. 'North and South are not enemies.' Lee's speech comes a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said the North has 'no will to improve relations' with the South. She also denied reports that North Korea was removing propaganda loudspeakers. – Liberation holiday – The South's military said in June that the two countries had halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarised zone, adding last week that it had detected North Korean troops dismantling loudspeakers on the frontier. Friday's August 15 anniversary of liberation from Japan is the only public holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea, according to Seoul's National Institute for Unification Education. In Pyongyang, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un also made a speech at a liberation day celebration, urging the nation to overcome 'the challenges facing the DPRK for the great powerful country', using the North's official acronym. However, in an unusual move for a Liberation Day address, he made no mention of South Korea or its 'enemies.' The speech was before a Russian delegation to Pyongyang, including the speaker of the Duma, who read a congratulatory letter sent to Kim by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kim's speech was a 'stark contrast' to his sister's recent 'fiery statements,' Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul told AFP. 'There were no messages aimed at South Korea or the United States, no references to enemies or hostile states, and no provocative mentions of nuclear forces,' said Yang. 'The intention would be to closely observe the moves of neighbouring countries in the near term, including President Lee Jae Myung's Liberation Day address,' he added.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
South Korean president vows to build ‘military trust' with North
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to pursue dialogue with the North without pre-conditions. SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung vowed on Aug 15 to 'respect' North Korea's political system and build 'military trust', a day after Pyongyang said it had no interest in improving relations with Seoul. Mr Lee has pledged to pursue dialogue with the nuclear-armed North without preconditions since his election in June, a reversal from his hawkish predecessor. He said the South Korean government 'will take consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust' with the North. 'We affirm our respect for the North's current system,' he said at an event marking the anniversary of liberation from Japanese rule, adding that Seoul had 'no intention of engaging in hostile acts'. 'I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue,' Mr Lee said. 'North and South are not enemies.' Mr Lee's speech came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Ms Kim Yo Jong, said the North has 'no will to improve relations' with the South. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Love that saves lives: Seniors in Singapore overcome challenges to donate organs Singapore Over 600 orchids on display at Gardens by the Bay to mark 60 years of Singapore-Malaysia ties Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized She also denied reports that North Korea was removing propaganda loudspeakers. Liberation holiday The South's military said in June that the two countries had halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarised zone, adding last week that it had detected North Korean troops dismantling loudspeakers on the frontier. The Aug 15 an niversary of liberation from Japan is the only public holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea, according to Seoul's National Institute for Unification Education. Mr Kim Jong Un also made a speech at a liberation day celebration in Pyongyang, urging the nation to overcome 'the challenges facing the DPRK for the great powerful country', using the North's official acronym. He also praised North Korea's ties with Russia, saying the two countries were creating 'a history of justice' towards 'defending their national dignity and sovereignty and safeguarding global peace and security'. However, in an unusual move for a Liberation Day address, he made no mention of South Korea or the North's 'enemies'. The speech was made before a Russian delegation that is in Pyongyang and includes the speaker of the Duma, who read a congratulatory letter sent to Mr Kim Jong Un by President Vladimir Putin. The North Korean leader's speech was a 'stark contrast' to his sister's 'fiery statements', Professor Y ang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP. 'There were no messages aimed at South Korea or the United States, no references to enemies or hostile states, and no provocative mentions of nuclear forces,' Prof Yang said. AFP
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First Post
10 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
South Korea's Lee Jae Myung pledges respect for North's system, calls for military trust
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung marked Liberation Day by pledging to respect North Korea's system and build 'military trust,' in a sharp policy shift from his predecessor. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (C) and his wife Kim Hye-kyung (center-R) wave national flags during the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, in Seoul on August 15, 2025. AFP South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged, on Friday, to 'respect' North Korea's democratic system and establish 'military trust,' one day after Pyongyang declared it had no intention of fostering better ties with Seoul. In contrast to his hardline predecessor, Lee has vowed since his victory in June to engage in unconditional conversation with the nuclear-armed North. Lee stated that the South Korean government 'will take consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust' with the North during a speech commemorating the country's independence from Japanese domination. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We affirm our respect for the North's current system,' said Lee, adding Seoul had 'no intention of engaging in hostile acts'. 'I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue,' he said. 'North and South are not enemies.' Lee's speech comes a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said the North has 'no will to improve relations' with the South. She also denied reports that North Korea was removing propaganda loudspeakers. Liberation holiday The South's military said in June that the two countries had halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarised zone, adding last week that it had detected North Korean troops dismantling loudspeakers on the frontier. Friday's August 15 anniversary of liberation from Japan is the only public holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea, according to Seoul's National Institute for Unification Education. In Pyongyang, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un also made a speech at a liberation day celebration, urging the nation to overcome 'the challenges facing the DPRK for the great powerful country', using the North's official acronym. However, in an unusual move for a Liberation Day address, he made no mention of South Korea or its 'enemies.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The speech was before a Russian delegation to Pyongyang, including the speaker of the Duma, who read a congratulatory letter sent to Kim by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kim's speech was a 'stark contrast' to his sister's recent 'fiery statements,' Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul told AFP. 'There were no messages aimed at South Korea or the United States, no references to enemies or hostile states, and no provocative mentions of nuclear forces,' said Yang. 'The intention would be to closely observe the moves of neighbouring countries in the near term, including President Lee Jae Myung's Liberation Day address,' he added.
Int'l Business Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
South Korea President Vows To Build 'Military Trust' With North
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung vowed Friday to "respect" North Korea's political system and build "military trust", a day after Pyongyang said it had no interest in improving relations with Seoul. Lee has pledged to reach out to the nuclear-armed North and pursue dialogue without preconditions since his election in June -- a reversal from his hawkish predecessor. Speaking at an event marking the anniversary of liberation from Japanese rule, Lee said the South Korean government "will take consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust" with the North. "We affirm our respect for the North's current system," said Lee, adding Seoul had "no intention of engaging in hostile acts". "I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue," he said. "North and South are not enemies." Lee's speech comes a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said the North has "no will to improve relations" with the South. She also denied reports that North Korea was removing propaganda loudspeakers. The South's military said in June that the two countries had halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarised zone, adding last week that it had detected North Korean troops dismantling loudspeakers on the frontier. Friday's August 15 anniversary of liberation from Japan is the only public holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea, according to Seoul's National Institute for Unification Education. In Pyongyang, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un also made a speech at a liberation day celebration, urging the nation to overcome "the challenges facing the DPRK for the great powerful country", using the North's official acronym. However, in an unusual move for a Liberation Day address, he made no mention of South Korea or its "enemies." The speech was before a Russian delegation to Pyongyang, including the speaker of the Duma, who read a congratulatory letter sent to Kim by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kim's speech was a "stark contrast" to his sister's recent "fiery statements," Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul told AFP. "There were no messages aimed at South Korea or the United States, no references to enemies or hostile states, and no provocative mentions of nuclear forces," said Yang. "The intention would be to closely observe the moves of neighbouring countries in the near term, including President Lee Jae Myung's Liberation Day address," he added. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony in Seoul to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule AFP
Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Panmunjom tourism to partially resume in form of special tour
Tour of Joint Security Area opens with special designated tour, planned to reopen to general public in future Designated civilian tours of the Panmunjom truce village — suspended amid heightened military tensions between the two Koreas — are set to partially resume this week. According to the Ministry of Unification, 17 trained employees of the National Institute for Unification Education will participate in a special tour of the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone on Friday. Located approximately 50 kilometers north of Seoul, the area has long been used as a venue for inter-Korean talks. "We've established thorough safety measures for visitors and cooperated with the UN Command, and decided to partially begin operation with the special tours for now," a ministry official said. The ministry did not say when tours will be open to the general public, and vowed to resume visits if the special tours do not present significant problems. Panmunjom tours, organized by the ministry, grant civilians access to the South-controlled section of the truce village. The tours were initially opened to the general public following a 2018 inter-Korean agreement aimed at easing military tensions, which included the disarmament of Panmunjom. Tours were suspended after US Army Pvt. Travis King crossed the border into North Korea during a tour in July 2023. Despite temporarily resuming in November of that year, subsequent military tensions, such as North Korean forces arming themselves, forced the full shutdown of tour operations. The upcoming tour marks the first tour for Korean civilians since November 2023. Foreign nationals, such as Korean War veterans, had visited the area via United Nations Command programs, while tours held by the ministry remained on hold. The NIUE said that the agency has had an array of petitions for the tour programs to be resumed.
