Latest news with #SeoulGovernment
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Powerful sister of North Korean leader denies removal of front-line speakers
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File) SEOUL, South Korea — The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday dismissed South Korean claims the North is removing some of its loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border, mocking the government in Seoul for clinging to hopes of renewed diplomacy between the war-divided rivals. South Korea's military said over the weekend that it had detected the North removing some of its loudspeakers, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North propaganda broadcasts in a bid to ease tensions. Kim Yo Jong reiterated previous North Korean statements that it has no immediate interest in reviving long-stalled negotiations with Washington and Seoul, citing an upcoming joint military exercise between the allies as proof of their continued hostility toward Pyongyang. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff did not disclose where it spotted the North removing some of its speakers. The North Korean speakers that have been visible from civilian-accessible border areas in the South were still seen by AP photojournalists after the military's announcement. During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae Myung described the North's alleged steps as a 'reciprocal measure' and expressed hope the Koreas could 'gradually reopen dialogue and communication.' Kim accused Lee's government of misleading the public, saying that North Koreans 'have never removed loudspeakers installed on the border area and are not willing to remove them.' The South's government and military did not immediately respond to Kim's comments, published by state media. No interest in talks with the U.S. She also dismissed South Korean media speculation that the North may use this week's planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to convey a message to Washington via Moscow. 'Why should we send a message to the U.S. side,' she said, adding that the North has no interest in talks with the Americans. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, North Korea has made Russia the priority of its foreign policy and has sent thousands of troops and large supplies of military equipment, including artillery and missiles, to help fuel Russia's war. North Korean and Russian state media said Wednesday that Kim Jong Un and Putin held a phone call to discuss their deepening ties and war efforts against Ukraine. Russia's TASS news agency said Putin also shared with Kim information about his upcoming talks with Trump in Alaska on Friday, but the North Korean reports did not mention the Trump meeting. Kim Yo Jong had also released statements in July dismissing Washington and Seoul's stated desires to restart diplomacy aimed at defusing the North's nuclear program, which derailed in 2019 following a collapsed summit with Trump during his first term. In recent months, South Korean border residents have complained that North Korean speakers blasted irritating sounds, including howling animals and pounding gongs, in a tit-for-tat response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts in June, after Lee ordered to halt South's broadcasts in his government's first concrete step toward easing tensions between the war-divided rivals. The South's military began removing its speakers from border areas last week but did not say if they would be redeployed if tensions flared again. The issue of loudspeakers North Korea, extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its authoritarian leadership and its third-generation ruler, had seen South Korea's anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts as a major provocation. The South's previous conservative government resumed daily loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year, following a yearslong pause, in retaliation for North Korea flying trash-laden balloons toward the South. The speakers blasted propaganda messages and K-pop songs, a playlist designed to strike a nerve in Pyongyang, where Kim Jong Un has been pushing to eliminate the influence of South Korean pop culture and language among the population, in part of attempts to strengthen his family's dynastic rule. The psychological warfare campaigns further heightened tensions already inflamed by North Korea's advancing nuclear program and South Korean efforts to expand joint military exercises with the United States and their trilateral security co-operation with Japan. Lee, who took office in June after winning an early election to replace ousted conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, wants to improve relations with Pyongyang, which reacted furiously to Yoon's hard line policies. Experts, however, say the North clearly feels no urgency to resume diplomacy with South Korea and the U.S. anytime soon and remains focused on its alignment with Russia. Tensions on the peninsula could rise later this month with the large-scale annual combined U.S.-South Korean military exercises that start Aug. 18. North Korea portrays the joint drills as invasion rehearsals and often uses them as a pretext for military demonstrations and weapons tests to advance its nuclear program. Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Kim Yo-jong denies that North Korea is removing its border loudspeakers
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday dismissed South Korean claims that the North is removing some of its loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border, mocking the government in Seoul for clinging to hopes of renewed diplomacy between the war-divided rivals. Kim Yo-jong's statement came after South Korea's military said on Saturday it had detected the North removing some of its loudspeakers, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North propaganda broadcasts in a bid to ease tensions. Kim reiterated previous North Korean statements that it has no immediate interest in reviving long-stalled negotiations with Washington and Seoul and cited a coming joint military exercise between the allies as proof of their continued hostility toward Pyongyang. While saying that North Korea was removing some of its speakers, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff did not disclose the sites where it spotted such activity and said it was not immediately clear whether the North would take all of them down. During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae Myung described the North's alleged steps as a 'reciprocal measure' to South Korea's speaker removals and expressed hope that the Koreas could 'gradually reopen dialogue and communication'. 01:01 South Korea removes border loudspeakers in push for peace with the North South Korea removes border loudspeakers in push for peace with the North Kim accused Lee's government of misleading the public, saying that the North Koreans 'have never removed loudspeakers installed on the border area and are not willing to remove them'.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Powerful sister of North Korean leader denies removal of frontline speakers
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday dismissed South Korean claims that the North is removing some of its loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border, mocking the government in Seoul for clinging to hopes of renewed diplomacy between the war-divided rivals. Kim Yo Jong's statement came after South Korea's military said Saturday it had detected the North removing some of its loudspeakers, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North propaganda broadcasts in a bid to ease tensions. Kim reiterated previous North Korean statements that it has no immediate interest in reviving long-stalled negotiations with Washington and Seoul and cited an upcoming joint military exercise between the allies as proof of their continued hostility toward Pyongyang. While saying that North Korea was removing some of its speakers, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't disclose the sites where it spotted such activity and said it wasn't immediately clear whether the North would take all of them down. During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae Myung described the North's alleged steps as a 'reciprocal measure' to South Korea's speaker removals and expressed hope that the Koreas could 'gradually reopen dialogue and communication.' Kim accused Lee's government of misleading the public, saying that the North Koreans 'have never removed loudspeakers installed on the border area and are not willing to remove them.' In recent months, South Korean border residents have complained that North Korean speakers blasted irritating sounds, including howling animals and pounding gongs, in a tit-for-tat response to South Korean propaganda broadcasts. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts in June after Lee ordered to halt South's broadcasts in his government's first concrete step toward easing tensions between the war-divided rivals. South Korea's military began removing its speakers from border areas last week but didn't specify how they would be stored or whether they could be quickly redeployed if tensions flared again.
Wall Street Journal
31-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Will Charge South Korea 15% Tariff in New Deal, Trump Says
The U.S. and South Korea have struck a trade pact that will see the U.S. impose tariffs of 15% on Korean goods in return for duty-free treatment on many American products, President Trump said on Wednesday. The deal will mean that U.S. products 'will not be charged a tariff' in Korea, Trump posted on Truth Social. The Seoul government would also contribute $350 billion for investments 'owned and controlled' by the U.S. and a further $100 billion in energy purchases.
New York Times
03-07-2025
- New York Times
Seoul Is Going Easy on Its Lovebugs. Many People Want Them Dead.
They're called lovebugs but nobody seems to love them. In fact, a lot of people in South Korea want them dead. The thumbnail-size insects began swarming parts of Seoul and nearby cities in mating pairs last month. The infestation is expected to end by this weekend, and lovebugs pose no health risks to humans, so officials have opted for a gentle approach. Municipal workers are mostly spraying water at them and officials have advised residents to do the same. 'Lovebugs are not pests!' the Seoul government says in a promotional video. 'Stop using pesticides and protect nature!' But residents getting caught in the swarms, or scraping layers of lovebug carcasses from their storefronts, can't understand why Seoul's most annoying summer insect is getting off so lightly. They want officials to put away the garden hoses and break out the poison. 'There's nothing beneficial about them,' Ahn Yeon-sik said this week as he hosed down lovebugs from the front of his bar in Incheon, a city neighboring Seoul where officials have also urged the environmentally friendly approach. Nearby, a man trying to sit on a bench swatted the bugs with a piece of cardboard. A pedestrian ducked swiftly to dodge a pair bearing down on her. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
