Foreign Correspondents
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Foreign Correspondents: Foreign Correspondents from all around the globe sit down to discuss issues happening in-and-out of Korea on our news talk program, [Foreign Correspondents]!
Season 1
57 Episodes
2018 is now drawing to a close, an eventful year in the world of news. So what were the biggest stories of the year, as viewed by the panelists of "Foreign Correspondents"? The inter-Korean summit of 2018 was a unanimous choice, with foreign media outlets all across the world zooming in on the historic meeting which took place on April 27, that opened a new chapter in cross-border relations. The PyeongChang Winter Olympics was also chosen as one of the top news stories of the year, with the event showcasing many athletes, thrilling competition, as well as sports exchanges between the two Koreas. Also, the MeToo movement in South Korea, which was sparked by a female prosecutor's revelations about sexual abuse in the workplace, shook the country at its very foundation. In this week's edition of "Foreign Correspondents", we sit down with our panel of journalists to discuss all of these stories and others which highlighted the world of news in 2018.
2. 1 January 2019
2018 was a remarkable year in inter-Korean relations, as the two Koreas warmed up to each other in an unprecedented fashion following a year marked by tensions in 2017. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held three separate cross-border summits, which also led to the historic North Korea-U.S. summit as well. Thawing tensions between the South and North also allowed for active inter-Korean cooperation and exchanges, with the two sides holding family reunions for the first time in three years while fielding joint athletic squads for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. However, not everything went as smoothly as expected. Kim Jong-un's promised reciprocal visit to Seoul failed to materialize in 2018, while North Korea-U.S. ties hit an impasse following the postponement of a high-level meeting between the two sides, which was originally scheduled for November. Overall, how will inter-Korean relations play out in 2019? Could we see the signing of a peace treaty and the formal declaration to end the Korean War? Will North Korea remain on the path towards complete denuclearization and will the U.S. reward its gesture of faith by easing its economic sanctions on the regime? In this week's edition of "Foreign Correspondents", we sit down with our panel of foreign journalists to talk about all of these issues and more.
3. 8 January 2019
On December 19, South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the third phase of the country's planned city projects, aimed at cooling down the overheated property market in the country, particularly the Seoul capital area. The government is hoping that residents in the new cities will be able to commute to Seoul within 30 minutes and that the city will create new jobs in the local area. Many experts and pundits say these new cities must be self-sustaining and have the necessary transportation infrastructure to make them more easily accessible when traveling to and from Seoul, in order to be successful. However, some critics have voiced their concerns over the plan, citing the urban decay in phase 1 planned cities, and the incomplete development in the phase 2 construction. In this week's edition of "Foreign Correspondents", we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk about the government's planned city projects.
4. 15 January 2019
On December 27, 2018, the National Assembly passed the so-called "Kim Yong-kyun Law". The bill, which is a comprehensive revision of South Korea's Occupational Safety and Health Act, was named after a deceased 24-year-old worker. The December 11 death of Kim Yong-kyun, who was working at the Taean Thermal Power Plant as a subcontract worker has sparked debate over the outsourcing of risk, which eventually led to the revision of the country's industrial safety laws.
5. 22 January 2019
The MeToo movement has arrived in South Korea's athletic community, following the confessions of short-track Olympic champion Shim Suk-hee. Shim alleged that former coach Cho Jae-beom had abused her sexually, triggering public outrage. These revelations have raised concerns of other athlete victims who may be suffering in silence, drawing the attention of the media as well as South Korean policymakers. In the backdrop of the sexual allegations is the culture of violence, isolation, factional-infighting and competition in South Korea's sports community. Will Shim Suk-hee's confession fan the MeToo movement in sports and uproot its long-running history of physical and sexual violence? We sit down with our panel of foreign journalists to discuss this issue in more detail.
6. 29 January 2019
Today's guest is the versatile and talented actor Yoo Seung-ho. He showed cute and adorable qualities in the movie "The Way Home" and received a lot of love as the nation's baby brother. Back then, he was a sweet, young boy but he has now grown up looking handsome and very manly.
7. 5 February 2019
Lunar New Year is one of the biggest holidays celebrated here in South Korea, with many people in the country gathering to meet with their family members and relatives. However, more and more people have become reluctant about attending these gatherings, due to the probing questions about their education, careers and marriages that they often face from their relatives.
8. 12 February 2019
South Korea's self-employed business owners are finding themselves in dire straits, facing a double whammy of falling revenues and rising debt burdens. As of the second quarter of 2018, total outstanding debt owed by the country's self-employed topped 590 trillion won, with 70 percent of all new business shutting down within the first 5 years of operation.
9. 19 February 2019
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought about big changes to our daily lives, with the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology now being familiar terms even to the ordinary citizen. These new technologies are expected to boost productivity and bring about changes to the labor market as well.
10. 26 February 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump are meeting once more, at the second Pyeongyang-Washington summit to be held on Feb. 27-18 in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi following months of rumors dating back to the second half of last year. Ahead of the key summit, the city of Hanoi has ramped up security around the city and has embarked on many renovation projects
11. 5 March 2019
The second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended abruptly without a deal being reached the two sides. It was the first meeting between the two leaders in 8 months, following their Singapore summit last June, and the atmosphere was warm at their initial reunion. However, on the second day of the summit on Feb. 28, events took an unexpected turn after their planned luncheon and announcement of a joint statement were suddenly cancelled.
12. 12 March 2019
The issue of North Korea sanctions and the U.S. military presence in South Korea have emerged as key sticking points in negotiations between Pyeongyang and Washington. A raft of sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council between 2016 and 2017 have severely weakened North Korea's economy through the ban on coal, minerals, foreign guest workers and etc. This has prompted North Korea to request a partial relief of these sanctions to the U.S. during the Hanoi summit in February 28. Also, South Korea and the U.S. made headlines recently after scaling down and canceling their joint annual military exercises including Key Resolve, Foal Eagle and Ulchi-Freedom Guardian. President Trump took to Twitter and said the drills were being downsized to save costs, as well as to reduce tensions with North Korea. In this week's edition of "Foreign Correspondents", we sit down with our panel of journalists to delve deeper into the questions surrounding North Korea sanctions, and the future of the U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula.
13. 19 March 2019
An air of skepticism is growing in regards to North Korea's sincerity in its pledge to lay down its nuclear weapons. Media reports have indicated signs of renewed activity at North Korea's Dongchang-ri missile test site, while a report from the UN Security Council says the regime's Yeongbyeon nuclear facility remains operational. A UN panel also said on March 12, that North Korea's nuclear and missile programs "remain intact". The Trump administration has continued to pressure North Korea for complete denuclearization, following the breakdown in talks at the Hanoi summit. In response, North Korean propaganda outlets reiterated that the regime remain committed to its pledge to denuclearize and forge new ties with the United States.
14. 26 March 2019
South Korea has been left stunned by the Seungri scandal. It all started last November, when an assault case was reported at 'Burning Sun', a Seoul nightclub owned by former BIGBANG member Seungri. The incident snowballed into a much bigger scandal, involving charges of prostitution and collusion with the police. On March 11, a group chat log involving Seungri was leaked to the public, where singer Jung Joon-young was seen sharing sex videos he had filmed illegally.
15. 2 April 2019
On March 20, a local environmental activist group filed a petition against the government and parliament, to the National Human Rights Commission, on the basis that the South Korean people's right to breathe clean air had been violated by the worsening fine dust air pollution.
16. 9 April 2019
South Korea's population is on the decline. According to projections released by Statistics Korea on March 27, the number of deaths in the country is expected to outpace the number of births for the first time this year, with the population being forecast to fall in earnest beginning in 2028.
17. 16 April 2019
On April 11, U.S. local time, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump held their seventh summit meeting, their first since the breakdown in talks between North Korea and the U.S. at the Hanoi summit. In their latest meeting, Trump said progress had been made in regards to North Korea, while hinting a follow-up meeting with Kim Jong-un, while Moon agreed with his assessment and also mentioned the possibility of a fourth inter-Korean summit.
18. 23 April 2019
South Korea's ban on abortion is set to be lifted after some 66 years in effect. On April 11, the Constitutional Court ruled that the country's long-standing anti-abortion law was unconstitutional, saying that it restricted the freedom of choice for pregnant women. With the abortion ban set to be lifted by December, 2020, many questions and controversies still remain in regards to abortion.
19. 30 April 2019
The seven-member boy band BTS is rewriting the history of K-pop. Their latest album released on April 22 has once again climbed to number 1 on the Billboard 200 and Official UK Chart, coupled with performances on a variety of U.S. television programs. Critics have pointed to BTS's messages contained within their songs, their storytelling strategy and their close interaction with fans, as the key factors behind their success.
20. 7 May 2019
May is commonly known as family month in South Korea, with Children's Day, Parents; Day and Husband and Wife Day all in the monthly calendar. Gifts are often provided on Parents' Day, with South Korea's long-held Confucian tradition of 'Hyo' obligating children to look after their elders.
21. 14 May 2019
Two years ago on May, 2017, President Moon Jae-in was elected into office, carrying with him the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. According to a recent poll, 51.7% of the respondents said they were generally satisfied with the job President Moon has done so far, with his job approval rating being especially high in the areas of welfare policies and foreign affairs.
22. 21 May 2019
On May 8, South Korea's Unification Ministry officially announced the government's plan to provide food aid to North Korea, and according to a joint report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme released on March 3, North Korea is indeed facing a food crisis, the worst the country has seen in 10 years. However, the Moon government's aid plan has failed to garner strong support from the South Korean public, in the aftermath of a string of North Korean missile tests conducted on May 4 and May 9.
23. 28 May 2019
Gentrification has emerged as a chronic issue being faced by South Korean society in recent years. It has manifested in many trendy and popular neighborhoods around Seoul such as Gyeongridan, Seochon and Bukchon, resulting in rising rent and the subsequent relocation of long-time residents. Other locations that are popular with global tourists have also been no exception in experiencing the adverse effects of gentrification. Gentrification is regarded as a double-edged sword, often credited with urban renewal and at the same time, blamed for rising rent costs and property prices. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about gentrification phenomena and its possible solutions.
24. 4 June 2019
South Korean cinema reached a memorable milestone in France on May 25 local time, as director Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' was awarded the Palme d'Or, the highest honor at Cannes Film Festival. This is especially significant given that South Korean cinema is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. The country's film industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 100 years, now the fifth-largest in the world as of 2017.
25. 11 June 2019
Gaming addiction has been officially recognized as a mental illness, in the 11th edition of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, released on May 25 local time in Switzerland. The gaming industry has voiced their concerns over the ruling, saying there is insufficient evidence to conclude that gaming addiction is a disease, and that the ruling could propagate unfounded fears over video games in general. On the other hand, the medical community had welcomed the decision, saying the WHO classification would allow for more effective preventative measures and treatment of gaming addiction. The WHO ruling has drawn mixed reactions from members of both the government and the public, while concerns have also been raised about its economic impact on the global gaming market. In this week’s edition of ‘Foreign Correspondences’, we sit down with our panel of journalist to discuss all of these issues and more, regarding the WHO’s stance on gaming addiction.
26. 18 June 2019
Discussion are taking place within the South Korean government on whether the country should raise its statutory retirement age. It is widely seen as an inevitable choice, given forecasts that South Korea's elderly population will rise by an average of nearly half-a-million annually for the next ten years, while the number of deaths are expected to outpace the number of newborns to bring about a natural population decline.
27. 25 June 2019
June is Memorial Month in South Korea, with Memorial Day being marked on June 6 and the anniversary of the Korean War on June 25. South Korea has gone through a turbulent history in the last century, ranging from Japan's colonial occupation, to the Korean War and the country's democratization movements, where many sacrifices were made by various individuals.
28. 2 July 2019
The global spotlight has turned to the Korean Peninsula once again, following President Trump's visit to South Korea on the heels of the G20 Summit. After meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump headed to Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone, where he held a surprise, impromptu meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, crossing over the Military Demarcation Line in the process.
29. Episode 29
30. 16 July 2019
The Japanese government has announced economic sanctions measures on South Korea. Tokyo announced on July 1 that it was introducing new export curbs on three semiconductor materials, namely fluorinated polyimides, photoresists, and hydrogen fluoride.
31. 23 July 2019
Japan is strengthening its export restrictions on South Korea. On July 4, the Tokyo government began enforcing its curbs on three types of semiconductor materials. It will decide on July 24 whether or not to remove South Korea from its 'white list' of countries that receive preferential trade treatment. Doing so would widen the number of goods under restriction to over 1,100.
32. 30 July 2019
The trade spat between South Korea and Japan is still ongoing, after first breaking out more than a month ago. A number of new variables have emerged, which could decide the outcome of the trade war, including Japan’s impending decision on whether it will remove South Korea from its whitelist of favored trading partners.
33. 6 August 2019
South Korea's diplomacy is being tested for its mettle amid a bevy of unexpected provocations and challenges by the regional powers. On July 1, Japan fired the first shots of its trade war with South Korea by introducing new export curbs on three key materials used for the production of semiconductors and displays.
34. 13 August 2019
2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Arirang World's first overseas broadcast. In August 12, 1998, Arirang TV was broadcast outside of South Korea for the first time, being aired in the Asia-Pacific region via satellite signal.
35. 20 August 2019
Controversy over defense cost-sharing issues as U.S. President Trump demands S. Korea to pay more. Defense cost-sharing issues between South Korea and the U.S. have emerged as a hot topic once again, following President Donald Trump's demands on the Seoul government to step up its share of the burden. U.S. forces have been stationed in South Korea since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1953, which was followed by the Special Measures Agreement in 1991 which obligated South Korea to pay a share of the costs to maintain U.S. troops on its soil. South Korea's portion of the bill has soared to 1.39 trillion won in 2019, from the mere 107 billion won it paid in 1991, to keep up with inflation and its growing defense budget. However, Trump has continued to pressure South Korea into paying even more, as he has done with NATO partners in Europe. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the various controversies surrounding the issue of defense cost-sharing.
36. 27 August 2019
The S. Korea-Japan trade spat is threatening to become a protracted affair. On August 22, the Seoul government decided not to extend its GSOMIA information-sharing deal with Japan, marking the spillover of the trade conflict into the security realm. This came as a direct result of Tokyo's earlier decision on August 2 to remove South Korea from its whitelist of countries receiving preferential trade treatment, which will kick into effect on August 28. The South Korean government has tabled a number of countermeasures in response, including legislative, budget and policy measures to localize the production of high-tech materials and equipment production and reduce the country's reliance on Japan. Ordinary South Korean citizens are also participating in a boycott movement against Japanese products, resulting in falling revenues for Japanese firms and less tourists visiting Japan. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the latest developments in the Seoul-Tokyo trade spat and the various reactions that have been witnessed here at home.
37. 3 September 2019
S. Korea decides not to renew GSOMIA. Where are Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security ties headed? On August 22, the South Korean government announced that it would not be renewing GSOMIA, its military information-sharing agreement with Japan. GSOMIA is the first bilateral military agreement struck between the two countries since Korea's independence in 1945, and allows them to share confidential military information. The Presidential Blue House attributed its decision not to renew GSOMIA on Japan's removal of South Korea from its whitelist of preferential trading partners without citing a clear reason. The top office also said the current administration had never received meaningful intelligence from Japan that was used to conduct analysis on North Korea's missile tests, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again reiterated that South Korea should uphold its promises with other parties, following Seoul's decision not to renew the agreement. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists for an updated look at the current state of security ties and alliances in Northeast Asia with the clock running out on GSOMIA.
38. 10 September 2019
Germany has apologized once again for its dark history during the Second World War. On September 1, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended a memorial event in Poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, and apologized to the Polish victims of the conflict while asking for forgiveness. Germany has made continuous efforts to reconcile with its past, ever since West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's historic gesture of apology in 1970, which paints a stark contrast with the attitude shown by Japan regarding its own wartime history. The Tokyo government had also expressed remorse on several occasions since the Kono Statement was announced in 1993, but they have been undercut by subsequent Japanese leaders who have gone as far as outright denying that war crimes had taken place. More controversy has been stirred by the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by high-profile Japanese politicians, as well as the Tokyo government's decision to revise its history books to paper over its wartime atrocities. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about Germany and Japan's different approaches in how they view and deal with their respective wartime histories.
39. 17 September 2019
Germany has apologized once again for its dark history during the Second World War. On September 1, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended a memorial event in Poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, and apologized to the Polish victims of the conflict while asking for forgiveness. Germany has made continuous efforts to reconcile with its past, ever since West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's historic gesture of apology in 1970, which paints a stark contrast with the attitude shown by Japan regarding its own wartime history. The Tokyo government had also expressed remorse on several occasions since the Kono Statement was announced in 1993, but they have been undercut by subsequent Japanese leaders who have gone as far as outright denying that war crimes had taken place. More controversy has been stirred by the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by high-profile Japanese politicians, as well as the Tokyo government's decision to revise its history books to paper over its wartime atrocities. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about Germany and Japan's different approaches in how they view and deal with their respective wartime histories.
40. 24 September 2019
The overlap of sports and politics. Controversy has emerged regarding the 2020 Tokyo Olympics over the issue of political expressions. The organizing committee of the Tokyo games said it will allow spectators to use Japan's controversial Rising Sun flag, with South Korea lodging a complaint to the IOC to ban its use. This has led to a renewed interest in the often contentious relationship between sports and politics, with the Olympic Charter strictly forbidding the expression of political opinions in the Games. However, many athletes have used the global sporting event as a platform to protest against racism and other issues. Sports exchanges have also been used constructively as a tool of soft diplomacy to improve state-to-state relations and reduce tensions. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the interwoven relationship between sports and politics.
41. 1 October 2019
The needle is moving once again on the Korean Peninsula and its peace process, following South Korea President Moon Jae-in's attendance of the UN General Assembly and his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. President Moon visited New York City on a 3-night, 5-day schedule from September 22 to 26, where he attended the UN General Assembly.
42. 8 Oct 2019
African swine fever arrives in S. Korea as the country scrambles into action. South Korea has been gripped by mounting concerns over the African swine fever virus. The first reported case of the disease was confirmed in the city of Paju in Gyeonggi-do Province on September 17. There is no known cure or vaccine for the virus, which is highly contagious and has a near-100% mortality rate for infected pigs. The South Korean government has pulled all stops to prevent the disease from spreading, issuing a 48-hour standstill order while culling thousands of animals as a precautionary measure. African swine fever, which was first discovered in Kenya in 1921, has been mostly limited to Africa and Europe until last August, when it broke out in China and then quickly spread across the rest of the Asian continent. There have also been reports that North Korea's hog industry has been devastated by the disease, after the regime first informed the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) of an outbreak back in May. The crisis has even forced China to exempt American pork import from extra tariffs despite the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the various issues related to the African swine fever outbreak.
43. 15 Oct 2019
The future of North Korea-U.S. relations after the collapse of working-level talks North Korea-U.S. relations are now in limbo, following the breakdown of their latest working-level talks on Oct. 5 local time in Stockholm, Sweden. North Korea claimed that the U.S. came to the negotiating empty-handed and was inflexible in their stance, while Washington countered by saying that they had brought many creative ideas to the table and had engaged in good discussions. Some experts say that North Korea's SLBM launch on the eve of the working-level talks and their quick announcement on the collapse in discussions are an indication that the regime may be resorting to its strategy of brinkmanship. The breakdown of the talks has cast a cloud over North Korea-U.S. relations as well as the possibility of a third summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to discuss the failure of the working-level talks and Pyeongyang-Washington ties moving forward.
44. 22 Oct 2019
A key news conduit? A platform for public discourse? Social media's influence on politics and debate. Social media's political influence is growing with each passing day, threatening to usurp the role of traditional media outlets. According to a local survey, YouTube has now become the second-most trusted news source in South Korea, a reflection of the people's growing preference for social media due to its convenience, diversity and ease-of-use. However, social media has also been heavily criticized for being a hotbed of fake news, while also providing a platform for conspiracy theorists and radicals to spread misinformation. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about social media's evolution as an important provider of news and a facilitator of public debate.
45. 29 Oct 2019
The controversies over hate comments and cyberbullying in the aftermath of K-Pop star Sulli's tragic suicide. Heated debate over hate speech has re-emerged in South Korea, following the suicide of 25-year-old singer-actress Sulli on October 14. Many media outlets speculate that the vicious string of cyberbullying, defamation and discriminatory comments directed at Sulli may have contributed to her untimely death. According to a survey by Korea's culture ministry conducted in December 2018, eight out of ten people in the country said they had been subjected to similar cases of verbal abuse at least once in their lifetimes, with women, sexual minorities, and migrants seen to be especially vulnerable. Sulli's suicide has driven some advocates to call for the re-introduction of Korea's Internet real-name system in order to curtail cyber violence. Countries such as Germany, France, and the UK already have stringent laws in place to punish those who incite discrimination and violence through hate speech, although some have expressed concerns that these types laws and regulations could have the unintended side effect of curtailing free speech. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the wide-ranging issues surrounding hate speech.
46. 5 Nov 2019
A Trump re-election or a new Democratic Party President?. An early look at the 2020 U.S. presidential elections. The 2020 U.S. presidential election is just one year away. U.S. President Donald Trump officially announced in June that he was running for re-election under the slogan 'Keep America Great', while Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have emerged as frontrunners for the Democratic Party nomination. Trump's re-election chances have taken a hit in the meantime over his alleged role in Ukrainian scandal. The outcome of the election is being watched closely by many countries across the globe, especially South Korea over the possible bearing it could have on Washington's future North Korea policy. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to get an early assessment of the 2020 U.S. presidential elections.
47. 12 Nov 2019
Debate over CSAT and other means of evaluations in South Korea's college admissions system. The Moon Jae-in government has announced new education reforms to raise the proportion of college admissions based on CSAT scores. On October 25, President Moon Jae-in said the public has lost faith in the comprehensive student evaluation system and that the government will heed its preference for standardized testing. College admissions are currently divided into those that are based on annual CSAT scores, and student evaluation-based admissions that assess cover letters, references and essays. According to a recent survey, six out of ten South Koreans were found to be in favor of expanding college admissions based on CSAT scores. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about South Korea's college admissions process, as we count down to this year's CSAT examination date on November 14.
48. 19 Nov 2019
The future of S. Korea-U.S.-Japan relations ahead of the expiration of GSOMIA. The clock is running out on the GSOMIA intel-sharing pact between South Korea and Japan. On August 22, the Seoul government announced that it would not be renewing the agreement, which is due to expire at the stroke of midnight on November 23. Seoul's decision was in response to Japan's removal of South Korea from its whitelist of favored trading partners on August 2, citing a breach of trust and national security concerns, with the two sides since having failed to narrow their differences. The U.S. has recently dialed up the pressure on South Korea to renew the agreement, with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and other officials from the Pentagon visiting South Korea to persuade the Seoul government to reconsider its decision. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the impending termination of GSOMIA and its implications on regional security.
49. 28 Nov 2019
Press members from the ASEAN region discuss South Korea-ASEAN ties, as they make the transition from neighbors to key strategic partners. How does the press in the ASEAN region forecast South Korea-ASEAN relations in the years ahead? South Korea and the 10 member states of the ASEAN bloc have been drawn closer since President Moon Jae-in's unveiling of the 'New Southern Policy'. The 2019 ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit will be held for two days on Nov. 25-26, providing a glimpse into their level of mutual trust and cooperation. In this special edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we'll be coming to you live from the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), the venue of the summit. We will sit down with members of the traveling press corps from the ASEAN region, to discuss the current state and future of South Korea-ASEAN relations, from economic ties, IT industry cooperation, and cultural exchanges.
50. 5 Dec 2019
U.S. demands on S. Korea, Japan and its NATO allies to increase their defense cost-sharing contributions. The Trump administration is dialing up pressure on South Korea to pay a larger share of the costs needed to maintain U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula. On November 19, the third round of negotiations between Seoul and Washington on the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) broke down following discussions that lasted around 90 minutes. It has been reported that the U.S. is asking South Korea to pay around US$5 billion, a more than five-fold increase compared to Seoul’s current level of financial commitment, which was agreed between the two sides earlier this year. The Trump administration is also demanding other U.S. allies across the globe to shoulder a larger burden of defense costs. It has requested US$8 billion, a four-fold hike, in Japan’s payment to cover the cost of U.S. troops in the country, while calling on NATO member states in Europe to bolster their defense spending. In this week’s edition of ‘Foreign Correspondents’, we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the ramifications of Trump’s hardline stance on defense cost-sharing.
51. 12 Dec 2019
30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The process of German unification and the present day. 30 years have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of German division that spanned a 40 kilometer stretch surrounding West Berlin. On November 9, 1989, an East German government official made a verbal blunder announcing free travel to East Germans effective immediately, resulting in thousands of citizens clamoring to the border to break down the Berlin Wall. One year later, East and West Germany were officially reunited, leaving behind key lessons for Korea, which now remains the only divided nation in the world. Even though 30 years have passed since that fateful day, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cautioned that German unification was still an ongoing process. According to a recent survey, more than half of those living in former East Germany said they felt like second-class citizens in their own country, highlighting the socioeconomic gap that has remained even after reunification. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the reunification of Germany and its aftermath in the years that followed.
52. 19 Dec 2019
An overview of the first 100 years of Korean cinema, from 'The Righteous Revenge' to 'Parasite' 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Korean cinema, which took place on October 27, 1919 with the screening of the country's first-ever film, 'The Righteous Revenge'. Overcoming challenges such as Japan's colonial occupation and the Korean War, Korean films experienced a golden age during the 1960s, However, it began stagnating in the 1970s, due to heavy state censorship and the widening distribution of TV sets. The emergence of talented film directors and rising public interest in films signaled a revival in Korean cinema starting in the 1990s, and as of 2017, South Korea had become the fifth-largest movie market in the world according to the MPAA. Behind its success however, some critics have expressed worries about the growing dichotomy and a lack of film diversity in recent years. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists to talk more about the current state of Korean cinema, as we mark its centennial anniversary.
53. 26 Dec 2019
S. Korea now home to more than 2 million foreigners. Is the country ready to embrace multiculturalism? South Korea is now undergoing a transformation into a more multicultural society. According to data released by the interior ministry in October, the number of foreign residents in South Korea has now topped the 2 million mark. However, there remain concerns that prejudice and discrimination are still too prevalent in the country. Survey results show a high percentage of Koreans who take pride in their ‘pure’ bloodline and hold a belief that multiculturalism undermines social cohesion. Advocates of multiculturalism on the other hand, believe that immigration is key to solving South Korea’s labor shortages and creating a diverse cultural scene. In this week’s edition of , we sit down with our panel of journalists to learn more about South Korea’s transition into a multicultural society.
54. 2 Jan 2020
Looking back at the world of news in 2019, from politics and foreign policy to sports and culture 2019 was another eventful year in the world of news, highlighted by the eruption of a trade war between South Korea and Japan. What began as a dispute over history spilled over into an all-out crisis on the trade and security fronts between the two countries. The deep freeze in North Korea-U.S. relations was also a source of frequent media coverage, ranging from the collapse of the second Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi and the breakdown in working-level talks between the two countries in Sweden that followed seven months later. In the world of sports, South Korean athletes such as soccer star Son Heung-min and baseball pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin made their countrymen pride by putting in great performances. On the other hand, South Korea's culture and entertainment industry was marred by the 'Burning Sun' scandal, and struck by tragedy after a number of top celebrities took their own lives. In this week's edition of 'Foreign Correspondents', we sit down with our panel of journalists for a review of all the top news stories from 2019.
55. 9 Jan 2020
The number of tourists to S. Korea reaches a new record high. What’s in store for S. Korea’s tourism industry? The number of foreign tourists to South Korea hit a new record high. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization estimated that the number of foreign tourists to South Korea reached 17.5 million in 2019. Among the factors that propelled the number of tourists was the popularity of K-pop. According to a survey of some 10,000 K-pop fans overseas, nine out of 10 expressed their desire to visit South Korea. The revitalization of the tourism industry has a positive impact on the nation’s economy, including the creations of jobs and the revitalization of the local economy. However, some tourist sites are suffering from the side effects of "overtourism" which has led to a decline in the quality of life of residents. This week’s Foreign Correspondents will discuss the status and future of South Korea’s tourism industry.
56. 16 Jan 2020
U.S. Assassinates Elite Member of Iran's Power Circle. What is the impact of the U.S.-Iran conflict on the Korean Peninsula? Clouds of war are gathering over the U.S. and Iran. On January 3rd, the United States struck the main airport in Baghdad, Iraq, killing the powerful and influential Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. General Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a paramilitary organization, and as such was known as Iran’s post powerful military figure. For his killing, militant groups in neighboring Shi'ite countries declared they would exact bloody revenge. President Trump responded that he would be imposing additional economic sanctions on Iran. Meanwhile, it is expected that America's tough response to Iran will have an effect on its dialogue with North Korea. Some say the killing of General Soleimani is an indirect warning to the North. This week on Foreign Correpondents, we'll look at the U.S.-Iran tensions and their causes, and discuss the impact those tensions could have on the Korean Peninsula.
57. 23 Jan 20
Will the Age of AI be a utopia or a dystopia? A wide-ranging discussion of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is changing our lives. From January 7th to the 10th, the U.S. city of Las Vegas held the world’s biggest expo for the IT and consumer electronics industry — CES 2020 — where AI was a key topic of discussion. With the age of AI coming into its own, the technology is used in applications such as home appliances and medical devices. But the influence of AI is also felt in a range of social issues such as employment and the education system. Its impact is expected to be especially big in the job market. Experts disagree over whether AI will lead to an increase in jobs or whether it will cause many jobs to disappear. But in addition to the question of jobs, there is a great deal of attention on the “security problem.” There are concerns that all-seeing AI could expose our private lives, but it’s also said that AI could actually protect our private information quite thoroughly. This week on Foreign Correspondents, we take an in-depth look at AI technology, including its convenience and the concerns.
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