Who is the current leader of South Korea?
Moon Jae-in
Moon Jae-in (; or ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean politician serving as the 19th and current President of South Korea since 2017. He was elected after the impeachment of Park Geun-hye as the candidate of the Democratic Party (then known as the New Politics Alliance for Democracy).
2012 South Korean presidential election
Lee Jung-hee (UPP)former leader of UPP and former assemblywoman
Roh Tae-woo
Roh Tae-woo (Korean:노태우;Hanja:盧泰愚);; born December 4, 1932) is a former South Korean politician and ROK Army general who served as President of South Korea from 1988 to 1993.
Park Geun-hye
Park became the 18th president of South Korea on 25 February 2013. At midnight, she took over all presidential authorities including the prerogative of supreme command of South Korea's armed forces from her predecessor Lee Myung-bak. In her inauguration speech at the National Assembly building, Park spoke of her plan to open a new era of hope through "economic prosperity, people's happiness, and cultural enrichment". She particularly expressed her hope that North Korea would give up its nuclear arms and walk on the path of peace and mutual development, and declared that the foundation for a happy era of unification in which all Korean people will be able to enjoy prosperity and freedom and realize their dreams would be built through the Korean Peninsula Trust-building Process. In her inauguration speech, Park presented four guiding principles to realize her administrative vision: economic prosperity, people's happiness, cultural enrichment, and establishment of foundation for peaceful unification. Park's inauguration ceremony was the largest one in South Korean history with 70,000 participants. Diplomatic representatives in Korea as well as high-level delegates specially sent from 24 countries around the world including Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, U.S. National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon, Taiwanese Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng and former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda also participated in the event to congratulate Park.
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
On April 15, 2017, at the yearly major public holiday also known in the country as the Day of the Sun, North Korea staged a massive military parade to commemorate the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung, the country’s founder and grandfather of current leader, Kim Jong-un. The parade took place amid hot speculation in the United States, Japan, and South Korea that the country would also potentially test a sixth nuclear device, but failed to do so. The parade did publicly display, for the first time, two new intercontinental ballistic missile-sized canisters as well as submarine-launched ballistic missiles and a land-based version of the same.
South Korea–United States relations
The new US Ambassador to South Korea arrived in Seoul on July 7, 2018. The post had been vacant since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Harry Harris, a former head of the US military's Pacific Command, has expressed his resolve to work as an ambassador to strengthen the alliance between the United States and South Korea.
Leaders of South Korea and the United States from 1950
Physiognomy
In 2011, the South Korean news agency Yonhap published a physiognomical analysis of the current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un.
Kim dynasty (North Korea)
Kim Jong-un became North Korea's Supreme Leader on December 29, 2011. He married Ri Sol-ju in either 2009 or 2010, and the couple reportedly had a daughter, Kim Ju-ae, in 2012. His sister Kim Yo-jong had fallen out of favour with her brother for a few years but in 2017, she was elevated by Kim Jong-un to the powerful Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Kim Jong-un made an effort to distinguish himself from the reputations of his father and brothers, and has promoted the image of an academic who possesses a masculine and extroverted demeanor.
Time in North Korea
On 29 April 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced his country would be returning to to realign its clocks with South Korea. On 30 April 2018, the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea issued a decree about changing the time zone in North Korea as a further step in unifying Korea and eliminating differences between the South and North. The time zone change was applied at 23:30 on 4 May 2018 ().
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
The Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea () is the supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, according to the country's constitution. The chairman directs the State Affairs Commission, which is the supreme leadership institution in North Korea, and heads the country's armed forces as the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army. The chairman is also the head of the party as the Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Korean conflict
When Kim Jong-un proposed participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea in his New Year's address, the Seoul–Pyongyang hotline was reopened after almost two years. In February, North Korea sent an unprecedented high-level delegation to the Games, headed by Kim Yo-jong, sister of Kim Jong-un, and President Kim Yong-nam, which passed on an invitation to President Moon to visit the North. Kim Jong-un and Moon met at the Joint Security Area on April 27, where they announced that their governments would work toward a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and formalize peace between North and South Korea. On June 12, Kim met with Donald Trump at a summit in Singapore and signed a declaration, affirming the same commitment. Trump announced that he would halt military exercises with South Korea and foreshadowed withdrawing American troops entirely. In September, at a summit with Moon in Pyongyang, Kim agreed to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons facilities if the United States took reciprocal action. The two governments also announced that they would establish buffer zones on their borders to prevent clashes.
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il (officially transcribed Kim Jong Il; ; ; 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was the second Supreme Leader of North Korea. He ruled from the death of his father Kim Il-sung, the first Supreme Leader of North Korea, in 1994 until his own death in 2011. He was an unelected dictator and was often accused of human rights violations.
Lee Nak-yeon
On May 10, 2017, he was nominated by President Moon Jae-in to be the next Prime Minister of South Korea, succeeding Hwang Kyo-ahn. He left office as governor of the South Jeolla Province on the same day.
He is seen as having close ties with key Japanese politicians, having served many years as a senior officer in the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union. Lee speaks fluent Japanese. On June 25, Prime Minister Lee urged North Korea to release their prisoners. On July 27, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, who is known to be knowledgeable about Japan, criticized the accord regarding ‘comfort women’. On August 16, Lee reacted negatively to calls for South Korea to possess nuclear weapons, saying the move would undermine Seoul's calls for North Korea to denuclearize, trigger a nuclear arms race and put the country under international sanctions. Reflecting such calls, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party adopted a demand for the redeployment of US tactical nuclear arms as its official party line during a general meeting of its lawmakers. On November 29, Lee raised concerns that cryptocurrencies were corrupting the youth of South Korea, remarking “There are cases in which young Koreans including students are jumping in to make quick money and virtual currencies are used in illegal activities like drug dealing or multi-level marketing for frauds”. On December 13, Prime Minister Lee visited Pyeongchang, where the Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in February.
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee remains a controversial figure in South Korea. The eighteen-year Park era is considered to be one of the most, if not the most, controversial topics for the Korean public, politicians, and scholars both at home and abroad. A large number of South Koreans, especially those from Park's native Yeongnam region, consider Park to be one of the greatest leaders in the country's history and thus continue to hold Park in high regard in great part due to the industrial and economic growth experienced by South Korea under his regime. Park was accused of having pro-Japanese tendencies by some, but it is widely agreed that Park is responsible for the beginning of a normalized relationship with Japan and today Japan is one of South Korea's top trading partners, surpassed only by the People's Republic of China and the United States. He is often credited as being one of the major people responsible for bringing economic growth and development to South Korea. Park has been recognized and respected by many South Koreans as his country's most efficient leader, credited with making South Korea economically what it is today. However, Park is also regarded as a highly repressive dictator who restricted personal freedoms and was isolated from the people. At the very least, his actions put United States and South Korea foreign relations at risk, at least under Carter. Dissolving the constitution to allow him unopposed rule and a third term, blackmail, arresting, jailing and murdering opposition figures are well documented. The new constitution President Park implemented after declaring the state of emergency in 1971, gave him the power to appoint one third of the members of the National Assembly and even outlawed criticism of the constitution and of the president. There were also many economic feats established during Park's regime, including the Gyeongbu Expressway, POSCO, the famous Five-Year Plans of South Korea, and the New Community Movement.
Hong Nam-ki
Hong Nam-ki (; born 29 July 1960) is a South Korean politician currently serving as Minister of Economy and Finance and as a Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea since his appointment in November 2018. Hong is considered a veteran politician, serving as both a director-general within the finance ministry and as a senior secretary for policy coordination.
Korean axe murder incident
One of the South Korean soldiers who participated in Operation Paul Bunyan, Moon Jae-in, was elected President of South Korea in 2017.
Jong-Wha Lee
Jong-Wha Lee (Korean: 이종화) is a South Korean economist and former Senior Advisor for International Economic Affairs to former President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea and Korean G-20 Sherpa. He is currently a Professor of Economics at Korea University where he has been a member of the faculty since March 1993. He has previously served as Chief Economist and Head of the Office of Regional Economic Integration at the Asian Development Bank.
2018 Korean peace process
On 27 April, a summit took place between Moon and Kim in the South Korean zone of the Joint Security Area. It was the first time since the Korean War that a North Korean leader had entered South Korean territory. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in met at the line that divides Korea. The summit ended with both countries pledging to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They also vowed to declare an official end to the Korean War within a year. As part of the Panmunjom Declaration which was signed by leaders of both countries, both sides also called for the end of longstanding military activities in the region of the Korean border and a reunification of Korea. In 2018, a majority of South Koreans approved the new relationship. Also, the leaders agreed to work together to connect and modernise their railways.
Kim Jong-un
From late 2010, Kim Jong-un was viewed as heir apparent to the leadership of the DPRK, and following the elder Kim's death, he was announced as the "Great Successor" by North Korean state television. Kim holds the titles of Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (as First Secretary between 2012 and 2016), Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, and member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea, the highest decision-making body in North Korea. Kim was promoted to the rank of Marshal of North Korea in the Korean People's Army on 18 July 2012, consolidating his position as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and is often referred to as Marshal Kim Jong-un, "the Marshal" or "Dear Respected" by state media.
Prime Minister of South Korea
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea () is appointed by the President of South Korea, with the National Assembly's approval. The officeholder is not required to be a member of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister is not the head of government but rather serves in a role similar to that of a vice president.
Kim Kyong-hui
General Kim Kyong-hui (; born 30 May 1946) is the aunt of current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. She is the daughter of the founding North Korean leader Kim Il-sung and the sister of the late leader Kim Jong-il. She currently serves as Secretary for Organization of the Workers' Party of Korea. An important member of Kim Jong-il's inner circle of trusted friends and advisors, she was director of the WPK Light Industry Department from 1988 to 2012. Her husband was Jang Sung-taek, who was executed in December 2013 in Pyongyang, after being charged with treason and corruption.
List of international presidential trips made by Moon Jae-in
Moon Jae-in is scheduled to attend the following summits as South Korean President.
Workers' Party of Korea
The WPK is organized according to the Monolithic Ideological System and the Great Leader, a system and theory conceived by Kim Yong-ju and Kim Jong-il. The highest body of the WPK is formally the Congress, but in practice a Congress occurs infrequently. Between 1980 and 2016, there were no congresses held. Although the WPK is organizationally similar to communist parties, in practice it is far less institutionalized and informal politics plays a larger role than usual. Institutions such as the Central Committee, the Executive Policy Bureau, the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Politburo and the Politburo's Presidium have much less power than that formally bestowed on them by the party's charter, which is little more than a nominal document. Kim Jong-un is the current WPK leader, serving as Chairman and CMC chairman.
President of South Korea
The most recent President to die was Kim Young-sam, who died on November 22, 2015 (at the age of ).
Commander-in-chief
In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the commander-in-chief is the President of South Korea.
Foreign relations of North Korea
In 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a sudden peace overture towards South Korea and the United States. This led to the first face to face-to-face discussion between the Supreme Leader of North Korea and a sitting United States President. This is known as the 2018 Korean peace process.
Moon Jae-in
The general election originally had 15 announced candidates. Moon faced four other major party nominees during the election, including 2012 presidential rival and past party colleague Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party and Hong Jun-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party. He was elected the 19th President of South Korea in Korea's 19th presidential election by a large plurality over two other major opponents, conservative Hong Joon-pyo and centrist Ahn Cheol-soo.
On 10 May 2017, Moon ended his campaign by winning 41.1% votes (with 13,423,800 votes) to win the plurality of votes. As Moon was elected in a special election, he did not have the 60 days of transitional period of previous administrations, but was instead inaugurated the day after the election.
President of South Korea
The President of the Republic of Korea () is, according to the South Korean constitution, the chairperson of the cabinet, the chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of South Korea. The Constitution and the amended Presidential Election Act of 1987 provide for election of the president by direct, secret ballot, ending sixteen years of indirect presidential elections under the preceding two governments. The president is directly elected to a five-year term, with no possibility of re-election. If a presidential vacancy should occur, a successor must be elected within sixty days, during which time presidential duties are to be performed by the prime minister or other senior cabinet members in the order of priority as determined by law. While in office, the chief executive lives in Cheong Wa Dae (the "Blue House"), and is exempt from criminal liability (except for insurrection or treason).
Lee Jong-seok (politician)
Lee Jong-seok (born May 11, 1958) is the former South Korean Minister of Unification and chairman of the National Security Council, having succeeded Chung Dong-young on February 10, 2006. His appointment was controversial as some lawmakers wanted to separate the two posts while others were troubled by questions, raised during confirmation hearings, about his apparent failure to properly brief President Roh Moo-hyun. Prior to his appointment he had been deputy chief of the NSC.
2017 South Korean presidential election
Opinion polling before April consistently placed the Democratic Party's candidate, Moon Jae-in, runner-up in the 2012 election, as the front-runner. Second place in the opinion polls was initially held by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who declined to run in February, followed by Ahn Hee-jung, whilst he lost the Democratic primaries to Moon. Support for People's Party founder Ahn Cheol-soo then surged, threatening Moon's lead in the polls throughout early April, before descending to approximately equal that of Liberty Korea Party's candidate, Hong Jun-pyo, in final polls.
Kim Jong-un (disambiguation)
Kim Jong-un (born 1983 or 1984) is the current Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, serving as the 3rd supreme leader of North Korea.
Kim Sol-song
Kim Sol-song (, born 30 December 1974), is the daughter of North Korea's former leader Kim Jong-il and Kim Young-sook. She has reportedly been active within the propaganda department, been in charge of literary affairs, and in charge of the security and schedule of her father as his secretary.
April 2018 inter-Korean summit
On 26 May, Kim and Moon met again in the Joint Security Area, this time on the North Korean side of the Panmunjom village. The meeting took two hours, and unlike other summits it had not been publicly announced beforehand. Photos released by South Korea's presidential office showed Moon arriving at the northern side of the Panmunjom truce village and shaking hands with Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, before sitting down with Kim for their summit. Moon was accompanied by his spy chief, Suh Hoon, while Kim was joined by Kim Yong-chol, a former military intelligence chief who is now a vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party's central committee tasked with inter-Korean relations. The meeting was largely centered around North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump. Kim and Moon also embraced before Moon returned to South Korea. Moon revealed details of the summit in a public address on 27 May.
Kim Byong-joon
Kim Byong-joon (; born 26 March 1954) is a former Chief of Staff (Minister), Presidential Office of National Policies, Republic of Korea/ the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Human Resources Development. He is designated Prime Minister of South Korea by President Park Geun-hye, on November 2, 2016, but Park withdrew her designate November 8.
Yoo Eun-hae
Yoo Eun-hae (; born 2 October 1962) is a South Korean politician currently serving as the country's Minister of Education and as a Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea since her appointment by President Moon Jae-in in October 2018. She is the first woman to serve as a Deputy Prime Minister in South Korea. Her appointment as Education Minister was considered controversial due to her alleged ethical lapses.
Kim Sang-gon
Kim Sang-gon (; born 5 December 1949) is the current Minister of Education of South Korea, as well as a Deputy Prime Minister. In June 2017, he was nominated by President Moon Jae-in and would be appointed to both positions in July.
Conservatism in South Korea
Starting from the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee with military coups d'état and the scandals facing the conservative government, including accusations of government interference in the presidential election, Conservatism in South Korea is chiefly associated with the Liberty Korea Party (named the Grand National Party prior to 2012 and the Saenuri Party prior to 2017). Within the party, groups such as the New Right promote conservatism. The conservative Park Geun-hye government was the last conservative government of the Sixth Republic of South Korea since 2017.
North Korea–South Korea relations
North Korea–South Korea relations is very special with high conflicts. Originally a single nation, the two nations have been divided since the Korean War in 1953. North Korea is an one-party state run by Kim's regime. South Korea was formerly govern by one-party military dictatorships until 1987 when it held direct elections till now. Both nations claim to represent Korea. Both nations joined the United Nations in 1991 and recognized by most of the member states in the United Nations. Since 1970s, both nations start informal diplomatic dialogues in order to reduce military tensions. Since North Korea develops nuclear weapons, which raise concern by the international communities. In 2000, President of South Korea Kim Dae-jung became the first president to visit North Korea, after 55 years of North-South divisions in the peninsula.
Inter-Korean summits
In 2000, the representatives of the two governments met for the first time since the division of the Korean peninsula. Kim Dae-jung, the President of South Korea, who arrived at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, met Kim Jong-il, Supreme Leader of North Korea, directly under the trap of the airport, and the rallies and divisions of the People's Army Corps were held. In June 2007, a summit declaration was adopted, which included the realization of the June 15 Joint Declaration, the promotion of a three-party or four-party summit meeting to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, and active promotion of inter-Korean economic cooperation projects. A summit was held on 27 April 2018 in South Korea's portion of the Joint Security Area. It was the third summit between South and North Korea, agreed by South Korea's President, Moon Jae-in, and North Korea's Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un.On 26 May 2018, Kim and Moon met again in the Joint Security Area. The meeting took two hours, and unlike other summits it had not been publicly announced beforehand.
Kim Jong-chul
Kim Jong-chul (born 25 September 1981), sometimes spelled Kim Jong Chol, is a son of former North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il. His younger brother is Kim Jong-un, now the leader of North Korea. His older half-brother was Kim Jong-nam, who was assassinated in February 2017.
Lee Myung-bak
Lee altered the South Korean government's approach to North Korea, preferring a more hardline strategy in the wake of increased provocation from the North, though he was supportive of regional dialogue with Russia, China and Japan. Under Lee, South Korea increased its visibility and influence in the global scene, resulting in the hosting of the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit. However, significant controversy remains in Korea regarding high-profile government initiatives which have caused some factions to engage in civil opposition and protest against the incumbent government and President Lee's Saenuri Party (formerly the Grand National Party). The reformist faction within the Saenuri Party is at odds against Lee. He ended his five-year term on 24 February 2013, and was succeeded by Park Geun-hye.
Organization and Guidance Department
There are those, most prominently the defector Jang Jin-sung, who currently argue that the leaders of the OGD are the real leaders of North Korea, and that Kim Jong-un is a puppet. He argues that Hwang Pyong-so, the First Deputy Head of the OGD, through his post as Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, was the real ruler of the country because (Jang believes) he controlled the appointments and dismissals of military officers. He concluded that Kim Jong-un would remain a puppet as long as Kim Jong-il's old proteges still controlled the OGD. Michael Madden of the North Korea Leadership Watch disagrees, claiming instead that the OGD implements the directives of the Supreme Leader, and is not powerful enough to introduce directives itself. In October 2017 the WPK central committee appointed Kim Jong Un's trusted aide Choe Ryong Hae as director.
Han Seung-oh
Han Seung-oh (; born 1978) was a South Korean human rights activist and civil activist. He was one of founding members of Man of Korea (남성연대) also 2nd leader of Man of Korea, July 29, 2013 until August 14.
President of South Korea
As of , four former presidents are alive:
The longest-lived President was Yun Bo-seon, who died on July 18, 1990 (at the age of ).
Kim Suk-soo
Kim Suk-soo (born November 20, 1932) is a South Korean politician and attorney-at-law. Kim graduated from Paichai High School in 1952 and Yonsei University in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in law. After his service as a justice of the Supreme Court and chairman of the National Election Commission, Kim became the acting Prime Minister of South Korea from 2002 to 2003, during Kim Dae-Jung’s presidency. On April 25, 2013, he was elected as the head director of Yonsei University after Bang Woo-Young, a former chairman of "The Chosun Ilbo", resigned. Kim is also an Of Counsel at DR & AJU LLC.
Yun Jong-su
Yun Jong-Su (Korean: 윤정수; hancha: 尹正水; born 3 January 1962) is a former North Korean football player and the current head coach of the North Korea national under-23 football team. He also led North Korea during the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns.
2018 North Korea–United States summit
North Korea's supreme leader Kim was in Beijing on March 25–28, 2018, arriving by special train for talks with China's paramount leader Xi Jinping, Kim's first known out-of-country excursion since taking power six years previously. China stated that North Korea was "committed to denuclearization" and willing to hold a summit with the United States. It was organized by the invitation of Xi. During the meeting between two leaders, Kim officially invited Xi to the North Korean capital Pyongyang when it was convenient in his schedule, and Xi accepted the invitation.
Xi urged Kim to strengthen the strategic and diplomatic future partnership between China and North Korea. Kim stressed to Xi that North Korea and China are communist countries and that there are many ways to cooperate in various aspects in the future. Kim and Xi met again on May 7, 2018, in the city of Dalian, China.
Ri Sol-ju
Ri Sol-ju or Lee Seol-ju (; born 1985–89) is the current First Lady of North Korea and wife of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.
Mun Jong-nam
Mun is the current North Korean ambassador to Syria. He presented his credentials on 30 May 2018 in Damascus. During the ceremony, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is said by KCNA to have proclaimed that he will visit North Korea and meet with leader Kim Jong-un.
Premier of North Korea
The Premier is nominally part of a triumvirate overseeing North Korea's executive branch, alongside the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (i.e. the head of State) and the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission (i.e., the commander-in-chief). On paper, each has powers equivalent to one-third of those of a president's powers in most presidential systems. The SPA presidium chairman conducts foreign relations, the premier handles domestic matters and heads the government, and the SAC chairman (known as the chairman of the National Defence Commission before 2016) commands the armed forces. In practice, however, the SAC chairman, which is constitutionally defined as the most pthough it was clear it is the lowest of the three: significantly, Kim Jong-il was NDC Chairman uninterruptedly from 1993 until 2011, and Kim Yong-nam has been President of the SPA Presidium since 1998, while the premiers have often changed.
Jo Tong-sop
Jo Tong-sop (born May 1, 1959) is a North Korean football manager and former player. He was most recently the head coach of the North Korea national football team. It was his second stint in charge of the national team, having previously managed North Korea from 2010 to 2011, replacing Kim Jong-hun, who led the team to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
2016 South Korean political scandal
Widespread coverage of this South Korean political scandal began in late October 2016. On November 29, Park offered to begin the process of removing herself from power. On December 9, Park was impeached, and then Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn became the acting president. On December 21, a Special Prosecution Team led by Park Young Soo began to investigate the Choi Soon-sil scandal. On March 10, 2017, The Constitutional Court of Korea ruled to uphold the impeachment of President Park Geun-Hye. All 8 judges agreed that President Park abused her power. A new election was held 60 days after with Moon Jae-in, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, winning over 41% of the popular vote in the election.
Pak Pong-ju
Pak Pong-ju (; born 10 April 1939) is the Premier of North Korea, serving in that office since April 2013. He served a previous term from 3 September 2003 until 11 April 2007. He was elected a member of the Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in 2016.
Chung-in Moon
Chung-in Moon (born March 25, 1951 in Jeju Province, South Korea) is a Special Advisor to President Moon Jae-in of South Korea for Foreign Affairs and National Security. He is also a Distinguished University Professor of Yonsei University, Krause Distinguished Fellow, School of Policy and Global Strategy, University of California, San Diego, and co-Convener of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (APLN). He is currently serving as the editor-in-chief of "Global Asia". On 21 May 2017 Dr. Moon Chung-in was nominated by President Moon Jae-in as a special advisor on unification, diplomacy and national security affairs.
National symbols of North Korea
The head of state of North Korea has been the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly since 1998. The post has been held by Kim Yong-nam since then.
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung (officially transcribed Kim Il Sung; ; ; ; born Kim Sŏng-ju (); 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was the first leader of North Korea which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Premier from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to 1994. He was also the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) from 1949 to 1994 (titled as Chairman from 1949 to 1966 and as General Secretary after 1966). Coming to power after the end of Japanese rule in 1945, he authorized the invasion of South Korea in 1950, triggering an intervention in defense of South Korea by the United Nations led by the United States. Following the military stalemate in the Korean War, a ceasefire was signed on 27 July 1953. He was the second longest-serving non-royal head of state/government in the 20th century, in office for more than 48 years.
Outline of North Korea
North Korea is widely considered to be a Stalinist dictatorship. The country's government styles itself as following the "Juche" ideology of self-reliance, developed by Kim Il-sung, the country's former leader. The current leader is Kim Jong-un, the late president Kim Il-sung's grandson and son of recently deceased leader Kim Jong-il . Relations are strongest with other officially socialist states: Vietnam, Laos, and China, as well as with Russia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Following a major famine in the early 1990s, due partly to the collapse of the Soviet Union (previously a major economic partner), leader Kim Jong-il instigated the "Military-First" policy in 1995, increasing economic concentration and support for the military.
Kim Myong-chol
Kim Myong-chol is a Korean writer and editor based in Japan and an unofficial spokesperson of North Korea, regularly travelling to Pyongyang and around the world portraying the North Korean leadership and politics. He was a close associate of Kim Jong-il. His articles have appeared in many publications, including "Asia Times" and "Asia Research". Among the several books that he has written is "Kim Jong-il — Military Strategy for Reunification". His books have been banned in South Korea. Currently, he is the Executive Director of CFKAP (Center for Korean-American Peace), based in Tokyo, Japan.
2018 Korean peace process
On 13 August, Blue House announced that South Korea's President plans to attend the third inter-Korean summit with leader Kim Jong-un at Pyongyang in September as expected. The agenda would be finding the strategy of the breakthrough in its hampered talks with U.S and solution for the denuclearization on the Korean peninsula. 
Chinese state media Xinhua, greeted the decision of holding the next inter-Korea leaders'summit in Pyongyang. Xinhua expressed that U. S. has had a vital impact on the "Korean Peninsula issue" and requested on Washington to play a more dynamic role in regional matters. Xinhua also viewed negatively the United States' North Korea policy with "maximum pressure" although Pyongyang has made efforts to "shut down" the Punggye-ri primary nuclear test site, return the remains of the U.S. soldiers from the 1950-53 Korean War, and stimulate negotiations between North and South. S. Korea Blue House announced the confirmed date of the 3rd Inter Korean summit which is 18–20 September. In Pyongyang, an agreement titled the “Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018” was signed by both Korean leaders The agreement calls for the removal of landmines planted throughout the JSA from both sides of the North-South Korean border. The DPRK agreed to dismantle their nuclear complex in the presence of international experts if the U.S. takes correlative action. Moon became the first South Korean leader to give a speech to the North Korean public when he addressed 150,000 spectators at the Arirang Festival on 19 September.
Kim Yong-nam
As chairman of the Presidium, Kim Yong-nam has been called the "nominal head of state" of North Korea. He has held this office since September 5, 1998. The Chairman of the Presidium is sometimes considered the "number two official". The journalist and academic Don Oberdorfer described Kim as enigmatic, rigid in his official role, personally pleasant, highly intelligent, and an important figure behind the scenes in Pyongyang.
North Korea
North Korea is ruled by the Kim dynasty, which in North Korea is referred to as the "Mount Paektu Bloodline". It is a three-generation lineage descending from the country's first leader, Kim Il-sung, since 1948. Kim developed a cult of personality closely tied to the state philosophy of "Juche", which was later passed on to his successors: his son Kim Jong-il and grandson Kim Jong-un. In 2013 this lineage was made explicit when Clause 2 of Article 10 of the new edited Ten Fundamental Principles of the Korean Workers' Party stated that the party and revolution must be carried "eternally" by the "Baekdu bloodline".
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Korea)
Since the conservative Grand National Party (한나라당) came to power in Korea in February 2008, led by the new president Lee Myung-bak, some perceive that the commission's resources and mandate have become more vulnerable. Other commissions established during the term of former president Roh Moo-hyun have been targeted for cuts under the Lee government's policy of budget reduction.
Politics of North Korea
According to Seong-Cheong-Chang of Sejong Institute, speaking on 25 June 2012, there is some possibility that the new leader Kim Jong-un, who has greater visible interest in the welfare of his people and engages in greater interaction with them than his father did, will consider economic reforms and normalization of international relations.
Korean Social Democratic Party
Limited information about the party's activities is published, apart from the name of its leader. The party is currently headed by Kim Yong-dae, whose title is Chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, and vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly since the election of 2009.
Lee Jung-hee
Lee Jeong-hee (; born December 22, 1969) is a South Korean politician, lawyer and activist. 18th member of the National Assembly of South Korea. She was one of the candidates for the South Korean 2012 presidential election.
Supreme Court of South Korea
The Chief Justice of Korea is appointed to the court by the President with the consent of the National Assembly of South Korea, and serves a non-renewable term of six years from the time of appointment. The Chief Justice acts as the head of the judicial branch of the Republic of Korea, and has broad administrative powers under the Constitution, including the right to recommend other justices to the Supreme Court and the right to appoint judges of the inferior courts. The current Chief Justice is Kim Myeong‐soo.
List of heads of state of North Korea
Since 2009, Supreme Leader is head of state of North Korea.
Jang Song-thaek
During this period he was a close ally of Kim Jong-il. Jang was still in the post four years later, in April 2013. The NDC is North Korea's "de facto" supreme decision-making body; Jang's promotion made him a key executive deputy, second only to Kim Jong-il. It is speculated that the move was part of posturing to make Kim Jong-il's son Kim Jong-un the next leader of North Korea. Jang's position in North Korean politics was also ostensibly boosted by the death of Ri Je-gang, a senior leader who was tipped by Kim Jong-il as a crucial overseer of the succession campaign.
2019 inter-Korean summit
The 2019 inter-Korean summit is an upcoming inter-Korean summit that will be held in the capital of South Korea, Seoul. It will be held with the participation of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. If it happens, it will be the first time a North Korean leader steps foot into the South Korean capital since the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Lee Soo-sung
Lee Soo-sung (born March 10, 1939, South Hamgyong, Hamhung) is a South Korean politician and legal scholar. He was the 27th Prime Minister of South Korea from December 18, 1995 to March 4, 1997. Prior to becoming prime minister, he was president of Seoul National University.
Hwang Kyo-ahn
He served as Acting President of South Korea following the impeachment and removal of President Park Geun-hye by the Constitutional Court of Korea on 10 March 2017, until the election of Moon Jae-in on 9 May 2017. He had already taken over Park's presidential powers and duties on 9 December 2016 when impeachment proceedings were launched against her by the National Assembly and she was suspended from the powers and duties of the office.
Choi Soon-sil
Choi Soon-sil (; born June 23, 1956) is the prime person of interest in the 2016 South Korean political scandal involving her influence over the 11th President of South Korea, Park Geun-hye.
Kim Yo-jong
On 9 February 2018, Kim attended the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea. This was the first time that a member of the ruling Kim dynasty had visited South Korea since the Korean War. She attended the meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on 10 February, and revealed she was dispatched as a special envoy of Kim Jong-un and delivered a personally written letter from Kim to Moon.
Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun (; ) (1 September 1946 – 23 May 2009) was a South Korean politician who served as President of South Korea (2003–2008). Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea. His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics, culminating in his election to the presidency. He achieved a large following among younger internet users, particularly at the website OhMyNews, which aided his success in the presidential election.
Kim Jung-sook
Kim Jung-sook (; born November 15, 1954) is a South Korean classical singer who is the current First Lady of the Republic of Korea and spouse of Moon Jae-in, the 12th President of South Korea.
Lee Jae-yong (businessman)
Lee Jae-yong (; born 23 June 1968), known professionally in the West as Jay Y. Lee, is a South Korean business magnate and the vice chairman of Samsung Group, serving as de facto head. He is the eldest child and only son of Hong Ra-hee and Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung, and is widely considered to be his father's future successor. He is referred to as the "Crown Prince of Samsung" by the South Korean media, and speaks Korean, English and Japanese. Lee is estimated to be worth US$7.9 billion, making him the third wealthiest person in South Korea.
Ro Su-hui
Ro was arrested in July 2012 after he returned (via the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom) from an unauthorized visit to North Korea, where he called for the reunification of the two Koreas and bitterly criticized President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea for his hard-line North Korea policy. He had entered the North via China in March for a memorial service marking the 100th day since the death of ruler Kim Jong-il. In February 2013, he was sentenced to four years in prison, and the Seoul Central District Court also ordered that his rights, such as suffrage, be stripped for three years after his release from prison. He was released from prison in July 2016.
History of Korea
Beginning with Syngman Rhee, a series of autocratic governments took power in South Korea with American support and influence. The country eventually transitioned to become a market-oriented democracy in 1987 largely due to popular demand for reform, and its economy rapidly grew and became a developed economy by the 2000s. Due to Soviet Influence, North Korea established a communist government with a hereditary succession of leadership, with ties to China and the Soviet Union. Kim Il-sung became the supreme leader until his death in 1994, after which his son, Kim Jong-il took power. Kim Jong-il's son, Kim Jong-un, is the current leader, taking power after his father's death in 2011. After the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, the North Korean economy went on a path of steep decline, and it is currently heavily reliant on international food aid and trade with China.
Sunshine Policy
Out of many reasons why the third 2018 inter-Korean summit is viewed to be a huge success is because Moon Jae-in became the first South Korean leader to give a public address and visit Mount Paekdu in North Korea. With such freedom of speech given to Moon, international media thought of this as positive effects between South-North Korean relations, easing military tensions, promoting peace talks and the progressing denuclearization process.
List of leaders of North Korea
The supreme leaders of the DPRK have been Kim Il-sung, his son Kim Jong-il, and his grandson Kim Jong-un. In this role they have not held consistent titles, though they were each leaders of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) — titled as Chairman from 1948 to 1966, General Secretary from 1966 to 2011, First Secretary from 2011 to 2016, and finally Chairman again since 2016 — for almost all of their period in power. Even though they have the appearance of a dynasty, succession is informal.
Kim Young-sik
Kim Young-sik (born 1953) is a Seoul engraver of Oriental seals who impersonates North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Ever since his sister-in-law teased the businessman's sagging form as a likeness to the chairman, Kim Young-sik has portrayed Kim Jong-il at every opportunity, in movies, television shows, commercials, and for personal appearances. "When someone tells me I don't resemble Kim Jong-il in certain respects, I'm unhappy," said Kim in "The Korea Times". Unlike his more cosmetically enhanced competitor Bae Eun-sik, "I am a natural," Kim told the "Los Angeles Times". "I didn't have to perm my hair. I didn't need plastic surgery. Even my family name, Kim, didn't have to be changed. Sometimes I feel like I "am" Kim Jong-il." Kim, whose stated goal is to have the leader say, "Little Brother, come and see me," affirms, "I wouldn't want Kim Jong-il to be offended by anything I do. I don't want to portray him as an evil person."
Ri Su-yong
Ri had been Kim Jong-il's classmate. During his career, Ri took care of many personal and financial affairs of Kim, including his Swiss bank accounts. Ri also guarded Kim's children: Kim Jong-un, the present leader of North Korea, and Kim's sister Kim Yo-jong when the two were studying at an international school in Switzerland. Ri received the Order of Kim Jong-il on 14 February 2012.
Kim Dae-jung
Kim Dae-jung, or Kim Dae Jung (; 6 January 192418 August 2009), was a South Korean politician who served as President of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was a 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, the only Korean Nobel Prize recipient in history. He was sometimes referred to as the "Nelson Mandela of South Korea".
First Lady of South Korea
The current First Lady is Kim Jung-sook, wife of President Moon Jae-in, in office since 10 May 2017.
List of leaders of North Korea
The Constitution of North Korea has recognized the title "Supreme Leader" since 2009, when the Chairman of the National Defence Commission was formally designated as "the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" (Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국의 최고 지도자). It was slightly amended in 2012, with "Chairman" replaced by "First Chairman." It was further amended in 2016 to reflect the replacement of the NDC with the State Affairs Commission.Kim Jong-il died on 17 December 2011, but has since been posthumously named the "Eternal General Secretary". Thus his son and successor as leader, Kim Jong-un, was not given the title of General Secretary.
Russia–South Korea relations
In November 2013, Russia and South Korea signed a visa-free travel regime agreement.
From 21 to 23 June 2018, South Korean president Moon Jae-in paid a state visit to Russia. On June 21, he addressed the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Federal Assembly. He became the first South Korean leader to speak in the Russian Parliament. On June 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Moon Jae-in in Moscow. Leaders signed a document for foundation of free trade area.
South Korea
In 2010, there was an escalation in attacks by North Korea. In March 2010 the South Korean warship ROKS Cheonan was sunk with the loss of 46 South Korean sailors, allegedly by a North Korean submarine. In November 2010 Yeonpyeong island was attacked by a significant North Korean artillery barrage, with 4 people losing their lives. The lack of a strong response to these attacks from both South Korea and the international community (the official UN report declined to explicitly name North Korea as the perpetrator for the Cheonan sinking) caused significant anger with the South Korean public. South Korea saw another milestone in 2012 with the first ever female president Park Geun-hye elected and assuming office. Daughter of another former president, Park Chung-hee, she carried on a conservative brand of politics. President Park Geun-hye's administration was formally accused of corruption, bribery, and influence-peddling for the involvement of close friend Choi Soon-sil in state affairs. There followed a series of massive public demonstrations from November 2016 and she was removed from office. After the fallout of President Park's impeachment and dismissal, new elections were held and Moon Jae-in of the Democratic party won the presidency, assuming office on 10 May 2017. His tenure so far has seen an improving political relationship with North Korea, some increasing divergence in the military alliance with the United States, and the successful hosting of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
2017 South Korean presidential election
Opinion polls throughout 2017 showed Moon Jae-in as the leading candidate. Polls prior to the conclusion of the Democratic primary (which included his rivals to the nomination) had Moon at around 30% support, and polls conducted after he had won the primary showed generally consistent results of around 40% by April.
Socialist Women's Union of Korea
The post of the chairperson is usually conferred to the most powerful woman in North Korea. Previous chairpersons include Kim Sung-ae, the wife of the country's former leader Kim Il-sung. The current chair is Jang Chun-sil.
Recognition of same-sex unions in South Korea
Current President Moon Jae-in opposes same-sex marriage.
South Korea
South Korea was formally invited to become a member of the United Nations in 1991. The transition of Korean from autocracy to modern democracy was marked in 1997 by the election of Kim Dae-jung, who was sworn in as the eighth president of South Korea, on February 25, 1998. His election was significant given that he had in earlier years been a political prisoner sentenced to death (later commuted to exile). He won against the backdrop of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, where he took IMF advice to restructure the economy and the nation soon recovered its economic growth, albeit at a slower pace.
Kim Yong-nam
Kim Yong-nam (; born February 4, 1928) is the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, a position he has held since 1998. Previously, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1983 to 1998. He was elected a member of the Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in 2010.
Politics of South Korea
On 10 March 2017, Park Geun-hye became the first president to be removed by the Constitutional Court after impeachment by the National Assembly. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn temporarily served as an acting president between the suspension of Park since 9 December 2016 until the next presidential election, which was held in May 2017. On 9 May 2017, Moon Jae-in became the 19th president of South Korea, replacing acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn.
President of South Korea
Moon Jae-in, former human rights lawyer and chief of staff to then-President Roh Moo-hyun, assumed post of President of South Korea on 10 May 2017 immediately upon being elected with a plurality of 41.1%, in contrast to 24.0% and 21.4% won by his major opponents, conservative Hong Joon-pyo and centrist Ahn Cheol-soo, respectively.
Moon Jae-in
A former student activist, human rights lawyer and chief of staff to then-President Roh Moo-hyun, Moon served as Leader of Democratic Party (2015–2016) and a member of the 19th National Assembly (2012–2016). He was also a candidate for the former Democratic United Party in the 2012 presidential election in which he lost narrowly to Park Geun-hye. As President, Moon Jae-in has met with North Korean chairman Kim Jong-un at the April 2018 inter-Korean summit, May 2018 inter-Korean summit, and September 2018 inter-Korean summit.
Corruption in South Korea
More recently, in 2015, Lee Wan-koo, former prime minister of South Korea, resigned after being embroiled in a corruption scandal, which has also damaged the reputation of the president, Park Geun-hye. Lee Wan-koo had become prime minister in February 2015. But two months into his job, Sung Wan-jong, a construction tycoon, committed suicide, leaving a note accusing those who had received money from him. The former prime minister was on this list. Lee Wan-koo initially denied the accusation and showed no intention of vacating his position. However, he ultimately offered his resignation.
Park Jae-kyu
Park Jae-kyu is the president of Kyungnam University in Masan, South Korea, and the former Unification Minister and National Security Council Chairman of South Korea.
LGBT rights in South Korea
Political support for LGBT rights is limited in South Korea due to the significant lobbying power exerted by conservative Christian groups. Support for LGBT rights is limited even from the otherwise progressive Democratic Party of Korea and its leader, former human rights lawyer and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. During the 2017 presidential election, in which he emerged victorious, Moon stated that he opposed homosexuality, and that gay soldiers could undermine the Korean military. Moon faced criticism from gay rights advocates for his inconsistent position on minority rights, given that he was prepared to backtrack on previous support for civil unions and sacrifice LGBT rights in order to win votes from conservative Christian voters. Moon later said that he opposed same-sex marriage while also opposing discrimination against homosexual people. Only one of the 14 presidential candidates in 2017, the Justice Party's Sim Sang-jung, expressed clear support for LGBT rights and introducing discrimination protections for LGBT people.
Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea
The Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the head of the Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling party of North Korea. The Chairman also serves as head of the Central Military Commission of North Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission. Since the WPK's formation in 1946, the leader's post has been titled as Chairman (1946–1966), General Secretary (1966–2011, vacant from 1994–1997), First Secretary (2011–2016), and Chairman again since 2016.
Korean conflict
In 2017, the incoming U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the policy of "strategic patience" associated with the preceding Obama administration. Later in the year, Moon Jae-in was elected President of South Korea with a promise to return to the Sunshine Policy.
2007 South Korean presidential election
Moon Kook-hyun (문국현), former CEO of Yuhan Kimberly (Kimberly-Clark's company in Korea), was elected as the official presidential candidate of the party on 4 November 2007, through mobile voting amongst party members.