Headlines, December 19, 2019

Moon Seeks 100 Trillion Won in Investment to Ensure 2.4% Growth
Anchor: The South Korean government forecasts the economy to expand by two-point-four percent next year, vowing to focus on achieving an economic rebound and raising the country's growth potential to ensure the growth rate. At an economy-related ministers' meeting led by President Moon Jae-in on Thursday, the government cited recoveries in the global economy, the semiconductor industry and domestic demand as reasons for raising the growth forecast.

S. Korea, China to Hold Bilateral Summit Next Week
The top leaders of South Korea and China will hold a bilateral summit ahead of a forthcoming trilateral summit with Japan early next week in China. The South Korean presidential office said on Thursday that President Moon Jae-in will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday en route to Chengdu, where he will attend the eighth South Korea-China-Japan summit the next day.

Gov't Data Shows Foreign Residents in S. Korea Number 1.32 Mln
New data finds that the overall number of foreigners residing in South Korea has continued to grow but the number of those employed slipped from a year ago. According to Statistics Korea data released Thursday, some one-point-32 million foreigners age 15 or older were estimated to be living in South Korea as of May. That’s up about 22-thousand from the same period last year.

Moon, Xi to meet on Dec. 23
President Moon Jae-in will hold a summit with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, next week when he visits China for annual trilateral talks with Chinese and Japanese leaders, Moon's office said Thursday. The Moon-Xi summit will take place on Dec. 23 in Beijing, where the two leaders will discuss ways to promote bilateral ties and the Korea peace process, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

KINU displays skepticism on North Korean denuclearization process
The Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) remains skeptical on the future course of North Korea's denuclearization process as the North's peace talks with the South and the United Stated show no signs of a breakthrough. The state-funded think tank said South Korea's efforts for peace have lost momentum due to stalled peace talks between the U.S. and North Korea.

US envoy fails to meet North Korea's senior diplomat
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun failed to meet a senior North Korean diplomat at the North's side of the Joint Security Area, also known as Panmunjeom, despite his open request for the high-profile meeting to resume stalled denuclearization talks. "Efforts by intelligence officials between South Korea and the United States to make Biegun's direct encounter with North Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui actually happen at Panmunjeom went in vain as Pyongyang didn't respond to the request," a senior South Korean intelligence official told The Korea Times by telephone, Tuesday.

Moon nominates former National Assembly speaker to be next prime minister
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has nominated Chung Sye-kyun, former speaker of the National Assembly, to be the next prime minister, a decision aimed primarily at securing “stability,” Moon said. Moon appears to have concluded that only a figure with the gravitas and storied career of Chung ― a six-term lawmaker who has served as party leader in addition to his time as speaker ― can handle the squabbling in the National Assembly leading up to the general election next April.

Biegun leaves S. Korea with no response from North
On the afternoon of Dec. 17, Stephen Biegun, the US State Department’s special representative for North Korea and nominee for secretary of state, completed a three-day trip to South Korea and headed to Tokyo, Japan. According to a high-ranking source who is tracking developments, there were no indications that Biegun either delivered a personal letter from Trump or met with the North Koreans in Panmunjom during his time in the country.

China, Russia propose resolution for sanctions relief for North Korea
China and Russia proposed a resolution on Dec. 16 officially demanding the partial lifting of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea. In response, the US argued that it was “not the time” for sanctions relief, stressing the importance of a concerted response by the international community. With Pyongyang pressing harder for a “new method of calculation” from Washington as the year’s end approached, major permanent members of the UNSC now appear to be clashing over their differences on how North Korea issues should be resolved.

South Korea and the U.S. Continue to Run “Parallel” in This Year’s Last Negotiation on the Defense Contribution
On December 17, South Korea and the United States launched the fifth meeting on the eleventh Special Measures Agreement (SMA). This meeting is the last negotiation on the defense contribution this year, but the two countries still have huge differences in views, so many are doubtful of an agreement. The South Korean and U.S. delegations led by Jeong Eun-bo, chief negotiator for the SMA and James DeHart, senior advisor at the U.S. State Department respectively, began negotiations at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Dongdaemun at 10:40 a.m. this morning.

Biegun, “Let Me Speak Directly to North Korea, Let’s Get This Done”
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun (pictured), currently in South Korea, publicly proposed a meeting during his stay to North Korea. In a public press conference after discussions with Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the foreign ministry in Seoul on December 16, Biegun said, ”Let me speak directly to our counterparts in North Korea,” and continued, “It is time for us to do our jobs. Let’s get this done. We are here, and you know how to reach us.”