SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s foreign ministry said Wednesday that it will place its focus on talks for the denuclearized Korean Peninsula after the end of the 23rd Winter Olympics, which are going on in the country's east county of Pyeongchang.According to the ministry report submitted to the National Assembly, the ROK will focus its diplomatic efforts at a dialogue momentum, created by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s participation in the Winter Olympics, leading to the peace settlement on the peninsula and the peaceful resolution of the DPRK's nuclear issue.The ROK will stably manage situations after the end of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to create conditions for continued dialogue based on a firm alliance with the United States, while seeking dialogue to resolve the DPRK's nuclear issue, the report said.The DPRK sent athletes, cheerleaders, and a high-ranking delegation to the ROK-hosted winter sports event, boosting hopes for a thaw in ties between the two Koreas.The high-ranking DPRK delegation, which included Kim Yo-jong, a younger sister of top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un, attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics earlier this month and met with ROK's?President Moon Jae-in.During the meeting with Moon, Kim Yo-jong delivered the DPRK leader's invitation to the ROK's leader to visit Pyongyang at his convenient time.In response, Moon said the two Koreas should create conditions to make it happen, asking the DPRK side to more actively seek dialogue with the United States.The foreign ministry report said ROK will continue efforts at the resumption of dialogue between the DPRK and the United States, while deterring the DPRK's provocation by maintaining a strongly combined defense posture with the US forces.During a telephone conversation in January, President Moon and US President Donald Trump shared a possibility for the ongoing inter-Korean talks naturally leading to talks between the DPRK and the United States.Since the DPRK leader showed his willingness to improve ties with ROK during his New Year's address, the first senior-level inter-Korean dialogue in over two years was held on Jan 9 in the truce village of Panmunjom. wristbands canadacustom silicone bracelets canadarubber bracelets canadasilicone bracelets canadasilicone wristbands canadacustom wristbands canadacanadian wristbandswristbands canada
South Korea's former president Lee Myung-bak. [Photo/VCG] SEOUL - South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday summoned conservative former president Lee Myung-bak for questioning as a criminal suspect in a bribery scandal, the country's latest former head of state to be investigated. If he appears, Lee would become the fourth South Korean president in the country's modern history to appear in the prosecution office as a criminal suspect. We need to investigate former president Lee to find the truth (in the scandal) in a transparent and effective manner, Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified Seoul prosecutor as saying. Allegations of corruption involving the 76-year-old's relatives and aides during his 2008-13 presidential term have mounted in recent weeks as prosecutors investigate multiple cases of bribery amounting to millions of dollars. Two of the ex-president's former aides have been arrested and the homes and offices of his brothers raided. Lee was told to present himself to prosecutors on Wednesday next week to be questioned as a suspect, Yonhap said. South Korean presidents have a tendency to end up in prison - or meet untimely ends - after their time in power, usually once their political rivals have moved into the presidential Blue House. Lee's successor Park Geunhye was ousted last year over a massive corruption scandal that emerged in 2016. The verdict in her trial on charges of bribery and abuse of power is due next month, with prosecutors demanding 30 years in jail. Lee's own predecessor, the liberal Roh Moo-hyun, committed suicide by jumping off a cliff after being questioned over corruption allegations in 2009. 'Political revenge' The allegations against Lee include claims that Samsung bought a presidential pardon in 2009 for its chairman Lee Kun-hee, who had been convicted of tax evasion and given a suspended jail sentence. Samsung reportedly paid 6 billion won ($5.6 million) in legal fees to a US law firm on the former president's behalf. Both Samsung and Lee have denied the allegations as groundless. Lee has dismissed the investigation into him as political revenge. I feel saddened that the country is being shaken to its foundation by recent attempts to roll back history, he said in a statement in January. His office said in a statement on Tuesday that he would comply with the prosecutors' summons, but indicated that he wants to reschedule the date. Current left-leaning President Moon Jae-in has vowed to fix past wrongs in the country's governance, calling them accumulated evils. AFP - Xinhua
