Photo : Deccan Herald

Birth rates in South Korea increase after nine years

Korea Reader | 27 February | Vol.1 No. 261
Birth rates in South Korea increase after nine years
On 26 February, Statistics Korea reported that the fertility rate of South Korea rose by 0.003 in 2024 and the average birth rate of South Korean women rose to 0.75 in 2024. The country has been facing decreasing birth rates and an increasing elderly population in the last decade. According to Statistics, the increase in birth rates is attributed to an increase in post-COVID marriages, more childbearing-age women, and a positive outlook on marriage and childbirth. Although the number of newborns also increased by 3.6 per cent they remain the lowest nation of the Organization for the Economic Development and Cooperation with a fertility rate of less than one. The senior presidential secretary for population planning You Hye-mi attributed the increase to the speedy implementation of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's policies to address demographic challenges. You referred to the loans and housing support for newlywed couples and new parents and the adoption of family-friendly policies by companies. (Son Ji-hyoung, “South Korea's birth rate rises for first time in 9 years,” The Korea Herald, 26 February 2025)

North Korea deploys additional troops to Russia, reports NIS
On 27 February, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) claimed that North Korea had deployed additional troops to Russia to fight in the war. The size of the deployed troops is unclear but a news report stated that around 1000 to 3000 troops were transported to Kursk via Russian cargo ships and military planes between January and February. Meanwhile, South Korean officials detected that 1000 additional troops had been dispatched. The agency had assessed that the first set of 11000 troops had been absent from combat due to heavy casualties of 300 dead and 2700 wounded. (“N. Korea appears to have deployed additional troops to Russia: S. Korean spy agency,” The Korea Times, 27 February 2025)

Korea Reader | 25 February | Vol.1 No. 260
Three dead and seven injured after bridge collapses in Cheonan, South Korea 
On 25 February, three workers died and seven injured after a bridge collapsed during construction near Cheonan. It is reported that the collapse of the five 50-meter-long steel supports for the bridge is the cause of the accident. Fire authorities believe multiple workers have been buried in the accident and have mobilized a huge force to carry out rescue operations. The Acting President also urged all related authorities to help with the rescue operations. The accident site is included in the Sejong-Anseong section, which was to be completed in 2025. Hyundai Engineering, who was in charge of the construction, said, "All employees related to the construction site have been deployed and are focusing on dealing with the accident. We are assessing the details of the situation, such as how many field employees are employed by subcontractors." (Lee Hae-rin, “At least 3 dead, 7 injured after bridge collapses on a highway near Cheonan,” The Korea Times, 25 February 2025)

North Korean delegation visits Russia to discuss bilateral cooperation in defense and economy
On 25 February, a delegation led by a member of the party's Central Committee Politburo Ri Hi-yong landed in Moscow at the invitation of Russia's United Russia Party. A member of the presidium of the Russian party's Supreme Committee and deputy head of the party's foreign activities committee Andrey Klimov, along with other members greeted the North Koreans at the airport. The purpose of the visit is said to be part of an agreement for exchanges between the North Korean and Russian parties, to discuss defense and economy. This visit was also marked by the beginning of US negotiations to end the war, which North Korea supported by sending troops. A South Korean official had remarked that the level of delegation North Korea had sent had been upgraded. (“N. Korean party delegation visits Moscow: KCNA,” The Korea Times, 25 February 2025)

Korea Reader | 24 February | Vol.1 No. 259
Ukraine ready to send North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea 
On 22 February, A representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Andriy Chernyak discussed the possibility of transferring the North Korean Prisoner of War (PoW) to South Korea. South Korea had earlier indicated that it would accept the PoW, since under their Constitution North Korean citizens were their citizens as well. The transfer is possible due to the strong ties between Ukraine and South Korea’s defense intelligence and special forces. South Korea had released such a statement when one of the two captured PoW had requested to defect to South Korea, instead of being sent back to North Korea. In addition to this potential transfer, Chernyak admitted to intensified intelligence and Military efforts from Russia along the front lines to show a stronger front to the US, ahead of their negotiations. But he was also confident in Ukraine's ability to resist any Russian aggression as it had done so far and will continue to do so in the future. Chernyak mentioned that a large number of North Korean soldiers are fighting for Russia. They were considered inexperienced at first but after being exposed to war they have gained experience and are becoming a growing threat. Chernyak dismissed reports stating that North Korean troops had disappeared from the front lines since mid-January, explaining that they faced heavy casualties and retreated to reorganize themselves. He believed that North Korea was aiming to send 150000 more soldiers to the battlefield. A Professor at Tokyo’s Waseda University Toshimitsu Shigemura believes the North Korean troops would not be allowed to reintegrate into society, since they could reveal what happens on the outside. He also sympathized with the soldiers due to the fact they would be threatened with their families to return home, just to face imprisonment or death. (Ashish Dangwal, “Ukraine May Send Captured North Korean Troops To South Korea,” The Eurasian Time, 22 February 2025)

Korea Reader | 22 February | Vol.1 No. 258
South Korea requests to be exempted from US tariffs
On 21 February, South Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Ahn Duk-Geun informed that officials have requested an exemption from US reciprocal tariffs on steel and aluminum. Deputy Minister Park Jong-won argued that most of the tariffs would be null due to the Free Trade Agreement with the US. According to Standard Chartered economists, South Korea has created more jobs than any other country in the US in 2023 and so it seeks exemption from these tariffs. South Korea along with Japan seeks exemptions from the tariffs due to their substantial role in supporting the US economy. South Korea’s political crises have complicated the talks with the US by officials on these tariffs but they have advocated for the ties to remain stable and consistent. A delegation representing 20 South Korean companies also traveled to the US this week to meet policymakers. (“South Korea seeks exemption from Trump tariffs,” China Daily, 21 February 2025)

Korea Reader | 21 February | Vol.1 No. 257
South Korean President booked for the obstruction of arrest 
On 21 February, the South Korean police booked impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant against him in January. This charge was already booked by a minor opposition party named Rebuilding Korea Party, but due to his presidential powers, he could not be prosecuted criminally for any charge except insurrection or treason. Yoon has been accused of instructing the Presidential Security Service to prevent his arrest by the investigative authorities. Yoon along with the vice chief of the Presidential Security Service Kim Sung-hoon were accused of interfering with an arrest warrant. He is the first sitting president to be impeached and taken into custody. His final verdict is to be announced in mid-March after the 11th and final hearing to take place on Tuesday. (Lee Jung-Joo, “Yoon booked on suspicion of obstruction of an arrest warrant,” Korea Herald, 21 February 2025)

Korea Reader | 20 February | Vol.1 No. 256
SK offers to take NK POWs from Ukraine
On 19 February, South Korea offered to take any North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine who wanted to defect to the South. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said, "North Korean soldiers are our citizens under the Constitution and respecting individuals’ free will is in line with the international law and customs,” Ukraine had said it captured two North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in the Kursk region and was willing to exchange them with North Korea for Ukrainian soldiers held in Russia. South Korea’s offer comes after a captured North Korean soldier in an interview had said he wanted to seek asylum in South Korea. The South Korean Ministry had added that the POWs should not be sent against their will to a place where they could face persecution. This week top officials from the US and Russia had met to discuss a possibility of ending the conflict and ensuring peace and cooperation.  (Soo-hyang Choi, “South Korea willing to take North Korean POWs from Ukraine,”  The Japan Times, 19 February 2025)

Yoon attends 1st hearing of criminal trial
On 20 February, Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for the first preliminary hearing of his criminal trial on Thursday. His charges of leading an insurrection supersede his presidential immunity from prosecution. The preliminary meeting took place at the Seoul Central District Court at 10 AM and finished in 13 minutes, with the court scheduling another preliminary hearing on March 24. The preliminary meeting did not require his presence yet he still chose to attend. Yoon’s legal representatives have stated that they are yet to review all the records of the case and have yet to decide to merge their case with the others indicted in their role in the implementation of martial law. After the hearing of the case the court began a review of Yoon’s request to cancel his arrest, which he claims was illegal. The police had mobilised a large force to control Yoon’s supporters who had gathered near the court in his support. (Chae Yun-hwan, “(2nd LD) Yoon attends 1st hearing of criminal trial on insurrection charges,” Yonhap News, 20 February 2025)
 

Korea Reader | 19 February | Vol.1 No. 255
South Korean government informs of unauthorized data transfer by DeepSeek 
On 17 February, The Personal Information Protection Commission of South Korea said services of the Chinese DeepSeek AI would be suspended amid concerns about its data collection practices. The app was suspended temporarily after repeated warnings to comply with South Korea’s personal information protection laws. Various ministries had also blocked the internal access of the app to their agencies. The commission had sent a formal inquiry last month seeking clarification on the app’s data collection and management methods. To reassure the government, the company has sent a representative to South Korea while acknowledging the shortcomings of the app. On 18 February, The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) confirmed that DeepSeek sent South Korean user’s data to ByteDance. This confirmation comes after it announced the temporary suspension of DeepSeek in South Korea. An official from PIPC said “We confirmed DeepSeek communicating with ByteDance, but have yet to confirm what data was transferred and to what extent." (Lee Haye-ah, “Gov't suspends local service of Chinese AI app DeepSeek,” Yonhap News, 17 February 2025; Kim Hyun-soo, “DeepSeek sent S. Korean user data to China's ByteDance: regulatorDeepSeek sent S. Korean user data to China's ByteDance: regulator,” Yonhap News, 18 February 2025)