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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 16 January 2019

South Korea defense report doesn't refer to North as enemy

By HYUNG-JIN KIM South Korea first called
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea its "main en-
— North Korea is no lon- emy" in 1995, a year after
ger South Korea's "enemy," North Korea threatened to
though Pyongyang's nu- turn Seoul into "sea of fire,"
clear program still poses a a term the North has since
security threat, according repeatedly used when
to Seoul's biennial defense confrontations flared with
document published Tues- the South.
day. During a previous era of
It's the first time since 2010, detente in the 2000s, South
the same year 50 South Korea avoided using the
Koreans were killed in at- reference, but it revived
tacks blamed on the North, the term in its defense doc-
that the enemy label hasn't ument after the 2010 at-
been applied, and a fur- tacks by the North.
ther sign of better ties be- In the latest defense docu-
tween the rivals. ment, South Korea's military
The South Korean Defense said it considers unspeci-
Ministry white paper doesn't fied "forces which threaten
include past terms that la- In this April 27, 2018, file photo, a North Korean flag flutters in the wind atop a 160-meter tower in (South Korea)'s sovereignty,
beled North Korea an "en- North Korea's village Gijungdongseen, as seen from the Taesungdong freedom village inside the territory, citizens and prop-
emy, a "present enemy" or demilitarized zone in Paju, South Korea. erty our enemy."
the South's "main enemy." Associated Press North Korea's state me-
It still said the North's weap- dia hasn't immediately re-
ons of mass destruction are tween the Koreas. North last year replaced threats dent Donald Trump and sponded.
a "threat to peace and Korea has called the label of war and a string of in- North Korean leader Kim The change in terminology
stability on the Korean Pen- a provocation that demon- creasingly powerful North Jong Un look to stage a is certain to draw strong
insula," a reference to the strated Seoul's hostility. Korean weapons tests in second summit meant to criticism from conservatives
North's missile and nuclear Liberal South Korean Presi- 2017. settle a standoff over the in South Korea who argue
program. dent Moon Jae-in is pursu- Moon is not alone in seek- North's pursuit of a nuclear that Moon's push to en-
The "enemy" terminology ing deeper engagement ing better ties with the program that can reliably gage the North has deeply
has been a long-running with the North after a sur- North. The paper's release target anywhere in the undermined the country's
source of animosity be- prise round of diplomacy also comes as U.S. Presi- continental United States. security posture.q

Hong Kong ex-leader Tsang released after serving sentence

By VIOLET LAW The apartment, which is in Australian engineering firm
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong mainland China, was for his UGL Limited in its take-
Kong's former top leader retirement. over of a company where
Donald Tsang was released Tsang's 2017 conviction Leung was a director.
Tuesday after serving time was a stunning downfall for The decision came after a
in prison for failing to dis- the longtime civil servant four-year investigation by
close plans to rent a luxury whose career spanned the city's anti-graft agency.
apartment from a business- both British colonial rule After serving one term as
man granted a govern- and Hong Kong's return to chief executive, Leung
ment broadcasting license China in 1997. Last week, was appointed in 2017 to
during Tsang's time in of- Hong Kong's Court of Final China's legislature as a vice
fice. Appeal accepted his peti- chairman. Tsang turned
The 74-year-old Tsang, who tion to try to get his convic- down an appointment
served as Hong Kong's tion overturned. from Beijing.
chief executive from 2005 It also contrasts with the Political commentator Ch-
to 2012, is the highest-rank- Hong Kong Justice Depart- ing Cheong said that Bei- In this Feb. 17, 2017, file photo, Donald Tsang, former leader of
ing former or current official ment's decision late last jing is suspected of pressur- Hong Kong, walks out of the High Court after being granted bail
sent to prison for wrongdo- month not to prosecute ing the Justice Department following his conviction.
ing in the Asian financial former Chief Executive C.Y. to drop the case. Associated Press
hub, which prides itself on a Leung for failing to report a "Both men failed to declare
reputation for clean gover- 50 million Hong Kong dollar their interest before serving one was sent to prison the "That's where the injustice
nance. ($6.4 million) payout from the city's highest office, but other got off," Ching said. lies."q