S. Korea, Saudi Arabia agree to boost energy ties for low carbon economy

South Korea and Saudi Arabia have vowed to boost cooperation in nuclear power and other energy fields for their transition to a low carbon economy, Seoul's industry ministry said Thursday. South Korea's Industry Minister Moon Sung-wook and Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman reached their consensus at their meeting in the kingdom. Moon arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a three-day stay at the Saudi minister's invitation. During the Wednesday meeting, Moon suggested enhanc

Jan. 6, 2022

‘Nothing agreed until everything agreed’: US holds firm on sanctions on Iran

The US said “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” on lifting its sanctions on Iran, indicating that an immediate breakthrough to unlock some $7 billion of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea could be difficult. 　 State Department spokesman Ned Price made the remarks Tuesday in the US, when asked about whether the issue of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea due to US sanctions will be resolved soon. It comes as South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun is in

Jan. 5, 2022

[Herald Interview] Balancing act between China-US not in Korea’s interest: Victor Cha

South Korea should join the democratic coalitions designed to keep China in check, instead of hedging between the US and China, which could result in Seoul having to deal with Beijing alone, says Victor Cha, a former top adviser on North Korea in the George W. Bush administration. “Hedging is not a long-term strategy for South Korea between the US and China. It does not help relations with either party and growing US-China competition will make it harder to hedge,” Cha said, when as

Jan. 5, 2022

Sanctions on Iran will remain until full return to nuclear deal: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- US sanctions on Iran will remain in place until Tehran returns to full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday, suggesting that there will be no immediate release of some $7 billion of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea. On Tuesday (Seoul time), the South Korean foreign ministry said first vice minister, Choi Jong-kun, will visit Vienna for talks with negotiators from the US and five other member countries of the Iran nuclear deal, app

Jan. 5, 2022

US must not reward N. Korea with end of war declaration before talks: Harry Harris

WASHINGTON -- The United States must not give anything to North Korea, including an end of war declaration, before Pyongyang returns to the dialogue table, former US ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said Tuesday. Harris noted prospects for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula are getting darker by the day, but insisted giving benefits in advance to the North would only lead to failure. "I'll simply say that the quest for dialogue with the North must never be made at

Jan. 5, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Korea’s future diplomacy -- ‘pragmatic’ or ‘strenuous’?

The tension of the upcoming presidential election is not as heated as usual, as COVID-19 keeps people from gathering. Although the surface seems relatively calm, the candidates are somehow preparing their own policies. The diplomatic security policy might attract less attention than the domestic circumstance, however, it might be more urgent, requiring prompt action. While domestic politics is about dividing and distributing the interest pie among the inside powers, international politics is u

Jan. 3, 2022

[Herald Interview] Sanctions give NK ‘justification’ for nukes: senior diplomatic official

Washington should ease sanctions on North Korea with a “snapback” clause, as current measures only give Pyongyang justification for nuclear armament, says the head of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy. “The original purpose of sanctions is to make a country a normal state so that they stop further provocation or give up nuclear weapons. Punishment for doing wrong is incidental,” said Hong Hyun-ik, chancellor of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy, in an intervie

Jan. 3, 2022

Ex-UN chief says 'end goal' of inter-Korean cooperation efforts should be N.Korea denuclearization

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that North Korea's denuclearization should be the "end goal" of South Korea's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, in a message for Seoul's next administration set to be launched in May. Ban made the remarks in a New Year's message, as the incumbent Seoul government's efforts for cross-border rapprochement have remained stalled with little headway in the endeavors to denuclearize the North. "While tenaciously pushing to d

Dec. 31, 2021

S. Korea, US agree on draft text of end-of-war declaration: FM Chung

South Korea and the US “effectively” have agreed on a draft text of an end-of-war declaration, although questions remain on how to advance consultations with North Korea, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Wednesday. Chung reiterated the Moon Jae-in government’s position that an end-of-war declaration provides a “very useful opportunity to resume dialogue” amid a protracted deadlock in talks with Pyongyang. “Our government views that an end-of-war declar

Dec. 29, 2021

S. Korea, US have effectively agreed on draft text of end-of-war declaration: FM Chung

South Korea and the United States have "effectively" agreed on the draft text of the proposed declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's top diplomat said Wednesday amid their continued push to resume dialogue with North Korea. Chung Eui-yong made the remarks during a press conference, noting he and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the progress in the allies' consultations over the declaration when they met on the margins of a Group of Seven session

Dec. 29, 2021

US hopes N. Korea will respond positively to outreach for dialogue: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to hope that North Korea will respond positively to its outreach for dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday. Ned Price also reiterated that the US remains ready and willing to meet with North Korea without any preconditions. "We have made clear through our public messaging and private messaging as well that we are ready, willing and able to engage in this diplomacy," Price said in a telephonic press briefing. "And we are

Dec. 29, 2021

KOICA offers $24m in overseas COVID-19 response aid in 2021

South Korea's overseas aid agency said Tuesday it has provided $24 million worth of support to help eight developing countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic this year. The support measures were meant to help the countries diagnose, treat and prevent COVID-19, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) said in a press release. The beneficiaries of the support program were Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, the Philippines, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Jamaica.

Dec. 28, 2021

S. Korea to become 9th largest donor to UN budget in 2022-24

South Korea will become the ninth-largest contributor to the United Nations' regular and peacekeeping budgets starting next year, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The UN General Assembly on Friday approved the budget obligations for 193 member states, setting South Korea's share at 2.57 percent of the total funding for the 2022-24 period. The ratio was up from 2.27 percent for the 2019-21 period, moving the country's rank up two notches from the current 11th place. The ministry said South K

Dec. 28, 2021

Seoul should opt for strategic clarity in US-China rivalry: Yoon's foreign policy aide

A policy of “strategic ambiguity” has guided South Korea’s diplomacy over the years, with Seoul seeking to juggle relations with its security ally Washington and key trade partner Beijing. But this precarious balancing act may no longer be sustainable, according to a key foreign policy adviser to the main opposition People Power Party’s presidential nominee. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Korea University professor Kim Sung-han, who advises Yoon Suk-yeol, said

Dec. 28, 2021

Biden signs US defense budget bill with call to keep USFK troops intact

President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a US defense budget bill that calls on his administration to maintain the troop level of US Forces Korea (USFK) at the current level. The National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law, less than two weeks after the Senate approved it in a 89-10 vote. The House of Representatives had also approved the bill earlier this month. "On Monday, December 27, 2021, the President signed into law: S. 1605, the "National Defense Authorizatio

Dec. 28, 2021

NK’s nuclear issue requires both peace and denuclearization tracks: Lee’s foreign policy adviser

For years, South Korea, the US and the international community have tried to coax North Korea into giving up its nuclear and missile program. Despite a series of negotiations, headline-grabbing summits and carrot-and-stick tactics, the reclusive regime has not ceased from developing the weapons of mass destruction, but instead has been advancing them. What the years of failed negotiations have taught us is that the North’s nuclear issue is a complex conundrum that requires a multifaceted

Dec. 27, 2021

[Hwang’s China and the World] Tough diplomatic security environment waiting to greet the next administration

Korea’s national security can be mainly divided into the policy toward North Korea and toward the others. Since last week’s interview with the president of KINU (Korea Institute of National Unification) covered Korea’s policies toward North Korea, the interview this week is about Korea’s overall national security. Kim Ki-jung, the president of the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), has shared his views on the Moon Jae-in administration’s national sec

Dec. 27, 2021

S. Korea's vice minister talks with Iranian envoy over 'pending' issues

South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun had discussions with Iran's top envoy here on "pending" bilateral issues Friday, his ministry said. Choi met with Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari and reaffirmed that Seoul will continue diplomatic efforts for progress in negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, taking the importance of Seoul-Tehran ties into consideration, it added. They also agreed to maintain close communication to resolve "pending" bilateral issues. T

Dec. 24, 2021

S.Korea, China agree to strengthen ‘substantial cooperation’ on economy, culture

South Korea and China pledged to strengthen “substantial cooperation” in the fields of economy and culture and agreed on the importance of leader-to-leader and high-level exchanges at a strategic dialogue in more than four years. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and his Chinese counterpart, Le Yucheng, held the virtual session of the ninth Strategic Dialogue on Thursday, the first of its kind since June 2017. The resumption of the meeting came at a critical time w

Dec. 24, 2021

S. Korea calls in Tokyo diplomat over Japan's push for Fukushima water discharge

South Korea's foreign ministry called in a Japanese Embassy official Thursday to express concerns over the operator of Tokyo's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant having filed for approval for its planned release of radioactive water into the ocean. On Tuesday, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) submitted an application for the planned water release to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) amid growing concerns in South Korea that it could cause health risks and maritime contamination. L

Dec. 23, 2021