Japan’s Kishida urges Seoul to act on soured relations

Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that his government would strongly urge South Korea to take appropriate action to resolve the strained bilateral relations between the two countries, signaling that he will likely maintain the same hard-line stance toward Seoul as his predecessor Yoshihide Suga.  In his first policy speech since taking office Monday, Kishida briefly mentioned South Korea, saying Tokyo would maintain its “coherent stance” toward Seoul,

Oct. 8, 2021

Magnitude 5.9 quake halts trains in Tokyo area; 30 injured

A powerful magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the Tokyo area on Thursday night, injuring more than 30 people, damaging underground water pipes and halting trains and subways. Traffic disruptions continued Friday morning, with local trains delayed and commuters overflowing from stations. The Meteorological Agency said the quake was centered in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo, at a depth of about 80 kilometers (48 miles). There was no danger of a tsunami. It caused buildings to sway and hangin

Oct. 8, 2021

6 in 10 Americans support military intervention if N. Korea invades South: survey

More than 60 percent of the American public would consent to US troop intervention if North Korea initiated military aggression against South Korea, a survey carried out by a US think tank showed Thursday. In the nationwide poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 63 percent of Americans said they would support using US forces to defend the South if the North invaded. The figure marks the second-highest since 1982, having reached a record high of 64 percent in 2018. An invasion of Sout

Oct. 8, 2021

FM Chung to visit UAE for talks on bilateral relations, cooperation

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this week for talks on bilateral relations and cooperation, his ministry said Thursday. Chung is scheduled to begin a four-day trip to the Middle Eastern nation Friday, during which he will hold talks with his UAE counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, it said. He also plans to pay a courtesy call on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Chung is expected to have discussions on efforts to boost two-way c

Oct. 7, 2021

Vice FM Choi holds phone talks with US envoy for Iran over JCPOA restoration

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and the US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, held phone talks Thursday to discuss cooperation over negotiations to restore the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, the foreign ministry said. Multilateral negotiations in Vienna to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program have remained stalled since June, though Iran has shown its readiness to return to dialogue soon. Choi reiterated South Korea's commit

Oct. 7, 2021

Gapyeong creates Australian garden to commemorate war veterans of Korean war, praying future peace

A garden has been created in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, to honor Australian veterans who participated in the Battle of Gapyeong during the Korean War from April 22-25, 1951, and to pray for future peace. The creation of the garden on Thursday is in line with the opening of the Jaraseom Namdo flower garden, which has become a popular tourist attraction in Gapyeong.　 The Jaraseom Namdo flower became an attraction to experience the essence of autumn flowers for a month from Sept. 25 to Oct. 24.

Oct. 5, 2021

Danish Embassy enhances cooperation with Korea in health tech, smart hospitals

The Danish Embassy, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center and Danish medical-tech firms on Thursday co-hosted the 2021 Health-Tech Workshop to boost cooperation on smart hospitals. According to the Danish Embassy, the workshop sought to enhance cooperation between Dongsan Medical Center, which will be upgraded into a smart hospital by 2025, and Danish companies specializing in health technology. The workshop presented Denmark’s Super Hospital project to transform 18 hospitals in the

Oct. 5, 2021

Indian embassy celebrates Gandhi anniversary

GANDHI ANNIVERSARY – Surinder Bhagat, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Seoul delivers remarks on Gandhi’s thoughts and ideals in celebration of the 152nd anniversary his birth on Saturday. Gandhi was born on Oct. 2, 1869. (Embassy of India)

Oct. 5, 2021

No immediate Moon-Kishida summit in sight

A potential South Korea-Japan summit may face further delays despite Monday’s election of Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, amid protracted rows over wartime history and trade. President Moon Jae-in held no summit with Kishida’s predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, during his one-year tenure. The two governments had sought to arrange a meeting between Moon and Suga on the occasions of multilateral events, including the G-7 summit in June and the Tokyo Olympics in July, but re

Oct. 5, 2021

Germany, Korea need to set right regulations, incentives to leverage investment into clean energy: German envoy

The governments of Germany and Korea can set the right regulatory conditions and incentives to leverage the maximum amount of private investment into clean energy, German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel said at a Thursday webinar titled “KR-DE Road to 2050: Financing Clean Energy Transition.”  The event was co-hosted by the Embassy of Germany in Korea, Solutions for Our Climate, Climate Transparency and Rep. Lee So-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Accor

Oct. 5, 2021

Russian Embassy gears up for Russian Seasons 2021 in Korea

The Russian Embassy in South Korea held an opening ceremony for the Russian Seasons at Seoul Arts Center on Saturday. Russian seasons is a project run by Russia’s Ministry of Culture aimed at introducing Russian culture worldwide and presenting the “Firebird” to the hosting country. The Firebird is the symbol of the Russian Seasons inspired by the mythical creature from Russian folk tales. The project in Korea started with a performance by the Soloists of Moscow, a chamber en

Oct. 5, 2021

Assembly speaker to visit Italy for G-20, climate summits

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug is embarking on trips to Italy and Egypt to attend summits and discuss bilateral relations. The Assembly speaker will depart on Tuesday for Italy to participate in the seventh G-20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit slated from Thursday to Friday in Rome, according to Park’s office. Under the motto of “Parliaments for the People, the Planet and Prosperity,” the G-20 parliamentary leaders will discuss their joint responses to some

Oct. 5, 2021

US urges full implementation of UNSC sanctions on N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- A spokesman for the US State Department on Monday stressed the need to fully implement UN Security Council sanctions on N. Korea while also urging the North to comply with UN resolutions that prohibit the North from testing or developing weapons of mass destruction. Ned Price made the remark after North Korea criticized the UN Security Council (UNSC) for convening an emergency meeting last week to discuss its recent missile launches. "We remain concerned by the DPRK's repeat

Oct. 5, 2021

Blinken underscores importance of cooperation between NATO, S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday highlighted the importance of cooperation between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and key US allies such as South Korea in dealing with regional and global issues. The call for unity among US allies comes amid growing competition between the US and China. "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the centrality of the Transatlantic bond and Alliance un

Oct. 5, 2021

[Contribution] UNICEF and Korea: Together driving change for children

It has been 30 years since the Republic of Korea joined the United Nations on 17 September 1991, and over the past three decades the country has emerged as a central partner in international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. The country’s relationship with the United Nations Children’s Fund goes back to the founding of the Republic of Korea in 1948. For more than four decades, UNICEF had a country office presence, providing humanitarian and development support to

Sept. 30, 2021

Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, US to hold talks on NK dialogue

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States were set to meet in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss joint efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, after its leader Kim Jong-un voiced a willingness to restore inter-Korean communication lines following tensions over recent missile tests. The talks between Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, and his US counterpart, Sung Kim, come as Seoul and Washington are strategizing on humanitarian aid, confidence-building measures and ot

Sept. 30, 2021

US denies hostile intent, reiterates willingness to talk

WASHINGTON -- The United States has no hostile policy and is ready to meet with North Korea without preconditions, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the US offer to engage with the North is a disguise for its hostility. "The United States harbors no hostile intent toward the DPRK. Our policy calls for a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy with the DPRK to make tangible progress that increases the s

Sept. 30, 2021

S. Korea to cooperate with new Japanese Cabinet under Kishida for 'future-oriented' ties

South Korea will continue to cooperate with the new Japanese government under the leadership of Fumio Kishida, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, following his win in the party election set to make him the next prime minister. "The government intends to continue to cooperate with the newly launched Japanese Cabinet to develop the bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan in a future-oriented manner," the ministry said. Kishida won the leadership election of the ruling Li

Sept. 29, 2021

Kishida to be Japan's next PM

  Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election on Wednesday, making him all but certain to become Japan’s new prime minister.  The 64-year-old replaces outgoing party leader Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who decided early this month to step down after a year in office amid plummeting approval ratings over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Kishida is effectively assured to be named the prime minister at an extraor

Sept. 29, 2021

US wants to meet with N. Korea to discuss their concerns, intentions: US official

The United States wants to meet with North Korea to discuss any concerns they have, a senior US diplomat said Tuesday. Kin Moy, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, made the remark amid a North Korean boycott of dialogue, citing what it claims to be US hostility toward the North. "We have reached out directly to Pyongyang to initiate dialogue and stand ready to meet without preconditions," Moy said in a virtual seminar jointly hosted by the

Sept. 29, 2021