US welcomes restored inter-Korean hotlines

The US welcomed the reopening of the inter-Korean hotlines that had been severed for more than a year, calling it a “positive step,” sparking conjecture on whether the development could lead to another round of summits or progress in stalled nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. 　 “The US supports inter-Korean dialogue and engagement, and of course welcomes today’s announcement of restoration of inter-Korean communication lines, and we certainly believe that t

July 28, 2021

US welcomes reopening of inter-Korean communication lines as 'positive step'

WASHINGTON -- The United States welcomes the reopening of direct communication lines between the two Koreas, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday, calling it a "positive step." The remarks come after North Korea reopened its communication channels, including a military hotline, with South Korea on Tuesday (Seoul time). "The United States supports inter-Korean dialogue and engagement and welcomes today's announcement on the restoration of inter-Korean communications lines

July 28, 2021

US approach toward N. Korea leaves doors open to dialogue: Austin

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to take a practical approach toward North Korea that leaves open the door for dialogue, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday. The US defense chief made the remark as North Korea reopened its direct communication lines with South Korea in an apparent move to improve its relations with Seoul that many believe may also lead to a resumption of dialogue with the United States. "And we're taking a calibrated, practical approach that leaves the

July 28, 2021

US supports inter-Korean dialogue: Kurt Campbell

WASHINGTON -- The United States supports dialogue between South Korea and North Korea, a senior White House official said Tuesday, welcoming the reopening of direct communication lines between the divided Koreas. "We are supportive of the dialogue and communication with North Korea," Kurt Campbell, policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, told reporters after taking part in a breakfast meeting in Washington hosted by the Korea-US Alliance Foundation. His remarks come after North Kore

July 28, 2021

Int'l forum of history teachers seeks ways to preserve legacy of Korean War veterans

WASHINGTON -- An international forum of history teachers from the United States and 21 other countries got under way on Monday to discuss ways to teach the true and accurate account of the Korean War to their students. The 2021 World Congress of Korean War Veterans and History Teachers began at a Washington hotel with some 60 history teachers from the United States taking part in in-person meetings. The annual event is hosted by the Korean War Legacy Foundation (KWLF) and sponsored by South Kor

July 27, 2021

Troubled by pandemic, Tokyo Olympic Summer Games open with scaled-back ceremony

It has been eight years in the making, and the 32nd Olympic Summer Games finally kicked off in Tokyo on Friday, with a sobering, toned-down opening ceremony held at the National Stadium without spectators during the global coronavirus pandemic. Some 11,000 athletes from 205 countries, plus a team of refugees, will compete for 339 gold medals in 33 sports until Aug. 8, while having to abide by strict health and safety protocols, the likes of which haven't been in place at any of the previous Oly

July 23, 2021

[Newsmaker] US looks forward to 'reliable, predictable, constructive' way forward with N. Korea: Sherman

The United States looks forward to a "reliable, predictable and constructive" way forward with North Korea, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Friday, redoubling calls for Pyongyang to respond to Washington's overtures for dialogue. Sherman made the remarks after talks with First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun in Seoul, amid uncertainty over the resumption of nuclear diplomacy following Pyongyang's rejection of dialogue last month. "We are looking forward to a rel

July 23, 2021

N. Korea is one area US and China share 'aligned' interests: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States and China may share similar interests when it comes to the issue of denuclearizing North Korea despite their sometimes competitive and even adversarial relationship, a State Department spokesman said Thursday. Ned Price made the remarks as Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is set to visit China for discussions on issues that will include ways to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear and provocative ballistic missile programs. "The DPRK is one of those areas whe

July 23, 2021

Seoul, Washington agree to induce Pyongyang back to nuclear talks

US Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman on Thursday held talks with key officials here, underscoring close coordination between the allies to induce North Korea back to the stalled denuclearization talks. 　 As part of the Asia trip, Sherman arrived in Seoul on Wednesday after her stop in Tokyo, where she and her South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Choi Jong-kun and Takeo Mori, respectively, held trilateral talks and reiterated close coordination on North Korea policy. 　 Sherman met with South K

July 22, 2021

Deputy Secretary of State Sherman to meet FM Chung, other officials in Seoul

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman was set to meet Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and other Seoul officials on Thursday for talks on stalled diplomacy with North Korea and other shared challenges, officials said. Sherman arrived here on Wednesday for a three-day visit, after she and her South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Choi Jong-kun and Takeo Mori, held three-way talks in Tokyo to highlight trilateral cooperation against a recalcitrant North Korea and an assertive China. Her As

July 22, 2021

S. Korea an attractive market to US investors, but regulations remain a hurdle: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- South Korea offers a safe and stable environment for US investors that is also equipped with a highly skilled workforce, but may be failing to attract as much foreign investment as possible due to its complicated regulations, the US State Department said in an annual report released Wednesday. In its 2021 Investment Climate Statements, the State Department noted the country offers political stability and public safety, as well as world-class infrastructure and a highly skilled wor

July 22, 2021

US-S. Korea cooperation in technology is key to thorny problems: officials

WASHINGTON -- Cooperation between South Korea and the United States is critical to addressing the issue of weak supply chains for key technological products such as semiconductors, senior diplomats of the allied countries said Wednesday. They also argued increased support for cooperation between their technological industries will help shape the future success of both nations. "We are working together to build resilient, diverse and secure supply chains for critical technologies," Ma

July 22, 2021

South Korea, US, Japan agree to up cooperation over NK, pandemic

South Korean, US and Japanese envoys on Wednesday stressed cooperation in their approach toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and other global issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. 　 The three-way dialogue between First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and his US and Japanese counterparts, Wendy Sherman and Takeo Mori, respectively, was held in Japan, despite recent flare-up of tension between the two Asian neighbors. 　 During their talks, the

July 21, 2021

Korea to take part in G-20 environment ministers’ meeting in Italy

Korea’s Environment Minister Han Jeoung-ae will attend the G-20 environment ministers’ meeting and climate and energy ministers’ meeting that kicks off Thursday in Italy, the Ministry of Environment said Wednesday. As a multilateral forum that addresses major global issues such as international finance, climate change and sustainable development, the G-20 consists of 19 countries and the European Union. The countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, F

July 21, 2021

Deputy Secretary of State Sherman renews calls for N. Korea to resume dialogue

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman renewed calls Wednesday for North Korea to return to dialogue, stressing Washington's willingness to take "some patience" and holding out prospects of a "brighter future" for Pyongyang. Sherman made the remarks following trilateral talks with her South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Choi Jong-kun and Takeo Mori, respectively, in Tokyo after North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon rejected US' overtures for d

July 21, 2021

No breakthrough in sight for Seoul-Tokyo ties after summit called off

  President Moon Jae-in’s last-minute decision not to visit Japan has dashed hopes that the upcoming Tokyo Olympics might offer the bickering neighbors an occasion to make a breakthrough in their relations, which have been at their lowest ebb in decades.   　 Moon expressed disappointment after calling off a trip to Japan that may have included his first summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, his senior aide said Tuesday.   　 Park Soo-hyun, Moon’s press s

July 20, 2021

US possesses capabilities to counter cyber attacks: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- The United States maintains and continues to advance its capabilities to counter any cyber attacks from countries such as China and North Korea, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday. John Kirby made the remarks as the US, along with a long list of its allies including the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, called out China as a state sponsor of malicious cyber activities. accusing China's Ministry of State Security of hiring contract criminal hackers to carry o

July 20, 2021

Moon not visiting Japan for summit with Suga

President Moon Jae-in has decided not to visit Japan for a summit with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga timed with the Summer Olympics this week, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday, after lewd remarks by a Japanese diplomat regarding Moon sparked fresh tension amid already strained diplomatic ties between the two countries.  The last-minute announcement comes as the two countries have been discussing Moon’s possible visit to the Japanese capital to attend the Olympics that kicks off on Friday.&

July 19, 2021

Vice FM Choi to visit Washington to follow up on May summit outcomes

Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon will visit Washington this week for talks about implementing agreements reached at a summit between the two countries in May, the foreign ministry said Monday. During his trip there from Monday through Thursday, Choi plans to meet officials from the White House and the State Department, and key members of the House to follow up on the outcomes of the May 21 summit between Presidents Moon Jae-in and Joe Biden. During the summit in Washington, Moon and

July 19, 2021

Foreign ministry calls on Chinese envoy to be 'cautious' after remarks on presidential front-runner

South Korea's foreign ministry made an implicit call Saturday for Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming to be "cautious" after his comments on a presidential front-runner raised questions over whether they could amount to political interference. In a contribution to the local daily Joong-Ang Ilbo on Friday, Xing rebutted remarks by Yoon Seok-youl, a conservative presidential hopeful, from a recent interview about missile defense as "hardly understandable." Yoon had

July 17, 2021