S. Korea working closely with US to secure COVID vaccines before June: ambassador

WASHINGTON -- South Korea is closely consulting with the United States to quickly secure COVID-19 vaccines, South Korea's ambassador to the United States said Monday, adding the United States understands the difficulty South Korea faces. Amb. Lee Soo-hyuck also expressed hope that the US will soon expand exports of vaccines by US manufacturers. "The embassy is doing its utmost by contacting the White House and the State Department to have vaccines supplied before June. (We) are hearing f

May 11, 2021

[Newsmaker] S. Korea denounces bomb attack in Afghanistan

South Korea strongly denounces last week's bomb attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 68 people and wounded over 160, mostly young schoolgirls, the foreign ministry said Monday. "Our government strongly denounces the attack that occurred near a school in the Afghan capital of Kabul on May 8. We also extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their bereaved families," ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a commentary. The car bombing came amid escalating tensions

May 10, 2021

Israeli foreign, economy ministers visit Seoul

Israel’s foreign and economy ministers are visiting Seoul this week to hold talks with their Korean counterparts, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday. From Monday to Thursday, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Economy Minister Amir Peretz will sit down with the Korean foreign and trade ministers to discuss deepening senior-level exchanges and expanding ties ahead of marking 60 years of diplomatic relations next year. Israel will also sign a free trade agreement with Korea,

May 9, 2021

'Quad is neither security alliance nor Asian NATO': White House official

The evolving US-led Quad forum is neither a security alliance nor an Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a US White House official said Friday, stressing it is an open framework designed to tackle shared challenges. Edgard Kagan, senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council, made the remarks in a virtual seminar, amid a sense that the Quad, which consists of the United States, Australia, India and Japan, aims to counter the rise of Chin

May 7, 2021

Top envoys of S. Korea, UK agree to tackle climate change, COVID-19 vaccines

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong held talks with his British counterpart, Dominic Raab, and the two sides agreed to tackle climate change and cooperate on the fair distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.  The two envoys held a strategic dialogue Thursday at Chevening House near London, a day after the Group of Seven ministerial meeting ended in the British capital.  Both sides agreed that the strengthening of international cooperation bey

May 7, 2021

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Britain agree on cooperation on vaccine access, climate change

The top diplomats of South Korea and Britain have agreed to reinforce cooperation on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, climate change and the expansion of bilateral exchanges during their talks near London, the foreign ministry said Friday. The agreement came during a strategic dialogue between Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his British counterpart, Dominic Raab, in the London suburb of Kent on Thursday, the day after a Group of Seven ministerial session ended. "The two minister

May 7, 2021

Korean culture center to offer free online screening of 'Minari'

WASHINGTON -- The award winning immigrant film "Minari" will be screened online for some moviegoers in the United States next week, the Korean Cultural Center in Washington said Thursday. The film will be made available online free of charge to 600 viewers on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the culture center. "The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C. is pleased to present a special screening of Minari in celebration of the broad critical acclaim for this Ameri

May 7, 2021

S. Korea 'positively' views outcome of US policy review on N. Korea: NSC

South Korea's top security officials "positively" evaluated the outcome of the United States' monthslong policy review on North Korea recently completed by the Joe Biden administration, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.    The assessment came during a regular standing committee session of the National Security Council (NSC) after the White House said last week that it has completed its policy review on the communist state according to the presidential office.    The U

May 6, 2021

Foreign minister calls for greater vaccine cooperation at G-7 summit

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has called on the international community to work together for the fair distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines at the meeting of Group of Seven countries, amid Seoul’s rising concern over a looming vaccine shortage. 　 Chung joined the in-person gathering of G-7 foreign and development ministers meeting in London from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. South Korea was invited as a guest -- along with Australia, India, South Africa and

May 6, 2021

US supports waiver of property rights on COVID-19 vaccines: USTR

WASHINGTON -- US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai said on Wednesday that her country supports waiving the intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines, which would allow mass production of the currently scarce vaccines in other parts of the world. The USTR stressed the need for extraordinary measures to meet extraordinary challenges. "The US supports the waiver of IP protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help end the pandemic and we'll actively participate in @WTO negoti

May 6, 2021

US encourages Seoul-Tokyo reconciliation over 'comfort women' issue: State Dept.

The United States has long encouraged South Korea and Japan to work together to resolve their thorny history issues, including the issue of comfort women, to promote reconciliation and cooperation, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson, also noted US foreign policy is centered around human rights, including the rights of women and children. "We have also long encouraged Japan and the ROK to work together on the history related issues

May 6, 2021

G7 foreign ministers urge N. Korea to return to dialogue

The top diplomats of the Group of Seven (G7) countries on Wednesday urged North Korea to return to talks on ending its nuclear programs, while also urging Pyongyang to engage in inter-Korean dialogue. The foreign ministers also expressed their support for US efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula diplomatically. "We call on the DPRK to refrain from provocative actions and to engage in a diplomatic process with the explicit goal of denuclearization. We remain committed to the goal of

May 6, 2021

[Herald Interview] Open, inclusive Indo-Pacific is common goal: Australian envoy

South Korea has a role to play in bringing about an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region anchored by international rules, as the Quad alliance -- a group of Pacific democracies including the US, India, Japan and Australia -- seeks a partnership between like-minded countries, the Australian ambassador to Korea says. The US-led coalition is seen as trying to counter China’s growing influence in the region, and that represents a challenge for Korea. Seoul is looking to balance its alliance

May 6, 2021

Top Seoul, Tokyo envoys hold talks after yearlong standoff

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Wednesday met his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, for the first time since taking office in February, as tensions still run high between the neighbors amid an ongoing trade and political feud.  Their meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ gathering in London, came after months of no contact between the top diplomats, due to the continued conflict and frayed ties between Seoul and Toky

May 5, 2021

[Newsmaker] Top diplomats of S. Korea, US, Japan to hold talks at G-7 meeting

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan were set to hold three-way talks on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G-7) meeting in London early Wednesday (local time), the foreign ministry said. The meeting of Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will mark the first time the top diplomats of the three countries meet in more than a year. It will also be the first direct encounter between Chung a

May 5, 2021

N. Korea may give up nukes, but will test US commitment to diplomacy: US experts

North Korea may still be willing to give up its nuclear weapons for the right price, but will likely wait to see how serious and committed the new US administration is to diplomacy, US experts said Tuesday. "I do believe North Korea is committed to complete, verifiable denuclearization, assuming they get the security assurances they want and certainly they need because they're concerned about regime change, and they realize nuclear weapons, indeed, are a deterrent," Joseph DeTrani sai

May 5, 2021

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold FM talks at G-7 meeting in London

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold trilateral talks on the margins of a Group of Seven (G-7) gathering in London later this week, a source said Tuesday, as Washington eyes a thaw in strained ties between its Asian allies. The meeting between Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, and his US and Japanese counterparts, Antony Blinken and Toshimitsu Motegi, respectively, is set to take place Wednesday, as they gathered in the British capital for the session of G-7 fo

May 4, 2021

Biden raises ceiling for refugees to US amid COVID-19 pandemic, Myanmar unrest

US President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order to sharply increase the number of refugees to be admitted into the United States this year, citing "grave humanitarian concerns." The executive order raises to 62,500 from 15,000 the number of refugees to be allowed into the US in fiscal year 2021. The fiscal year ends Sept. 30. "Given the ongoing unforeseen emergency refugee situation, I now determine, consistent with my Administration's prior consultation with the Cong

May 4, 2021

New N. Korea policy does not affect US defense posture in S. Korea: Pentagon

The new US policy toward North Korea does not affect the United States' alliance with South Korea or its defense commitment on the Korean Peninsula, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday. John Kirby made the remark when asked if the outcome of the recently concluded North Korea policy review may affect the US defense posture on the Korean Peninsula. "We also have concomitant alliance requirements on the peninsula with our South Korean allies to continue to make sure we are, as the saying goes,

May 4, 2021

Blinken promotes joint efforts to denuclearize N. Korea at G-7 meeting

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for coordinated efforts to denuclearize North Korea on Monday while the top diplomats from the Group of 7 (G7) countries were later scheduled to discuss the North Korea issue. In his bilateral meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, the top US diplomat highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in dealing with the North. "Secretary Blinken and Minister Chung stressed their commitment to work together to protect and adv

May 4, 2021