US enjoys 'unquantifiable' benefits from military presence in S. Korea: GAO

WASHINGTON -- The United States enjoys a range of benefits from maintaining its military presence in South Korea and Japan, US officials said Tuesday. The officials from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) also suggested while some of those benefits may not be quantified, they could easily justify the associated costs. "There are important, intangible benefits coming from the military and interoperability issues. I mean it's not an insignificant benefit," said Diana Maurer, di

March 24, 2021

[Newsmaker] Online vigil to honor victims of deadly Atlanta shootings

WASHINGTON -- A vigil will be held this week to honor the victims of recent deadly shootings in Atlanta and to call for a stop to hate crimes in the United States that are increasingly targeting people of Asian descent, organizers said Tuesday. The solemn event will be held in Atlanta on Friday and streamed live at www.326vigil.org, according to KA Vote, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting Korean American civic engagement and representation. The move comes in the wake of shooting

March 24, 2021

Lavrov raps US' Indo-Pacific strategy, 'bloc' building, ahead of Seoul visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed concern that the US strategy for the Indo-Pacific region could be an attempt to create a bloc against specific countries. Lavrov made the remarks during a virtual meeting with Korean correspondents in Moscow last week ahead of his trip to Beijing and Seoul. He is set to arrive in Seoul on Tuesday to hold talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and attend other events. He claimed that the Indo-Pacific region expression was introduced as pa

March 23, 2021

S. Korea not to co-sponsor this year's UN resolution on NK human rights

South Korea decided not to co-sponsor a UN Human Rights Council resolution on North Korea's rights violations for the third consecutive year, though it will join the document's adoption by consensus, a Seoul official said Tuesday. The council is set to adopt the resolution for the 19th straight year during the 46th session in Geneva this week, as Seoul seeks to avoid tension with the North amid its efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue. "The government's position will remain the same as

March 23, 2021

S. Korea, Belgium to hold cultural fest celebrating 120th anniversary of ties

A yearlong cultural festival celebrating the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Belgium will begin Tuesday, the culture ministry said. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it has designated Belgium as this year's counterpart for its cultural diplomacy project. Under the plan, cultural events will be held to promote cultural exchange between the two countries under the slogan "sharing friendship together, enjoying prosperity to

March 23, 2021

Quad not on table for S. Korea-India defense ministerial talks: Seoul

Defense Minister Suh Wook has no plans to discuss the US-led regional forum Quad with his Indian counterpart during his visit to the country this week, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Suh, who has been on a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is scheduled to arrive in India on Thursday for a three-day visit. The planned visit to India spurred speculation that Suh could discuss the Quad forum during his talks with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. Involving the United States, Austr

March 23, 2021

Russian deputy defense minister to visit Seoul next week

Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin will visit Seoul next week for talks with his South Korean counterparts, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The meeting slated for Monday follows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's planned talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Seoul this week. "It will be a regular strategic dialogue," defense ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said during a regular press briefing. The top Russian officials' back-to-back South Korea tr

March 23, 2021

Russia's top diplomat to visit Seoul for talks on bilateral ties, peninsula issues

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was set to visit South Korea on Tuesday for talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong about bilateral relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other issues, officials said. Lavrov is expected to fly in here from China, where he made a two-day visit for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Lavrov last came to Seoul in 2013, when he accompanied Russian President Vladimir Putin on a trip. Before that, he traveled to Seoul in 2009, which

March 23, 2021

S. Korea's nuclear armament will only justify N. Korea's nuclear ambition: Vincent Brooks

Arming South Korea with its own nuclear weapons against threats from North Korea would only help justify the North's ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons, and thus making it impossible to denuclearize the North, a former commander of US Forces Korea said Monday. Vincent Brooks argued the US must instead periodically reaffirm its commitment to the joint defense of South Korea and strengthen its extended nuclear deterrence for South Korea. "My opinion is that the provision of nuclear weapons

March 23, 2021

US court action begins for N. Korean extradited by Malaysia: Justice Department

WASHINGTON -- Court proceedings began here Monday for a North Korean national suspected of money laundering, the US Department of Justice said. The suspect, Mun Chol-myong, "made his initial appearance today in federal court in the District of Columbia, where he was indicted on May 2, 2019," the department said in a press release. "The indictment further alleges that Mun was affiliated with the DPRK's primary intelligence organization, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is

March 23, 2021

US remains committed to denuclearizing N. Korea, engaging allies and partners: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States will continue to work closely with its allies and partners, including China and Russia, to denuclearize North Korea, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The White House adviser also said the North continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures for dialogue. "We have not yet heard directly from them through diplomatic channels," he said in an interview with MSNBC. The US earlier said it has reached out to North Korea through "

March 23, 2021

Vice FM Choi calls for world's commitment against racial discrimination

Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon called Monday for the world to reaffirm its commitment against racial discrimination amid concerns over a reported rise in anti-Asian sentiment related to the new coronavirus. Choi made the call in a pre-taped speech for the UNESCO Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination, as the Korean community in the United States mourns the deaths of four women of Korean descent killed in last week's shootings in Atlanta. "Given the recent upsurge of

March 22, 2021

[Herald Interview] Colombia eyes stronger ties with Korea in agriculture, culture, environment

For many South Koreans, coffee is the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Colombia.   　 As one of the largest coffee producers in the world, Colombia enjoys a presence in cafes here with fresh, high-quality coffee beans that feed this coffee-loving nation.   　 Along with coffee, there are many more areas where the two countries can share what they have to offer, said visiting high-ranking officials from Colombia last week. These include agriculture, trade, culture and

March 22, 2021

No S. Korean casualties in Japan earthquake: ministry

No South Korean casualties have been reported in a powerful earthquake that struck off northern Japan on Saturday, the foreign ministry said. The 6.9 magnitude quake occurred shortly after 6 p.m. off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, according to news reports. Its strength was revised downward from a magnitude of 7.2. "As of now we understand that there have been no casualties among our nationals," a ministry official said. "The ministry and the consulate general in Sendai immedi

March 21, 2021

Govt. expresses condolences over deaths of 4 ethnic Koreans in Atlanta shootings

The government expressed its condolences Saturday over the deaths of four women of Korean descent, including one South Korean national, in this week's shootings in Atlanta. In a statement issued by the foreign ministry's spokesman, the government said it expresses "deep condolences and profound consolation to the families" of the four who were shot dead by a gunman in the US city on Tuesday (local time). "Our government, in line with our firm and consistent position that such a

March 21, 2021

Gaps to fill in ‘ironclad’ alliance between Korea, US

South Korea and the US have held the first foreign policy talks since US President Joe Biden came to power, but the two allies fell far short of reaching consensus on the reason the US secretaries of state and defense flew to Asia in their first overseas travel: China and North Korea. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken labeled China authoritarian and a challenge that a democratic coalition should try pushing back, referring to its key allies in the region such as Korea and Japan. The two US s

March 19, 2021

S. Korea, US launch working-level policy dialogue

South Korea and the United States launched a new regular working-level dialogue Friday, aiming to deal with bilateral diplomatic and security issues in a "systematic and speedy" manner, the foreign ministry said. Koh Yun-ju, the ministry's director general for North American affairs, and Marc Knapper, deputy US assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, held the inaugural session of the Bilateral Policy Dialogue in Seoul. The launch came just a day after the allies held their

March 19, 2021

FM Chung holds talks with Costa Rican, Guatemalan counterparts on bilateral cooperation

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong held separate talks with his Costa Rican and Guatemalan counterparts in Seoul on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation, the foreign ministry said. Costa Rican Foreign Minister Rodolfo Solano Quiros and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Pedro Brolo Vila were in Seoul to attend the Korea-LAC Digital Cooperation Forum held earlier this week. LAC stands for Latin American and Caribbean countries. In the talks with the Costa Rican minister, Chung voiced hop

March 19, 2021

US Embassy flies flag at half-staff to honor victims of Atlanta shootings

Rob Rapson, charge d'affaires at the US Embassy in Seoul, said Friday that his embassy has flown the US flag at half-staff to honor the victims of this week's deadly shootings in Atlanta, including several women of Korean descent. The move came after US President Joe Biden on Thursday instructed all public facilities, including the White House and military installations, to honor the victims of deadly shootings by flying the flag at half-staff over the next five days. "The @USEmbassySeoul

March 19, 2021

Pentagon chief leaves S. Korea after three-day stay for security talks

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin left South Korea on Friday after a three-day visit for a series of meetings on alliance and North Korea issues, officials said. Austin arrived here Wednesday from Japan as part of his first Asia swing since taking office in January as President Joe Biden administration's first defense chief. "The last faces I'll see on this trip to the Republic of Korea are those of the service members here at Osan AB," Austin tweeted. The US Forces Korea's Osan

March 19, 2021