FM holds phone talks with US climate envoy on cooperation for carbon neutrality goal

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong spoke by phone Friday with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to discuss cooperation on their countries' joint efforts toward carbon neutrality, the foreign ministry said. Chung and Kerry agreed to strengthen cooperation in their countries' efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades and run communication channels in a "multilayered" manner to strengthen collaboration against climate change. "Minister Chung an

March 19, 2021

Blinken relishes spicy Korean tofu stew

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that he had the pleasure of eating spicy Korean tofu stew during his trip to Seoul this week, in an apparent show of affection for Korean cuisine and culture. On Thursday, Blinken wrapped up his two-day trip to Korea, which was part of the Joe Biden administration's first Cabinet-level overseas trip meant to highlight its priority to "reinvigorate and modernize" democratic alliances against a recalcitrant North Korea and an assertive China

March 19, 2021

Asia trip by Blinken, Austin successful, will help advance N. Korea policy: Knapper

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Japan and South Korea has provided a chance to hear from the allies about their interests and approaches to North Korea, which will help boost the chance of success in denuclearizing the North, a senior US official said Thursday. Marc Knapper, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, said the US remains realistic but will strive for success in ridding North Korea of its nuclear ambitions. "One of our goals is to try and increa

March 19, 2021

[Newsmaker] President Biden orders five-day mourning period for victims of Atlanta shootings

President Joe Biden on Thursday instructed all public facilities, including the White House and military installations, to honor the victims of deadly shootings in Atlanta by flying the US flag at half-staff over the next five days. The proclamation came shortly after the US president declared the shootings "un-American." "As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 16, 2021, in the Atlanta Metropolitan area ... I hereby order that

March 19, 2021

Russian FM Lavrov to visit Seoul next week for talks on bilateral ties, peninsula issues

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Seoul next week for talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on bilateral ties, Korean Peninsula issues and other matters, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Lavrov will arrive here on Tuesday for a three-day visit. His talks with Chung are set to take place on Thursday after the ministers attend a ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two countries. The anniversary

March 18, 2021

Moon vows efforts to improve Japan ties in talks with Biden aides

President Moon Jae-in made clear South Korea's resolve to improve strained ties with Japan in a bid to bolster trilateral security cooperation involving the United States, speaking directly to two top officials in the administration of President Joe Biden on Thursday. During a meeting here with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Moon said that the Seoul-Tokyo relationship is very important for regional peace, stability and prosperity and constitutes a "

March 18, 2021

Korea, US set NK nuclear, missile issue as priority for alliance

South Korea and the US on Thursday stressed that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile issues are a “priority” for the alliance, while Washington renewed pressure on Beijing to use its influence to convince Pyongyang to denuclearize.   　 The two allies issued a joint statement detailing the pledge, after the “two-plus-two” talks at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul earlier in the day, which involved South Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and De

March 18, 2021

Pentagon chief says wartime operational control transition will take more time

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Thursday that the envisioned transition of the wartime operational control (OPCON) will take more time, though the two sides will continue to work toward the goal.    The two sides are pushing for the conditions-based OPCON transition of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul. Though it is not time-based, Seoul hopes to take it back within the term of the current Moon Jae-in administration that ends in May 2022. "While meeti

March 18, 2021

Blinken stresses China's 'clear self-interest,' 'critical' role in NK denuclearization

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that China has a "clear self-interest" and a "critical" role to play in persuading North Korea to denuclearize, stressing Beijing's obligation to "fully" enforce anti-Pyongyang sanctions. Blinken made the remarks during a press conference after the "two plus two" talks in Seoul that involved Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Seoul's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook. Blinken an

March 18, 2021

Human rights at 'forefront' of US diplomacy: State Dept.

Human rights are at the forefront of US diplomacy even when it comes to efforts to denuclearize North Korea, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday, one day after Secretary Antony Blinken accused Pyongyang of violating the rights of its own people. Jalina Porter, however, said the US also remains concerned about North Korea's nuclear and missile activities. "Broadly speaking, we always center human rights at the forefront of our foreign policy and national security goals," sa

March 18, 2021

US reaffirms alliance with Seoul in countering Beijing, Pyongyang

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with their respective counterparts in Seoul on Wednesday and reaffirmed their alliance as a bulwark against unprecedented challenges posed by Beijing and Pyongyang.  The pair arrived in Seoul after a two-day visit in Tokyo, in the first overseas trip by top members of President Joe Biden’s cabinet since his inauguration in January.  The high-profile trip in the region is seen as Washington&rsquo

March 17, 2021

US top diplomat, defense chief visit Seoul amid fresh warnings from Pyongyang

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Seoul Wednesday, a day after North Korea issued a fresh warning over a joint military drill currently conducted by the two allies. The two senior US officials plan to hold multiple meetings with their South Korean counterparts, including a courtesy call on President Moon Jae-in Thursday afternoon, during their two-day stay. They also visited Japan earlier this week in their first overseas trip since the Biden

March 17, 2021

Austin stresses alliance with S. Korea against 'unprecedented challenges' from NK, China

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Wednesday the alliance with South Korea has "never been more important" given "unprecedented challenges" from North Korea and China, as he reaffirmed Washington's security commitment to the South. Austin made the remark at the start of his first in-person talks with South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook in Seoul, calling their alliance a "linchpin" for peace, security and prosperity for Northeast Asia, and their military r

March 17, 2021

4 people of Korean descent killed in Atlanta shootings: foreign ministry

Four people of Korean descent were among those killed in a series of deadly shootings in the US state of Georgia, Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. South Korea‘s Consulate General in Atlanta sent consular staff members to check if there were any other Korean causalities in the shootings, the ministry said. In the shootings, at least eight people, most of them Asian women, were killed at three different spas in the Atlanta area. According to reports, a 21-year-ol

March 17, 2021

FM Chung voices hope for expanded cooperation with Latin America on digital technologies

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong expressed hope Wednesday for expanded cooperation with Latin American countries on digital technologies and in other areas, calling the region a key partner for co-prosperity. Chung made the remarks at the Korea-LAC Digital Cooperation Forum, which took place as part of an annual gathering that Seoul hosts to promote collaboration with Latin American and Caribbean countries on economic and other issues. "Central and South America -- a companion for South Ko

March 17, 2021

S. Korea extends pandemic-driven advisory against overseas travel until April 16

South Korea on Wednesday extended its special advisory against overseas travel for another month amid the continued spread of the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said. The measure, which calls for citizens to cancel or postpone their planned trips abroad, will remain in effect until April 16. The current advisory, which was issued in December, was set to expire on Wednesday. The extension came as many countries around the world continue to restrict the entry of people arriving from overs

March 17, 2021

Blinken arrives in S. Korea for talks on N. Korea, alliance

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for talks with Seoul officials on diplomacy with North Korea, joint efforts to revitalize the alliance and other issues, officials said. Blinken came here after he and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Japan as part of their first overseas trip since the Jan. 20 launch of the Joe Biden administration. Austin flew in hours earlier. Their visit meant to underscore the US' focus on rebuilding regional alliances came jus

March 17, 2021

Biden administration using 'toned-down' approach toward N. Korea to prevent escalation: report

The Biden administration is using "toned-down" rhetoric against North Korea to help prevent any unnecessary escalation of tensions before its ongoing review of how to deal with the North concludes, a news report suggested Tuesday. Citing unidentified senior administration officials, NBC News reported that "senior officials" of the administration have agreed to use "toned-down" rhetoric when speaking publicly about North Korea. The report also said officials at the

March 17, 2021

S. Korea, US to hold 'two plus two' meeting on alliance, N. Korea, China issues

South Korea and the United States are set to hold a "two plus two" meeting of foreign and defense ministers later this week, with a key focus on reinvigorating their alliance in the face of a recalcitrant North Korea and an assertive China. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook will join their US counterparts, Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, for the allies' first such gathering in five years on Thursday after they hold separate two-way meetings with their resp

March 16, 2021

Korean War Memorial to add list of US, S. Korean soldiers killed

WASHINGTON -- The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington will undergo an extensive renewal that will add a complete list of those killed in battles, including Korean augmentees to the US Army or KATUSA, the Korean Embassy here said Monday. The work to add a list of some 43,000 Korean War veterans killed in battle will begin on Tuesday. The $22 million project is expected to take 18 months, according to embassy officials. The newest addition to the memorial will have a list of some 36,000

March 16, 2021