Local govt. heads of Korea, China agree to cooperate to improve air quality

Local governments of South Korea and China on Tuesday agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle the deteriorating air quality of the two countries.Mayors and governors of seven South Korean local governments -- Seoul, Daegu, Sejong, South Chungcheong Province, South Jeolla Province, North Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Province -- met with heads of 10 Chinese provinces and metropolitan cities in Beijing to discuss boosting their bilateral exchanges in wide-ranging areas, including climate,

Nov. 27, 2018

Korea, US continue 'higher-level' exercises off peninsula: US general

South Korea and the United States have been conducting "higher-level" military exercises off the Korean Peninsula despite the suspension of key allied drills that stoked fears of laxity in their combat readiness, a top US general said in a recent media interview.Gen. Robert Brown, the head of US Army Pacific Command, made the remarks as the two militaries have been exploring ways to back ongoing diplomacy to denuclearize North Korea and establish a lasting peace on the divided peninsula."What we

Nov. 27, 2018

President Moon arrives in Prague

PRAGUE, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in the Czech Republic on Tuesday, en route to Argentina for the annual Group of 20 summit.Moon is scheduled to hold a bilateral summit with Prime Minister Andrej Babis on Wednesday. President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook arrives in Prague (Yonhap)He will also hold a special meeting with South Korean residents in Prague before heading to Buenos Aires, according to his office Cheong Wa Dae.Moon will arrive in Argent

Nov. 27, 2018

Seoul, Beijing to jointly study fine dust

BEIJING/SEOUL -- The capital cities of South Korea and China agreed Monday to launch a joint research group to study ways to tackle the growing threats from fine dust particles, officials said.The municipalities of Seoul and Beijing reached the agreement during a bilateral climate environment forum held in the Chinese capital in the afternoon. (Yonhap)Beginning next year, the joint research group will closely analyze midair fine dust in the two cities to find the cause for their deteriorating ai

Nov. 26, 2018

Korea, China, Japan to fight contagious diseases

Health ministers of South Korea, China and Japan gathered this past weekend to discuss ways to jointly fight contagious diseases and expand cooperation on health-related matters, Seoul's government said Monday.The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the policymakers met at an annual regional meeting, the 11th of its kind, in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Saturday and Sunday. (Yonhap)"We will strengthen cooperation in information sharing on diseases, monitor impending health issues and jointly d

Nov. 26, 2018

Seoul mayor to visit Beijing for closer bilateral cooperation

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon plans to visit Beijing this week to attend a series of events on partnerships between the capital cities, his office said Sunday.He plans to begin a four-day trip there through Wednesday as the cities mark the 25th anniversary of forging sisterhood ties. (Yonhap)Park is scheduled to visit a pavilion, named the Live Seoul Play Ground in Beijing, to publicize tourist spots in Seoul on Sunday afternoon.He will attend a forum on climate and air pollution on Monday and deliv

Nov. 25, 2018

EU moving to take sides with Japan on suit against Korea's shipbuilding industry

The European Union expressed an intention to participate in an on-going complaint filed by Japan against South Korea's shipbuilding industry, the World Trading Organization said Sunday."The EU notes that the request for consultations relates to a number of alleged export and local content subsidies provided by Korea directly, or through public or private institutions, to Korean shipbuilders or their customers," the EU said in a statement delivered to the WTO last week.  (Yonhap)On Nov. 6, Japan

Nov. 25, 2018

UN grants sanctions exemption for inter-Korean railway survey

The United Nations Security Council on Friday granted a sanctions exemption to enable the two Koreas to conduct a survey on reconnecting railways across their border, a diplomatic source said.(Yonhap)The exemption was approved by consensus by the council's North Korea sanctions committee, paving the way for the survey and a groundbreaking ceremony before the end of the year.South Korea requested an exemption for deliveries of fuel and other material needed to conduct the survey in the North. Pyo

Nov. 24, 2018

New Interpol chief vows closer cooperation among 194 member states to fight global security threats

Kim Jong-yang, the first South Korean elected head of Interpol, said Friday that his top priority is to increase the level of security power in areas with weak security and help all member states jointly fight against new types of crimes.Kim made the remarks after arriving at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, in the morning for his first visit to South Korea after being elected to the top post of the global police body earlier this week. Kim Jong-yang, the new chief of Interpol (Yonh

Nov. 23, 2018

Korea requests Romania's support for Korea peace process

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Friday asked Romania to play a key role in supporting the Korean Peninsula peace process, especially when it holds the European Union's rotating presidency next year.In meeting with her Romanian counterpart, Teodor-Viorel Melescanu, in Seoul, Kang stressed the importance of the European nation's "voice and leadership" at a time when South Korea is concentrating diplomatic efforts on the goal of achieving the complete denuclearization of the peninsu

Nov. 23, 2018

S. Korean Lim Ki-tack wins 2nd term as IMO chief

LONDON, (Yonhap) -- Lim Ki-tack, the South Korean head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), earned his second term at the helm of the UN body on Thursday.This photo provided by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Thursday, shows Lim Ki-tack, the South Korean secretary-general of the UN body. Lim won his second term on a unanimous vote at the 121st IMO Council in London earlier in the day. (Yonhap)At its 121st IMO Council held in London, Lim received a unanimous vote fro

Nov. 22, 2018

Sex slavery issue cannot be resolved through diplomacy: ministry

The issue of Japan’s military sexual enslavement of South Korean women cannot be resolved through diplomatic negotiations, a government official said Thursday, amid worsening bilateral ties over Seoul’s decision to disband a Japanese-funded foundation to support the victims. “The issue of comfort women is not a matter that can be resolved in the short term through diplomatic consultations. Rather, it is a matter that should be resolved based on truth and principle,” said an official from the For

Nov. 22, 2018

S. Korea in talks with US, relevant parties on sanctions exemptions for railway project

South Korea, the US and other concerned parties are discussing temporary sanctions exemptions for a joint railway field survey with North Korea, a Unification Ministry official said Thursday.The two Koreas are “behind schedule” in implementing their plans to modernize and reconnect cross-border railways after the US-led United Nations Command declined South Korea’s proposal to test-run its train across the border in August, citing procedural problems. Dramatic progress on the project, which was

Nov. 22, 2018

S. Korea, US plan biweekly 'working group' consultations on N. Korea

South Korea and the United States will hold bilateral "working group" consultations on North Korea as often as possible, either through face-to-face talks or videoconferencing, officials said Thursday.The allies launched the working group for more systemic and frequent discussions on ways to deal with Pyongyang amid concerns about a possible mismatch of progress in denuclearization talks and inter-Korean cooperation.The US wants the two things to proceed in tandem, while South Korea says an impr

Nov. 22, 2018

Russian ship under US sanction yet to leave S. Korea: ministry

A Russian-flagged vessel slapped with US sanctions against North Korea has yet to leave a South Korean port, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.  (Yonhap)The ministry’s response came following a Radio Free Asia report that the Russian ship Sevastopol had re-entered the port of Busan, based on its location shown by vessel tracking service Marine Traffic. “The ship did not re-enter the South Korean port. It has yet to leave the port for its own reasons,” a ministry official said. The South Ko

Nov. 21, 2018

US strongly supports inter-Korean railway inspection: nuclear envoy

The US expressed “strong support” for the two Koreas’ plan to conduct a joint study to connect railways across their border, a top South Korean official said Wednesday, after the first meeting of a South Korea-US working group on North Korea issues. 　The US, however, reaffirmed its position that inter-Korean relations and the denuclearization of North Korea should progress in tandem, which analysts say shows Washington’s concerns over a potential difference with its ally. (Yonhap)　“The US expres

Nov. 21, 2018

South Korea denounces Japanese politicians' rally over Dokdo

South Korea's foreign ministry on Wednesday issued a strong protest against Japanese politicians' rally in Tokyo to claim sovereignty of the East Sea islets of Dokdo, calling their assertion "absurd."Some politicians in Tokyo held a demonstration to demand an "early resolution" of the Dokdo issue, aggravating tensions between the two countries in a long-simmering spat over a set of historical issues, including Japan's wartime sexual slavery. (Yonahp)"The government strongly protests the rally th

Nov. 21, 2018

Abe upset about Korea's plan to dissolve 'comfort women' foundation

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his displeasure Wednesday with South Korea's decision to dissolve a foundation for "comfort women." He accused Seoul of reneging on its 2015 accord to fully settle the history issue, under which the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation was launched."If an international promise is not kept, state-to-state relations are not forged," he told reporters shortly after Seoul's announcement. (Yonhap)The 2015 agreement represents a "final and irrever

Nov. 21, 2018

S. Korea-US working group to hold first meeting

The inaugural meeting of a South Korea-US working group aimed at better coordinating their North Korea policy was set to be held in Washington on Tuesday afternoon (EST), according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry. 　Lee Do-hoon, South Korea’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, was expected to discuss the prospect of a high-level meeting between North Korea and the US, and sanctions exemptions for an inter-Korean railway project, during the meeting with his US coun

Nov. 20, 2018

Moon says Korea’s future entwined with ASEAN, India

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday once again stressed the need to boost ties with Southeast Asian nations, and urged concerned government bodies to develop related projects. Speaking at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Moon also said that the leaders of ASEAN and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation member nations gave positive assessments of developments on the Korean Peninsula, and expressed support.  President Moon Jae-in at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting (Yonhap)Moon was in Singapore and Papua New Guinea l

Nov. 20, 2018