Seoul, Tokyo to hold high-level economic talks this month

South Korea and Japan are seeking to hold high-level economic talks later this month in Tokyo as the two sides hope to enhance bilateral ties following last month’s breakthrough deal over Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women.The 14th Korea-Japan high-level economic consultations are reportedly expected to be held in the middle of this month. The consultations, which have been held since 1999, have been a key venue for the two sides to discuss bilateral trade, investment and other e

Jan. 3, 2016

FM Yun defends 'comfort women' deal

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se stepped up efforts Thursday to appease critics of a recent deal between South Korea and Japan on wartime sex slaves.The government has come under fire since it reached a breakthrough agreement with Japan Monday aimed at ending a decades-long dispute over the so-called comfort women.Under the deal, Japan admitted responsibility for the wartime brutality and offered reparations of 1 billion yen to the 46 surviving South Korean victims.However, some of the victims and

Dec. 31, 2015

'Comfort women' deal did not include statue's removal: official

A South Korean official on Wednesday denied Japanese news reports that Seoul agreed to relocate a statue symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery in exchange for compensation for the women.The statue of a girl, which sits across from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, has been a source of friction between the two countries as they have sought to resolve issues related to the wartime atrocity.Historians estimate that more than 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, were forced to work in fron

Dec. 30, 2015

China warns Korean journalists over reporting along North Korean

Chinese authorities have warned that South Korean journalists could face an unspecified "stern measure" if they report along the sensitive border between North Korea and China without prior permission, an official at the South Korean Embassy in Beijing said Wednesday. The warning came less than a week after South Korean journalists reported about activities of trade between North Korea and China in the Chinese border city of Dandong, following a sudden cancellation of a concert in Beijing by a N

Dec. 30, 2015

Korea to hike security budget for diplomatic missions in 2016

South Korea will sharply increase the budget allocated to beefing up security at its diplomatic missions in 2016, in the face of mounting threats to its diplomats and facilities, the government said Wednesday.According to the finance ministry, 26.5 billion won ($22.6 million) will be set aside in the new year, up more than 50 percent from 17.6 billion won earmarked for 2015.The move follows a terrorist attack against its embassy in Libya in April that left two local security personnel dead. Its

Dec. 30, 2015

N. Korea sends letter to U.N. to call for peace treaty with U.S.

North Korea has sent a letter to the United Nations, renewing its call for a peace treaty with the United States, U.N. records showed Tuesday.Amb. Ja Song-nam, chief of the North's mission to the U.N., sent the letter to the U.N. secretary-general last week, along with a statement from Pyongyang's foreign ministry calling for a peace treaty with the U.S., according to a copy of the letter released by the U.N.Ja asked that the letter and the statement be circulated as a Security Council document.

Dec. 30, 2015

U.S. Congressman Honda says Korea-Japan deal on comfort women

U.S. Congressman Mike Honda, who has been at the forefront of efforts to help victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, said this week's breakthrough deal on the issue between Seoul and Tokyo is far from perfect, but is still a "historic milestone."Honda, however, expressed disappointment that the agreement lacks a commitment by Japan to "ensure they will no longer whitewash history and educate future generations" and that Tokyo's apology as part of the deal is "not a formal, and official apolo

Dec. 30, 2015

U.S. calls for civil society support for Korea-Japan deal

Civil society support for the Korea-Japan agreement on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery will be crucial to the deal's success, the State Department said Tuesday."Everyone will make their own judgments about this agreement. But I do hope, we do hope, as the United States, that others, including here in the U.S., will support this agreement and its full implementation as we do," State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said at a regular briefing."We believe it's an importa

Dec. 30, 2015

After accord, Seoul begins work on fund for former sex slaves

The Seoul government on Tuesday set the ball rolling to execute Monday’s bilateral agreement with Tokyo to settle the issue of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, despite escalating controversy over the ambiguity of the clauses and objections from the victims and civic groups.Seoul’s Foreign Ministry began its internal preparatory work for the establishment of a fund to support the Korean victims. Under the agreement, the two countries are to form a fund with Tokyo providing 1 billion yen ($8.3 mill

Dec. 29, 2015

Japanese NGOs express disappointment over Seoul-Tokyo deal on sex slavery

Japanese civic groups said Tuesday that a South Korea-Japan deal on Tokyo's wartime sex slavery is insufficient to heal the pains of Korean victims, raising doubts about whether Japan has sincerely apologized for its atrocity.South Korea and Japan reached a rare deal Monday to resolve the issue of South Korean women coerced into sex slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II.The deal included Japan's apology for Korean victims and a 1 billion yen ($8.29 million) fund to be created with Ja

Dec. 29, 2015

Korea says deal on 'comfort women' reached with principle

Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday that a landmark deal with Japan on the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II was reached in accordance with principle.On Monday, the two countries announced the agreement on the former sex slaves that centered on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims."(The deal) was reached in accordance with the firm principle that victims' honor should be restored, and

Dec. 29, 2015

North Korea condemns South Korea-Japan deal on sex slaves

North Korea criticized South Korea Tuesday for reaching a deal with Japan over Tokyo's wartime sex slavery, calling it a "humiliating agreement" that missed holding the Japanese state responsible for such atrocities.A day earlier, Seoul and Tokyo reached a rare deal to resolve the issue over Korean women forced into Japan's sex slaves during World War II. The agreement included Japan's apology for Korean victims and a 1 billion yen ($8.29 million) fund to be created with Japan's money, but it fa

Dec. 29, 2015