China urges Obama to cancel meeting with Dalai Lama

China on Friday called for U.S. President Barack Obama to cancel a scheduled meeting with exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.Obama is scheduled to meet the Dalai Lama, who says he seeks meaningful autonomy for Tibet, not independence, on Friday in Washington. China labels him as a political exile who engages in separatist movements."By arranging a meeting between the president and the Dalai Lama, the U.S. side will grossly interfere in the internal affairs of China," China's foreign

Feb. 21, 2014

Seoul, Tokyo hold first talks since Yasukuni visit

Senior diplomats of Seoul and Tokyo on Tuesday held the first bilateral talks since Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s December trip to a controversial war shrine that further strained the two countries’ ties.The meeting took place here between Lee Sang-deok, new director-general for Northeast Asian affairs at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, and Junichi Ihara, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The two diplomats were expected to focus on ways to r

Feb. 18, 2014

China offers condolences to S. Koreans killed in Sinai bombing

China expressed condolences Tuesday to the three South Koreans who were killed in a suspected terror attack in Egypt's Sinai.At least four people, including three South Koreans and the Egyptian bus driver, were killed in the bombing attack on a bus filled with South Korean churchgoers in the Sinai Peninsula on Sunday."We are saddened by the tragic event," China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters during a daily press briefing."We express condolences to the victims and sinc

Feb. 18, 2014

S. Korea, Japan hold talks amid tensions

Japan's point man on Northeast Asia met with his South Korean counterpart on Tuesday in an apparent bid to improve ties frayed over territorial and history-related issues, Seoul officials said.The meeting between Junichi Ihara, the director general of the Japanese foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, and his South Korean opposite number, Lee Sang-dek, came amid heightened tensions sparked by Japan's recent string of nationalist remarks and actions.It marks the first direct-gener

Feb. 18, 2014

Nonprofit donates W10m for multicultural families

United Filipinos Korea (UFILKOR), an umbrella organization organized at the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines to support Korean-Filipino families, received 10 million won for 100 multicultural families in Seoul on Feb. 8.UFILKOR President Grace Tadili accepted the donation from the United Peace Federation, an organization affiliated with the late Rev. Moon Sun-myung’s Unification Church, during a special event organized by the Philippine Embassy for the benefit of mult

Feb. 16, 2014

North Korea opens embassy in Spain

North Korea has increased its diplomatic relations with the 28-nation European Union by opening an embassy in Spain, expanding the number of embassies there to 10. North Korean Ambassador Kim Hyun-chul presented his Letter of Credence at the Palace of Zarzuela, the official residence of King Juan Carlos, in Madrid last month. Kim presented his credentials along with some 15 other envoys in a special ceremony. North Korea opened its chancery in Spain in October. Spain and North Korea established

Feb. 16, 2014

Pyongyang envoy in Mongolia gets into alcohol-related car accident

The North Korean Ambassador to Mongolia Ri Chol-gwang was involved in an alcohol-related car accident over the Lunar New Year holiday in Mongolia. On Feb. 1 at approximately 3:00 a.m., the second day of Lunar New Year celebrations in Mongolia’s capital city of Ulan Bator, Ri and another unidentified North Korean diplomat were in a serious car accident that authorities suspect was alcohol-related, according to a report by a Mongolia-based news group. The driver is suspected to have been inebriate

Feb. 16, 2014

Seoul asks Tokyo to cancel event for Dokdo

South Korea called on Japan Friday to scrap a controversial event stressing its claim to the easternmost South Korean islets of Dokdo, warning that Seoul will sternly respond if its demand is not met.Seoul’s demand came one week before Japan is scheduled to celebrate the so-called annual “Takeshima Day” on Feb. 22. The event was first launched by the Shimane prefecture in 2005 to support Japan’s attempts to lay claim to the South Korean islets, called Takeshima in Japan. Tokyo announced earlier

Feb. 14, 2014

Kerry meets Chinese leader on N.K., island dispute

 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday as part of President Barack Obama's efforts to prod Beijing to do more to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.The U.S. is also encouraging China to peacefully settle its territorial rows with Japan and a number of Southeast Asian nations.Beginning the meeting with Xi at the Great Hall of the People, Kerry conveyed "good greetings" from President Barack Obama, according to an initial pool report for a smal

Feb. 14, 2014

Kerry seeks to ease tensions in Asia

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Asia on Thursday on a mission aimed largely at easing tensions between China and its smaller neighbors over territorial disputes and exploring ways to restart long-stalled talks on ridding North Korea of nuclear weapons.On his fifth trip to Asia as America's top diplomat, Kerry will be visiting South Korea, China and Indonesia, where officials traveling with him said he will be making the case for reducing regional acrimony over competing claims in t

Feb. 13, 2014

China says 'overall good momentum' of relations with U.S.

China said Thursday that it has maintained an "overall good momentum" of bilateral relations with the United States, a day after the White House announced a four-nation Asian visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.Obama will visit South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines in April, with major security headaches ranging from North Korea to China's maritime disputes with Southeast Asian nations expected to top his agenda.When asked about Obama's planned visit to Asia, China's foreign ministry

Feb. 13, 2014

Obama to visit S. Korea in April

 U.S. President Barack Obama plans to visit South Korea in April for talks with President Park Geun-hye about the alliance between the two countries, North Korea's nuclear program and other issues, the White House said Wednesday.The visit is part of a four-nation trip that also includes stops in Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines, the White House said in a statement. With the full itinerary yet to be announced, he is expected to stay in South Korea for two days from April 23 following his trip

Feb. 13, 2014

In Seoul, Kerry to seek assurance of no gap on N. Kore policy

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will seek to make sure that there is no disparity between Seoul and Washington on ways of dealing with North Korea, when he travels to Seoul this week, officials said Wednesday."The secretary's focus is on close coordination on North Korea, he will reaffirm our alliance commitments as well as our resolve to work closely together with the Republic of Korea to promote denuclearization and to maintain deterrence, " a senior U.S. government official told reporters

Feb. 13, 2014

Ex-Japanese PM says Abe will honor 1995 apology

Former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama said Wednesday he believes current Japanese leader Shinzo Abe will honor a 1995 apology that he issued while in office for the country's colonization of Korea in the early 20th century.The 89-year-old former Japanese leader made the remarks during a speech at the National Assembly amid concern that Abe could refuse to inherit the so-called Murayama statement and a similar apology issued in 1993 by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono."Prime Min

Feb. 12, 2014