China, Russia can and must help reduce tensions on Korean Peninsula: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- China and Russia have a role to play in bringing North Korea to the dialogue table, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday, insisting the two countries are also required to do so as members of the United Nations Security Council. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the state department, added the United States remains open to engaging with Pyongyang without any preconditions. "Both Russia and the PRC have a potential role they can play, including through the

July 26, 2023

Latvia hopes for biotech, digital cooperation with Korea: minister

Latvia's precision and telemedicine development, combined with its solid pharmaceuticals sector, offers a promising opportunity for collaboration with South Korea, the country's economy minister said. "Latvia's specialization in precision medicine, telemedicine development and a robust pharmaceutical sector aligns well with South Korea's expertise in genomics and digital health," said Latvian Minister of Economics Ilze Indriksone. "Korea has a large domestic ma

July 25, 2023

Egypt touts growing economic ties, infra projects with Korea

The Egyptian Embassy in Seoul touted the growing economic ties and infrastructure project deals with South Korea, while marking the country's 71st anniversary of the Egyptian revolution in Seoul on Friday. Revolution Day, which falls on July 23, celebrates the 1952 revolution that ended the country’s monarchy and marked the country's founding as a modern republic. Egypt and Korea are leveraging strengths to create opportunities through joint ventures, investments, and knowledge e

July 25, 2023

[Herald Interview] UN special envoy urges Korea to join Egypt's green initiative

INCHEON -- South Korea can play an important role in Egypt's initiative for green and smart industries, with a shared goal in building a sustainable future for the African country, said UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt Mahmoud Mohieldin. He was referring to Egypt's National Initiative for Green Smart Projects, launched by the Egyptian government in 2022. It is designed to promote participation from various stakeholders to make concerted efforts for climate change. Korea&

July 25, 2023

S. Korea to hold ministerial meeting on veterans affairs with 22 countries in Busan

South Korea will hold a ministerial meeting on veterans affairs this week with 22 countries that supported the country during the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's veterans ministry said Tuesday, as Seoul commemorates the 70th anniversary of the signing of the conflict's armistice. The 2023 Ministerial Summit on Veterans Affairs will take place in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Wednesday, a day ahead of the landmark anniversary of the armistice's signing, which ended fight

July 25, 2023

S. Korea, Japan set to hold working-level consultations over Fukushima water

South Korea and Japan are set to hold working-level consultations Tuesday to discuss Seoul's request regarding Tokyo's plan to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. The director-general-level talks will be held in Japan later in the day, with the South Korean side led by Yun Hyun-soo, head of the foreign ministry's bureau for climate change, energy, environment and scientific affairs, and the Japanese side headed by Atsushi Kaifu, director-g

July 25, 2023

Top Chinese diplomat proposes talks with Japan, South Korea: Kyodo

TOKYO -- Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi proposed high-level talks between China, Japan and South Korea in a meeting with the Japanese foreign minister in Indonesia this month, Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday. The proposal is seen as signalling a willingness to resume talks among the three countries and Japan would accelerate preparations to make it happen by the end of the year, Kyodo reported, citing unidentified diplomatic sources. US allies Japan and South Korea are wary of China's in

July 23, 2023

Delegations from 22 countries to take part in Korean War armistice ceremony this week

Government delegations from 22 countries that supported South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War will take part in a ceremony this week to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the conflict's armistice, the veterans ministry said Sunday. The delegations will attend the event in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the war, according to the ministry. The countries sent troops or other forms of supp

July 23, 2023

Govt. to allow businesspeople to enter Ukraine for reconstruction projects

The government plans to allow businesspeople to enter Ukraine for reconstruction projects by making exceptions to the travel ban on the war-torn country, officials said Sunday. The decision was part of measures that the government is taking after President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to Ukraine earlier this month and promised to provide a package of security, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance. Since February last year, the government has been maintaining a travel ban for all of

July 23, 2023

N. Korean missile launches only solidify US alliances with S. Korea, Japan: Blinken

North Korea's unprecedented missile provocations have done little but solidify the United States' cooperation with South Korea and Japan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday, insisting that US alliances have only grown stronger over the years. The top US diplomat also called on China to help bring North Korea back to the dialogue table, insisting that failure to do so will not benefit anyone, including China. "We have channels of communication. We have used them, and we

July 22, 2023

Cooperation between US, Japan, S. Korea important to maintaining peace in Indo-Pacific: US officials

Trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the United States is reaching unprecedented levels thanks to the leadership of South Korean and Japanese leaders, a senior US administration official said Friday, calling it a "huge innovation" that helps promote peace and stability in the region. Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, noted the three countries are also seeking to institutionalize their defense cooperation. "I think ... ar

July 22, 2023

Foreign Korean War veterans, families to visit S. Korea on 70th armistice anniversary

The veterans ministry said Friday a large group of foreign Korean War veterans and their family members will visit South Korea next week under a program aimed at commemorating their service during the 1950-53 conflict. Some 200 people from 21 countries, which sent troops or other forms of support to South Korea during the war, will be here from Monday through Saturday, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted the conflict, according to the ministry. Among them are 64

July 21, 2023

Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan denounce N. Korea's latest missile test

The top nuclear negotiators of South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Japan on Thursday and strongly condemned North Korea's recent ballistic missile launch, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, delivered the message at a trilateral meeting in Karuizawa, a day after Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles

July 20, 2023

Turkish Embassy commemorates 'Democracy and Unity Day'

Turkish Embassy in Seoul solemnly observed 'Democracy and Unity Day' on Saturday, marking respect for the victims of the infamous coup attempt that took place in Turkey in 2016. The annual commemoration, held on July 15, serves to honor the sacrifices made by the Turkish people during that tumultuous period and serves as a stark reminder of the grave consequences of the coup attempt, as the Turkish Embassy in Seoul stated in a press release. According to the Turkish Embassy, the Fetull

July 19, 2023

Yoon seeks tighter coalition on Ukraine, drawing support as well as concerns

President Yoon Suk Yeol was seen bolstering a push to insert South Korea into a tighter coalition of Western countries decrying Moscow for its war in Ukraine during a surprise trip to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv last week, following his participation in the NATO summit and visit to Poland. The tour Saturday that covered the towns of Bucha and Irpin outside Kyiv, the alleged sites of Russian massacres, included a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy -- the culmination of Yoon&rsq

July 18, 2023

Time to reset S. Korea-China ties ahead of summit: experts

South Korea and China should use this year’s three-way summit with Japan as momentum to reshape their somewhat rocky ties, experts said Sunday following the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, Asia’s biggest security gathering attended by foreign ministers in the region. Talks held on the sidelines of the two-day forum that ended Friday between South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, came at a time when Seoul and Beijing were

July 16, 2023

Yoon concludes weeklong trip to Europe, returns to Seoul

WARSAW, Poland -- President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to depart for Seoul on Sunday, concluding a weeklong visit to Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, with an emphasis on global security, business reinforcement with NATO members and Ukrainian reconstruction. Yoon made an unexpected stop in Ukraine on Saturday, where he promised military supplies and financial aid. Yoon’s journey involved a mix of air, land and train travel, totaling 27 hours for the round trip. He stayed in Ukraine for 11 hours. Th

July 16, 2023

In Kyiv, S. Korean leader pledges increased military aid to Ukraine

WARSAW, Poland -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged increased military aid as well as humanitarian support to Ukraine, a nation ravaged by war, during his surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday. Yoon had a 65-minute private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss pending issues between the two countries and a 45-minute extended meeting with key officials from both governments. At a joint press conference held following the summit, Yoon vowed to increase Korea&rsquo

July 15, 2023

Yoon makes surprise visit to Ukraine to meet Zelenskyy

WARSAW, Poland -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee are in Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a highly secretive visit made after the Korean president's official visit to Poland, the presidential office said Saturday. The couple arrived in Kyiv on Saturday morning, and traveled to Bucha, a town on the outskirts of Kyiv where Russian troops carried out atrocities early on in the war. He also visited nearby Irpin, where civilian areas were subjected to c

July 15, 2023

Korea, Poland ink 33 high-tech, energy deal, pledge support for Ukraine’s reconstruction

WARSAW, Poland -- South Korean and Polish businesses formalized 33 memorandums of understanding across the high-tech, energy and service industries during a business forum held in Poland's capital Warsaw on Friday. The deal was reached in the presence of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who also committed to bolstering the private sector's involvement in Ukraine's post-conflict reconstruction efforts. The South Korean and Polish firm's 33 deals include 11 within high-t

July 14, 2023