Senior Japanese diplomat returns home after disparaging remarks against Moon

A senior Japanese diplomat stationed in Seoul returned home Wednesday, about a month after he came under fire for his remarks disparaging South Korean President Moon Jae-in's efforts to improve relations with Tokyo. Hirohisa Soma, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, took a flight home from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, earlier in the day, according to diplomatic sources. Soma has been criticized after telling a South Korean reporter during a lunch meeting

Aug. 11, 2021

Chinese Ambassador Xing calls for concerted efforts for peninsula peace at 'complicated juncture'

Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming called Wednesday for concerted efforts to foster peace on the Korean Peninsula at a "complicated" juncture amid renewed inter-Korean tensions over the ongoing South Korea-US military drills. Xing made the remarks at a forum, after North Korea repeatedly bashed the South and the United States for pressing ahead with their annual drills, calling the maneuvers the "most vivid expression" of the US' hostile policy to it and warning of a &

Aug. 11, 2021

US holds no hostile intent toward N. Korea: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States holds no hostile intent toward North Korea, a State Department spokesman said Tuesday, in reaction to a statement by North Korea denouncing the US and South Korea over their joint military exercises. The spokesman, Ned Price, said he had no comment on the statement issued by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, but insisted that the joint military drills are purely defensive in nature. "First, let me reiterate that the joint military exerc

Aug. 11, 2021

S. Korea, US begin preliminary training ahead of main summertime exercise

South Korea and the United States on Tuesday began a preliminary training in the runup to next week's annual summertime military exercise amid the North's warning it will take a toll on inter-Korean relations, sources said. The four-day crisis management staff training is aimed at checking the military's response to unexpected situations before a war breaks out. It will be followed by the main computer-simulated Combined Command Post Training scheduled for Aug. 16-26, according to the sources.

Aug. 10, 2021

'Nothing has changed' about need for joint exercise on Korean Peninsula: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- Nothing has changed for the need to maintain the joint defense readiness of South Korea and the United States, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday, emphasizing the importance of the allies' joint military exercises. John Kirby also reiterated any decision on the countries' joint military drills will be made jointly by the allies. "Nothing's changed about our need for readiness on the Korean Peninsula and our desire to work in lockstep with our ROK allies on a training regimen t

Aug. 10, 2021

Blinken says open to 'different options' in renewed call for NK dialogue: official

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken showed a willingness to consider different "options" and "possibilities" with North Korea in a renewed call for its return to dialogue during a regional forum last week, a Washington official said Monday. Kin W. Moy, a senior official for the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, made the remarks during a telephone press conference on Blinken's attendance at a series of forums led by the Association of Southeast Asi

Aug. 9, 2021

FM to court ASEAN countries amid thaw with N. Korea

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is expected to meet virtually with Southeast Asian foreign ministers Friday and ask for their support in building lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, as the two Koreas seek to repair ties over recently reconnected hotlines. North Korea is also attending the ASEAN Regional Forum, which brings together top envoys from the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations and their counterparts from 17 countries, including the US and EU. But North

Aug. 6, 2021

Top diplomats of S. Korea, US agree on efforts for NK engagement in phone talks

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed to make continued efforts to engage with North Korea and foster lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula during their phone talks Friday, the foreign ministry said. The talks came after last week's restoration of inter-Korean communication channels fueled hopes for the resumption of nuclear diplomacy with North Korea, though growing optimism for dialogue was tempered by the North's warning that the

Aug. 6, 2021

US, S. Korea hold first director-level talks on N. Korea: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- US and South Korean officials met this week to coordinate efforts to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the State Department said Thursday. The first director-general or deputy-level consultation (DLC) meeting was held in Seoul on Wednesday (Seoul time) between the US deputy special representative for North Korea, Jung Pak, and officials from South Korea's foreign and unification ministries, the presidential office and the National Security Council, according to

Aug. 6, 2021

Biden govt. likely to seek incremental sanctions relief for N. Korea: CRS report

The US government appears to envision offering partial sanctions relief in exchange for North Korea taking denuclearization steps but such "incremental" sanctions relief would be difficult to move forward without congressional support, a congressional report showed Friday. That is because the sanctions on the North are targeting not just the country's weapons development but also a host of other issues, such as human rights abuses, money laundering, international terrorism and cyber o

Aug. 6, 2021

S. Korea condemns deadly attack on tanker off coast of Oman

South Korea strongly condemns a recent deadly attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman, the foreign ministry said Friday, calling the attack a "clear violation of international law." On July 29, the Mercer Street tanker came under a drone attack, which killed two of its crewmembers. The vessel, reportedly linked to an Israeli billionaire, was transiting through the Arabian Sea in international waters. "Such an attack is a clear violation of international law, and all vessel

Aug. 6, 2021

FM Chung to take part in ARF meeting on peninsula, regional security

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong was set to attend a regional security forum via video link Friday, as South Korea seeks to secure global support for its renewed push to resume dialogue with North Korea following last week's restoration of inter-Korean communication lines. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF) -- a rare multilateral forum involving North Korea -- will bring together top diplomats of 27 countries, including the United States, China, Japan and the

Aug. 6, 2021

Diplomats of S. Korea, U.S. discuss resumption of dialogue with N. Korea

Diplomats of South Korea and the United States have held talks in Washington to discuss joint efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Wednesday's talks between Rim Kap-soo, director general at the ministry's peninsula peace regime bureau, and Jung Pak, the deputy U.S. special representative for North Korea, came as last week's restoration of inter-Korean communication lines fueled hopes for the resumption of nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang. "The

Aug. 5, 2021

Vice FM Choi holds talks with Iranian counterpart on frozen Tehran assets, JCPOA

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, have met in Tehran to discuss an array of issues, including Iranian assets frozen in South Korea under US sanctions, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Choi was in Tehran to attend Thursday's presidential inauguration of Ebrahim Raisi, the former chief justice who won the presidential election in June to succeed Hassan Rouhani. During Wednesday's talks with Abbas, Choi stressed South Korea has been making &

Aug. 5, 2021

Strong US-Korea alliance enables diplomatic engagement with N. Korea: Adm. Aquilino

WASHINGTON -- The strong US-South Korea alliance helps ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula while it also allows the allies to engage with the recalcitrant North with strength and confidence, the commander of US Indo-Pacific Command said Wednesday. Adm. John Aquilino noted North Korea was "certainly a security challenge" that faces the US in the region. "The US-ROK alliance is strong and ironclad. Our commitment with that treaty ally has been the foundation for pea

Aug. 5, 2021

Biden to address discrimination against Asian Americans in meeting with leaders: Psaki

WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden will discuss a range of issues facing Asian American communities in the United States that include the fight against COVID-19 and voting rights, as well as anti-Asian hate incidents, a White House spokeswoman said Wednesday. The president is set to meet with a group of Asian American, Pacific Islander (AAPI) community leaders on Thursday. "The president looks forward to meeting with leaders of the AAPI community tomorrow," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said

Aug. 5, 2021

Blinken reaffirms US commitment to denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored his country's commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a regional forum attended by the top diplomats of 17 other countries, including South Korea, the State Department said Wednesday. The top US diplomat also reaffirmed US support for the countries in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. "He pledged continued US support for a free and open Mekong subregion and reaffirmed US commitment to the complete

Aug. 5, 2021

[Contribution] Revisiting ASEAN-Korea relations on the 54th ASEAN Day

This coming Sunday, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations celebrates the 54th ASEAN Day. For over half a century, ASEAN member states have promoted multilateral dialogue and cooperation. Embracing globalization, many countries in the region enjoyed explosive economic growth and have collectively emerged as the fifth-largest economy in the world. Unfortunately, since the global financial crisis of 2008, globalization has slowly lost traction. The onset of COVID-19 has further amplified thi

Aug. 5, 2021

Top diplomats of South Korea, Israel hold phone talks on trade, COVID-19

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, held phone talks on Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties, trade and the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign ministry said. During their first talks since the Israeli minister took office in June, Chung called for Lapid to maintain close communication to enhance relations between the two countries, the ministry said. The two ministers agreed to continue cooperation in their response to the pandemic, as Chung noted the two countr

Aug. 4, 2021

In wake of vulgar remarks, Japan’s No. 2 diplomat in Korea returns home

Japan’s No. 2 diplomat in South Korea has returned home after causing a stir with remarks disparaging President Moon Jae-in’s efforts to improve relations between the bickering neighbors, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. Hirohisa Soma, deputy chief of mission at the embassy, has been criticized both in Seoul and Tokyo after telling a Korean reporter last month that Moon’s reconciliatory efforts were unrequited, likening the overtures to “masturbat

Aug. 4, 2021