[Hello India] India marks International Day of Yoga

The Indian Embassy in Seoul celebrated the 10th International Day of Yoga on Saturday. The United Nations General Assembly designated June 21 as the International Day of Yoga through resolution 69/131, with the support of 175 member states in 2014. This year’s theme, "Yoga for Self and Society," underscored the dual benefits of yoga for individual well-being and community harmony. "Yoga, ancient Indian heritage, has transcended geographical, cultural and temporal boundaries,

June 25, 2024

S. Korea, US sign MOU on diplomatic intelligence cooperation

South Korea and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperating in the exchange of diplomatic intelligence analyses, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Park Jang-ho, director general for diplomatic intelligence at South Korea's foreign ministry, signed the MOU with Brett Holmgren, US assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, in Washington on Monday. The signing came as the allies have been working to establish a framework for collaborat

June 25, 2024

Campbell stresses Washington Declaration as deterrence tool amid security concerns over Putin-Kim summit

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Monday highlighted deterrence steps of last year's summit declaration between South Korea and the United States as tools to harness amid resurgent calls for the allies to craft stronger defense measures following last week's summit between Russia and North Korea. After Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty in a show of their deeper military ties i

June 25, 2024

Philippines recalls shared values with Korea

The Philippines recalled shared values with South Korea, marking 126 years of independence and 75 years of diplomatic ties with Seoul on June 11. Philippine Independence Day, which falls on June 12, commemorates the declaration of independence from Spain in 1898. The country was a Spanish colony from 1571 until 1898. The Philippines is considered Asia’s first constitutional republic, according to Philippines Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega while paying tribute to the sac

June 24, 2024

Head of state diplomatic think tank named new ambassador to Japan: sources

A South Korean scholar, well known for his expertise in relations with Japan, has been tapped to be the new ambassador to the neighboring country, government sources with knowledge of the matter said Monday. Park Cheol-hee, chief of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, the think tank under the foreign ministry, has been nominated as the new ambassador, and Seoul has asked for Tokyo's consent, known as an "agrement," the sources said. Park would replace the incumbent ambassador,

June 24, 2024

S. Korea running out of red lines on Russia-N. Korea cooperation

South Korean national security adviser Chang Ho-jin issued another stark warning Sunday, clarifying that South Korea will have no red lines left to uphold if Russia supplies "high-precision weapons" to North Korea, at a time when Seoul and Moscow are walking a tightrope in their relations. "Russia's recent actions have been gradually approaching a red line, which is why we've issued the warning," Chang said Sunday during an interview with state broadcaster KBS, with

June 23, 2024

US expert calls for S. Korea's inclusion into G7, touts its 'trustworthiness'

A prominent US expert has made an emphatic call for the Group of Seven to consider its membership expansion to include South Korea, touting the Asian democracy's "trustworthiness," performance and potential role to add diversity to the club of the world's leading industrialized nations. Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the case, stressing the need for G7 leaders to pursue "serious" reforms t

June 23, 2024

Row brews over Italian city's plan to modify inscription on 'comfort women' statue

A potential row is brewing in Italy over erecting a girl statue symbolizing the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, after a city chief signaled a possible modification to the structure to add Japan's position on the issue. A South Korean civic group announced earlier this week that the statue will be erected in Stintino, a city on the Italian island of Sardinia, on Saturday (local time), and an official unveiling ceremony will take place on the same day. That would be the first

June 22, 2024

S. Korea requests Japan provide passenger list of deadly Ukishima Maru ship sinking: report

South Korea has requested Japan provide it with the passenger list from a controversial 1945 deadly explosion and sinking of a Japanese vessel known to have killed thousands of Koreans aboard, a news report said Saturday. South Korea's Ministry of Interior and Safety, responsible for the case, made the request for the relevant materials through its foreign ministry, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported. The Ukishima Maru, which had belonged to the Japanese Navy, was transporting Koreans, ma

June 22, 2024

Putin warns S. Korea's potential arms supply to Ukraine would be 'very big mistake'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned it would be a "very big mistake" if South Korea provides lethal weapons to Ukraine after Seoul suggested such a possibility in response to Russia's commitment to military cooperation with North Korea. The South Korean government said Thursday it will reconsider its stance on its arms supply to Ukraine after North Korea and Russia signed a treaty that involves military assistance without delay if one of them is attacked. "As for the

June 21, 2024

US official voices concern over NK-Russia security treaty, vows to evaluate Indo-Pacific posture

A White House official on Thursday expressed concern over a new security treaty between Russia and North Korea, and vowed to continue to evaluate America's defense posture throughout the Indo-Pacific "as needed." National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby made the remarks after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during a summit in Pyongyang on Wednesday. The treaty stipulates that in cas

June 21, 2024

S. Korea excluded from US 'monitoring list' for FX policy for 2nd straight time

The United States took South Korea off its list of countries to monitor for their foreign exchange policies for the second consecutive time while adding Japan to the list, a Treasury Department report showed Thursday. The department released the semiannual "Report to Congress on Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States" following its November report, where South Korea was excluded from the list for the first time since April 2016. The l

June 21, 2024

Gyeongju recommended as host city candidate for 2025 APEC summit in S. Korea

The city of Gyeongju in South Korea's North Gyeongsang Province has been recommended as the host city candidate for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. The government's APEC summit host city recommendation committee held a meeting earlier in the day and selected Gyeongju, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as the candidate city to host the summit scheduled to be held next year, the ministry said. The upcomin

June 20, 2024

Seoul mulls 'arms support' for Ukraine after Russia-NK pact

South Korea on Thursday said it would review its arms support to Ukraine, while expressing serious concern over a summit between the leaders of North Korea and Russia where the two agreed to provide military assistance if either country is under attack. While unveiling plans to impose additional sanctions on North Korean and Russian individuals and institutions, National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin told reporters in a briefing in Seoul that the office will "reconsider the issue of providi

June 20, 2024

Summit of two loners: Kim breaks seclusion with Putin by his side

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared solemn in the early hours Wednesday as he stood solo on the red carpet laid out at the airport in Pyongyang for the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was making his first visit to the country in 24 years. Putin, who is in the habit of arriving fashionably late to meetings with world leaders, touched down in Pyongyang some three hours later than planned, at well past 2 a.m. After landing at the Pyongyang airport, the Russian president joined

June 19, 2024

Uzbek envoy to Korea passes away

Uzbek Ambassador to Korea Vitaly Fen died Tuesday in Uzbekistan, the embassy in Seoul confirmed. He was 77. Fen, a Koryoin, an ethnic Korean of the former Soviet Union, was the longest-serving top diplomat in Seoul who continued his mission as Uzbek ambassador since 1999. He was a Korea specialist, as he served his diplomatic mission for 14 years from 1999 to 2013. He began his second mission in Seoul in 2017 and continued his service until his death. Previously, he received the Order of Fidokor

June 19, 2024

Research center for Israel studies opens in Seoul

A research center dedicated to Israeli studies opened Tuesday under the Seoul National University, becoming the first such academic institution in South Korea. Amb. Akiva Tor, Israeli envoy to South Korea, said in an opening ceremony on this day that the center’s launch “marks an auspicious beginning.” Israel Education Research Center will be “the first academic center in Korean higher education dedicated to the study of Jewish civilization and Israeli society,” he

June 18, 2024

S. Korean, Chinese senior officials convene in Seoul amid Putin's NK trip

South Korea and China held a high-level diplomatic and security dialogue on Tuesday in Seoul, elevating the talks from the director-general to the vice-ministerial level based on an agreement between their leaders, reflecting an atmosphere of thawing ties. The "Korea-China Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue" commenced at 3 p.m. for the first time since 2015 at a critical juncture, coinciding with the first day of Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to Pyongyang, his

June 18, 2024

Putin expected to visit Liberation Tower, attend concert in Pyongyang

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit a monument honoring the former Soviet war dead, attend a concert and have tea with his North Korean counterpart during his first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years, reports said Tuesday. As Putin is scheduled to arrive in the capital on Tuesday evening, most of the main events, including meetings with Kim, are to be held Wednesday, Russia's state-run news agency Tass said, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The Russian leader is set to visit

June 18, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold industry ministerial meeting next week

South Korea, the United States, and Japan plan to hold a trilateral industry ministerial meeting in Washington next week, a government official said Tuesday, with possible agenda items including ways to maintain a stable supply chain and address China's trade policies. The meeting, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, comes as the three countries' leaders agreed to hold industrial ministerial meetings regularly during a summit at Camp David in Maryland in August. "A meeting among In

June 18, 2024