Korean War Memorial to add list of US, S. Korean soldiers killed

WASHINGTON -- The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington will undergo an extensive renewal that will add a complete list of those killed in battles, including Korean augmentees to the US Army or KATUSA, the Korean Embassy here said Monday. The work to add a list of some 43,000 Korean War veterans killed in battle will begin on Tuesday. The $22 million project is expected to take 18 months, according to embassy officials. The newest addition to the memorial will have a list of some 36,000

March 16, 2021

N. Korea unresponsive to US calls for dialogue: White House

WASHINGTON -- North Korea continues to remain unresponsive to US calls for dialogue, a White House spokesperson said Monday. Jen Psaki also said the US will continue its diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea while working closely with US allies in the region. "I can confirm that we have reached out. We obviously have a number of channels as we always have had that we can reach out through," Psaki told a press briefing. A senior US administration official earlier told Yonhap

March 16, 2021

S. Korea, Japan alliances critical to regional issues: US secretaries

WASHINGTON -- US alliances with South Korea and Japan are the key to addressing most pressing issues in the Indo-Pacific region that include China's aggression and North Korea's nuclear programs, top US officials said, calling the alliances force multipliers. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also said the US will continue to address such issues diplomatically but also maintain the world's most powerful military to support its efforts. "Our alliances

March 16, 2021

S. Korea to host forum on digital cooperation with Latin America this week

South Korea will host an annual forum on bilateral cooperation with Latin American countries in Seoul later this week with a focus on digital technologies, the foreign ministry said Monday. The Korea-LAC Digital Cooperation Forum is set to take place on Wednesday and Thursday, both online and offline, to discuss cooperation on 5G networks, digital governance, cybersecurity and other issues, the ministry said. LAC stands for Latin American and Caribbean countries. Through this forum, Seoul seek

March 15, 2021

US stresses Korea-Japan relations before Blinken trip

The US stressed the importance of the trilateral relationship with South Korea and Japan, as well as between the two neighbors, as the country’s top diplomat embarked on a trip to East Asia amid the rising possibility that Washington could pressure the bickering allies to bury the hatchet and move forward.   　 The State Department released a statement titled “Reaffirming the Unbreakable US-Japan Alliance” on Sunday in the US, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secr

March 15, 2021

Blinken to embark on Asia trip to discuss N. Korea, China issues amid US policy review

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to embark on a trip to Asia on Sunday to discuss major challenges in the region, including China and North Korea, with two key US allies there -- Japan and South Korea. The top US diplomat will first visit Tokyo where he will be joined by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for a Two-Plus-Two meeting with their Japanese counterparts. Austin left Saturday for a stop in Hawaii before his trip to Japan. Both Blinken and Austin will v

March 14, 2021

S. Korean, Australian foreign ministers discuss Myanmar turmoil, G7 summit

The top diplomats of South Korea and Australia had phone consultations Friday on a wide array of issues, including the political unrest in Myanmar and the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne agreed that the two sides will cooperate for the immediate release of detainees in Myanmar, a halt to the use of force against civilians and a peaceful resolution based on a legitimate and democratic

March 12, 2021

Coordinated approach toward China an element of Blinken's trip to Asia: spokesman

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss ways to jointly deal with China when he visits South Korea and Japan next week, the State Department spokesman said Thursday, calling it one of objectives of Blinken's upcoming trip. Ned Price said the secretary's trip will demonstrate the importance the US places on its alliances, as well as its efforts to reinvigorate them. "Of course, a coordinated approach to China is one of the elements that will be on the agenda in both

March 12, 2021

FM sends solace message to Japanese counterpart over 10th anniv. of East Japan quake

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has sent a "message of solace" to his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the massive earthquake on Japan's east coast, his ministry said Thursday. Chung delivered the message Wednesday, as Seoul seeks to mend ties with Tokyo, strained over colonial-era history and trade, amid Washington's calls for stronger trilateral cooperation with its Asian allies to confront shared challenges. "On the occasion

March 11, 2021

US against unlocking Iranian funds in Korea without nuclear compliance

The United States will not release any of the Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks under the US sanctions until Tehran complies with the 2015 nuclear deal, raising concern that the standoff between Seoul and Tehran over the locked assets may be prolonged. 　 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the remark Wednesday (US time) at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, when he was asked about recent reports that Washington had agreed to release some of the Iranian money held in Kore

March 11, 2021

Moon’s push for peace talks gains momentum

President Moon Jae-in’s push to revive denuclearization talks is expected to gain fresh momentum as he plans to hold in-person talks with senior US officials next week to discuss pending issues, including Washington’s ongoing policy review on North Korea. On Wednesday, the two governments announced that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Seoul on March 17-18 after a three-day visit to Tokyo in their first overseas trip since the launc

March 11, 2021

FM vows to create new opportunities for inter-Korean ties on 30th anniv. of joint accession to UN

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Thursday pledged continued efforts to create new opportunities to enhance inter-Korean ties on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the two Koreas' joint accession to the United Nations. Chung made the pledge during his phone talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as Seoul seeks to resume stalled dialogue with Pyongyang and advance its agenda for lasting peace on the divided Korean Peninsula. "Secretary General Guterres expressed invariable

March 11, 2021

Ministries to sign MOU on 'green smart' project for overseas diplomatic missions

The ministries of foreign affairs, land and environment, and two public institutes will sign a tentative deal this week on using homegrown green technologies for the renovation and construction of South Korea's overseas diplomatic missions, officials said Thursday. The ministries, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, and the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety are set to ink a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Friday on the "green smart" pr

March 11, 2021

Top US diplomat, defense chief to visit Seoul next week

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit Seoul next week for a "two-plus-two" meeting with their South Korean counterparts, the foreign and defense ministries said Wednesday, as the allies seek coordination on North Korea's denuclearization and other issues. Blinken and Austin are set to arrive on Wednesday after a trip to Japan as part of their first Asia swing since the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Joe Biden. A day later, they will atte

March 11, 2021

Iranian funds in S. Korea will not be released until Iran returns to compliance: Blinken

The United States will not ease any of its sanctions on Iran, including the release of Iranian funds blocked in South Korea, until Iran first complies with its obligations under its nuclear deal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. "As we've said, if Iran comes back into compliance, with its obligations under the nuclear agreement, we would do the same thing that would involve, if it came to that, if Iran made good on its obligations, sanctions relief pursuant to the agree

March 11, 2021

Top US envoy, defense chief to visit Korea

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet their South Korean counterparts on March 17-18 to discuss security and global initiatives, in their first senior-level, in-person talks since US President Joe Biden took office, Seoul’s Foreign and Defense ministries said Wednesday. Blinken will discuss inter-Korean affairs and the South Korea-US alliance with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, while Austin will sit down with Defense Minister Suh Wook to

March 10, 2021

Seoul’s contribution to US troop costs rises 13.9%

South Korea has agreed to pay 13.9 percent more in its contribution to host American troops here for 2021, the Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday.  Under the new six-year accord, Seoul will pay 1.183 trillion won ($1.04 billion) this year for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea. The 13.9 percent hike from the previous 2019 deal represents the biggest annual rise for Seoul in nearly two decades.  The six-year agreement is effective until 2025, and also covers last year

March 10, 2021

S. Korea, US seeking nuclear-free North in unison

South Korea and the United States are on the same page on North Korea denuclearization, Seoul and Washington’s senior officials dealing with the issue said Wednesday at a virtual forum co-hosted by the Korea Press Foundation and the East-West Center in the US. “The two countries discuss a number of ideas on how to get to denuclearization. But we’re headed in the same direction. Things change. And we’re adapting to them at the moment,” said Ko Yun-ju, director gener

March 10, 2021

Defense cost-sharing sheds light on seven decades of Korea-US alliance

With South Korea and the US clinching a new accord on how to share the cost of maintaining the US troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula, the deal has drawn attention to how this arrangement was first forged and how it has transformed over the decades. 　 From the US forces landing in the southern half of the peninsula after World War II to the US-led allies helping South Korea repel an invasion by the communist North and the troops’ presence hereafter, the US military has been a key pa

March 10, 2021

French Navy spots suspected illegal oil transfer during embargo mission against NK

Two tankers involved in an alleged illegal ship-to-ship oil transfer were spotted while on patrol for an embargo enforcement mission against North Korea, the French Navy has said. On Feb. 28, the French frigate Prairial was deployed to the East China Sea to contribute to the UN embargo against the North and identified the two oilers during a suspected nighttime transfer, the France Pacific Command (ALPACI) wrote on Twitter Tuesday. ALPACI released four photos of the suspected tankers involved

March 10, 2021