[Newsmaker] Black Lives Matter banner removed from US Embassy building in Seoul

The US Embassy in Seoul said Tuesday that the Black Lives Matter banner draped on the facade of its building in Seoul had been removed to “avoid misperception” amid reports about President Donald Trump’s displeasure over the display. The embassy hung the banner on the front of its building Saturday in what was seen as a rare show of open support for the Black Lives Matter movement, with the US Embassy earlier tweeting a message in support of the anti-racism campaign across th

June 16, 2020

US Embassy says Black Lives Matter banner removed to avoid 'misperception'

The US Embassy in Seoul said Tuesday that the Black Lives Matter banner hung on the facade of its building earlier this week was removed to "avoid misperception," amid reports the removal came after President Donald Trump voiced displeasure. On Saturday, the embassy put up the banner, a symbol of an anti-racism movement in the United States and beyond sparked by the police killing last month of an unarmed African-American, George Floyd, but it disappeared Monday. "The ambassad

June 16, 2020

Esper lists S. Korea among partners standing up to China

WASHINGTON -- The United States is committed to ensuring a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region amid challenges posed by China, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday, including South Korea among his country's partners. In an opinion piece for The Straits Times in Singapore, Esper summarized the progress his department has made in the year since releasing its Indo-Pacific Strategy Report. Across the three pillars of preparedness, strengthening partnerships, and promoting a more net

June 16, 2020

S. Korea, UAE agree to allow entry exceptions for biz people amid coronavirus pandemic

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to create a special entry system for businesspeople and other essential travelers as exemptions to entry curbs being imposed over coronavirus concerns, the foreign ministry said Monday. The two countries reached the agreement during the three-day visit by Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn to the Middle Eastern country over the weekend. Kim's visit was arranged to discuss ways to enhance cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The "fast-

June 15, 2020

FM discusses coronavirus cooperation with ASEAN chief

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke by phone with the chief of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday and discussed ways for greater cooperation amid the coronavirus pandemic, her office said. During the phone call with Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi, Kang said South Korea is looking into measures that would allow special entry of businesspeople from ASEAN member states, as exemptions to current entry restrictions over the COVID-19 outbreak, to enable essenti

June 15, 2020

Seoul slams Tokyo over ‘distortion’ of forced labor history at exhibition

South Korea on Monday expressed deep regret over Tokyo’s neglect of its pledge to commemorate victims of wartime forced labor at a newly opened facility celebrating its industrial revolution, and condemned the exhibitions as “distortion of facts.” 　 On Monday, the Industrial Heritage Information Center was opened to the public in Tokyo, introducing 23 modern Japanese Meiji-era sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the notorious Hashima Island, also known as

June 15, 2020

S. Korea calls in Japanese ambassador, voices 'deep regrets' over Meiji site info center

South Korea called in Japan's top envoy in Seoul and voiced "deep regrets" Monday after Tokyo failed to honor wartime forced labor victims at an information center on industrial revolution sites registered on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho called in Japanese Ambassador Koji Tomita, hours after the Industrial Heritage Information Center in Tokyo opened to the public following a monthslong closure due to the new coronavirus. Upon the 2015 World H

June 15, 2020

Japan reneges on pledge to honor wartime labor victims in new Tokyo facility

TOKYO -- Japan has not fulfilled its pledge to commemorate Korean victims of wartime forced labor in a new facility celebrating its industrial revolution, threatening to further strain already-sour Seoul-Tokyo relations, a trip to the site revealed on Sunday, Japan is scheduled to open the Industrial Heritage Information Centre on Monday. On the eve of the opening, a pool of Tokyo-based correspondents paid a visit. Twenty-three sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution were designated as

June 15, 2020

[Newsmaker] US Embassy in Seoul shows support for Black Lives Matter movement

The US Embassy in Seoul hung a banner on its building Saturday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has spread across the US, the embassy said Sunday. “The US Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change,” the embassy said on social media Saturday. “Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive &

June 14, 2020

FM discusses coronavirus vaccine with IVI chief

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with the head of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) on Friday and discussed the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to develop a vaccine, her office said. In the meeting with Jerome Kim, she said that the role of the IVI has become more important as an international organization with expertise in development and distribution of vaccines, given the world is still facing the COVID-19 pandemic without a vaccine. In response, Kim explained that the IVI ha

June 12, 2020

Senior diplomats of S. Korea, China discuss possible trilateral summit with Japan

Senior diplomats of South Korea and China held a videoconference Thursday to discuss the possibility of their countries and Japan holding an annual trilateral summit this year and ways to handle the aftermath of the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said. The Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) between Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn and Vice Chinese Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui took place, as Seoul, this year's host of the three-way summit, moves to bolster diplomacy with Beijing and Tokyo.

June 11, 2020

UN official notes S. Korea's transparent public health surveillance for virus tracing

A United Nations official positively evaluated South Korea's transparent use of personal information for the purpose of tracing coronavirus infections as an exemplar in the global fight against the pandemic, a document showed Thursday. David Kaye, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, described the country's approach as balanced between demand for public health surveillance to trace infections and the need to reveal information of contact-tracking efforts in a report to be submit

June 11, 2020

Moon thanks Gabon, Nigeria, France for help in S. Korean hostage release

President Moon Jae-in expressed his gratitude Wednesday to the governments of Gabon, Nigeria and France for cooperation in successful efforts to secure the release of a South Korean man kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Gabon in early May. On his social media account, Moon also commended hard work by South Korean civil servants and authorities charged with handling the matter. The previous day, the foreign ministry announced that the man in his 50s had been set free in southern Nigeria. H

June 10, 2020

S. Korea holds regional meeting on UN peacebuilding with Asia-Pacific partners

The foreign ministry said Wednesday it hosted a videoconference with countries in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss ways to increase contributions to the United Nations peacebuilding efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic. The session, headed by Chung Byung-ha, director general for international organizations at Seoul's foreign ministry, focused on how to better contribute as Asia-Pacific nations to promoting the UN Peacebuilding Architecture, a regime aimed at better responding to countries

June 10, 2020

US official says S. Korea chose democracy amid controversy over ambassador's remarks

WASHINGTON -- South Korea already chose a system of democracy decades ago, a senior US official said Tuesday in response to a Seoul official boasting that his country can now choose between the United States and China. South Korea's position in the growing US-China rivalry came into sharper focus after Seoul's ambassador to Washington, Lee Soo-hyuck, told reporters last week that he feels pride in his country being able to "choose" between the two superpowers and not being forced to

June 10, 2020

Senate confirms Gen. Brown, with experience in S. Korea, as new US Air Force chief

WASHINGTON -- The US Senate confirmed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., with years of duty experience in South Korea, as the new US Air Force chief of staff Tuesday in a unanimous vote that will make him the first African-American to lead a US military branch. The US Air Force said that Brown, currently the Pacific Air Forces commander, won the Senate confirmation in a 98-0 vote to become the 22nd Air Force chief, which President Donald Trump hailed as "historic." "General Charles Bro

June 10, 2020

Vice FM calls for continued int'l efforts in pursuit of disarmament, nonproliferation

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho has called for continued international efforts toward achieving the shared goals of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting peaceful use of nuclear energy, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. Lee made the remark during the Stockholm Ministerial Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) held via videoconferencing late Tuesday to discuss cooperation to advance the commitments within the NPT framework. The Stoc

June 10, 2020

FM Kang renews calls to keep essential exchanges among nations during COVID-19

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has renewed calls for countries to maintain essential people-to-people exchanges to spur economic recovery from the aftermath of the new coronavirus, her office said Wednesday. Kang made the remarks during Tuesday's videoconference with her counterparts from six countries, including Canada and Australia. It was the ninth such session since the talks were launched in March to discuss joint efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. "Minister Kang proposed tha

June 10, 2020

FM says privacy concerns in fight against virus 'overblown'

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Tuesday concerns about possible breach of patients' privacy in South Korea in the process of containing the new coronavirus are exaggerated. Kang made the remark during a web seminar hosted by the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, noting that promptly sharing what the government knows about the virus situation was key to earning public trust in combating COVID-19. "I think the concern o

June 9, 2020

S. Korean kidnapped by pirates off Gabon released: Foreign Ministry

A South Korean national kidnapped off the coast of Gabon last month has been released unharmed, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. The man in his 50s was among six crew members abducted after unidentified pirates attacked two Senegal-flagged fishing boats near the Gabonese capital of Libreville in West Africa in early May. He was freed on Monday evening (Gabon time), along with the five others of Indonesian and Senegalese nationalities, and they are all in good health, the ministry said

June 9, 2020