Most Popular
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Industry experts predicts tough choices as NewJeans' ultimatum nears
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Jung's paternity reveal exposes where Korea stands on extramarital babies
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Seoul city opens emergency care centers
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Samsung entangled in legal risks amid calls for drastic reform
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Opposition chief acquitted of instigating perjury
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[Herald Interview] 'Trump will use tariffs as first line of defense for American manufacturing'
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[Exclusive] Hyundai Mobis eyes closer ties with BYD
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Agency says Jung Woo-sung unsure on awards attendance after lovechild revelations
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[Herald Review] 'Gangnam B-Side' combines social realism with masterful suspense, performance
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Why S. Korean refiners are reluctant to import US oil despite Trump’s energy push
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Colorado to receive Korean-made kits to run over 100,000 COVID-19 tests soon: US senator
WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- The US state of Colorado will soon receive South Korean-made kits to run more than 100,000 new coronavirus tests, one of its senators has tweeted, after Maryland purchased diagnostic kits to conduct 500,000 tests. Sen. Cory Gardner, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, expressed appreciation to South Korea's government and its Ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck for cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. "Soon more than
April 23, 2020
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Trump says he rejected Seoul’s offer for defense costs
US President Donald Trump said Monday (US time) that he had turned down an offer from South Korea to pay a certain sum as part of a defense cost-sharing deal, saying wealthy countries such as South Korea should pay more to host American troops. “Now they’ve offered us a certain amount of money and I rejected it,” Trump said during a White House press conference, referring to the drawn-out negotiations on how much each side should pay for the upkeep of the roughly 28,500
April 21, 2020
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S. Korea voices deep disappointment over Abe's offering to controversial war shrine
South Korea voiced "deep disappointment and regret" Tuesday over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ritual offering to a war shrine seen as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. Abe sent a tree offering via his aide to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine earlier in the day as the country marked its two-day spring festival, Kyodo News reported. "The government expresses deep disappointment and regret that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has again sent an offering to Yasukuni Shrine, a symbolic e
April 21, 2020
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Maryland purchases 500,000 coronavirus tests from S. Korea
WASHINGTON -- The US state of Maryland has purchased $9 million worth of South Korean coronavirus test kits, enabling it to perform 500,000 tests, Gov. Larry Hogan said Monday. Hogan made the announcement during a press conference in the state capital of Annapolis alongside his Korean wife, Yumi, who he said made the purchase -- dubbed "Operation Enduring Friendship" -- possible. "Operation Enduring Friendship was launched on Saturday, March 28, when I asked my wife, Yumi, to j
April 21, 2020
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FM Kang discusses anti-virus cooperation with UNHCR chief
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke by phone with the head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday and discussed ways for cooperation to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, her office said. In the talks with Filippo Grandi, Kang explained South Korea's active engagement in the international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to countries in need, while also making all-out efforts to stem the virus outbreak on its soil. She also favorably
April 20, 2020
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S. Korea to host online seminar for South American nations on virus responses
South Korea will host an online seminar for several South American countries early next week to share its experience and know-how in tackling the coronavirus, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday. The video presentation is the second of its kind to take place following a similar one held earlier this month. The last session was attended by health officials and medical experts from 13 countries including the United States, Mexico and Italy. Next week's video seminar, slated for Tuesday, is exp
April 19, 2020
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Trump says he recently received 'nice note' from NK leader
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Saturday he recently received a "nice note" from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and insisted their relationship remains good. The two countries have failed to make progress in denuclearization negotiations since a February 2019 summit between Trump and Kim ended without a deal. But the leaders have maintained their personal correspondence, with Trump sending a letter to Kim last month to offer US assistance with the coronavirus pandemic.
April 19, 2020
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FMs of 12 countries vow joint virus response for global economy, health
The top diplomats of 12 countries, including South Korea, France, Italy and Brazil, have held a video conference and called for a coordinated anti-virus response to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on the global economy and multilateral systems, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saturday. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha joined her counterparts from 11 countries, which also included Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, Singapore, Turkey and Britain, on Friday as "the Ministe
April 18, 2020
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FM holds phone talks with Ecuadorian counterpart on anti-virus efforts
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke by phone with her Ecuadorian counterpart Friday to discuss ways to cooperate to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, her office said. During the talks with Ecuador's Foreign Minister Jose Valencia, Kang explained that South Korea's virus situation has improved, with fewer daily confirmed infection cases, thanks to the aggressive social distancing practices under way, but also stressed that it is too early to relax any measures. In response, Valencia said
April 17, 2020
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S. Korea to hold briefing session for exporters on humanitarian trade with Iran
South Korea was set to hold a briefing session Friday for local firms about resuming exports to Iran, a foreign ministry official said, after receiving US approval for humanitarian trade with the Middle East country. The briefing, to be co-hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), comes after Seoul obtained a US special license designed to authorize aid-related transactions with Tehran through Iran's central bank. Sales of
April 17, 2020
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Female FMs of 9 countries hold videoconference on gender equality in pandemic response
The female foreign ministers of nine countries, including South Korea, Spain and Australia, have held a videoconference to discuss gender equality and women's roles in fighting the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said Friday. Thursday's conversation came amid concerns that women could face tougher economic and social challenges from various repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic due to their family responsibilities and other issues. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her counterparts f
April 17, 2020
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Top diplomats of S. Korea, New Zealand hold phone talks over COVID-19 response
The top diplomats of South Korea and New Zealand held phone talks Thursday about cooperation in flattening the curve of new coronavirus infections, the foreign ministry said. The conversation between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her New Zealand counterpart, Winston Peters, came as the COVID-19 pandemic has led many countries to step up diplomacy to stem its spread and evacuate their citizens abroad amid lockdowns and border closures. During the talks arranged at the request of New Zeal
April 16, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Amb. Harris says S. Korea's record-high voter turnout shows 'dedication to democratic ideals'
US Ambassador Harry Harris said Thursday that South Korea's record-high voter turnout in this week's parliamentary elections demonstrates its "dedication to democratic ideals" despite the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. "Record high voter turnout yesterday is a testament to South Korea's dedication to democratic ideals even in the face of the #COVID19 crisis. Congratulations on the general elections #ROK!," he tweeted. In Wednesday's quadrennial elections, the ruling Democra
April 16, 2020
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S. Korea, China, Japan, ASEAN seek joint fund for medical supplies in summit deal
The leaders of South Korea, China, Japan and ASEAN member states have agreed to push for a joint fund for medical supplies against pandemics like COVID-19, according to their joint statement released Wednesday. The statement was adopted to summarize the results of a Special ASEAN Plus Three summit that the 13 countries held via videoconferencing the previous day to discuss joint efforts to tackle the novel coronavirus. The participating leaders were South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Japanes
April 15, 2020
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ASEAN, East Asia vow strengthened cooperation in COVID-19 pandemic
The leaders of the Associatation of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three on Tuesday held a teleconference Tuesday to seek ways to cooperate against the COVID-19 pandemic, and adopted a joint declaration. In the ASEAN Plus Three summit, President Moon Jae-in called for strengthened cooperation, saying the current situation requires “extraordinary cooperation.” “This is a crisis that cannot be overcome by the efforts of individual countries,” Moon said, going on to cite
April 14, 2020
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8 S. Koreans to head home on Japan-arranged flights from virus-hit India, Sudan
A total of eight South Korean nationals will head home this week from coronavirus-hit India and Sudan aboard flights that Japan arranged to evacuate its own citizens, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday. The evacuation underscored continued cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo in protecting their overseas citizens and tackling the COVID-19 pandemic despite their prolonged row over trade and wartime history. On Tuesday, two Koreans will take a flight that the Japanese government arranged t
April 14, 2020
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‘Sewol trauma behind Seoul’s quick response to virus crisis’
South Korea’s quick and preemptive response to the coronavirus outbreak stems from the painful experience of the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014, said Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in an interview with foreign media. “We acted quickly and preemptively and that is not just our philosophy but is a reflection of our recent experience,” Kang said during an interview with French news channel France 24 on Monday. “You may know that in 2014, we had a terrible ferry boat a
April 14, 2020
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[Newsmaker] US grateful to S. Korea for supplying virus test kits: official
The United States is grateful to South Korea for supplying COVID-19 testing kits, a senior US government official said Monday ahead of the planned arrival of a shipment of Korean-made kits. Two South Korean companies were set to load their test kits on a US cargo flight Tuesday (Seoul time) after getting interim approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. "We are grateful to our Republic of Korea partners for assisting the United States in procuring COVID-19 tests, and for its sup
April 14, 2020
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US health secretary seeks coronavirus advice from S. Korea
US Health Secretary Alex M. Azar reached out to his South Korean counterpart, Park Neung-hoo, on Monday to learn from Seoul's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the health ministry here said. It said Park and Azar discussed testing procedures and managing of people who have come in contact with patients, as well as recent cases in South Korea where people have retested positive for COVID-19. The number of new cases has stayed below 50 for the past five days in South Korea, while the virus
April 14, 2020
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S. Korean man in Spain dies of COVID-19 in first fatality overseas
An elderly South Korean citizen in Spain died of the new coronavirus last week in the first known fatality involving an overseas national, the foreign ministry said Monday. The man in his late 80s died at a hospital on Friday (Spain time) after having tested positive on April 3. Other details about his death were unknown. As of Monday, the foreign ministry has learned of 59 coronavirus cases involving South Koreans overases. Of them, 18 have fully recovered, while the rest are receiving treat
April 13, 2020