Lee, Abe agree on need to improve ties, but basic stance remains unchanged

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met in Tokyo on Thursday and agreed that the deterioration of bilateral relations cannot be allowed to continue.“I interpret (the situation) as being that the sporadic, undisclosed talks between the two sides are becoming official,” Lee was quoted as saying by a local news agency after the meeting. “I have hopes that (the talks) can speed up a little.” Earlier in the day, Cho Sei-young, the first vice

Oct. 24, 2019

Moon calls for stronger ties with Spain

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called for stronger cooperation between Korea and Spain, saying that Korea hopes to emulate Spain as a bridge that connects the ocean to the continent. Speaking at the Korea-Spain business forum held in Seoul on the occasion of a state visit by Spain’s King Philip VI, Moon highlighted similarities between the two countries and the opportunity for cooperation.  “As Korea and Spain are the gate and hub where a continent and an ocean meet, there ar

Oct. 24, 2019

S. Korea, Japan agree to address soured bilateral ties

In their rare prime ministerial talks Thursday, South Korea and Japan agreed to commence diplomatic efforts in earnest for an early resolution to their frayed ties highlighted by a monthslong trade spat.Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon also handed over President Moon Jae-in's personal letter to Japan's leader, Shinzo Abe, in which he expressed hope to address pending issues with no further delay."The two prime ministers shared the view that South Korea and Japan, as important neighboring countrie

Oct. 24, 2019

S. Korea, ASEAN discuss cooperation in culture, tourism

South Korea and 10 Southeast Asian nations on Wednesday began a two-day meeting to promote exchanges in culture, arts and tourism. Culture ministers and senior officials from South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations attended the event in the southwestern city of Gwangju.It came one month before a leaders' summit to be held Nov.25-26 in the southeastern port city of Busan to mark the 30th anniversary of establishing a dialogue partnership between the two sides. "Through thi

Oct. 23, 2019

PM seeks to promote dialogue with Tokyo

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said on Wednesday that he expects to promote dialogue with Tokyo through his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday.Lee arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday for a three-day trip to attend the Japanese emperor’s enthronement ceremony and mend ties between Korea and Japan which have dipped to their lowest level in years over wartime history and trade restrictions. “The goal is to create an atmosphere to promote dialogue as much as possible. &helli

Oct. 23, 2019

PM’s Japan visit a chance to mend ties

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon kicked off a three-day visit to Japan in the hope that a meeting with his Japanese counterpart will pave the way for improvements in the two countries’ strained relations. Before heading to Tokyo, Lee said he hoped South Korea and Japan would foster harmonious and mature relations despite difficulties, speaking with Japanese Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, who saw Lee off at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. “I don’t expect that this visit w

Oct. 22, 2019

S. Korean PM leaves for Japan to attend emperor's enthronement event, meet Abe

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon left for Japan on Tuesday to attend the Japanese emperor's enthronement ceremony amid frayed ties between South Korea and Japan over the issue of Tokyo's wartime forced labor.Lee embarked on a three-day trip to Tokyo, whose itinerary includes a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday.In his official first schedule, Lee will attend Emperor Naruhito's enthronement event set for 1 p.m. at the palace. A banquet dinner is also scheduled for later in the

Oct. 22, 2019

Draft of letter for Japanese PM Abe sent to Cheong Wa Dae for review: foreign ministry

South Korea‘s foreign ministry said Monday it has sent a draft of a letter that will be sent to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the presidential office for review ahead of Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s planned visit to Tokyo this week.Lee will visit Japan from Tuesday to Thursday to attend the Japanese emperor‘s enthronement event amid frayed ties between South Korea and Japan over the issue of Tokyo’s wartime forced labor. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who declin

Oct. 21, 2019

Lawmaker urges release of US files on Gwangju Uprising

Rep. Park Joo-sun of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to intensify diplomatic efforts to push for the disclosure of US government documents related to the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju. During a parliamentary audit of the Foreign Ministry at the National Assembly, Park stressed the need for the systematic collection of records for a thorough investigation into remaining questions about the Gwangju Democratic Uprising. 

Oct. 21, 2019

S. Korea, Australia to strengthen currency ties: ministers

Finance ministers of South Korea and Australia discussed ways to strengthen the two countries' currency swap and other financial cooperation in Washington, the finance ministry said Saturday. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki met with his Australian counterpart Josh Frydenberg to discuss cooperation in currency swap, hydrogen economy and external policies in Washington, D.C. on Friday (local time), according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Hong is in the U.S. capital for the Group of 20 finan

Oct. 19, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Moon requests support for peace efforts, Busan summit with ASEAN

President Moon Jae-in asked foreign ambassadors here Friday to join a "historic" peace journey on the Korean Peninsula. He also requested their keen attention to South Korea's efforts to play a bigger role on the global stage, as he hosted more than 110 foreign ambassadors serving in South Korea and their spouses to a Cheong Wa Dae garden reception.It marked Moon's first formal invitation for all of the heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Seoul since his inauguration in May 2017.&q

Oct. 19, 2019

US likely to release report on cargo ship accident next year

The United States is likely to issue a final report next year on its joint probe with South Korea into the capsizing of a cargo ship off the US east coast, an official has said.The 71,000-ton, Marshall Islands-flagged Golden Ray carrying about 4,000 cars capsized in St. Simons Sound near the Port of Brunswick, Georgia, on Sept. 8. The Golden Ray was operated by Hyundai Glovis Co., a logistics unit of South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group. Last month, officials of South Korea and the Marshall Islands

Oct. 19, 2019

President Moon to send letter to Abe via PM

President Moon Jae-in is expected to send a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe through Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon as part of efforts to improve bilateral relations that have plummeted over wartime history and trade restrictions.Lee will be making a three-day trip to Tokyo from Oct. 22 to attend Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement ceremony. He is likely to hold talks with Abe on Oct. 24, according to Japanese news reports citing government sources. The prime minister said in

Oct. 18, 2019

S. Korea elected to 5th term on UN Human Rights Council

South Korea was elected Thursday to a fifth term on the United Nations Human Rights Council.In a vote by the UN General Assembly in New York, South Korea was elected to serve a three-year term starting in 2020.From the Asia-Pacific group, Japan, Indonesia, and the Marshall Islands were also elected to the panel. "As a member of the Human Rights Council, we plan to take the initiative in international discussions on human rights and actively participate in international efforts to respond to

Oct. 18, 2019

US urges S. Korea to renew intel pact with Japan: Pentagon

The United States continues to call on South Korea to renew its military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, a US defense official said Thursday.David Helvey, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, made the remark at a security forum as he reiterated Washington's concern with Seoul's decision to end the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Tokyo amid a bilateral dispute over wartime history and trade."We strongly believe in th

Oct. 18, 2019

Korea-US alliance is 'linchpin' for regional security: Harris

US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris on Thursday hailed the alliance between the two countries as a linchpin for Northeast Asian security and called for its further development to tackle new challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.Harris made the remarks in his congratulatory speech during the ROK-US Partnership Dinner event in Seoul co-organized by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation and the Korea Defense Veterans Association."A secure environment is essential to create condit

Oct. 17, 2019

New ambassador vows to seek 'constructive role' from US in resolving tesions with Japan

South Korea's new ambassador to the United States said Thursday that he will encourage Washington to play a "constructive role" in resolving tensions between Seoul and Tokyo that led to the South's decision to end a military information-sharing pact with Japan. Lee Soo-hyuck, who was formally appointed this week, made the remark as concerns have grown over trilateral cooperation between the US and its two Asian allies after Seoul decided in August to withdraw from the General Security

Oct. 17, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] ASEAN-Korea Train Launch

ASEAN-KOREA TRAIN LAUNCH -- (From first, from fifth left to right) Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Korea Center Lee Hyuk, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy of Brunei Ahmaddin Abdul Rahman, KOICA President Lee Mi-Kyung, Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun and Myanmar’s Minister for Information Pe Myint pose at the launch ceremony of the three-day ASEAN-Korea Train: Advancing Together program, which started its journey at Seoul Station on Wednesday. (ASEAN-Korea Center)

Oct. 16, 2019

S. Korea, Australia hold vice-ministerial talks on bilateral ties

Senior diplomats of South Korea and Australia held talks in Seoul on Wednesday and discussed joint efforts to boost bilateral cooperation in a range of areas including economy and regional security, the Australian Embassy in Seoul said. Yoon Soon-gu, deputy minister for political affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, met with his Australian counterpart, Richard Maude, deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Indo-Pacific Group, the embassy said in a release.  Officia

Oct. 16, 2019

Former consul general to Vietnam named new ambassador

Former South Korean Consul General to Vietnam Park Noh-wan was appointed its next ambassador, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. Park, currently ambassador for international relations to South Korea’s North Jeolla Province, was a minister at the South Korean Embassy in Vietnam and a counselor at South Korea’s permanent delegation to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Park replaces Kim Do-hyun as Seoul’s chief envoy to the Southeast Asian natio

Oct. 16, 2019