Moon urges Japan to reconsider export restrictions on Korean tech firms

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged Japan to withdraw restrictions on exports of hi-tech materials to South Korea, while calling on government agencies to work closely with the business community to deal with the “unprecedented emergency.”Speaking at a weekly meeting with senior presidential aides, Moon said that Japan’s move violates principles of free trade, and urged it to reconsider using trade for political ends. “(I) urge Japan to withdraw the measures, and call f

July 8, 2019

Rival parties to send delegation to Japan over Tokyo’s export curbs

Rival parties agreed Monday to send a delegation to Japan this month as part of efforts to help resolve the problem of Tokyo’s export curbs over a historical issue.They also decided to adopt a parliamentary resolution during the ongoing extraordinary session that calls on Japan to retract the apparent retaliatory measure.The agreement came at a meeting of National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and the floor leaders of three political parties.“Moon proposed sending a bipartisan deleg

July 8, 2019

Young S. Korean delegation to embark on historical field trip to China

A team of 100 South Koreans are set to embark on a train journey across China to visit historical sites linked to the Korean government-in-exile against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, the foreign ministry said Monday.The field trip, titled "Korea-China Friendship Caravan," comes as part of the government's broader efforts to commemorate the centennial of the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai that fought for the country's independence. This year also marks t

July 8, 2019

Pan-govt effort to deal with Japan’s trade move underway: Cheong Wa Dae

The government is working closely with the corporate community to respond to Japan’s trade regulations against South Korea, a top Cheong Wa Dae official said Friday. “(Cheong Wa Dae) is listening to the voices of local companies and seeking solutions,” the official said on condition of anonymity, in response to criticism that measures such as taking the issue to the World Trade Organization would be insufficient in reducing the impact on local businesses.  Japan has r

July 5, 2019

S. Korea-Japan relations heading to new low after Japan's retaliatory step

The long-fraught ties between South Korea and Japan are plunging to a new low, as their intractable historical issues are bleeding into the economic domain, with voices for reconciliation drowned out by domestic politics, nationalism and mutual distrust.On Monday, Tokyo blindsided Seoul by announcing that it would tighten restrictions on several key chemical exports to South Korea in an apparent response to last year's Supreme Court rulings here against Japanese firms over wartime forced labor.

July 2, 2019

Trump heads home after historic DMZ meeting with Kim

US President Donald Trump headed home on Sunday after his historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the inter-Korean border.A presidential plane carrying Trump and his entourage left for Washington late in the day from a US air base in Osan, south of Seoul, following his two-day stay in South Korea. He arrived in Seoul from a trip to Osaka, Japan, where he took part in a Group of 20 summit.After holding a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in here on Sunday, Trump made a

June 30, 2019

[Newsmaker] Minister Kang, Ivanka Trump stress women’s role in economy, peacebuilding

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa and White House adviser Ivanka Trump on Sunday shared outcomes of the two country’s measures aimed at enhancing women’s participation in economic development and the challenges ahead.Some 60 female civic workers and government officials and businesswomen attended the meeting, titled “The ROK-US Women’s Empowerment Forum,” at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Seoul.  Ivanka accompanied her father, US President Donald Trump, who wa

June 30, 2019

[Photo News] Trump's DMZ diplomacy

President Moon Jae-in, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump held a historic trilateral meeting at the Demilitarized Zone on Saturday, after Kim accepted Trump’s unexpected offer to meet at the inter-Korean border. Accompanied by Kim, Trump crossed the Demarcation Line dividing the two Koreas. The two leaders also held talks in the Freedom House at the truce village of Panmunjom.Sunday, June 30Saturday, June 29 

June 30, 2019

Trump says he will visit DMZ with Moon

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will travel to the inter-Korean border together with South Korean President Moon Jae-in later in the day. He made the announcement during a meeting with a group of South Korean business leaders at a Seoul hotel. It marks the first official confirmation that Moon will join Trump's "long-planned" trip to the Demilitarized Zone.Cheong Wa Dae has kept it a secret whether Moon would go there or not apparently for security reasons.On his offer of

June 30, 2019

Trump offers to meet Kim at inter-Korean border

 WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- US President Donald Trump has offered to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the inter-Korean border during his two-day trip to South Korea.Trump made the offer on Twitter on Saturday (Japan time), hours before he flew into Seoul after attending the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan."After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon)," Trump wrote."

June 29, 2019

Moon dines with Trump ahead of summit

US President Donald Trump had a dinner meeting with President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday, soon after arriving in South Korea from Japan, where he attended a Group of 20 summit.He landed at Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi Province on Air Force One and was greeted by South Korean and US officials including Washington's top envoy in Seoul, Harry Harris. Trump then boarded the Marine One chopper bound for the US military base in Yongsan in central Seoul. He used a car to reach Cheong Wa

June 29, 2019

Trump anticipates 'really interesting' visit to DMZ

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he expects to have a "really interesting" visit to the inter-Korean border amid keen attention on the possibility of his meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un there.He was speaking to pool reporters just before joining a welcome dinner hosted by President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook at Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul's presidential office, shortly after his arrival in South Korea.On a potential three-way summit between the two Koreas and the

June 29, 2019

S. Korean FM, Ivanka Trump to attend forum in Seoul

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is scheduled to meet with Ivanka Trump in Seoul later this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday. Kang and Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump and also a White House adviser, will both attend a forum under the theme of "strengthening economic power of global women" at a Seoul hotel Sunday, the ministry said. The forum will bring in some 60 female business women, civic workers and government officials, including

June 29, 2019

Moon ends Osaka trip, set for talks with Trump

OSAKA, Japan -- Having engaged in a brisk round of high-profile bilateral and multilateral summit diplomacy in Osaka, South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed back to Seoul on Saturday. He will have no time to rest this weekend, however, as he will immediately greet US President Donald Trump and hold bilateral talks. Trump's two-day visit to South Korea, his first since November 2017, is widely seen as another crucial event for the slow-going Korea peace process.It comes amid hig

June 29, 2019

Moon, Putin discuss North Korea, bilateral relations

OSAKA, Japan – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday expressed his support for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, relaying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s words to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The meeting began at 36 minutes past midnight, nearly two hours later than the originally scheduled 10:45 p.m. Despite the late start, Moon and Putin held talks with their aides and Cabinet members in presence until 1:21 a.m., followed by an 8-minute long one-on-one meeti

June 29, 2019

Macron promises France’s support for Moon’s peace drive

OSAKA, Japan -- French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his full support for Seoul’s peace drive in a summit with President Moon Jae-in, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.  “(I) fully support President Moon’s Korean Peninsula peace process and (establishing) regional stability. France is prepared to provide all it can (for the process),” Macron was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung. Moon and Macron met on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit on reques

June 28, 2019

Moon stresses economic cooperation with Indonesia

OSAKA, Japan -- President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed hopes for closer cooperation with Indonesia, requesting President Joko Widodo’s support. At a summit with Widodo held in Osaka, Japan, Moon stressed the need for closer collaboration between the two countries, while praising developments in recent years, according to Cheong Wa Dae. “President Moon assessed bilateral relations have advanced to the highest level during President Widodo’s term, and expressed hopes for

June 28, 2019

Moon highlights free trade, G-20 cooperation on global financial system

OSAKA, Japan -- President Moon Jae-in on Friday stressed the importance of free trade, urging more cooperation among G-20 nations.Speaking at the first session of the G-20 summit dealing with trade and global economy, Moon raised concerns on the impact of trade protectionism.  Citing OECD and IMF listing trade conflicts and spread of protectionism as one of the reasons for lowering the world’s growth outlook, he urged G-20 nations to step up collective efforts.“This is the time

June 28, 2019

Moon urges G-20's role in resolving global trade row

With the leaders of the United States and China listening to him, South Korean President Moon Jae-in called Friday for a concerted and responsible role by the Group of 20 member states in ending global trade wars and other economic challenges."The G-20 should show leadership again," Moon stressed, speaking at the first session of this week's annual summit here on world economy, trade and investment.He pointed out that the world is confronted with new challenges amid growing uncertainti

June 28, 2019

Korea, India to set up high-level body for cooperation

OSAKA, Japan -- South Korea and India will establish a new high-level dialogue body to seek ways to achieve synergies between Seoul’s New Southern Policy and India’s Look East Policy, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. The agreement was made during President Moon Jae-in’s summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Osaka. “The two leaders agreed to seek projects (for achieving synergies) by establishing a high-level consultatio

June 28, 2019