S. Korean president arrives in India for state visit

NEW DELHI -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in India on Sunday for a state visit that will include a bilateral summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ways to further improve their countries’ relationship.　The South Korean president left his home country earlier in the day on a two-nation trip that will later take him to Singapore. His trip to India marks the first of its kind since he took office in May 2017.　“India is fast becoming a major power with the fastest growing

July 8, 2018

S. Korean, Canadian foreign ministers discuss regional security

The top diplomats of South Korea and Canada had phone talks Friday on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation on regional and global issues.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland exchanged views on the current security condition on the Korean Peninsula, according to Kang's ministry. Kang Kyung-hwa (Yonhap)Kang briefed Freeland on inter-Korean ties, including recent military dialogue and joint sports programs. She also reaffirmed that Seoul will continue to co

July 6, 2018

Amb. Harris to arrive in S. Korea this weekend: US embassy

Harry Harris, the new United States ambassador to South Korea, is scheduled to arrive here this weekend to assume his position, his embassy said Friday.He plans to issue a brief statement at Incheon International Airport at 6 p.m. on Saturday, which will be livestreamed on US Embassy Seoul‘s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/usembassyseoul, it added.The retired admiral, who served as commander of American forces in the Asia-Pacific region, is filling the post that had been vacant since Jan

July 6, 2018

Crack in sanctions regime inevitable: expert

Relaxing of sanctions on North Korea appears to be inevitable as long as the country continues to engage in dialogue over the dismantling of its nuclear weapons program with the US, experts say. In the coming months, China and Russia will step up calls for lifting of sanctions against North Korea, China will loosen its control on the border with North Korea, and the US will turn a blind eye to the crack in implementation of sanctions to maintain the momentum of dialogue, they say.(Yonhap)Followi

July 5, 2018

Professor, envoy honored for first-class diplomatic efforts

Choi Jung-wha, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute, received the Yeongsan Diplomat Award on Wednesday for her decadeslong efforts to uplift Korea from obscurity to the world’s limelight. The annual award given by the Seoul Forum organization recognizes individuals who made consummate endeavors to enhance the nation’s image and interests around the world. Choi was honored alongside former South Korean Ambassador to the United States Ahn Ho-young. CICI President Choi Jung-wha (cen

July 5, 2018

Vatican's top diplomat voices optimism for ongoing peace efforts

JOINT SECURITY AREA -- The Vatican's top diplomat on Thursday voiced optimism for ongoing diplomacy to foster a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, saying "many good things" will be achieved despite challenges down the road.Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's secretary for relations with states, delivered a message of hope for Koreans, as he toured the Joint Security Area close to the heavily fortified inter-Korean border. (Yonhap)"Of course, it is a very historic period, a perio

July 5, 2018

70 % of Koreans want renegotiation of Japan sex slavery deal

More than seven in 10 South Koreans and two in 10 Japanese think a 2015 bilateral agreement on compensation for the Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery should be renegotiated, according to a survey released Thursday.The poll was jointly conducted by the Seoul-published Hankook Ilbo and the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Shimbun on June 22-24 to gauge public opinion in the two countries on the landmark agreement to end the wartime sexual enslavement feud and set up the Reconciliation and Healin

July 5, 2018

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan, US to meet next week

The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and the United States will meet in Tokyo next week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.The talks, to be held Sunday, will follow US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to Pyongyang, which is scheduled to start Thursday.South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will hold bilateral talks with Pompeo to listen to the outcome of her US counterpart's trip to North Korea. The meeting will be followed by three-way talks involving Japanese Foreign Mi

July 5, 2018

S. Korean FM preps trip to Tokyo for talks on N. Korea

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is expected to visit Japan this weekend for a tripartite meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Japan's top diplomat Taro Kono on North Korea, her ministry said Tuesday.Pompeo plans to leave for Pyongyang on Thursday to discuss details of the communist nation's agreed-upon "complete denuclearization," the State Department announced earlier in the day.It said that he is scheduled to meet "Japanese and South Korean leaders" in Tokyo shortly

July 3, 2018

FM Kang's daughter regains Korean citizenship

A daughter of South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has regained Korean citizenship before a process to renounce her American nationality, authorities announced Tuesday.The Ministry of Justice included Kang's oldest daughter in the list of those permitted to recover Korean nationality, according to a public notice.Kang's office said her daughter will soon start procedures to relinquish her US citizenship, which are expected to take six months to a year. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang

July 3, 2018

FM Kang Kyung-wha, Thai PM discuss tighter cooperation between S. Korea, ASEAN

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday to discuss South Korea's policy to increase cooperation with the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).Kang asked for the Thai government's "proactive cooperation" with Seoul's efforts to broaden ties with the ASEAN member countries during the talks held in Bangkok. (Yonhap)The two sides also discussed how to increase bilateral ties in culture, the economy, defense manufactur

July 2, 2018

China welcomes increase in inter-Korean contacts

China's Foreign Ministry on Monday welcomed the recent strengthening of inter-Korean contacts, urging the international community to encourage them. Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesman Lu Kang (China's Foreign Ministry)Ministry spokesman Lu Kang made the remarks in a regular media briefing, commenting on a series of recent inter-Korean contacts, including general-level talks, an agreement to hold a reunion of separated families in August and the reopening of a military communication line."(Chin

July 2, 2018

S. Korean, Luxemburg PMs agree to strengthen cooperation in future-oriented industries

South Korea and Luxemburg agreed Monday to strengthen cooperation in future-oriented industries such as information and communications technology, fintech and aerospace, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said.(Yonhap)Lee, during a joint news conference with Luxemburg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, said that the two sides also discussed ways for talented South Korean workers to get jobs in the European nation as it wants to attract talented foreigners in finance, healthcare and other areas.Lee welcomed

July 2, 2018

Moon to make state visits to India, Singapore

President Moon Jae-in will make state visits to India and Singapore starting Sunday, Cheong Wa Dae announced Monday. According to the presidential office, Moon will start the trip in India and then move on to Singapore.  President Moon Jae-in. Yonhap“President Moon will make a state visit to India from July 8 to 11 on invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and to Singapore from July 11 to 13 on invitation from President Halimah Yacob of Singapore,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-k

July 2, 2018

US envoy meets North Korean officials at Panmunjeom

Sung Kim, the US ambassador to the Philippines, held talks with North Korean officials on Sunday at the border village of Panmunjeom between the two Koreas as US Secretary Mike Pompeo plans to visit Pyongyang later this week, US media reported Monday.  Sung Kim, the US ambassador to the Philippines, leaves the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul early Monday morning. (Yonhap)Kim, former US ambassador to South Korea and a nuclear envoy, is reported to have met with North Korean officials for 1 1/

July 2, 2018

S. Korea, China to hold talks on EEZ this week

South Korea and China will hold working-level talks this week on the demarcation of maritime boundaries, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Monday amid a dispute over their partially overlapping exclusive economic zones.The two-day session, the fourth of its kind, is to open in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on Thursday. Bae Jong-in (Yonhap)“There will be in-depth discussions on issues related to a push for the demarcation of maritime boundaries between the two countries,” the ministry said in

July 2, 2018

S. Korea steps up effort to win Saudi Arabia's nuclear project

Korea's government said Monday it will step up collaboration with the local nuclear industry to boost the country's chances to win Saudi Arabia's nuclear project after the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. was shortlisted along with four other bidders.Saudi Arabia selected five countries -- Korea, the United States, France, Russia and China -- as preferred bidders for the kingdom's first nuclear project, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said.Minister Paik Un-gyu held a meeting with

July 2, 2018

Pompeo to fly to Pyongyang for denuclearization talks: report

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly plans to travel to North Korea next week to discuss the country’s denuclearization plans in a follow-up to the Singapore summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three weeks ago.Pompeo, who has already traveled twice to North Korea to pave the way for the Singapore summit, had canceled a July 6 meeting with his Indian counterpart in Washington to fly to Pyongyang, the Financial Times reported Thursday, citing four U

June 29, 2018

‘Two Koreas should be at center of denuclearization process’: Zelikow

JEJU ISLAND -- The two Koreas should be at the center of the denuclearization process, with the backing of the US and China, to resolve the decades-old nuclear standoff and establish a peace regime, a former American diplomat told a forum Wednesday. Philip Zelikow, former counselor of the US Department of State and director of the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs, suggested that the countries go beyond focusing on technical parts of denuclearization to achieve “results.” 

June 28, 2018

South Korea's foreign minister to visit UAE for talks over bilateral cooperation

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next week to discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation, her office said Wednesday. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (Yonhap)During her visit on Tuesday, Kang will meet her UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the third ministerial "strategic dialogue" over a range of issues, including cooperation on furthering their "special strategic partnership."The two countries held strategic dialogue betwee

June 27, 2018