[Top Envoy] ‘Don’t look back anymore’: former envoy on S. Korea-Japan thaw

The Korea Herald publishes a series of interviews with South Korea’s former and current top diplomats who have played a central role in shaping the country’s foreign policies to confront the complexities of an increasingly contested international order while managing its historical relationships with allies and neighbors, for lasting peace beyond the Korean Peninsula. This is the first installment. -- Ed When Shin Kak-soo, South Korea’s former ambassador to Japan, supported e

Sept. 20, 2023

Yoon, UN chief reaffirm cooperation on NK denuclearization, human rights

  President Yoon Suk Yeol and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres fortified their commitment to fostering peace and enhancing human rights in North Korea during a meeting on Tuesday at the UN General Assembly in New York. Meeting the UN chief for the third time, Yoon said he was looking forward to continuing cooperation with the United Nations to “curb" North Korean provocations and substantially “improve the human rights situation” in the regime, accord

Sept. 20, 2023

Biden condemns N. Korea's defiance of UNSC resolutions, remains committed to diplomacy

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned North Korea's continued violation of UN Security Council resolutions but reiterated his commitment to diplomacy to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Biden made the remarks in a speech at the UN General Assembly as a recent summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin deepened concerns about a potential arms deal that would violate multiple UNSC resolutions. "We condemned the DPRK's continu

Sept. 20, 2023

US energy firm to appeal court decision in favor of KEPCO, KHNP over nuclear reactor exports

A US energy firm said Tuesday it will appeal a district court's decision earlier this week to dismiss its lawsuit filed to stop two South Korean state-run companies from exporting nuclear power plants. On Monday, the District Court for the District of Columbia rejected the complaint that Westinghouse Electric Co. filed against Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Korea Electric Power Corp. last October. The court determined that Westinghouse "lacks a private cause of action" and wa

Sept. 20, 2023

Foreign ministry asks Japanese police for fair probe into 'bleach water' case

The foreign ministry said Tuesday it has asked the Japanese police to carry out a "prompt and fair" probe into an incident in which a restaurant served water containing bleach to a South Korean national. The request came after a South Korean national was hospitalized in Tokyo late last month after showing symptoms, such as vomiting, after drinking water served by the restaurant that contained bleach. The victim informed the South Korean embassy of the incident earlier this month, with

Sept. 19, 2023

S. Korean foreign ministry summons Russian envoy over NK ties

The South Korean foreign ministry summoned the top Russian envoy to the country Tuesday to lodge a complaint over Moscow's discussions of arms deals and military cooperation with North Korea. Seoul's Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin called in Russian Ambassador Andrey Kulik earlier in the day and called for Moscow to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions, the ministry said in a message to reporters. The summons came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a summit with Rus

Sept. 19, 2023

South Korea frees Iran funds

The South Korean government confirmed Tuesday that it had transferred to Qatar Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks under US sanctions, as part of a prisoner swap deal that led to the US and Iran releasing five of each other’s detainees. Tehran’s access to $6 billion in oil revenue had been frozen since May 2019, when Washington, after scrapping the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, stepped up pressure to block hard currency from flowing into the Middle Eastern country. “

Sept. 19, 2023

Yoon rallies support for Busan Expo at UN

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol led a diplomatic campaign at the 78th United Nations General Assembly in a bid to secure support for the 2030 Busan World Expo, his office said Tuesday. After arriving in New York on Monday morning, Yoon met with leaders of nine countries, including Sri Lanka, San Marino and Denmark on the day. He plans to hold bilateral summits with leaders of around 40 countries throughout his stay in the city. Yoon told the leaders that Busan is the world’s second-la

Sept. 19, 2023

'Cross-cultural exchanges crucial to Mexico-Korea ties'

Mexico's ambassador to Korea, Carlos Penafiel Soto, underlined people-to-people connections and the mutual exchange of knowledge as the linchpin of Mexico-Korea ties, marking Mexico’s 213th anniversary of independence from Spain on Wednesday. Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1810. Noting bilateral strategic partnerships and political dialogue that were developed over six decades, Soto highlighted recent bilateral trade between Mexico and Korea that hit $30 billion in 202

Sept. 19, 2023

Central American nations commemorate Independence Day

Honoring history and pledging to build a new future, the embassies of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua commemorated the 202nd Independence anniversary in Seoul on Friday. To commemorate the occasion, the Seoul City Hall building was illuminated in blue and white -- the colors that symbolize the common history of the region. The event was attended by the ambassadors, diplomats, and community members of the Central American countries. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, H

Sept. 19, 2023

140 years of German-Korean ties celebrated

Alumninetzwerk Deutschland-Korea and the German Embassy in Seoul held an integrated academic conference and press day commemorating the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Germany on Monday. Under the theme "Together for another 140 years," the event discoursed on the enduring partnership between South Korea and Germany and encapsulated the spirit of unity and collaboration. The attendees included ADeKo Chairman Kim Hyo-jun, German Ambassado

Sept. 19, 2023

US court rules in favor of KEPCO, KHNP over nuclear reactor exports

A US district court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit that an American energy firm filed to stop two South Korean state-run companies from exporting nuclear power plants, determining it is not qualified to take the legal move. The District Court for the District of Columbia rejected the complaint that Westinghouse Electric Co. filed against Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Korea Electric Power Corp. last October. The US firm filed the suit to prevent the Korean companies from transferring technic

Sept. 19, 2023

Biden thanks S. Korea, other countries for helping achieve return of US detainees from Iran

President Joe Biden expressed his appreciation Monday to South Korea and other countries for helping achieve the return of five American citizens who were detained in Iran. Biden issued a statement celebrating their release under a rare swap deal with Tehran that reportedly saw around $6 billion in Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks under US sanctions unlocked. "I am grateful to our partners at home and abroad for their tireless efforts to help us achieve this outcome, including the

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Indonesia's political stability, regulatory reforms offer new opportunity for Korea Inc.'

Indonesia is on a historic transition from a natural resource-dependent economy to a modern one by fostering manufacturing and service industries as drivers of future growth. During this ongoing transformation, political stability and regulatory reforms are poised to create a business-friendly environment, according to Moeldoko, Indonesia's chief of staff to President Joko Widodo. And the country wants Korean businesses, in particular, to be a part of its journey, he said. In an interview

Sept. 18, 2023

S. Korea offers $2 mln in aid to flood-stricken Libya

South Korea will send $2 million in humanitarian aid to flood-stricken Libya, the foreign ministry said Sunday. The aid will be sent via the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the ministry said. More than 13,300 people have died since a powerful typhoon struck Libya's eastern coastal city of Derna last Sunday and caused devastating flooding, according to the U.N. "We hope this ai

Sept. 17, 2023

Marking 65th anniversary of relations, ambassador aims to boost Thai-Korean ties

Thai Ambassador to Korea, Witchu Vejjajiva, hoped to stimulate bilateral ties with South Korea by activating people-to-people exchanges and expanding cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region in his remarks at an event commemorating the 65th anniversary of Thai-Korean diplomatic relations on Monday. Reaffirming commitment to usher in a fresh era of cooperation under the new leadership of Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, and his cabinet, elected by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Vejja

Sept. 17, 2023

IAEA, China discussing Fukushima info mechanism similar to S. Korean arrangement: Grossi

The International Atomic Energy Agency has been in discussions with China over establishing a joint information mechanism over the water discharge from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, similar to the agency's arrangement with South Korea, according to the agency's chief. In light of the water discharge that began late last month, South Korea and the IAEA have established the IAEA-ROK Fukushima Information Mechanism, allowing the agency to share the latest informatio

Sept. 16, 2023

Allies say Kim, Putin will pay price for military cooperation

Senior South Korean Foreign and Defense Ministry officials and their US counterparts said Friday North Korea and Russia will pay the price for military cooperation because it violates United Nations Security Council resolutions, urging Moscow to live up to its role as a permanent UNSC member. “The alliance of South Korea and the US is stronger than ever. The Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group meeting today where we discussed issues in depth will make the alliance more powe

Sept. 15, 2023

Pentagon warns N. Korea's arms support would prolong Ukraine war

The US Department of Defense warned North Korea Thursday that its arms support to Russia would not only prolong the war in Ukraine but also be tantamount to "directly" joining the killing of innocent Ukrainians. Deputy Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh made the remarks after this week's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the prospects of Pyongyang sending more ammunition to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine. "I thin

Sept. 15, 2023

Room for Seoul-Beijing engagement growing

The summit Wednesday between North Korea and Russia, heightening concerns over potential arms deals involving the war in Ukraine, has left room for South Korea to actively engage with China, appealing to its reluctance to back the grinding conflict that is facing growing international pressure, according to experts on Thursday. China, a country that unlike the North has largely distanced itself from endorsing Russia’s war, has so far said little of the meeting that came for the first time

Sept. 14, 2023