S. Korea imposes new sanctions on NK following Hwasong-18 ICBM launch

South Korea announced another round of unilateral sanctions on North Korea including on the high-profile director of the army politburo, shortly after a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea's illicit launch of a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile ended without producing collective agreement to condemn it. The Yoon Suk Yeol government on Friday imposed new financial sanctions on four North Korean individuals and three entities in response to North Korea's firing of the

July 14, 2023

Top diplomats of S. Korea, US, Japan to hold talks after N. Korea's ICBM launch

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan are scheduled to hold three-way talks Friday to discuss ways to deal with North Korea's evolving threats highlighted by this week's test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his US and Japanese counterparts, Antony Blinken and Yoshimasa Hayashi, respectively, were visiting Jakarta to attend annual regional meetings led by the A

July 14, 2023

S. Korea, US agree to strengthen cooperation against N. Korean nuke, WMD threats

Defense officials of South Korea and the United States have agreed to reinforce joint efforts to address threats from North Korea's nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction during their talks in Washington, Seoul's defense ministry said Friday. Kim Sung-koo, deputy chief of the ministry's policy planning bureau, and Richard C. Johnson, US deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and countering WMD Policy, led the Counter WMD Committee session on Wednesday and Thursda

July 14, 2023

US calls for UNSC action against N. Korean ICBM test, but China, Russia veto

WASHINGTON -- The United States and 12 other members of the United Nations Security Council unsuccessfully sought to hold North Korea accountable for its recent long-range missile test Thursday due to opposition from China and Russia. North Korea, making its first appearance at a UNSC meeting since 2017, also rejected international condemnation of its missile launch, insisting that it was a legitimate test that had no effect on the security of any neighboring nation. Thursday's UNSC meeting

July 14, 2023

S. Korea eyes $52b Ukraine reconstruction project

WARSAW, Poland -- South Korea will offer comprehensive support from both the public and private sectors for Ukraine reconstruction projects valued at $52 billion, according to the presidential office. "Ukraine has requested the involvement of Korean companies in approximately 5,000 construction projects, estimated at $20 billion, through an intergovernmental cooperation channel in May," said Choi Sang-mok, economic secretary for President Yoon. According to Choi, the government will b

July 14, 2023

First ladies of S. Korea, Poland visit art exhibition, meet scouts

WARSAW, Poland -- The first ladies of South Korea and Poland visited an exhibition on Mexican artist Frida Kahlo at Warsaw's Royal Lazienki Museum and met scout members in the country as part of friendly engagements, the presidential office said Thursday. Kim Keon Hee and her Polish counterpart, Agata Kornhauser-Duda, have met twice at NATO summits since last year. Thursday was their third meeting, during President Yoon Suk Yeol's official visit to the European country. "I hope th

July 14, 2023

Doosan, Hyundai, Daewoo to ink nuclear power MOUs with Polish firms

WARSAW, Poland — Korean companies are expected to formalize nuclear power collaborations with their Polish counterparts, taking the South Korean leader's official visit to the country as an opportunity, according to the senior presidential secretary on the economy on Thursday. "Nuclear-related firms such as Doosan Enerbility, Hyundai Engineering and Construction and Daewoo Engineering and Construction are poised to sign six memoranda of understanding with Polish companies tomorro

July 14, 2023

[From the Scene] Uzbek leader clinches third term in reform push

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was reelected for a third term in a much expected landslide victory paving the way for another seven years of rule amid his push for reforms. The 65-year-old leader won with 87.1 percent of the vote on Sunday, according to preliminary results released by the Central Election Commission. The snap election took place following a constitutional change by referendum in April that reset his term count and extended terms from five to seve

July 13, 2023

Yoon vows support for Ukraine reconstruction with Poland

WARSAW, Poland -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea will continue to support Ukraine's reconstruction in partnership with Poland, while also expanding strategic cooperation with Warsaw in defense and high-tech sectors including clean energy, next-generation batteries, electric vehicles and information technology. In a summit with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Thursday, the two leaders discussed cooperation on a wide range of issues between the two countries, which have see

July 13, 2023

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan to hold talks on Fukushima water release

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan were set to hold bilateral talks Thursday over Tokyo's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima plant. The planned meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, in Jakarta comes on the heels of a bilateral summit between the leaders of the two countries held a day earlier in Lithuania. During the summit held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on the sidelines of a North At

July 13, 2023

Vice defense minister visits S. Korean Akh unit in UAE

Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul has visited a South Korean military contingent in the United Arab Emirates to encourage troops for their service there, Seoul's defense ministry said Thursday. Shin met with members of the Akh unit on Wednesday after he arrived in the country for talks with his Emirati counterpart, Mattar Salem Ali Al Dhaheri, the previous day. Launched in 2011, the Akh unit has been carrying out various missions in the country, including training UAE troops and protecti

July 13, 2023

Yoon says S. Korea to open embassy in Lithuania

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Wednesday and formally informed him of Seoul's decision to open an embassy in Vilnius, his office said. The two held a summit in Vilnius on the sidelines of a gathering of leaders from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which South Korea was invited to as a partner nation. Yoon called for expanding cooperation with Lithuania -- a leading nation in laser technology -- in bio and other cutting-edge indu

July 13, 2023

Yoon arrives in Poland for 3-day official visit

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Poland on Wednesday for a three-day official visit aimed at deepening cooperation in strategic sectors such as arms and nuclear power and facilitating South Korean participation in reconstruction projects in Ukraine. Yoon is scheduled to hold a summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday and discuss ways to further develop the bilateral strategic partnership established in 2013. Talks will focus on expanding ties not only in trade and inv

July 13, 2023

FM to rally support against NK at ASEAN Forum

Foreign Minister Park Jin will seek to rally allies and countries to step up efforts for North Korea’s denuclearization at the ASEAN Regional Forum, the biggest security gathering in the region set to be held from Thursday to Friday in Jakarta, Indonesia. Having repeatedly stressed a united coalition on the isolated country defying international sanctions prompted by its nuclear ambitions, the top South Korean diplomat will in particular double down on curbing the North’s illegal cyb

July 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Yoon's visit to Poland to set new milestone in bilateral ties

President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Poland, the first by a South Korean leader in 14 years, is expected to strengthen further the strategic partnership between the two nations, which has seen significant progress on the back of recent arms deals amounting to multiple billions of dollars, according to the European country's top envoy in Seoul. In an interview with The Korea Herald conducted in prior to Yoon's visit to Poland on Wednesday, Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszews

July 12, 2023

US officials, lawmakers praise Yoon's leadership in improving relations with Japan

White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell and US Congressional leaders praised President Yoon Suk Yeol for his drive to improve relations with Japan when they held meetings with a delegation of the ruling People Power Party, the lawmakers said. The People Power Party delegation, led by leader Kim Gi-hyeon, has been on a visit to Washington as part of parliamentary diplomacy aimed at strengthening the alliance between the two countries on the occasion of its 70th anniversary this year. O

July 12, 2023

S. Korea, UAE hold vice ministerial defense talks in Abu Dhabi

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have held vice ministerial defense talks in Abu Dhabi to discuss bilateral cooperation in the arms industry and other security-related areas, Seoul's defense ministry said Wednesday. During the talks Tuesday, Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul and his UAE counterpart, Mattar Salem Ali Al Dhaheri, agreed to expand bilateral cooperation to areas of common interest, such as cybersecurity and space. They assessed various efforts for defense cooperation

July 12, 2023

President Yoon discusses chip relations with Dutch, Portuguese leaders

VILNIUS, Lithuania – President Yoon Suk Yeol has met with leaders from NATO nations the Netherlands, Portugal and Norway to discuss enhancing cooperation and addressing regional issues. The conversations took place at a recent summit and focused on mutual efforts in fields such as national defense, security, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and nuclear power, according to a statement from the presidential office. During their summit on Tuesday, Yoon and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rut

July 11, 2023

South Korea, NATO agree to expand cooperation to emerging technologies

VILNIUS, Lithuania – South Korea and NATO agreed on Tuesday to upgrade their partnership by expanding the scope of cooperation from traditional areas such as counterterrorism, disarmament and cyber defense to emerging technologies in artificial intelligence, space and missiles. At a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the need to "institutionalize the framework" to bolster cooperation with the US-led alliance. &ldq

July 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] Slovenian deputy PM inaugurates embassy, looks to fresh cooperation

Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon expressed hope for enhanced bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and Korea. Fajon led an official delegation to Korea from June 28 to July 1, where she officially inaugurated Slovenia's newly established permanent mission in Seoul. The opening ceremony was attended by a Slovenian delegation including: Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaz Han, representatives of Slovenian enterprises, the SPIRIT Slovenia Business Development Agency

July 11, 2023