Blinken looks forward to any opportunity to engage with S. Korean FM: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would welcome any future opportunity to engage with his South Korean counterpart, a state department spokesperson said Thursday. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the state department, however, said he had nothing to announce when asked about a possible meeting between Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin in Washington. "The secretary has had the opportunity to engage with the foreign minister on a number of occa

Jan. 27, 2023

S. Korea, US to discuss NK, trade dispute

Foreign Minister Park Jin is set to hold talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in early February, sources said Thursday, as the two allies step up efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and resolve a trade dispute involving US tax rules that its allies say favor locally made electric vehicles. The Foreign Ministry said details like exact dates and agendas were under debate, without elaborating. In late February, Park is expected to attend the Munich Security Conference i

Jan. 26, 2023

Yoon to meet NATO chief, US defense secretary next week

President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to hold meetings next week with Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, a presidential official said Thursday. The NATO chief and the US defense secretary are set to visit Seoul next week, and the presidential office is making arrangements for meetings with Yoon, the official told Yonhap News Agency. During the meetings, Yoon is expected to reaffirm his commitment to strengthening the s

Jan. 26, 2023

US may appoint special envoy solely dedicated to N. Korea if dialogue resumes: State Dept.

WASHINGTON-- The United States may consider appointing a special envoy solely dedicated to issues related to North Korea should there be active dialogue with the reclusive country, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday. The department spokesperson, Ned Price, also underscored Pyongyang continued disregard for US overtures as a reason for Sung Kim concurrently serving as special envoy for North Korea and US ambassador to Indonesia. "If we are to arrive at a position where it does ma

Jan. 25, 2023

‘Rewriting wartime past’ clouds prospects for forced labor deal

A second attempt by Japan to seek a UNESCO World Heritage List designation for a 400-year-old gold mine that South Korea says forced Koreans into labor during World War II is casting a shadow over current bilateral talks underway to resolve the dispute. Tokyo formally refiled a request Friday to obtain recognition for its Sado Island mine, omitting the history of Koreans forced to work at what was once the world’s largest gold producer before the shutdown in 1989. Updated documents submitt

Jan. 24, 2023

US House resolution calls for return of USS Pueblo seized by N. Korea

WASHINGTON-- A resolution has been proposed in the US House of Representatives calling for the return of a US Navy ship seized by North Korea 55 years ago, a summary of the resolution showed Monday. The resolution, introduced last week by Rep. Steube Gregory, calls for the return of USS Pueblo while denouncing North Korea's seizure of the ship and its crew on Jan. 23, 1968. The House "maintains North Korea's seizure of the vessel USS Pueblo and its detention of the crew were in

Jan. 24, 2023

US, S. Korea working to hold N. Korea accountable for supporting Russian war in Ukraine: State Dept.

WASHINGTON-- The United States and South Korea regularly discuss ways to address threats posed by North Korea, including its support for Russia's war against Ukraine, a state department spokesperson said Monday. State Department Press Secretary Ned Price also said the US will continue to use all available means to hold accountable those that support Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. "It's fair to say that of course, we have the closest of relations with our South Korean alli

Jan. 24, 2023

Key takeaways from contentious deal on forced labor

After roughly a four-year struggle, South Korea and Japan are nearing a compromise on making amends to Koreans forced into labor by Japanese companies during World War II. The dispute -- which Seoul’s top court said in October 2018 was Tokyo’s fault -- strained bilateral ties as Japan refused to honor the ruling and pay damages to the victims. Tokyo claims a 1965 treaty that normalized relations with Seoul following its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula already settled the issue.

Jan. 23, 2023

No S. Korean victims from mass shooting in California: foreign ministry

The South Korean foreign ministry said Monday that no Korean injuries or deaths have been reported from the deadly mass shooting in California that claimed 10 lives. "No Korean damage has been reported to the Korean Embassy or local Korean communities so far," the ministry said. "We will make constant efforts to keep close tabs on the incident in cooperation with the Los Angeles authorities." A gunman killed 10 people and injured 10 more in a shooting Saturday night (U.S.

Jan. 23, 2023

S. Korea summons Japan envoy over re-pushing for Sado mine as UNESCO heritage

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned a senior Japanese diplomat on Friday over Japan’s repeated attempt to recognize gold and silver mines on the island of Sado, where Koreans were forced to work during World War II, as a World Heritage site. “The Korean government regrets that the Japanese government resubmitted the nomination of ‘Sado Island Gold Mines,’ for the inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List,” Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said in

Jan. 20, 2023

Publisher decides to retain Ramseyer’s controversial article on ‘comfort women’ despite criticism

A publisher of a leading academic journal has rejected a request to retract a controversial paper, which claimed that “comfort women” were voluntary prostitutes, although historians have agreed that suggested evidence does not overturn historical consensus that Korean women were forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military. Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese legal studies at Harvard Law School, claimed that Korean women and Japanese brothels “included inde

Jan. 20, 2023

Yoon wraps up tour tainted by Iran remarks

DAVOS, Switzerland -- President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up his eight-day visit to the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland by seeking to boost the economy by drawing massive investments and encouraging global entrepreneurs to invest in Korea. His foreign policy moves, however, have been tainted by a diplomatic spat with Iran after calling the country "the UAE's enemy." Iran went further and raised issue with its frozen funds in Seoul as well as Yoon's recent remarks on nucl

Jan. 20, 2023

S. Korea calls in Iran envoy over Yoon’s ‘enemy’ remarks

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the Iranian ambassador in Seoul, a day after Tehran called in Seoul’s chief envoy there demanding a clarification on why President Yoon Suk Yeol called Iran “the enemy” of the United Arab Emirates during his trip there this week. In a rare tit-for-tat spat on the brink of a row, First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong told Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari that Yoon’s comments were meant to encourage Korean tr

Jan. 19, 2023

Vestas to invest $300m in Korea on Yoon’s visit

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Vestas announced plans to invest $300 million in Korea at a ceremony held Wednesday at a hotel in Davos, Switzerland, with President Yoon Suk Yeol attending, according to the presidential office Thursday. Yoon attended the investment declaration ceremony of wind turbine manufacturer Vestas in Switzerland. Vestas is a Danish company that ranks first in the world in terms of wind power installation. Vestas plans to establish a large-scale turbine parts production plant in K

Jan. 19, 2023

[S. Korea-Japan Reboot] Time to put history behind us for good: ex-envoy

This is the last installment of the three-part interview series exploring what experts believe should take place for S. Korea to better advance its interests, while resetting ties with Japan amid disputes. -- Ed. aaaaa It is in South Korea’s best interests to bring closure to the dispute with Japan over making amends to Koreans forced into labor by Japanese firms during World War II. Only then will Seoul be able to take advantage of all the help it needs from Tokyo as it combats regional c

Jan. 18, 2023

[News Focus] Globalization under siege, but Davos can bring opportunities for Korea

ZURICH, Switzerland -- President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to debut at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, amid the notable absence of the leaders of the two largest economies, the US and China, against a backdrop of growing nationalism and deglobalization. While there are simmering questions over the forum’s validity in boosting globalization, experts say Davos is still a "good opportunity" for Asia’s fourth-largest economy to incre

Jan. 18, 2023

Defense Secretary Austin to visit S. Korea soon: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit South Korea in the near future, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder added the upcoming trip will reaffirm the US' commitment to working with its Asian ally. "Secretary Austin will travel to the Republic of Korea and the Philippines to meet with senior government and military leaders in both countries as the United States and these two critical allies continue to bolster our defense partnerships,"

Jan. 18, 2023

Yoon heads to Davos after business-focused summit in UAE

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Touting himself as the “salesman of South Korea,” President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up his four-day state visit to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, sending home $30 billion of business agreements with the lucrative economy, before heading to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to talk international affairs. The presidential office viewed Yoon’s visit to the UAE as “the first step toward the first year of the new Middle East bo

Jan. 17, 2023

S. Korea downplays Yoon’s Iran remarks during UAE trip

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday downplayed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s remarks made a day earlier during his state visit to the United Arab Emirates, in which he said that Iran was the UAE’s “enemy,” and compared their relationship to inter-Korean hostilities. Yoon was offering a word of encouragement to the soldiers while visiting a Korean special forces unit stationed in Abu Dhabi to train local troops, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said at bri

Jan. 17, 2023

State-run body to start fleshing out compromise on forced labor

South Korea’s state-run foundation established to help Koreans forced into labor by Japanese companies during World War II is preparing to reach out to Korean companies as early as next week to compensate the victims, sources said Tuesday, as part of a compromise deal Seoul believes will help settle the longtime historical dispute with Tokyo. Last week, the Korean government essentially endorsed a plan to have the Korean government or companies compensate the victims while awaiting Japan&r

Jan. 17, 2023