US will continue to enhance defense readiness against N. Korean threats: Kirby

WASHINGTON -- The United States will continue to enhance its joint defense readiness with South Korea and Japan by conducting additional joint military exercises against growing North Korean threats, a White House official said Wednesday. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, also highlighted that the US has devoted additional intelligence gathering and military capabilities to the region to that end. "You have seen in just recent weeks some bilater

Jan. 5, 2023

Negotiations alone cannot denuclearize N. Korea: Harry Harris

WASHINGTON-- Negotiations alone will not rid North Korea of its nuclear ambition, former US ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris argued Tuesday, insisting that US policy of using negotiations to remove North Korea's nuclear weapons is no longer useful. The former US ambassador stressed the need to combine dialogue with strong sanctions and deterrence to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong-un otherwise. "The US intelligence community assesses that KJU views nuclear weapons as the

Jan. 4, 2023

US fully committed to defending S. Korea against N. Korean hostility: White House

WASHINGTON-- The United States remains fully committed to defending South Korea against any hostility, including a nuclear attack by North Korea, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. She said the allies are also working to further improve their joint readiness. "The United States is fully committed to our alliance with the ROK, providing extended deterrence through the full range of US defense capabilities," the spokesperson told a daily press briefing, referr

Jan. 4, 2023

Belarusian ambassador urges Poland to resolve disputes via dialogue

Belarusian Ambassador to Korea Andrew Chernetsky urged Poland to resolve bilateral disputes over the Russia-Ukraine war and migration crisis on the Polish border through diplomacy and dialogue. Responding to Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski's comments in a previous interview with The Korea Herald, Chernetsky said his claims of Belarus' support of Russia in the war were "extremely belligerent" and that addressing such "accusations" via local media is not

Jan. 3, 2023

Biden says US not discussing joint nuclear exercise with S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden said Monday his country has no ongoing discussions with South Korea on joint nuclear exercises against North Korea's threats. He said, "No," in response to a reporter's question about whether the allies are in consultations over the issue, according to White House pool reports. Speaking earlier at an interview with a South Korean newspaper in Seoul, President Yoon Suk Yeol said the two sides are in discussions on conducting joint drills using nuclea

Jan. 3, 2023

People Power Party leader delivers Yoon's letter to Lula

Ruling People Power Party leader Chung Jin-suk said Monday he has delivered a congratulatory personal letter from President Yoon Seok Yeol to Brazil's new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Chung left for Brazil last week to attend Lula's inauguration ceremony as a special presidential envoy. "After attending the inauguration event of the Brazilian president, I separately met with President Lula and delivered President Yoon Suk Yeol's letter," Chung wrote on Facebook.

Jan. 2, 2023

Kazakhstan discusses new ways to solidify cooperation with Korea

The Kazakh Embassy in Seoul discussed a strategic partnership, cultural linkages and new areas to solidify cooperation with Korea in a roundtable held as part of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan-South Korea relations on Dec. 22. Delivering a keynote speech at the roundtable, the Kazakh Ambassador to Korea Bakyt Dyussenbayev assessed significant achievements from the two countries’ political, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The ambassador noted that trade turnover between

Dec. 29, 2022

UN adopts resolution on Uzbekistan's proposal

In recent years, the authority and reputation of Uzbekistan in the international arena have increased dramatically. This can be seen from the example that the initiatives put forward by the president of our country are supported at the international level, documents of prestigious international organizations are developed and implemented on their basis. At the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in 2020, the head of state put forward several initiatives to strengthen peace and stability at t

Dec. 29, 2022

Burmese activist named recipient of Kim Geun Tae Award

Burmese writer and democracy activist Pencilo has been honored with the Kim Geun Tae Award for her book "Spring Revolution." The award is named after Kim Geun-tae, a pro-democracy activist and politician who laid the cornerstone of South Korean democracy. Pencilo, the author of "Spring Revolution," published a Korean translation of her work in February. Pencilo is an aide to Aung San Suu Kyi. She and six other high-profile figures have been sought after Myanmar's junta on cha

Dec. 29, 2022

South Korea eyes global reach with new Indo-Pacific strategy

South Korea is now a global player among Indo-Pacific countries that has to do its part for freedom, peace and prosperity in the region in order to take the next leap, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Wednesday. He made the remarks while unveiling the country’s Indo-Pacific strategy -- the latest foreign policy summarizing the steps needed to expand Korea’s global imprint. The plan, promised back in May when the Yoon Suk-yeol administration took power, comes amid a global rush to gain

Dec. 28, 2022

Outreach key in reminding Japan of pacifism: experts

South Korea should engage more proactively with Japan and through their common ally, the US, as Japan’s pursuit of its largest military buildup since its post-World War II pacifism days heralds a new phase of military competition, according to experts. The outreach would help prevent the kind of arms buildup reminiscent of Japan’s wartime aggression, they said Tuesday. Tokyo’s five-year $322 billion defense strategy, unveiled two weeks ago, is twice the amount spent in the last

Dec. 27, 2022

S. Korea, Japan hold working-level consultations on wartime forced labor, bilateral issues

TOKYO-- South Korea and Japan held working-level diplomatic consultations Monday on their protracted row over wartime forced labor and other bilateral issues. Seo Min-jung, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs at South Korea's foreign ministry, met with her Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, for discussions at the Japanese foreign ministry in Tokyo. The two previously met on Nov. 24 in Japan. Discussions were expected to focus on the issue of resolving compensation for force

Dec. 26, 2022

S. Korea, Vietnam agree to boost trade, energy cooperation

South Korea and Vietnam agreed to facilitate bilateral trade and deepen cooperation on nuclear power and other renewable energy sources as they marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, Seoul's industry ministry has said. The consensus was reached when Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyn Hng Diên and held meetings of the bilateral joint industry and free trade agreement committees last week, according to the industry ministr

Dec. 26, 2022

Foreign Minister Park highlights 30 years of ties with Vietnam

This year marks a watershed moment for South Korea and Vietnam in their 30 years of relations, as they are about to embark on a new path of greater mutual prosperity, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Thursday at a dinner reception. The gathering -- attended by Park and Vietnam’s Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tung -- is the latest effort by Seoul to cement ties with the Southeast Asian country for a bigger foothold in the region. In a video statement, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Tha

Dec. 25, 2022

PM reaffirms S. Korea's support for Ukraine in phone talks

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo reaffirmed South Korea's support for Ukraine to help its fight against Russia during phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, on Friday, his office said. In their first phone talks since the war began in February, the two sides discussed Seoul's humanitarian aid and Ukraine's post-war recovery plans, the prime minister's office said. Han said South Korea has so far provided $100 million worth of assistance and will remain in solid

Dec. 23, 2022

Chinese Embassy denies covert police station claim

The Chinese Embassy to Korea on Friday expressed regret over an allegation that China had operated an undercover police station in Seoul, labeling a local media report about the matter as "groundless." "I am paying attention to a report on Friday by a Korean media outlet, citing sources, that China had installed an 'overseas police station' in Seoul and a restaurant in Gangnam served as a 'location,' and I regret this media depiction," a spokesperson of th

Dec. 23, 2022

S. Korean, Romanian defense chiefs discuss security cooperation

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Romania held talks Friday over arms industry cooperation, regional security and other issues, Seoul's defense ministry said. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup met his Romanian counterpart Angel Tilvar in Seoul as the latter arrived here earlier this week with a delegation at the invitation of National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo. During the meeting, Lee noted the two countries have developed friendly, cooperative ties since the establishment of a "str

Dec. 23, 2022

S. Korea plans to announce full details of Indo-Pacific strategy next week: ministry

South Korea plans to announce full details of the country's new Indo-Pacific strategy next week, according to Seoul's foreign ministry Thursday. According to a ministry official, the presidential office plans to release a final report on South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy next Wednesday, followed by an official government briefing by the ministry later that day. The ministry reportedly plans to invite foreign diplomatic delegates to the briefing, which will comprise of two sess

Dec. 22, 2022

Chinese TV, streaming platforms open further to Korean dramas

A major Chinese TV network is expected to air Korean dramas next year, set to join other streaming platforms that have opened their doors to Korean entertainment content after a yearslong cultural freeze. Anhui Satellite TV said Tuesday on its official Weibo account that "Thai and Korean dramas will return after several years," asking its followers to leave posts about their most-wanted lists. The nationwide satellite TV based in China's Hefei and Anhui province was one of main br

Dec. 21, 2022

Seoul searches for China's 'secret police station’

The South Korean government is looking into alleged operations of China's undeclared "overseas police service center" here, following revelations by an international human rights group that Beijing has been operating more than 100 entities to suppress dissidents around the world. According to Yonhap News Agency, the military, police counterespionage organizations and related government ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have all been mobilized to check whether

Dec. 20, 2022