Seoul's top nuclear envoy meets senior US officials to discuss N. Korea issue

South Korea's top nuclear envoy has met senior US State Department officials in Washington, D.C. to discuss North Korea policies amid concerns of it carrying out a nuclear test, according to officials Friday. Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, had a series of meetings with the Joe Biden administration officials during his trip there accompanying Foreign Minister Park Jin earlier this week. In a Twitter message, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy S

June 17, 2022

N. Korea remains unresponsive to US overtures: State Dept.

North Korea continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures for dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Thursday. Ned Price also reaffirmed US commitment to diplomatically engage with North Korea without any preconditions. "You heard from Secretary (Antony) Blinken when he was standing next to his South Korean counterpart earlier this week that our approach is to make clear to the DPRK that we harbor no hostile intent. We seek diplomacy and dialogue in order to advance the prospects

June 17, 2022

US conveyed concerns over N. Korean nuclear test to China: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States has discussed with China the growing concerns over a possible North Korean nuclear test, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday. He also reiterated US concerns over what will be North Korea's seventh nuclear test. "On North Korea, we have expressed our concern that North Korea is preparing to conduct another nuclear test. We have said that publicly. We have communicated that to China," Sullivan said in an online discussion session

June 17, 2022

FM suggests holding ‘2+2’ ministerial summit with top US commerce chief

South Korea and the US have agreed on strong industrial cooperation and on enhancing supply resilience, Seoul’s Foreign Minister Park Jin said on Wednesday (US time). In his meeting with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington, Park also suggested holding “2+2” ministerial summit involving the top commerce chiefs and foreign affairs chiefs of the respective countries. “South Korea and the US have a comprehensive strategic alliance, so we have agreed to cont

June 16, 2022

S. Korea's vice defense minister attends US-led dialogue on support for Ukraine

South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul has attended a virtual session of a US-led forum on support for war-torn Ukraine, his ministry said Thursday. Hosted by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Wednesday's session of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group involved senior officials from some 50 countries. Participants discussed the situation in Ukraine, and mid- and long-term measures to support the country, according to the ministry. "The defense ministers of the partici

June 16, 2022

S. Korea, US agree on need for '2+2' ministerial talks on summit outcome: Park Jin

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States will continue to hold high-level dialogue to implement the outcome of their leaders' summit last month, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said Wednesday. Park made the remarks after meeting with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. "I had detailed discussions with Secretary Raimondo on follow-up steps to the South Korea-US summit," Park told reporters. "We said South Korea and the US will need to continue holding ministeria

June 16, 2022

Diplomatic thaw needed to put Korea-Japan military agreement back on track: experts

As South Korea’s new administration is ratcheting up efforts to bolster trilateral relations with the United States and Japan amid increasing threats from the North, Seoul’s foreign minister raised expectations for the normal operation of an intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo. But with the South Korea-Japan relationship standing at its lowest point due to the two countries’ differences on Japanese atrocities stretching back to its colonial occupation of Korea, diplomatic re

June 15, 2022

S. Korea, US agree to bolster economic security cooperation

South Korea and the United States agreed to step up cooperation for stable supply chains of critical minerals and other economic security issues in their high-level economic talks, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon and Jose W. Fernandez, the US undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, held their first in-person meeting in Toronto on Tuesday (local time) on the sidelines of an inaugural gathering for the Minerals

June 15, 2022

US, S. Korea agree to place top priority on N. Korea issue: FM Park

South Korea and the United States agree on the urgent need to address the challenges posed by North Korea, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said Tuesday. The South Korean diplomat said he and his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, have also agreed on the importance of maintaining and strengthening US extended deterrence to South Korea. "(We) agreed that the North Korea issue is the top policy priority for both South Korea and the US under the serious current condition where questions abo

June 15, 2022

S. Korean FM calls for 'future-oriented' cooperation with Japan, China

South Korea's top diplomat on Tuesday emphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation among his country, China and Japan, citing the regional powers' stature and potential. "Given the stature and economic and cultural potential of the three countries, should we continue our future-oriented cooperation, it would be an important driving force for peace and prosperity in the world beyond the East Asia level," Foreign Minister Park Jin said in a written message to the Interna

June 14, 2022

US, Korea willing to adjust military posture in case of NK nuclear test

The United States and South Korea are prepared to make adjustments to their military posture to counter North Korea, the foreign affairs chiefs of the two allies said. In their first face-to-face bilateral talks on Monday in the US, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed their joint commitment for extended nuclear deterrence, while urging North Korea to come to dialogue. “I can say simply for today that we’re preparing for all c

June 14, 2022

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold missile defense exercise in August: sources

South Korea, the United States and Japan plan to conduct a combined missile search and tracking exercise in waters off Hawaii in August to bolster their readiness to counter North Korea's evolving missile threats, informed sources said Tuesday. The biennial Pacific Dragon exercise is scheduled to take place from Aug. 1-14 as the three countries are seeking to step up security cooperation amid tensions caused by the North's recent missile launches and speculation that it could conduct a

June 14, 2022

N. Korean nuclear test will be met by united, firm response from US, S. Korea: ministers

WASHINGTON -- South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his US counterpart Antony Blinken on Monday urged North Korea to refrain from staging additional provocations including a nuclear test, saying that they will only further isolate the impoverished country. The top diplomats also said North Korean provocations will be met with a strong response. "We affirm that any North Korean provocations, including a nuclear test, will be met with a united and firm response from our alliance and the

June 14, 2022

Foreign minister vows ‘stern’ action against potential NK nuclear test

Amid growing speculation that Pyongyang may carry out a nuclear test soon, Seoul’s foreign minister reiterated during a four-day trip to Washington that the government would take “stern measures” in the event of a detonation. After laying a wreath at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington Foreign Minister Park Jin said Sunday that North Korea has finished preparations for a nuclear test according to assessments. “(The North) had launched an intercontinental ba

June 13, 2022

Yoon gives credentials to new ambassador to US

President Yoon Suk-yeol gave credentials to new Ambassador to the United States Cho Tae-yong on Friday. Cho received the credentials during a ceremony at the presidential office before heading to Washington this weekend. A former vice foreign minister, Cho recently served as a lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party. Cho said he will focus on expanding the scope of the bilateral alliance to entail broad elements for economic security by facilitating strategic communication efforts. "I

June 10, 2022

South Korean foreign minister to visit Washington next week

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin will depart for the United States on Sunday to make his first trip there since taking office, his office said Friday. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Park will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Monday, which would be the first face-to-face meeting for the two since South Korea launched a new government in May. “Minister Park is visiting Washington D.C. upon the invitation of the US Secretary of State An

June 10, 2022

Yoon faces diplomatic test at NATO summit

President Yoon Suk-yeol faces his first test in multilateral diplomacy if his visit to an upcoming NATO summit is confirmed. It would also provide an opportunity for him to deepen South Korea’s relationship with the US and its allies amid diplomatic pressures with China and Russia. If Yoon participates in the NATO summit held in Madrid in late June, he would be the first Korean president to attend the meeting. NATO has invited leaders from four Asia-Pacific countries -- nonmembers So

June 9, 2022

[Newsmaker] Two Koreas clash over North’s nuclear development at UN

The two Koreas once again clashed at the UN over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, with Seoul calling for an end to provocation and Pyongyang repeating its right to self-defense. In the same General Assembly meeting held in New York on Wednesday, China and Russia defended their vetoes of the resolution to impose additional sanctions on North Korea, accusing the US of stoking tension on the Korean Peninsula. “We urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to stop suc

June 9, 2022

Seoul's top trade official leaves for Paris for OECD council meeting

South Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun departed for Paris on Thursday to attend a ministerial council meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, trade, sustainable growth and other global challenges, his office said. Under the theme of "The Future We Want: Better Policies for the Next Generation and a Sustainable Transition," the OECD's Ministerial Council Meeting was to take place at its headquarte

June 9, 2022

S. Korea calls on Pyongyang to stop provocations in UN meeting

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's top representative to the UN on Wednesday called on North Korea to stop its provocative activities and engage in dialogue. Amb. Cho Hyun made the remarks in a UN General Assembly meeting in New York to discuss the recent failure of the UN Security Council to pass a resolution regarding North Korea. "We are here today to debate the outcome of the Security Council meeting held on May 26. It is with deep regret that the Security Council, for the first time in h

June 9, 2022