S. Korea moves Ukraine embassy from Kyiv to safe area

South Korea is moving its mission in Ukraine from Kyiv to a "safe area" in the country as Russia is stepping up military actions in the country, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. Ambassador Kim Hyung-tae and other embassy staff were moving to the new location along with six South Korean nationals who expressed intent to move out of the city, according to the ministry. It was not immediately clear to which city the embassy is relocating. The decision was made as it became &q

March 2, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] We need public diplomacy that fully contains the scent of Korea

Korea’s public diplomacy so far has been characterized as a state-centered one that focuses on popularizing itself. However, it is a fact that Korea is now facing needs and expectations to play a role that goes beyond it from home and abroad. Given that Korea’s status and capabilities have developed considerably in the international community, its way of lending a hand should also be tailored to what the other desires and needs. Now, giving off the messages that Korea has in its own

March 2, 2022

Russia takes aim at urban areas

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukraine's leader decried Russia's escalation of attacks on crowded urban areas as a blatant campaign of terror, while US President Joe Biden warned that if his Russian counterpart weren't made to "pay a price" for the invasion, the aggression wouldn't stop with one country. "Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after Tuesday's bloodshed on the central square in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city,

March 2, 2022

Two Koreas clash over Ukraine crisis at UN

Diplomats of South and North Korea clashed over differing views of the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the UN as delegates met for an emergency session to discuss a resolution condemning Moscow’s aggression. 　 Cho Hyun, the South Korean ambassador to the UN, strongly condemned “Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine,” throwing support behind a UN General Assembly resolution that was set for a vote Wednesday, demanding Russia withdraw its troops from Ukraine. On the contrary,

March 2, 2022

Biden remains silent on N. Korea amid Russian invasion of Ukraine

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden left out North Korea in his first State of the Union address on Tuesday that laid out various challenges facing his country, including the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US leader, however, thanked South Korea, along with dozens of other countries, for condemning what he called Russia's "unjustified" and "totally unprovoked" aggression on Ukraine. "Along with twenty-seven members of the European Union including France, Germa

March 2, 2022

Russian forces escalate attacks on Ukraine's civilian areas

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Russian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas Tuesday, bombarding the central square in Ukraine's second-biggest city and Kyiv's main TV tower in what the country's president called a blatant campaign of terror. "Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after the bloodshed on the square in Kharkiv. In the US, President Joe Biden planned to use his first State of the Union address Tuesday evening to vow to make R

March 2, 2022

S. Korean envoy to UN urges Russia to end aggression, vows further assistance to Ukraine

WASHINGTON -- The chief of the South Korean mission to the United Nations on Tuesday called on Russia to immediately stop its invasion of Ukraine while saying his country will provide additional humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. Ambassador Cho Hyun also called on the United Nations to act quickly, noting South Korea would not have existed had it not been for UN assistance some 70 years ago when the country was invaded by North Korea. "We are gathered here today at one of the

March 2, 2022

External pressure alone will not denuclearize N. Korea: former USFK chief

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Yonhap) -- External pressure alone will not be enough to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear ambitions, a former head of US Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday, stressing the need for what he called an internal pressure to change. Retired Gen. Walter Sharp also pointed to the need for South Korea and the US to work with China to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons. "I personally believe that there's no amount of external pressure that is goin

March 2, 2022

Human rights crises in N. Korea and others require international attention: Blinken

WASHINGTON -- Human rights crises in countries such as North Korea demand the United Nations and its member states' efforts to address them, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday while urging the international community to condemn what he called Russia's unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. "Even as we focus on the crisis in Ukraine, it is far from the only part of the world where the council's attention is needed," Blinken said in a virtual meeting with the UN Huma

March 2, 2022

Russian invasion convoy masses near Ukraine capital

KYIV (AFP) -- A huge Russian military convoy was massing on the outskirts of Ukraine's capital Tuesday as fears grew the invading forces were set to launch devastating assaults aimed at taking control of Kyiv and other major cities. Satellite images showed a long build-up of armoured vehicles and artillery starting 29 kilometres (18 miles) north of the city, as Moscow defied mounting global pressure and a wave of international sanctions that have smashed Russia's economy. Initial ceasefire tal

March 1, 2022

S.Korea will join international efforts to ‘curb’ Russian invasion: Vice FM

The South Korean vice foreign minister committed to the country’s active participation in the international community‘s concerted efforts to “curb” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while strongly condemning Russian aggression. Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon on Monday delivered his statement at the UN Conference on Disarmament’s three-day High-Level Segment, which kicked off on the same day in Geneva, Switzerland. “The Korean government stron

March 1, 2022

Russia slow to win Ukraine's airspace, limiting war gains

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In war, winning quick control of airspace is crucial. Russia's failure to do so in Ukraine, despite its vast military strength, has been a surprise and may help explain how Ukraine has so far prevented a rout. The standoff in the sky is among the Russian battle shortcomings, including logistical breakdowns, that have thrown Moscow off stride in its invasion. Typically, an invading force would seek at the outset to destroy or at least paralyze the target country's air and missi

March 1, 2022

Russian forces shell Ukraine's No. 2 city and menace Kyiv

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Russian forces shelled Ukraine's second-largest city on Monday, rocking a residential neighborhood, and closed in on the capital, Kyiv, in a 17-mile convoy of hundreds of tanks and other vehicles, as talks aimed at stopping the fighting yielded only an agreement to keep talking. The country's embattled president said the stepped-up shelling was aimed at forcing him into concessions. "I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method

March 1, 2022

Seoul to ban exports of strategic materials to Russia

South Korea decided to prohibit exports of strategic materials to Russia, joining the US and other countries in imposing tough restrictions following the invasion of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday. 　 The government has notified the US of its related decisions via a diplomatic channel, the ministry said.  　 Seoul announced its first set of economic measures targeting Russia in the wake of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The government will strengthen export control re

Feb. 28, 2022

Putin orders nuclear alert as Ukraine fiercely resists Russian invasion

KYIV (AFP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement that his nuclear forces were on alert sparked outcry in the West as the invading troops faced stiff resistance on Monday. The UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency session Monday to discuss the conflict, which has claimed dozens of lives and raised fears that it will displace millions of people. Ukraine has also said it had agreed to send a delegation to meet Russian representatives on the border with Belarus, which would be

Feb. 28, 2022

Moon instructs officials to draw up humanitarian aid for Ukraine

President Moon Jae-in on Monday ordered officials to swiftly draw up a plan for humanitarian aid for Ukraine to help support the deteriorating humanitarian situation following Russia's invasion of the country. Moon also told officials that the government should set up contingency measures to minimize the impact of sanctions on Russia, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said. Moon said last week that South Korea will join international sanctions on Russia. Foreign ministry officials said th

Feb. 28, 2022

Seoul grants stay extension for Ukrainians in Korea

The South Korean government on Monday said it will grant special stay permits to Ukrainians living here, allowing them to overstay their visa until the situation in their home country stabilizes following Russia‘s invasion of the Eastern European country.  The Justice Ministry said 3,843 Ukrainians, who have been staying in the country on either short- or long-term visas, will benefit from the measure, including 538 whose visas were set to expire by June.  The government will

Feb. 28, 2022

S. Korea appoints 10 new ambassadors in regular reshuffle

South Korea on Monday appointed 10 new ambassadors, including to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in a regular reshuffle, the foreign ministry said. Kwon Hee-seog, the country's top envoy to Italy, was appointed as the new ambassador of ASEAN, while Lee Seong-ho, the deputy minister for economic affairs, will serve as the ambassador to Italy, according to the ministry. Yun Seong-deok, the foreign policy adviser to the prime minister, was named the new deputy minister for econo

Feb. 28, 2022

Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert, escalating tensions

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) _ President Vladimir Putin dramatically escalated East-West tensions by ordering Russian nuclear forces put on high alert Sunday, while Ukraine's embattled leader agreed to talks with Moscow as Putin's troops and tanks drove deeper into the country, closing in around the capital. Citing "aggressive statements" by NATO and tough financial sanctions, Putin issued a directive to increase the readiness of Russia's nuclear weapons, raising fears that the invasion of Ukrai

Feb. 28, 2022

Top diplomats from S. Korea, US condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States on Saturday "strongly condemned" Russia's invasion of Ukraine and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine, the foreign ministry here said. In their phone talks, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated their "steadfast support" for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, and urged Moscow to cease its military actions on Ukraine immediately, the ministry said

Feb. 26, 2022