Korea-Mongolia ties elevated to strategic partnership

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh held a virtual summit Friday and agreed to elevate bilateral ties between the two countries to a strategic partnership, according to Cheong Wa Dae. It was the first summit between the two leaders since the Mongolian president assumed the presidency in a landslide election win in June. Mongolia is a major partner for South Korea’s New Northern Policy, which is intended to bolster strategic ties with Central A

Sept. 10, 2021

Korea, China may be part of expert group monitoring Fukushima water release

The International Atomic Energy Agency will send a group of experts, possibly including some from South Korea and China, to the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant in December to monitor the safety and transparency of Japan’s planned disposal of treated radioactive water, an official from the agency said Thursday.  Fishers in Japan and neighboring countries, including China and Korea, reacted angrily to the Japanese government’s decision in April to dump the 1.25 million ton

Sept. 10, 2021

S. Korea, Mekong countries reaffirm commitment to health, economic cooperation amid pandemic

South Korea and five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River have reaffirmed concerted efforts for cooperation in health and economic fields to minimize COVID-19-driven impact and facilitate recovery. They made the pledge in a joint statement adopted after the 11th Mekong-South Korea foreign ministers' meeting Wednesday, stressing the importance of solidarity and multilateralism to advance shared goals, Seoul's foreign ministry said.  The meeting, held in a hybrid format, was c

Sept. 10, 2021

S. Korea, ASEAN nations agree to boost defense ties

South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed Wednesday to boost exchanges and cooperation in security and defense fields, Seoul's defense ministry said. The meeting between Vice Minister Park Jae-min and his counterparts from 10 Southeast Asian nations took place via video links on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue which kicked off in the day for a three-day run. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, T

Sept. 8, 2021

Foreign ministry pushes for work system upgrade to allow remote working at diplomatic missions

The foreign ministry said Wednesday it will establish a "smart work system" to allow overseas-based diplomats to work remotely from home and elsewhere without returning to their offices as part of efforts to improve the working environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The current work system requires diplomats to access the ministry's network only from their missions connected via secure lines. That has caused difficulties as the COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted direct contact or on-si

Sept. 8, 2021

Second batch of COVID-19 vaccines departs from Romania

The second batch of coronavirus vaccines South Korea plans to bring in from Romania under a swap deal has departed for Seoul, according to the Korean embassy in Bucharest on Wednesday.   A transport plane carrying 976,500 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines took off from the eastern European country Tuesday night (Romania time), the embassy said. It is expected to land at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at around 3 p.m. Of the incoming shipment, 526,500 doses are Pfiz

Sept. 8, 2021

US lawmaker urges Biden to consider providing COVID vaccines to N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- A US lawmaker has called on President Joe Biden to consider providing COVID-19 vaccines to North Korea as a way of improving relations between the two countries, an informed source said Tuesday. Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) also urged Biden to consider providing additional vaccine support to South Korea in a letter to the president, according to Kim Min-sun, president of the New York-based Museum of Korean American Heritage. "Because of your administration's work to secure over

Sept. 8, 2021

Post-Suga, no dramatic shift in Seoul-Tokyo relations expected

The Japanese government is set for a leadership change, but a dramatic turnaround in Seoul-Tokyo relations is unlikely, experts say. 　 In the wake of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s abrupt decision to step down last Friday, many here are wondering what the new Japanese leadership will mean for South Korea as an array of candidates vies to succeed Suga at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, set for Sept. 29. 　 The new LDP president is effectively assured of becoming

Sept. 7, 2021

Chinese foreign minister to visit Seoul next week

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will make a two-day visit to Seoul next week to discuss bilateral relations and other pending issues, including North Korea, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The top Chinese diplomat will arrive here on Sept. 14 and hold talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Sept. 15. He is also likely to pay a courtesy call to President Moon Jae-in but both the ministry and Cheong Wa Dae said nothing has been confirmed yet.

Sept. 7, 2021

S. Korea to provide $3 million worth of humanitarian aid to Myanmar

South Korea will provide $3 million worth of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar to help the country cope with the coronavirus pandemic, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said it will make sure the aid is delivered to the people of Myanmar through "direct and transparent" means, suggesting that it will be provided through international organizations so as to prevent the aid from being diverted by the military. The aid comes amid the continuing political unrest in the S

Sept. 7, 2021

Five Eyes invitation may come with costs

South Korea has received a fresh invitation from the world’s most exclusive intelligence-sharing alliance, the so-called Five Eyes, but experts warn there is no such thing as a free lunch in diplomacy. Last week, the US House of Representatives submitted a draft bill to the National Defense Authorization for the 2022 fiscal year, asking the US administration to consider expanding the Five Eyes program that currently consists of five English-speaking democracies: the US, UK, Canada, Austr

Sept. 6, 2021

S. Korea denounces Houthi rebels' drone attack on Saudi airport

South Korea strongly denounces the recent drone attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on an airport in Saudi Arabia and urges the militants to take part in UN-led peace talks, the foreign ministry said Thursday. "We strongly denounce the attack by Yemen's Houthi rebel forces on Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia," ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a commentary. "We reaffirm our support for international efforts toward peace and ending the civil war in Yemen, and u

Sept. 2, 2021

Korea’s electronic travel authorization takes effect

Korea Electronic Travel Authorization, or K-ETA, became effective as of Wednesday, requiring passport holders from visa-exempt countries to obtain K-ETA approval to enter the country. Overseas visitors now need to fill out an online application on the website of K-ETA to submit personal and travel information at least 24 before boarding a flight or ship bound for Korea. Applicants need to pay 10,000 won ($8.60). Once the application is submitted and payment is complete, the result will be se

Sept. 1, 2021

Ministry seeks to expand foreign aid by 17%

 South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday the proposed 5.7 percent increase in its budget next year included a record amount set aside for foreign aid, as the country seeks to expand its role on the international stage.   　 The ministry sought an allocation of 3.02 trillion won ($2.61 billion) for 2022, up from this year’s 2.84 trillion won, in what would be a record high if approved by the National Assembly later this year.   　 It earmarked 1.11 trillion won,

Sept. 1, 2021

WHO chief welcomes S. Korea's push for regional cooperation forum against health crises

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday he welcomes President Moon Jae-in's initiative for a regional cooperation forum to tackle public health crises, like the coronavirus pandemic. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the remarks in his message for the Korean Global Forum for Peace, an annual forum organized by the unification ministry, calling on countries to "join hands across ideological divides." "We welcome the Northeast Asia Coopera

Sept. 1, 2021

S. Korea, China hold ceremony to casket 109 sets of Chinese troop remains

South Korea and China on Wednesday held a ceremony to casket the remains of 109 Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War for their return to the homeland this week, the defense ministry said. The ceremony took place at an Army base in the western city of Incheon ahead of the repatriation of the remains -- discovered from former battle sites last year -- to China on Thursday, according to the ministry. The repatriation will be the eighth of its kind since Seoul pledged in 2014 to rep

Sept. 1, 2021

S. Korea asks for continued efforts to encourage N. Korea's participation at health security forum

South Korea has called for member countries of a regional health security forum to work together to encourage North Korea to take part in the forum on pandemics and other challenges, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon made the appeal in a speech during a virtual working-level session of the Northeast Asia Conference on Health Security -- a forum launched late last year at President Moon Jae-in's suggestion to foster joint efforts to handle pandemics

Sept. 1, 2021

US remains firmly committed to dialogue with N. Korea: S. Korean envoy

The United States remains strongly committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy and dialogue, and is working closely with South Korea to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table, Seoul's top nuclear envoy said Tuesday. Noh Kyu-duk made the remark after holding a series of meetings with his US counterpart, Sung Kim, and other administration officials, including the White House policy coordinator for Asia, Kurt Campbell, during a visit to Washington this week.

Sept. 1, 2021

Door remains open for dialogue with N. Korea: White House

WASHINGTON -- The US remains willing to meet with North Korea anywhere and anytime, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday. The spokeswoman noted the North, however, remains unresponsive to US overtures. "Well, we have left the door open and obviously reached out through our channels. I don't have an update for you in terms of any response to our offer," Psaki said in a daily press briefing, adding "(The) offer remains to meet anywhere, anytime without preconditions.&quo

Sept. 1, 2021

UN human rights experts send letter requesting S. Korea's position on controversial media bill

UN human rights experts have sent a letter requesting the South Korean government explain its position on a controversial media bill that calls for heavier punishments for fake news reports, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The experts' move came after local human rights advocate groups, including the Transitional Justice Working Group, lodged an appeal with UN special rapporteurs to voice concerns that the legislation, being pushed for by the ruling Democratic Party, could undermine freedo

Aug. 31, 2021