Indian Embassy gears up for International Day of Yoga

The Embassy of India in South Korea kicked off celebrations on Monday ahead of the seventh International Day of Yoga on June 21. In keeping with this year’s theme, “Be With Yoga, Be at Home,” embassy officials delivered a livestreamed message about the yogic way of life and its effects on physical and mental health. Emphasizing the significance of yoga amid the challenging times brought on by the pandemic and restrictions on social gatherings, Indian Ambassador to Korea Srip

June 15, 2021

Moon, CureVac CEO discuss vaccine partnership

VIENNA/SEOUL – President Moon Jae-in and German pharmaceutical company CureVac’s CEO Franz-Werner Hass discussed ways to bolster vaccine partnership during a virtual meeting Tuesday. No new deal was immediately disclosed. Their 20-minute videoconference came on the heels of Moon’s summit talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G-7 gathering in Cornwall, England on Saturday, during which the leaders agreed to seek synergy between Korea, the world’s second-

June 15, 2021

State academy chief calls Japan's cancellation of pull-aside between Moon, Suga 'discourtesy'

Japan committed a "discourtesy" by canceling agreed-upon talks between President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during the recent Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Britain, the head of South Korea's state diplomatic academy said Tuesday. Kim Joon-hyung, chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, also said on a local radio station that it is "diplomatically impolite" for Japan to press the South to accept its demands in a row over wartime forced

June 15, 2021

S. Korea extends pandemic-driven advisory against overseas travel until July 15

South Korea on Tuesday extended its special advisory against overseas travel for another month amid the continued spread of the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said. The measure, which calls for citizens to cancel or postpone trips abroad, will remain in effect until July 15. The current advisory was set to expire Tuesday. The extension came as many countries around the world continue to restrict the entry of people arriving from overseas amid the continued spread of COVID-19, the minist

June 15, 2021

US supports provision of COVID-19 vaccine to N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- The United States has no immediate plan to directly provide COVID-19 vaccine to North Korea but supports international efforts to assist the impoverished country cope with the pandemic, the State Department said Monday. "While we have no plans to provide vaccines to the DPRK, we continue to support international efforts aimed at the provision of critical humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable North Koreans," a department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency, asking not

June 15, 2021

NATO leaders call on N. Korea to engage in dialogue with US

WASHINGTON -- The United States and 29 other member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) urged North Korea on Monday to engage in "meaningful" dialogue with the US toward complete denuclearization. The leaders of the 30 NATO countries also called on North Korea to fully implement its international obligations while also calling on others to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) on North Korea. "We reiterate the Alliance's full support to

June 15, 2021

Moon becomes first Korean president to visit Austria

VIENNA/SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in and his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Van der Bellen, held a summit Monday to bolster ties as the 130th anniversary of bilateral relationship approaches next year. Moon, coming from the UK after attending the G-7 meeting over the weekend, arrived in Vienna on Sunday. He is the first Korean president to make a state visit to Austria since the two nations established ties in 1892. With the latest visit, the two nations agreed to elevate the relations

June 14, 2021

China not discussed at G-7 meetings South Korea took part in: vice FM

The issue of China did not come up during South Korea's discussions with the Group of Seven (G-7) countries last week, a senior foreign ministry official said Monday. Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon made the remark during a radio interview, dismissing speculation that attending the gathering in Britain put Seoul in an awkward position as it might appear that South Korea has chimed in with the G-7 countries on their unified front against an assertive China. In the joint communique i

June 14, 2021

Japan unilaterally broke plan for Moon-Suga meeting at G-7

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had agreed to hold talks on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in England, but Japan unilaterally called the meeting off, citing the Dokdo issue, according to the Foreign Ministry on Monday. 　 The two countries had tentatively decided for Moon and Suga to have a pull-aside meeting on the fringes of the summit, which was held Friday through Sunday at Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate in Cornwall, southwestern England, accordin

June 14, 2021

Japan unilaterally cancels plan for talks between Moon, Suga: official

Japan called off agreed-upon talks between President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during the Group of Seven (G-7) meeting in Britain due to Seoul's regular exercise to defend its easternmost islets of Dokdo, a foreign ministry official said Monday. Seoul and Tokyo had reached a tentative agreement to hold a "pull-aside" meeting between their leaders on the sidelines of the G-7 session in the seaside resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall, the official said. The thr

June 14, 2021

Ex-deputy foreign minister appointed as ambassador to Iran

Yun Kang-hyeon, a career diplomat known for his expertise on bilateral, multilateral, political and economic affairs, was appointed as new South Korean ambassador to Iran, the foreign ministry said Monday. While serving as the deputy minister for economic affairs from 2017-2020, Yun was in charge of the negotiations with Tehran over Iranian funds frozen at South Korean banks due to US sanctions. Yun had until recently served as ambassador for international relations in the central province of

June 14, 2021

Meeting Suga at G-7 'precious' occasion for new beginning in S. Korea-Japan relations: Moon

President Moon Jae-in has shared his thoughts on meeting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in person for the first time at the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Britain, describing the experience as "precious" in terms of potentially improving the two nations' frayed bilateral relationship. On Saturday, Moon "exchanged greetings" with Suga just before the start of an expanded session of the G-7 summit at Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate in Cornwall, Britain, according to Cheo

June 14, 2021

Moon arrives in Austria for state visit

VIENNA -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Vienna on Sunday for a three-day state visit after attending the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Britain. He became the first South Korean president to travel to Austria officially since the two sides established diplomatic ties in 1892. He plans to have summit talks Monday with President Alexander Van der Bellen and hold a meeting with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on improving bilateral relations. Kurz made a trip to South Korea in 2019. Mo

June 14, 2021

G-7 welcomes Washington’s diplomacy towards Pyongyang: communique

The Group of Seven nations on Sunday issued a joint statement calling for the complete denuclearization of North Korea, while welcoming the commitment of Washington under President Joe Biden to engage with Pyongyang through diplomacy. In a joint communique adopted at this year’s G-7 summit in the southwestern British county of Cornwall, the countries called for the complete denuclearization of North Korea and urged Pyongyang to give up its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missil

June 13, 2021

Moon, Macron discuss bilateral cooperation in cutting-edge technology industries

The leaders of South Korea and France on Sunday shared hopes to strengthen bilateral cooperation in cutting-edge technology industries, such as semiconductors and electric vehicles, Cheong Wa Dae said. President Moon Jae-in met with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in the southwestern British county of Cornwall. During the 45 minute “pull aside” meeting, the two leaders shared their countries' measures against the coronavirus pa

June 13, 2021

Moon holds summit talks with British PM

South Korean President Moon Jae-in had separate talks here Sunday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the host of a Group of Seven summit. They noted that the two countries are maintaining close political and economic cooperation even after the so-called Brexit, Moon’s office said. They agreed to keep working together in various sectors, including trade and investment, as the bilateral free trade agreement took effect as of Jan. 1, it added. The two shared the view that the equit

June 13, 2021

Moon meets Suga at G-7, but bilateral session not in the cards

CORNWALL, England/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in exchanged greetings with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday at the G-7 summit in the UK. But a separate session does not appear to be in the cards this time, amid speculation that the two leaders might get together for a bilateral meeting or a trilateral one with the US. 　 Moon and Suga “exchanged greetings” just before the start of an expanded session of the G-7 summit at Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate

June 13, 2021

‘G-7 invitation signifies Korea’s elevated status’

CORNWALL, England/SEOUL -- Korea’s invitation to the G-7 summit signifies that it has risen to the ranks among developed countries standing shoulder to shoulder with global leaders, Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday. The Group of Seven is an organization of leaders from some of the world’s biggest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The G-7 members meet annually to discuss global issues and coordinate policies.    Ho

June 13, 2021

Moon pledges $200 million to tackle global COVID-19 vaccine shortage

SEOUL/CORNWALL, England -- South Korea will provide $200 million in aid through next year to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in lower-income countries, President Moon Jae-in said Saturday. During a plenary session on health during a Group of Seven summit, Moon vowed to offer $100 million in grants this year, according to a statement from the presidential office. Another $100 million will be provided next year through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, a financing framework estab

June 13, 2021

Top diplomats of S. Korea, US reaffirm peninsula denuke goal, cooperation on vaccines, Myanmar

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States have reaffirmed the goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and agreed to deepen cooperation on vaccine distribution and Myanmar, the foreign ministry said Sunday. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, held talks on the margins of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Britain on Saturday to discuss an array of issues, including follow-up measures to last month' summit between Presidents Mo

June 13, 2021