Foreign ministry considering raising travel alert for India amid virus surges

The foreign ministry said Friday it is considering raising the travel alert for India amid a massive spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. The ministry is considering raising the alert by one notch to "red," recommending South Koreans leave India unless there are essential reasons, officials said. "We are closely watching the situation in India and reviewing measures and what we can do," an official said when asked about the possibility of raising the travel advisory. Th

April 30, 2021

Moon to hold first summit with Biden on May 21: Cheong Wa Dae

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden will hold their first summit talks in Washington on May 21, the allies announced Friday. Moon is scheduled to visit the US capital for the one-on-one summit to be held at the White House at Biden's invitation, according to Chung Man-ho, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication. He said the leaders' decision to hold an in-person summit despite the "difficult" situations attributable to the

April 30, 2021

S. Korea calls for speedy shipment of Pfizer vaccine from EU

South Korea's trade ministry said Thursday it has requested the European Union to continue to lend a hand for the stable shipment of COVID-19 vaccines made in the region without delay, as Seoul moves to speed up its inoculation program. Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee made the request to Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis of the European Commission, along with Belgium Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes, during her two-day trip to Brussels from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the Ministry

April 29, 2021

FM Chung to attend G7 ministerial talks in London next week

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will attend an in-person Group of Seven (G7) ministerial meeting in Britain next week to discuss access to COVID-19 vaccines, climate change and other global issues, a ministry official said Thursday. The first face-to-face gathering of G7 foreign and development ministers in over two years is set to take place in London from Monday to Wednesday. Though not party to the group, South Korea, Australia, India, South Africa and Brunei, the chair of the Association of

April 29, 2021

Biden pledges to work with allies to address NK threats through

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden said Wednesday he will work with allies to address threats from North Korea and Iran through "diplomacy" and "stern deterrence." Biden made the remark during his first address to a joint session of Congress, calling the nuclear programs of Pyongyang and Tehran "a serious threat to America's security and world security." "We are going to be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countr

April 29, 2021

USTR says type of settlement between LG, SK is what US needs

The US Trade Representative (USTR) on Wednesday welcomed the recent settlement of a dispute between two South Korean electric vehicle battery makers as the type of trade policy the United States needs to create jobs and support innovation. Katherine Tai also said the settlement enhances US confidence in the two South Korean companies as suppliers. "The settlement is the type of trade policy I believe we need: it supports a larger strategy for creating jobs and investing in innovation and

April 29, 2021

US may consider waiving patents for COVID-19 vaccines: White House

The United States may consider waiving the intellectual property (IP) rights of its COVID-19 vaccines to help expedite global production, the White House said Tuesday, amid a global shortage of what many countries consider to be safer and more effective vaccines produced here in the US. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, however, said no decision has been made. "We have to evaluate whether it's more effective to manufacture here and provide, supply to the world, or the IP waiver is an opt

April 28, 2021

Korea-US summit to mark new diplomatic milestone for Biden: US official

The upcoming summit between President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, will mark another diplomatic milestone for the US president, a senior US official said Tuesday, highlighting the emphasis the Biden administration places on US alliances. "We have a few upcoming milestones that are worth noting. We have the visit, next bilateral in-person visit with the Republic of Korea," the US administration official said in a telephonic press conference, requesting anony

April 28, 2021

US-S. Korea alliance must begin with respect, understanding: Moon's aide

A new South Korea-US alliance must begin with increased understanding and mutual respect, a close ally of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday, insisting the United States must understand why Seoul has no choice but to be patient and seek to peacefully denuclearize North Korea. "One of the key things the 'returned America' should be different in is that an alliance must begin faithfully from values that both sides must respect as allies," Yang Jung-chul said in a paper post

April 28, 2021

Govt. holds preparatory meeting for P4G summit

The government held a meeting Tuesday to discuss preparations for an international summit on climate change and sustainable development, which South Korea will host late next month. Officials from the foreign, environment, finance and trade ministries and other agencies attended the sixth preparatory session for the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals summit to be held virtually from May 30-31, the foreign ministry said. In the meeting, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong underscored

April 27, 2021

‘Japan’s NRA should share information transparently, promptly’ on wastewater release

Japan announced on April 13 that it will release the contaminated water that has been stored at the Fukushima nuclear power station site into the ocean. Soon after the announcement, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the nuclear regulatory agency of Korea, expressed strong concern together with other ministries, including the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Science and Technology, and

April 27, 2021

Seoul protests Japan’s renewed Dokdo claims

The Foreign Ministry called in a Japanese diplomat Tuesday to protest Tokyo’s renewed territorial claims over South Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo in its annual foreign policy paper. The 2021 diplomatic blue book, an analysis of last year’s international affairs and record of Japan’s diplomatic activities, was the first issued under Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide, who took office in September. The ministry expressed regret to Hirohisa Soma, deputy chief of

April 27, 2021

Trilateral cooperation with China, Japan at crossroads of 'leap or stagnation': vice FM

Trilateral cooperation among South Korea, China and Japan is at a "crossroads between a leap or stagnation," Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon said Tuesday, hoping that the neighboring countries will work together to move their relationships forward. Choi made the remark during an event to mark the founding of the Seoul-based Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat set up by the three countries to facilitate cooperation in a region long plagued by tensions over history and other

April 27, 2021

FM offers condolences over Indonesia's submarine sinking

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong offered condolences to the families of the crew members killed in last week's deadly sinking of an Indonesian submarine off the island of Bali, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala 402 with 53 people on aboard went missing last week while conducting a training exercise.Its military on Sunday declared all 53 crew members dead after it found its wreckage broken into three pieces at the bottom of the sea. "Foreign Minister

April 27, 2021

US to provide up to 10m AstraZeneca vaccine doses to other countries in coming weeks: White House

WASHINGTON --  The United States is expected to provide up to 10 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to other countries in the coming weeks if and when the US Food Drug Administration (FDA) confirms its safety, the White House said Monday. Spokesperson Jen Psaki made the remark as South Korea and other countries have been calling for US help in addressing vaccine shortages. South Korean officials said they were trying to reach a "vaccine swap" deal with the US. "

April 27, 2021

US support for India strictly humanitarian: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States' support for India to deal with its latest spike in the COVID-19 outbreak is strictly based on humanitarian and health considerations, a State Department spokesman said Monday, dismissing views that the US may be choosing to help India over others for political reasons. Ned Price also argued the US support for India largely aims to contain the virus from further affecting the United States and other countries. "It certainly goes without saying that India is

April 27, 2021

Belgian ambassador says wife will soon turn up for police probe over assault incident

Belgian Ambassador to Seoul Peter Lescouhier on Monday notified government officials here that his wife will soon turn up to face a police investigation over an assault incident. Police have been looking into allegations that Lescouhier's wife slapped an apparel store employee in the face and another employee in the back of her head early this month. The employees had asked the wife if she paid for the clothes she was wearing at the time because the shop was selling the same apparel. The ambas

April 26, 2021

S. Korea welcomes ASEAN leaders' call for end to Myanmar violence

South Korea on Monday welcomed the joint statement by Southeast Asian leaders that called for an end to violence in Myanmar and pursuit of a peaceful solution. Nine of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations issued the statement under the name of its secretary general after a summit in Indonesia, demanding its member Myanmar immediately end civilian killings that began after its military seized power in a coup in early February. The statement came as Myanmar's military leader Seni

April 26, 2021

S. Korea to partially lift ban on UK flights from May

South Korea will lift a ban on direct flights from Britain on a limited basis from next month for the convenience of Korean residents living in the European nation, the transport ministry said Monday. South Korea has banned passenger flights arriving from Britain since Dec. 23 to block a more transmissible virus variant that was first identified there. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will allow one direct flight a week by South Korea's two full-service carriers from

April 26, 2021

Pope expresses willingness to visit N. Korea

VATICAN -- Pope Francis has expressed his willingness again to visit North Korea as he sympathized with the Korean people long separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, a senior South Korean bishop said Monday. The pope made the remarks during a meeting in the Vatican with Lazarus You Heung-sik, who heads the Daejeon diocese, saying the Korean people have been suffering the pain of living separated for 70 years, the bishop told Yonhap News Agency. The pope said he will visit North Korea if relevant

April 26, 2021