Russia's top diplomat to visit Seoul for talks on bilateral ties, peninsula issues

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was set to visit South Korea on Tuesday for talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong about bilateral relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other issues, officials said. Lavrov is expected to fly in here from China, where he made a two-day visit for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Lavrov last came to Seoul in 2013, when he accompanied Russian President Vladimir Putin on a trip. Before that, he traveled to Seoul in 2009, which

March 23, 2021

S. Korea's nuclear armament will only justify N. Korea's nuclear ambition: Vincent Brooks

Arming South Korea with its own nuclear weapons against threats from North Korea would only help justify the North's ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons, and thus making it impossible to denuclearize the North, a former commander of US Forces Korea said Monday. Vincent Brooks argued the US must instead periodically reaffirm its commitment to the joint defense of South Korea and strengthen its extended nuclear deterrence for South Korea. "My opinion is that the provision of nuclear weapons

March 23, 2021

US court action begins for N. Korean extradited by Malaysia: Justice Department

WASHINGTON -- Court proceedings began here Monday for a North Korean national suspected of money laundering, the US Department of Justice said. The suspect, Mun Chol-myong, "made his initial appearance today in federal court in the District of Columbia, where he was indicted on May 2, 2019," the department said in a press release. "The indictment further alleges that Mun was affiliated with the DPRK's primary intelligence organization, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is

March 23, 2021

US remains committed to denuclearizing N. Korea, engaging allies and partners: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States will continue to work closely with its allies and partners, including China and Russia, to denuclearize North Korea, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The White House adviser also said the North continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures for dialogue. "We have not yet heard directly from them through diplomatic channels," he said in an interview with MSNBC. The US earlier said it has reached out to North Korea through "

March 23, 2021

Vice FM Choi calls for world's commitment against racial discrimination

Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon called Monday for the world to reaffirm its commitment against racial discrimination amid concerns over a reported rise in anti-Asian sentiment related to the new coronavirus. Choi made the call in a pre-taped speech for the UNESCO Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination, as the Korean community in the United States mourns the deaths of four women of Korean descent killed in last week's shootings in Atlanta. "Given the recent upsurge of

March 22, 2021

[Herald Interview] Colombia eyes stronger ties with Korea in agriculture, culture, environment

For many South Koreans, coffee is the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Colombia.   　 As one of the largest coffee producers in the world, Colombia enjoys a presence in cafes here with fresh, high-quality coffee beans that feed this coffee-loving nation.   　 Along with coffee, there are many more areas where the two countries can share what they have to offer, said visiting high-ranking officials from Colombia last week. These include agriculture, trade, culture and

March 22, 2021

No S. Korean casualties in Japan earthquake: ministry

No South Korean casualties have been reported in a powerful earthquake that struck off northern Japan on Saturday, the foreign ministry said. The 6.9 magnitude quake occurred shortly after 6 p.m. off the coast of Miyagi prefecture, according to news reports. Its strength was revised downward from a magnitude of 7.2. "As of now we understand that there have been no casualties among our nationals," a ministry official said. "The ministry and the consulate general in Sendai immedi

March 21, 2021

Govt. expresses condolences over deaths of 4 ethnic Koreans in Atlanta shootings

The government expressed its condolences Saturday over the deaths of four women of Korean descent, including one South Korean national, in this week's shootings in Atlanta. In a statement issued by the foreign ministry's spokesman, the government said it expresses "deep condolences and profound consolation to the families" of the four who were shot dead by a gunman in the US city on Tuesday (local time). "Our government, in line with our firm and consistent position that such a

March 21, 2021

Gaps to fill in ‘ironclad’ alliance between Korea, US

South Korea and the US have held the first foreign policy talks since US President Joe Biden came to power, but the two allies fell far short of reaching consensus on the reason the US secretaries of state and defense flew to Asia in their first overseas travel: China and North Korea. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken labeled China authoritarian and a challenge that a democratic coalition should try pushing back, referring to its key allies in the region such as Korea and Japan. The two US s

March 19, 2021

S. Korea, US launch working-level policy dialogue

South Korea and the United States launched a new regular working-level dialogue Friday, aiming to deal with bilateral diplomatic and security issues in a "systematic and speedy" manner, the foreign ministry said. Koh Yun-ju, the ministry's director general for North American affairs, and Marc Knapper, deputy US assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, held the inaugural session of the Bilateral Policy Dialogue in Seoul. The launch came just a day after the allies held their

March 19, 2021

FM Chung holds talks with Costa Rican, Guatemalan counterparts on bilateral cooperation

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong held separate talks with his Costa Rican and Guatemalan counterparts in Seoul on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation, the foreign ministry said. Costa Rican Foreign Minister Rodolfo Solano Quiros and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Pedro Brolo Vila were in Seoul to attend the Korea-LAC Digital Cooperation Forum held earlier this week. LAC stands for Latin American and Caribbean countries. In the talks with the Costa Rican minister, Chung voiced hop

March 19, 2021

US Embassy flies flag at half-staff to honor victims of Atlanta shootings

Rob Rapson, charge d'affaires at the US Embassy in Seoul, said Friday that his embassy has flown the US flag at half-staff to honor the victims of this week's deadly shootings in Atlanta, including several women of Korean descent. The move came after US President Joe Biden on Thursday instructed all public facilities, including the White House and military installations, to honor the victims of deadly shootings by flying the flag at half-staff over the next five days. "The @USEmbassySeoul

March 19, 2021

Pentagon chief leaves S. Korea after three-day stay for security talks

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin left South Korea on Friday after a three-day visit for a series of meetings on alliance and North Korea issues, officials said. Austin arrived here Wednesday from Japan as part of his first Asia swing since taking office in January as President Joe Biden administration's first defense chief. "The last faces I'll see on this trip to the Republic of Korea are those of the service members here at Osan AB," Austin tweeted. The US Forces Korea's Osan

March 19, 2021

FM holds phone talks with US climate envoy on cooperation for carbon neutrality goal

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong spoke by phone Friday with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to discuss cooperation on their countries' joint efforts toward carbon neutrality, the foreign ministry said. Chung and Kerry agreed to strengthen cooperation in their countries' efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades and run communication channels in a "multilayered" manner to strengthen collaboration against climate change. "Minister Chung an

March 19, 2021

Blinken relishes spicy Korean tofu stew

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that he had the pleasure of eating spicy Korean tofu stew during his trip to Seoul this week, in an apparent show of affection for Korean cuisine and culture. On Thursday, Blinken wrapped up his two-day trip to Korea, which was part of the Joe Biden administration's first Cabinet-level overseas trip meant to highlight its priority to "reinvigorate and modernize" democratic alliances against a recalcitrant North Korea and an assertive China

March 19, 2021

Asia trip by Blinken, Austin successful, will help advance N. Korea policy: Knapper

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Japan and South Korea has provided a chance to hear from the allies about their interests and approaches to North Korea, which will help boost the chance of success in denuclearizing the North, a senior US official said Thursday. Marc Knapper, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, said the US remains realistic but will strive for success in ridding North Korea of its nuclear ambitions. "One of our goals is to try and increa

March 19, 2021

[Newsmaker] President Biden orders five-day mourning period for victims of Atlanta shootings

President Joe Biden on Thursday instructed all public facilities, including the White House and military installations, to honor the victims of deadly shootings in Atlanta by flying the US flag at half-staff over the next five days. The proclamation came shortly after the US president declared the shootings "un-American." "As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 16, 2021, in the Atlanta Metropolitan area ... I hereby order that

March 19, 2021

Russian FM Lavrov to visit Seoul next week for talks on bilateral ties, peninsula issues

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Seoul next week for talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on bilateral ties, Korean Peninsula issues and other matters, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Lavrov will arrive here on Tuesday for a three-day visit. His talks with Chung are set to take place on Thursday after the ministers attend a ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two countries. The anniversary

March 18, 2021

Moon vows efforts to improve Japan ties in talks with Biden aides

President Moon Jae-in made clear South Korea's resolve to improve strained ties with Japan in a bid to bolster trilateral security cooperation involving the United States, speaking directly to two top officials in the administration of President Joe Biden on Thursday. During a meeting here with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Moon said that the Seoul-Tokyo relationship is very important for regional peace, stability and prosperity and constitutes a "

March 18, 2021

Korea, US set NK nuclear, missile issue as priority for alliance

South Korea and the US on Thursday stressed that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile issues are a “priority” for the alliance, while Washington renewed pressure on Beijing to use its influence to convince Pyongyang to denuclearize.   　 The two allies issued a joint statement detailing the pledge, after the “two-plus-two” talks at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul earlier in the day, which involved South Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and De

March 18, 2021