Top diplomats of S. Korea, Vietnam hold talks on easing of COVID-19 entry curbs, bilateral ties

The top diplomats of South Korea and Vietnam held talks in Hanoi on Friday to discuss the easing of coronavirus entry restrictions for essential business travelers, bilateral ties and regional issues. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh, shared the understanding on the need to introduce a special entry procedure for businesspeople travelling between the two countries, the foreign ministry said. In particular, Minh noted that measures to allow South K

Sept. 18, 2020

S. Korea’s Yoo advances to second round in race for top post at WTO

South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has advanced to the second round in the race to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization.   The WTO announced the results of the first round of voting on Friday, selecting five of the eight candidates to proceed to the next round. They are Yoo, Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri from Saudi Arabia, Liam Fox from the UK, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria and Amina Mohamed from Kenya. Three other candidates -- from Egypt, Moldova and Mexico

Sept. 18, 2020

S. Korean scholar elected to UN Human Rights Committee

A South Korean expert on human rights has been elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee, the body that monitors civil and political rights, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.  Soh Chang-rok, a professor based at the Korea University Graduate School of International Studies, will serve a four-year term starting in 2021 as one of 18 individual experts on the committee, which oversees the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its member stat

Sept. 18, 2020

Mend Japan ties, Assembly ex-speakers urge

Former South Korean National Assembly speakers are urging Seoul and Tokyo to mend ties, saying that allowing bilateral relations to remain in their current state is detrimental to both countries. In an interview with a local diplomacy journal, four former National Assembly speakers -- Chung Ui-hwa, Moon Hee-sang, Lim Chae-jung and Kim Hyung-o, who served in the role between 2004 and 2020 -- said Korea-Japan relations must not be allowed to continue on their current course and proposed ways to

Sept. 17, 2020

S. Korea, US, Japan should work together against assertive China: Knapper

South Korea, the United States and Japan should work together to protect shared liberal values against Chinese threats undermining such principles, a US State Department official said Thursday. Marc Knapper, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, made the remark as he expressed hope for Seoul and Tokyo to mend their ties badly frayed over wartime history so as to promote trilateral cooperation for security in the region. "Our three countries share the values of freedo

Sept. 17, 2020

S. Korean Foreign Minister heads to Vietnam for talks on fast-track entry program

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Thursday left for Vietnam for talks with her counterpart there on introducing an expedited entry program for essential visitors from South Korea amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  “We will have to consult intensively. There still remain a lot of parts that need to be coordinated,” Kang told reporters at the Incheon International Airport as she departs for Hanoi for a two-day trip, when asked about the prospect of a fast-track entry pro

Sept. 17, 2020

S. Korea to hold ceremony to mark Philippines' participation in Korean War

South Korea will hold a ceremony this week to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Philippines' participation in the Korean War, the veterans affairs ministry said Thursday. The Southeast Asian country sent around 7,420 ground troops to help defend South Korea during the 1950-53 conflict, with the first batch arriving at a port in the southern city of Busan on Sept. 19, 1950, according to government data. It was the third country in the world to send troops after the United States and Brit

Sept. 17, 2020

Moon sends letter to Suga, is ready to talk with Japan anytime

South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a letter congratulating new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday, in which he made clear that Seoul is ready to hold dialogue with Tokyo anytime.  Moon is looking forward to a positive response from Suga, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.   In the letter, Moon suggested that they make joint efforts for the development of relations between the neighboring countries, Kang added.  The president is &q

Sept. 16, 2020

Moon meets ex-British prime minister, voices hope for closer Seoul-London ties

South Korean President Moon Jae-in had a meeting with former British Prime Minister Theresa May at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday and expressed hope for the two nations to continue forward-looking bilateral cooperation. He noted that Britain is a "core partner" that shares basic and universal values with South Korea, having dispatched many troops to help it fight against North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. This year, in particular, marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of th

Sept. 16, 2020

FM Kang asks Colombia to support S. Korean minister's bid for top WTO post

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha asked Colombia to support South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid for the top job at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Kang's office said Wednesday. Kang made the appeal during phone talks with her Colombian counterpart, Claudia Blum Capurro de Barberi, earlier in the day, saying that Yoo is the right person to take on the role of restoring multilateralism and to act as a bridge between developed and developing countries, the foreign ministry said in

Sept. 16, 2020

17% of S. Koreans have confidence in Trump: poll

Only 17 percent of South Koreans said they have confidence in US President Donald Trump, down from 46 percent last year in what was the sharpest on-year decline, among 13 countries surveyed, US think tank Pew Research Center said Tuesday. The 13 countries include Japan, Canada and 10 European countries. 　 The prolonged defense cost-sharing talks, in which South Korea is under pressure to accept a dramatic hike in its contribution toward the upkeep of the 28,500 American soldiers stationed her

Sept. 16, 2020

[News Analysis] No drastic change in Seoul-Tokyo ties expected under new PM Suga

Japan will see Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga sworn in as the country’s new leader Wednesday, but no major changes are expected in its soured relations with South Korea in the near future as Suga is expected to mostly carry forward the foreign policy of outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, analysts said Tuesday. 　 Suga, Abe’s longtime right-hand man, was chosen as head of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party Monday, making it all but certain that he will become Japa

Sept. 15, 2020

FM to visit Vietnam later this week

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit Vietnam later this week for talks with her counterpart about cooperation in coronavirus responses and other bilateral issues, her office said Tuesday. Kang will leave for Hanoi on Thursday and plans to hold talks with Vietnam's Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh the following day, the ministry said. "The ministers will discuss cooperation in coronavirus responses, ways to promote the two countries' strategic cooperation partnerships and regional

Sept. 15, 2020

US to 'positively consider' new dialogue channel with Seoul

The US will “positively consider” a new director-level dialogue with South Korea, a local news agency reported Tuesday, citing a US Department of State official. “VFM Choi and Deputy Secretary Biegun agreed that both governments should continue to take steps to strengthen the alliance,” a State Department spokesperson was quoted as saying by a local news agency. The news agency also quoted the spokesperson as saying that US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun agre

Sept. 15, 2020

S. Korea welcomes opening of Afghan-Taliban peace talks

South Korea on Monday welcomed the launch of negotiations between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban aimed at ending decades of war.  On Saturday, the two sides met in Qatar's capital of Doha for negotiations on a lasting ceasefire.  "Our government expects tangible results to be achieved at this negotiations to pave the way for peace and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region," foreign ministry spokesperson Kim In-chul said. Seoul will continue to take part in i

Sept. 14, 2020

S. Korea hails agreement normalizing Bahrain-Israel ties

South Korea welcomes an agreement reached between Bahrain and Israel to normalize their diplomatic relations, the foreign ministry said Monday. "The government welcomes the agreement between Bahrain and Israel to normalize their diplomatic relations, and we expect the agreement will contribute to stability and peace settlement in the region," ministry spokesperson Kim In-chul said. On Friday, Bahrain joined the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by announcing that it will sign a normaliza

Sept. 14, 2020

Seoul reaffirms launching new working-level talk with Washington in Oct.

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun on Saturday reaffirmed that Seoul and Washington are working to launch new working-level talks in October, ruling out speculation the two sides are in dissent over the matter.   　 Choi returned home Saturday from Washington, where he met US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and other US officials for talks on enhancing the alliance and other bilateral issues.   　 After the meeting, the Foreign Ministry here said the two sides agreed t

Sept. 13, 2020

Foreign ministry to set up own videoconferencing system for better security

The foreign ministry is pushing to build its own videoconference platform to improve security as virtual meetings continue across the world due to the new coronavirus pandemic, officials said Sunday. The ministry currently uses its intranet for talks with overseas missions but relies on private platforms for discussions with foreign governments or international organizations. "Before COVID-19, we talked in person, so there were no concerns over leakage through the internet, but now as ove

Sept. 13, 2020

Foreign ministry calls for continued presence of S. Korean peacekeeping unit in Lebanon, South Sudan

South Korea's foreign ministry on Friday called for its peacekeeping troops to continue their presence in Lebanon and South Sudan for its contribution to the global peace and other factors. Whether to extend the mandate of Dongmyung Unit in Lebanon and Hanbit Unit in South Sudan was discussed during a meeting of related government agencies, including the defense and the public administration ministries. "(The government) confirmed the need to extend their missions in consideration of rela

Sept. 11, 2020

S. Korea, Britain agree on closer cooperation to tackle climate change

South Korea and Britain agreed to forge closer cooperation to tackle climate change, Seoul's finance ministry said Friday. The agreement was reached during a telephone discussion between Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and British business minister Alok Sharma earlier in the day, the ministry said in a statement. Next year, Britain will host the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference and Sharma asked Hong to step up cooperation for a successful hosting of the conference, the ministry said.

Sept. 11, 2020