Defense chief vows to strengthen solidarity with France

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik vowed Friday to strengthen solidarity with France and other countries that share common values at an event commemorating France's national day, his office said. Shin made the pledge during the Bastille Day ceremony organized by the French Embassy in Seoul and the French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Sebitseom artificial islands on the Han River in Seoul, according to the ministry. This year's Bastille Day falls on Sunday. "The Repub

July 12, 2024

S. Korea appeals tribunal order to pay $32m to US hedge fund

South Korea has filed an appeal against a ruling by a Hague-based arbitration court ordering it to pay $32 million to a US hedge fund to compensate for its intervention in the merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015, the Justice Ministry said Thursday. The appeal to the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration follows the tribunal’s decision in April to side with Mason Capital Management, though the compensation ordered was much less than the $200 million the hedge fund had sought. Ma

July 11, 2024

Yoon arrives in Washington to attend high-stakes NATO Summit

WASHINGTON -- President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Washington on Wednesday to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit with a strong message against North Korea's military cooperation with Russia amid the prolonged war in Ukraine. South Korea was invited to the NATO summit for the third consecutive year as one of the Indo-Pacific partners, alongside Japan, Australia and New Zealand. During his two-day stay, Yoon is expected to have a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from ov

July 10, 2024

'Anything' South Korea can do for Ukraine's defense ability will be 'warmly welcomed': NATO official

"Anything" that South Korea can provide to help strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities will be "warmly welcomed," a senior NATO official said Tuesday, stressing the "strategic" implications of Russia's war in Ukraine for both Europe and Asia. The official made the remarks as Seoul has said it would reconsider its policy ban on the provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine following last month's summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North

July 10, 2024

Central Asian envoys mark travel book publication

The ambassadors of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum Secretariat marked the publication of a travel book titled "Central Asia 3 Countries" on July 2. Authored by Seo Byung-yong and Go Soo-youl, the book comprehensively introduces Islamic architecture, the Silk Road and popular dishes like plov and lagman to Korean travelers. It also provides lists of must-buy items and specialized itineraries, including a travel course for women traveling a

July 9, 2024

[Hello India] India highlights growing defense industry

The Indian Embassy in Seoul highlighted the country’s growing defense sector at a seminar held Thursday to explore defense industry cooperation between the two countries. Indian Ambassador to South Korea Amit Kumar said there has been a steady increase in defense cooperation and such bilateral exchange will be expanded under the common goal of securing peace in the region. At the 10th ROK-India Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in March 2024, India and Korea committed to advancing the second

July 9, 2024

Yoon arrives in Hawaii to begin US trip focused on security

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Hawaii on Monday to kick off his trip to the United States focused on bolstering South Korea's security against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. Yoon will stay in Honolulu for two days ahead of his visit to Washington, DC, to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit Wednesday and Thursday. Upon arrival, Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and laid wreaths in honor of veter

July 9, 2024

NATO is 'not expanding' into Indo-Pacific: US official

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is not expanding into the Indo-Pacific, but it has a "wide" opportunity for greater cooperation with South Korea and other regional partners, a senior US official said Monday. Ambassador Michael Carpenter, senior advisor for Europe at the White House National Security Council, made the remarks as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and the leaders of Japan, Australia and New Zealand have been invited to the NATO summit set to take place in Washin

July 9, 2024

Egypt marks 72nd National Day in Seoul

The Egyptian embassy in Seoul celebrated the country’s 72nd National Day on Friday, commemorating the 1952 Egyptian Revolution that reestablished the country as a modern republic. Celebrating the day which falls on July 23, Egyptian Ambassador to Korea Khaled Abdel Rahman emphasized the potential for synergy between Cairo and Seoul, highlighting the opportunities for collaboration across political, economic and cultural domains, promoting mutual benefits and cooperation. "Together we

July 8, 2024

Oman participates Seoul book fair as country in spotlight

Oman was the "Spotlight Country" at the Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) held from June 25-30. The event coincided with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Oman and Korea. Delivering remarks at the event, Omani Ambassador Zakariya Hamed Hilal Al Saadi highlighted the publication of the book "Oman: A Long History of Friendship and Cooperation with Korea," by Lee Hee-soo. The book, written in both Korean and Arabic, underlines Oman-Korea cultural exchanges

July 8, 2024

Expectations grow for S. Korea-US cooperation in military logistics, MRO

Beyond their trade in flashy weapons, South Korea and the United States appear to be headed for close cooperation in a lesser-known, yet crucial defense area: military logistics and maintenance particularly in the event of a regional crisis. Seoul and Washington signed an arrangement in November to prioritize the supply of defense materials and goods to each other. They have also been seeking to ink a reciprocal defense procurement agreement designed to curtail trade barriers. The efforts on suc

July 6, 2024

NATO summit to discuss with Indo-Pacific partners resilience, cybersecurity, disinformation: U.S. official

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its Indo-Pacific partners, including South Korea, plan to discuss resilience, support for Ukraine, disinformation, cybersecurity and emerging technologies during their summit in Washington next week, a senior U.S. administration official said Friday. The NATO summit is set to take place in the US capital from Tuesday through Thursday. The leaders of the alliance's four Indo-Pacific partners (IP4) -- South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan --

July 6, 2024

FM highlights importance of 'mutually considerate' attitude in bilateral ties with Japan

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul stressed the importance of a mutually considerate attitude in bilateral ties with Japan as he met with the country's new ambassador to South Korea, Koichi Mizushima, on Friday, Cho's office said. In their meeting, Cho said the two countries should wisely manage pending issues by putting themselves in each other's shoes to bolster the positive flow in bilateral ties as Seoul and Tokyo are set to mark the 60th anniversary of normalizing their ties next y

July 5, 2024

Yoon to attend NATO summit in Washington, visit Indo-Pacific Command

President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington next week and visit the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, the presidential office announced Friday. Principal deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo informed reporters that President Yoon would arrive in Washington on Wednesday to meet leaders of NATO member countries and the NATO leadership. The discussions will focus on the war in Ukraine and the cooperation between the transatlantic secu

July 5, 2024

Xi, Putin-led Eurasian club pledges new global order, stronger security

ASTANA, Kazakhstan – In a display of unity, leaders of Eurasian countries pledged Thursday to strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's goal of shaping a new world order and to enhance security cooperation amid global geopolitical turbulence. At the SCO summit in Astana, chaired by Kazakhstan, leaders from the 10 member countries, including Russia and China, agreed that the organization was imperative in shaping a new multipolar world to move away from the current Western-led

July 5, 2024

[From the Scene] Eurasian titans gather in Astana for growing regional summit led by Putin, Xi

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- The leaders of Eurasian titans convened in Astana on Thursday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, spearheaded by China and Russia as they aim for a multipolar world order, while ceremoniously welcoming Belarus as the newest member of the SCO. Hosted by Kazakhstan, the summit spotlighted a growing alignment among members of the economic, defense-oriented and security bloc — many of which oppose a West-led global order — amid escalating geopolitical

July 4, 2024

Kazakhstan willing to share nuclear disarmament expertise with N. Korea

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Kazakhstan is willing to share its nuclear disarmament expertise with North Korea, emphasizing its own journey of voluntarily relinquishing nuclear weapons inherited from the Soviet Union and subsequently achieving substantial economic growth, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko said Wednesday. "We want to help in whichever way we can, in a modest way, I should say, to help ease these tensions and provide our expertise," Vassilenko said whe

July 4, 2024

FM Cho voices hope for stronger ties with Luxembourg as embassy opens in S. Korea

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed hope Wednesday that South Korea and Luxembourg will further deepen their relations going forward as the European nation launched its embassy in Seoul, his office said. Cho made the remark during the talks with Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who doubles as the country's foreign minister, in Seoul, congratulating him on Luxembourg's official opening of its embassy in South Korea, the foreign ministry said. Cho said South Kore

July 3, 2024

N. Korea's sending of trash-filled balloons is 'form of soft terrorism': CSIS report

North Korea's obnoxious sending of trash-filled balloons to South Korea is a "form of soft terrorism," a US think tank report said Tuesday, stressing it should not be taken lightly though it reflects the recalcitrant regime's "weakness" and "insecurity." Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Andy Lim, an associate fellow with the CSIS Korea Chair, released the report that analy

July 3, 2024

Vietnam PM lauds Korean investments

Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh lauded South Korean investments for driving Vietnam's economic development. Speaking at a business forum on Monday in Seoul, the prime minister highlighted Korea's position as the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. "Korea is the largest investor among the 146 countries investing in Vietnam, with more than $87 billion in over 10,000 projects. We highly value the contribution of Korean companies to Vietnam’s economic and social d

July 2, 2024