Summit of two loners: Kim breaks seclusion with Putin by his side

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared solemn in the early hours Wednesday as he stood solo on the red carpet laid out at the airport in Pyongyang for the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was making his first visit to the country in 24 years. Putin, who is in the habit of arriving fashionably late to meetings with world leaders, touched down in Pyongyang some three hours later than planned, at well past 2 a.m. After landing at the Pyongyang airport, the Russian president joined

June 19, 2024

Uzbek envoy to Korea passes away

Uzbek Ambassador to Korea Vitaly Fen died Tuesday in Uzbekistan, the embassy in Seoul confirmed. He was 77. Fen, a Koryoin, an ethnic Korean of the former Soviet Union, was the longest-serving top diplomat in Seoul who continued his mission as Uzbek ambassador since 1999. He was a Korea specialist, as he served his diplomatic mission for 14 years from 1999 to 2013. He began his second mission in Seoul in 2017 and continued his service until his death. Previously, he received the Order of Fidokor

June 19, 2024

Research center for Israel studies opens in Seoul

A research center dedicated to Israeli studies opened Tuesday under the Seoul National University, becoming the first such academic institution in South Korea. Amb. Akiva Tor, Israeli envoy to South Korea, said in an opening ceremony on this day that the center’s launch “marks an auspicious beginning.” Israel Education Research Center will be “the first academic center in Korean higher education dedicated to the study of Jewish civilization and Israeli society,” he

June 18, 2024

S. Korean, Chinese senior officials convene in Seoul amid Putin's NK trip

South Korea and China held a high-level diplomatic and security dialogue on Tuesday in Seoul, elevating the talks from the director-general to the vice-ministerial level based on an agreement between their leaders, reflecting an atmosphere of thawing ties. The "Korea-China Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue" commenced at 3 p.m. for the first time since 2015 at a critical juncture, coinciding with the first day of Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to Pyongyang, his

June 18, 2024

Putin expected to visit Liberation Tower, attend concert in Pyongyang

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit a monument honoring the former Soviet war dead, attend a concert and have tea with his North Korean counterpart during his first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years, reports said Tuesday. As Putin is scheduled to arrive in the capital on Tuesday evening, most of the main events, including meetings with Kim, are to be held Wednesday, Russia's state-run news agency Tass said, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The Russian leader is set to visit

June 18, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold industry ministerial meeting next week

South Korea, the United States, and Japan plan to hold a trilateral industry ministerial meeting in Washington next week, a government official said Tuesday, with possible agenda items including ways to maintain a stable supply chain and address China's trade policies. The meeting, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, comes as the three countries' leaders agreed to hold industrial ministerial meetings regularly during a summit at Camp David in Maryland in August. "A meeting among In

June 18, 2024

FM Cho to chair cybersecurity meeting at UN Security Council

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will chair an open debate at the UN Security Council on Thursday to underscore the significant impacts of cyber threats on international peace and security, including North Korea’s cryptocurrency theft that endangers the nonproliferation regime, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul announced Monday. South Korea will host an open debate to be broadcast live, allowing all UN members to participate, as the "signature event" of its presidency at the

June 17, 2024

Korea, China to hold first diplomatic security dialogue since 2015

South Korea and China are set to hold a high-level diplomatic and security dialogue on Tuesday in Seoul, elevating the talks from the director-general level for the first time in nine years, the South Korean Foreign Ministry announced Monday. "The upcoming 'Korea-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue' will be held following the agreement between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang to actively operate communication channels in the diplomatic and security fields be

June 17, 2024

Tajikistan calls for accelerated water action

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan -- Leaders, experts and policymakers called for urgent action to address water challenges at the Third Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference held in Tajikistan's capital of Dushanbe last week. Held June 10-13, the conference was part of a biennial series co-organized by the government of Tajikistan, the United Nations and the European Union to support the International Decade for Action under the theme, “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028,” and

June 17, 2024

S. Korea expresses commitment to continuing aid to Ukraine at peace summit

South Korea expressed its commitment to continuing aid to war-torn Ukraine at an international peace summit in Switzerland last weekend, the Office for Government Policy Coordination said. Government Policy Coordination Minister Bang Ki-seon attended the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Saturday and Sunday, as South Korea's chief representative, according to his office. Bang told a meeting Sunday that as a global pivotal state, South Korea has continued to express

June 17, 2024

S. Korea calls on Japan to address 'entire history' of Sado mine in UNESCO Heritage application

South Korea on Friday urged Japan to address the "entire history" of a gold mine complex linked to wartime forced labor of Koreans in its application as a UNESCO World Heritage site, after Tokyo accepted an international recommendation to revise the submission. Last week, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, an advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, recommended referring the nomination of the Sado mine back to Japan, calling for more explanation over the ent

June 14, 2024

Yoon arrives in Uzbekistan for final leg of Central Asia trip

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Tashkent on Thursday for talks with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev on boosting bilateral economic ties. The summit talks scheduled for Friday will mark the culmination of his three-nation Central Asia tour, which also included visits to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. On the first day, Yoon plans to meet the young generation of Uzbekistan, visit the Independence Monument in the capital city of Tashkent and hold a dinner meeting with ethnic Koreans in the

June 13, 2024

Seoul says Putin to visit N. Korea 'in a few days'

ASTANA, Kazakhstan/SEOUL -- The South Korean presidential office said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, widely interpreted by observers as a key moment to bolster military and security cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and other shifting geopolitical dynamics. "President Putin's visit to North Korea will take place in a few days," a senior South Korean presidential official confirmed t

June 13, 2024

[Contribution] Uzbekistan-Republic of Korea: commitment to centuries-old ties, special strategic partnership

By the Uzbekistan Embassy in Seoul President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol will pay a state visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on June 13-15, 2024. Established on Jan. 29, 1992, Uzbek-South Korean relations have become an example of successful cooperation between the two countries in various fields. In more than thirty years of interaction, the relations have developed and strengthened, passing through several key milestones. In 2006, the Joint Decla

June 13, 2024

Yoon calls for broadening economic cooperation with Kazakhstan

ASTANA -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that South Korea and Kazakhstan need to broaden the scope of economic ties beyond their traditional focus on the automotive and resource sectors to include critical mineral supply chains and infrastructure projects. During a bilateral business forum held as part of his state visit to Kazakhstan, Yoon underlined the need for expanding the areas of economic cooperation to better complement each other's industries. "Since the establishmen

June 12, 2024

S. Korea, Cuba agree to open embassies soon

South Korea and Cuba held their first high-level talks in Seoul since the establishment of diplomatic ties in February, with a focus on expanding cooperation across various fields, including the economy, regional and global matters, and the opening of embassies, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. South Korea’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won met with Carlos Miguel Pereira, Director-General of the General Division of Bilateral Affairs at the Cuban Foreign Mini

June 12, 2024

S. Korea, Kazakhstan set for summit to discuss cooperation on minerals, infrastructure

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev were set to hold summit talks Wednesday to discuss strengthening cooperation in the supply chain of critical minerals, infrastructure development and other areas. Yoon began his three-day state visit to Kazakhstan on Tuesday, the second leg of his Central Asia trip following his stop in Turkmenistan. At the talks, the two leaders plan to discuss ways of further advancing economic ties, particularly in resources and infrastructure

June 12, 2024

NK leader sends message to Putin marking Russia's national day

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of its national day, the North's state media reported Tuesday, amid growing speculation that Putin would visit Pyongyang soon. Kim sent "a message of greeting" to Putin, which was "courteously conveyed" by the North's Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol to an official of the Russian foreign ministry, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The KCNA d

June 11, 2024

S. Korea welcomes UN Security Council's adoption of resolution for ceasefire in Gaza

South Korea's foreign ministry on Tuesday welcomed the UN Security Council's adoption of a United States-led ceasefire plan for the war in Gaza. On Monday, the council approved the first resolution endorsing a ceasefire proposal presented by US President Joe Biden, which calls for ending the months-long war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. "South Korea expects all parties concerned to immediately accept the proposal and fully implement it upon the UNSC's adoption of the reso

June 11, 2024

[Bridge to Africa] Egypt aims to strengthen ties with Korea on digital capacity building, AI

Egypt aims to boost cooperation with Korea in digital capacity-building, artificial intelligence, electronics design and manufacturing, according to the Egyptian minister in charge of communication and information technology. Speaking with The Korea Herald on Wednesday, Minister Amr Talaat expressed optimism about creating synergy with ICT potentials between the two nations, after a forum held on the sidelines of the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit last week where he met his South Korean counterpa

June 11, 2024