Azerbaijan marks Independence Day, seeks climate action with S. Korea

The Azerbaijan Embassy said it hopes to join hands with South Korea on climate action while marking its Independence Day in Seoul on Wednesday. The annual event commemorates the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on May 28, 1918, which ended nearly two centuries of Iranian and Russian rule and marked the restoration of Azerbaijan's statehood. "It (Azerbaijan) was the first republic ever in the entire Muslim world. It granted its female citizens the right to vote, ahead

May 27, 2024

Tajikistan builds solar panel production with Korean investment

Tajikistan, with substantial support from South Korea, started its first solar panel production facility in the Danghara Free Economic Zone on Saturday, according to the Tajik Embassy in Seoul. The project spearheaded by the Korean company Global Solar Wafer, is set to unfold in four stages investing $2 billion and boosting local employment in Tajikistan, the embassy said. The facility is also expected to provide over 8,000 jobs, it added. In a move to woo foreign investment in the country, the

May 27, 2024

Indian embassy to hold festivities for Yoga day

The Indian Embassy in Seoul will hold festivities across the country to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, slated for June 21. The International Day of Yoga was designated by the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 69/131 and received endorsement from a record 175 member states in 2014. Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the 10th International Day of Yoga on Thursday, Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar introduced yoga as an ancient heritage from India, that embodies th

May 27, 2024

China's use of 'denuclearization' in summit statement significant despite dilution: Seoul

The South Korean government on Monday underscored the significance of China's consent to include the phrase "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in the joint summit declaration released earlier in the day, given the shifts in the geopolitical landscape including growing US-China rivalry and Beijing's deliberate avoidance of explicitly mentioning the phrase. The joint declaration followed the first trilateral summit in around 4 1/2 years, hosted in Seoul, where South Kor

May 27, 2024

[Africa Forum] Korea-Africa summit to open new chapter in ties: AGA dean, Herald president

As South Korea and African countries combat threats from existing global economic risks and the climate crisis, the upcoming Korea-Africa Summit will serve as an opportunity to open a new chapter in ties, the dean of the African Group of Ambassadors and the president of the Herald Media Group said Thursday. “Through the upcoming (first-ever) Korea-Africa Summit (scheduled for June 4-5), the relations between South Korea and Africa will enter a completely new chapter from where it stands no

May 26, 2024

[Africa Forum] Korean, Tanzanian students paint future of co-prosperity

Students from South Korea and Tanzania stressed the importance of achieving a sustainable future through co-prosperity at the Africa Day 2024 Korea Business Forum held Thursday. Pearl Mavura, a 15-year-old student from Tanzania, and Ra Jian, a 16-year-old student attending an international school here, took turns expressing their hopes for a better future, in line with the potential partnership that could form through the upcoming Korea-Africa Summit scheduled June 4-5. Mavura kicked off her spe

May 26, 2024

[Africa Forum] Korea-Africa forum explores pathways to prosperity

Exploring the importance of the Korea-Africa partnership amidst global challenges and its potential for mutual prosperity, the African Group of Ambassadors in Seoul and Herald Media Group, co-hosted Africa Day 2024 Korea Business Forum on Thursday. Under the slogan, "When African Possibilities Meet Korean Capabilities," the event was held in anticipation of an inaugural summit that the South Korean government is set to host in June 4-5 with African countries in Seoul, and also to celeb

May 26, 2024

[Africa Forum] Korea ready to be Africa’s partner in success: Seoul vice FM

South Korea is committed to making the June summit with Africa a success, and ready to share its experiences of growth and development with African countries, Seoul’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun said at a forum hosted by the African Group of Ambassadors and the Korea Herald on Thursday. Speaking at the Africa Day 2024 Korea Business Forum, he opened his congratulatory remarks by thanking the hosts for holding “this significant event” that took place less than

May 26, 2024

6 S. Koreans evacuated from New Caledonia amid unrest: foreign ministry

Six South Korean nationals have been safely evacuated from New Caledonia amid recent riots in the country, the foreign ministry said Sunday. The ministry said six individuals left the French Pacific territory via airplane with assistance from the French government. "The South Korean government will continue to ensure the safety of its nationals in New Caledonia," the ministry said. New Caledonia is currently experiencing severe political unrest due to conflicts between pro-French suppo

May 26, 2024

Austin to attend trilateral talks with South Korean, Japanese counterparts in Singapore: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will attend a trilateral meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on the margins of an annual security forum in Singapore slated to begin next week, the Pentagon said Friday. Austin will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue set to take place from May 31-June 2, during which he will join the three-way meeting with the Asian allies, and bilateral meetings with China's Minister of National Defense Adm. Dong Jun and other counterparts, ac

May 25, 2024

Ex-US diplomat notes Trump's apparent distrust toward N. Korean leader in FP interview

WASHINGTON -- Former President Donald Trump viewed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as someone who would "knife" him in the stomach if there was a chance to do so, a former US diplomat said in a media interview released this week. In a recent interview with Foreign Policy, Gordon Sondland, who served as Trump's top envoy to the European Union from 2018-2020, made the revelation, drawing a stark contrast with the former president's repeated claim that he "got along very we

May 25, 2024

S. Korea sanctions N. Koreans, Russian ships for illicit arms, oil trades

The South Korean government announced Friday sanctions against two North Korean individuals and two Russian ships involved in illicit arms and oil trades with Russia, contravening UN Security Council resolutions, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. Rim Yong-hyok was blacklisted for his involvement in weapons trading between Russia and North Korea while serving as the representative of the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation in Syria, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The

May 24, 2024

S. Korea to hold rotating presidency of UN Security Council next month

South Korea will undertake the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council next month for the first time in a decade, Seoul's top envoy to the UN said Thursday, unveiling plans to push for in-depth discussions on cybersecurity and other global issues. In a press meeting, Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook said that South Korea, a nonpermanent UNSC member, will hold the presidency for one month -- a position that rotates among the council's 15 member states on a monthly basis. Seoul last held the UNSC

May 24, 2024

Yoon meets ex-US Secretary Pompeo, discusses Korean Peninsula issues

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula, as well as the Seoul-Washington alliance, the presidential office said Thursday. During the meeting held in Seoul with Pompeo, who served as the top US diplomat under then President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2021, Yoon asked him to continue to pay close attention to South Korea's efforts to seek peace on the Korean Peninsula backed by the strong alliance. Yoon also e

May 23, 2024

S. Korea, Czech Republic discuss nuclear power cooperation at bilateral economic talks

South Korea asked the Czech Republic on Thursday to pay closer attention to the ongoing bilateral efforts for cooperation in the commercial nuclear power plant sector, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Kim Hee-sang, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, delivered the request to Petr Tresnak, deputy industry minister of the Czech Republic, during their joint economic dialogue earlier in the day, the ministry said. Kim used the session to highlight South Korean industry's strengths

May 23, 2024

S. Korea remains unchanged on China-Taiwan issue: foreign ministry

South Korea remains committed to respecting the "One China" policy amid tensions in the Taiwan Strait following the inauguration ceremony of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te earlier this week, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Earlier in the day, China's military began two days of what it calls "punishment" drills around the island, just days after the inauguration ceremony, which Beijing strongly condemned. "There is no change in our government's stance of r

May 23, 2024

Vice FM visits Iranian Embassy in Seoul to express condolences over death of Iranian president

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun visited the Iranian Embassy in Seoul on Thursday to extend condolences over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who was killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week, a Seoul official said. The official said South Korean Ambassador to Iran Kim Jun-pyo plans to attend a memorial service to pay respects to the late president on behalf of the government as soon as the venue is arranged by Tehran. Iran's state media confirmed Raisi's deat

May 23, 2024

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan discuss upcoming trilateral summit with China in phone talks

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, on Wednesday and discussed an upcoming trilateral summit also involving China and other issues of mutual interest, Cho's office said. During the 35-minute talks, Cho expressed hope that the three-way summit will serve as momentum for South Korea and Japan to further develop bilateral ties, as they have through the close communications between their leaders, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a relea

May 22, 2024

[Bridge to Africa] Africa-Korea partnership: Why it matters for future

South Korea has the "potential to be the most trustworthy partner for African countries" by leveraging its unique experience of rapidly transitioning from a developing to an advanced country overcoming historical challenges akin to those faced by the African continent, said Park Jong-dae, a former South Korean ambassador to South Africa and Uganda. "Korea has no history of colonial rule over other countries, and it has navigated a development path similar to what many African nati

May 22, 2024

Herald Media Group co-hosts ‘Africa Day 2024 Korea’ with African embassies

Herald Media Group will co-host "Africa Day 2024 Korea" on Thursday in collaboration with the African Group of Ambassadors representing 20 African countries, under the slogan "When African Possibilities Meet Korean Capabilities." The main aim of the event is to show how South Korea and Africa can chart a path forward in their economic partnership, and pave the way for the successful hosting of the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit on June 4 and 5. The event at the Convention Cen

May 22, 2024