S. Korea, Kazakhstan discussing repatriation of Korean freedom fighter's remains this year

South Korea is in talks with Kazakhstan to bring home the remains of one of the legendary Korean independent fighters, Hong Beom-do, this year, officials said Tuesday. Hong was general commander of the Korean independence army during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule and claimed victories in battles against Japanese forces in Manchuria, including the Battle of Fengwudong in 1920. He died in Kazakhstan in 1943 and is still buried there. In his address during the March 1 independent movement c

June 2, 2020

Moon accepts Trump's invitation to G7 summit

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday accepted US President Donald Trump's invitation to a G7 summit slated for later this year, reaffirming Seoul's commitment to playing a global role in the fields of quarantine and the economy, according to Cheong Wa Dae. In their 15-minute telephone conversation, Trump said G7's outdated system does not represent the current international security situation. He said the US, host of this year's G7 summit, is seeking to expand the f

June 2, 2020

Some S. Korean-owned shops suffer damage from US protests, no casualties reported: ministry

The government has identified 26 cases of property damage at South Korean-owned stores across the United States due to violent protests that erupted over the death of a black man at the hands of police, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. No casualties have been reported from Korean communities in connection with the demonstrations, the ministry said, citing updates received from the South Korean consulates in the US. The protests, fueled by the killing in Minnesota of George Floyd by a p

June 1, 2020

S. Korea to send rotational troops to South Sudan along with medical equipment

South Korea was to send additional rotational peacekeeping troops to South Sudan on Monday, along with medical supplies to help the African country handle the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said. The first echelon of the 12th batch for Hanbit Unit was dispatched to the war-torn nation in May after months of delay due to the COVID-19 situation, and the remainder will head for the country on a chartered flight later in the day, according to the ministry. "The 12th batch has been ful

June 1, 2020

Pompeo mentions S. Korea as 'good partner' in defending Western values against Chinese threats

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that South Korea and other allies can be "good partners" in efforts to safeguard Western values from Chinese threats. His remarks on Sunday (US time) appear aimed at reinforcing Washington's call for other countries to join its China-bashing campaign, a day after US President Donald Trump said he plans to invite Seoul to a Group of Seven summit in September. "With respect to the Chinese Communist Party's military adva

June 1, 2020

[News Analysis] Trump invites S. Korea to expanded G7

US President Donald Trump’s surprise invitation Saturday to South Korea to the expanded Group of 7 summit in September, along with three other countries, hints at Korea’s elevated status, and is also a double-edged sword amid the deepening rivalry between the US and China, experts here said Sunday. They called on Seoul to draw up a strategy so as not to risk upsetting its security alliance with Washington or economic ties to Beijing, because the summit could shift to a US-led,

May 31, 2020

Trump says he plans to invite S. Korea to G7 summit in September

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he plans to invite South Korea to a Group of Seven summit in September. South Korea is not a member of the G7, which comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States, but the country has drawn widespread praise from around the world for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "We want Australia. We want India. We want South Korea. And what do we have? That's a nice group of countries right there,&q

May 31, 2020

Hungary awards S. Korean rescue officials medals for search efforts in Danube boat sinking

Hungary awarded 38 South Korean divers and other rescue officials medals of merit for their efforts and service in search operations for Korean and other victims in last year's boat sinking in Budapest, its embassy in Seoul said Friday. A ceremony was held at the Hungarian Cultural Institute in central Seoul on Friday to present the medals of meritorious service to the rescue officials, the Hungarian embassy said, including Song Shun-keun, a former defense attache at the South Korean Embassy

May 29, 2020

Democracies better handle COVID-19; Korea is example: Nye

The view that authoritarian states will do a better job of responding to the coronavirus than democracies has been proven wrong, said renowned US scholar Joseph Nye -- best known for pioneering the “soft power” theory -- pointing to South Korea as a positive example. “Authoritarian leaders have used COVID-19 as an excuse to deepen their power and control,” Nye said in an online forum broadcast live on YouTube on Wednesday, whereas in “notable democracies” su

May 28, 2020

Moon's adviser says antagonizing China will start new Cold War

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's alliance with the United States is more important than its strategic partnership with China, but antagonizing Beijing will start a new Cold War on the Korean Peninsula, a special security adviser to President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday. Speaking from Seoul, Moon Chung-in was addressing the dilemma Seoul faces in its diplomatic relations with Washington and Beijing, as tensions between the two have intensified amid the coronavirus pandemic. "South Korea is an

May 28, 2020

Belgium hopes to introduce S. Korea's virus contact tracing system

South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook and Queen Mathilde of Belgium held telephone talks on Wednesday and discussed ways to boost cooperation in tackling the new coronavirus, the presidential office said. During the 50-minute conversation, Mathilde praised South Korea's response to COVID-19 and expressed hope to adopt its contract tracing system in preparation for a possible second wave of the pandemic, according to a press release by Cheong Wa Dae. Kim, in response, briefed the queen on how

May 27, 2020

S. Korea shares K-quarantine info with Latin American countries via online seminar

South Korea shared its experience and quarantine process in tackling the novel coronavirus pandemic with Latin American countries through an online seminar Wednesday. The Special Webinar on COVID-19 for Policy and Technology event, hosted by the International Quarantine Cooperation task force, comes as many countries in Central and South America have reported a large number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths. These countries have expressed interest in South Korea's handling of the virus outb

May 27, 2020

US nuclear forces are ready and deter all adversaries, including N. Korea: Pentagon official

WASHINGTON -- The United States' nuclear forces are ready and deter all adversaries, including potentially North Korea, a Pentagon official said Tuesday after the communist nation vowed to build its nuclear deterrence. Drew Walter, currently performing the duties of deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear matters, said the US is aware of the size of North Korea's nuclear stockpile and it is not as large as those of other nuclear-armed nations. "I think the Department (of Defens

May 27, 2020

China shares info on proposed Hong Kong security law with S. Korea: embassy official

China has shared information with South Korea on its push for a controversial security law for Hong  Kong, a Chinese Embassy official said Tuesday, in an apparent move to seek Seoul's backing for the proposal. The proposed law, seen as a bid to tighten Beijing's control over the semiautonomous territory, has triggered fears from Washington and democracy advocates that the legislation would erode Hong Kong's autonomy and civil liberties. "(China) has shared information related to the

May 26, 2020

S. Korea to send 50,000 tons of rice aid to Mideast, Africa

SEJONG -- South Korea will provide 50,000 tons of rice to four nations in the Middle East and Africa as part of its overseas food aid program, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday. Seoul plans to deliver 19,000 tons of rice to Yemen, 16,000 tons to Ethiopia, 10,000 tons to Kenya and 5,000 tons to Uganda through the World Food Program (WFP), according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It marks South Korea's third round of rice aid to the famine-stricken countries. Seoul s

May 26, 2020

S. Korea to host online seminar on virus responses for S. American countries

South Korea is hosting an online session this week to share its know-how and experience in tackling the coronavirus pandemic with foreign partners in South America, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The web seminar, set to take place early Wednesday, is the third of its kind to be arranged by the government since Seoul launched the task force late last month to respond to growing foreign requests for Korea to share its policy measures against COVID-19. South Korea's swift response system h

May 26, 2020

Hungary to erect monument in memory of S. Korean victims of boat sinking

GENEVA -- Hungary plans to erect a monument in the memory of the 25 South Koreans killed in last year's deadly boat sinking in Budapest as this week marks the first anniversary of the accident, according to the South Korean Embassy in Hungary on Tuesday. The memorial stone will be set up near the accident site in the Danube River, where the Korean tourists aboard a sightseeing boat went missing after the vessel collided with a bigger cruise line on May 29. Bodies of 24 people have been retrie

May 26, 2020

S. Korea, US pushing for defense ministers' videoconference next month

South Korea and the United States are working to set up a videoconference call between their defense ministers next month to discuss defense cost-sharing, North Korea and other pending issues, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The move came as an annual meeting in Singapore of defense ministers in the region, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, has been called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. The South and the US have usually held one-on-one talks on the sidelines of the conference. "

May 26, 2020

US amb. visits site near inter-Korean border to honor fallen American soldiers in Korean War

US Ambassador Harry Harris has visited a memorial site near the inter-Korean border to honor American soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War as he marked Memorial Day in the United States. Harris on Monday tweeted pictures of himself and flowers he laid at the Monument Dedicated to US Forces in the Korea War during a visit to Imjingak Pavillion in Paju near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. "Today's #Memorial Day in USA. We honor women & men who died in Amer

May 25, 2020

UNC deputy chief thanks S. Korea for providing masks to Korean War veterans

The deputy commander of the US-led United Nations Command has praised South Korea's handling of the new coronavirus and thanked the country for providing masks to Korean War veterans around the world. Vice Adm. Stuart Mayer made the comments as he joined "the COVID-19 Blueberry Challenge" initiated by the city of Pyeongtaek, where the command's headquarters is located. "Now, the ROK has been recognized as a true global leader in the fight against the COVID-19. We are lucky and

May 25, 2020