[ASEAN-Korea summit] Time to focus on people to create sustainable community with ASEAN

People-oriented diplomacy will empower South Korea’s pursuit of stronger partnership with Southeast Asian nations, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Korea Center Lee Hyuk said. “We need to make efforts to get to know and respect ASEAN through deep understanding of their cultures and people in order to create an intimate community,” he said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald at the ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul.The United States’ “America First” policy and

Oct. 6, 2019

Abe wants summit with North Korea, keeps distance from South

TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday he wants to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un even though he keeps testing missiles. At the same time, Abe gave a cold shoulder to South Korea amid tensions over wartime history.In a policy speech opening the parliamentary session, Abe said he will take any chance to meet Kim."I'm determined to face Chairman Kim Jong-un, without attaching any preconditions," Abe said, after changing his policy earlier this year. "

Oct. 4, 2019

Japan OKs 7 shipments of industrial materials under restriction to S. Korea

Japan has approved only seven shipments of sensitive industrial materials under restriction to South Korea since the neighbor implemented its export curbs in July. Seoul's trade minister said Wednesday.In July, Tokyo abruptly adopted strict regulations on South Korea-bound exports of three industrial items -- fluorine polyimide, resist and hydrogen fluoride -- vital for the production of chips and displays.In a parliamentary audit session, Seoul's Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee said Japan has give

Oct. 2, 2019

Pentagon: OPCON transfer plans show strength of S. Korea-US alliance

 The planned transfer of wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea is a testament to the strength of the bilateral alliance, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday.Randall Schriver, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, made the remark at a forum in Washington as he sought to dispel concerns about a rift in the alliance caused in part by South Korea's decision to end a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.The General Security of

Oct. 2, 2019

British minister dispels worries about uncertainty over post-Brexit ties with S. Korea

Britain's top official for Asia dispelled concerns Tuesday about lingering uncertainty over the future relationship between South Korea and Britain after London's expected departure from the European Union.Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Asia and the Pacific Heather Wheeler stressed that backed by a set of institutional frameworks, such as a recently signed bilateral free trade agreement, the ties between the two countries are "certain.""There shouldn't be any undue s

Oct. 1, 2019

S. Korea, Britain ink MOU on establishment of senior-level economic dialogue

South Korea and Britain signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday to launch a vice-ministerial consultative body aimed at strengthening economic cooperation after London's expected departure from the European Union.Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho and Britain's Minister for Asia and the Pacific Heather Wheeler inked the MOU on the establishment of a Senior Economic Dialogue, Seoul's foreign ministry said.  "In order to create new opportunities for economic cooperation in a

Sept. 30, 2019

S. Korea, Britain to open vice-minister level dialogue channel ahead of Brexit

South Korea and Britain will open a high-level dialogue channel this week to deal with the aftermath of Britain's departure from the European Union, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday.Via the channel, the two countries will discuss a variety of issues ranging from bilateral economic cooperation and finance to climate change and energy, according to the ministry.The measure is the latest in a series of preparations ahead of Britain's exit from the EU, known as Brexit, slated for the end of Octo

Sept. 29, 2019

S. Korea, Bulgaria to strengthen partnerships on nuclear energy, ICT

The leaders of South Korea and Bulgaria agreed Friday to bolster strategic partnerships between the two nations in various fields, including nuclear energy, ICT and arms production.The accord came at summit talks here between President Moon Jae-in and visiting Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, according to Cheong Wa Dae.Moon began the Cheong Wa Dae summit by expressing his gratitude for Sofia's help in the search for missing South Koreans in a May river cruise boat sinking on the Danube River in Bu

Sept. 27, 2019

S. Korea, US hold 2nd day of biannual defense talks on N. Korea, alliance

South Korea and the United States held the second and final day of biannual defense talks in Seoul on Friday on regional security and other alliance issues, the defense ministry said.The 16th Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue, which began on Thursday, took place at a time when the allies are facing tricky issues such as Seoul's termination of a military information-sharing deal with Japan and security challenges posed by North Korea."The two sides are to discuss the overall security issu

Sept. 27, 2019

Foreign ministers of S. Korea, Japan meet amid trade, history row

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan held talks in New York Thursday but produced no breakthrough in a row over trade and wartime history.South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with her new Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, their first meeting since Motegi took office earlier this month. Kang said the two sides reiterated their respective positions on the bilateral dispute, which has seen Tokyo impose export cont

Sept. 27, 2019

Former financial technocrat tapped as S. Korea's chief negotiator for defense cost-sharing talks with US

South Korea appointed a former career finance ministry official the new chief negotiator for defense cost-sharing talks with the United States, the foreign ministry said Thursday.Jeong Eun-bo, who served as vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission and had a long career at the finance ministry, will lead the South Korean team to negotiate a new Special Measures Agreement, according to the ministry.The pact between Seoul and Washington stipulates how much South Korea should contribute to

Sept. 26, 2019

UNESCO head hails Moon's proposal to register DMZ as world heritage site

The head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization welcomed South Korean President Moon Jae-in's recent proposal to inscribe the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas on the list of UN-designated world heritage sites, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO, made the remark during talks with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday (US time), the ministry said in a releas

Sept. 26, 2019

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Saudi Arabia hold talks at UN gathering

The top diplomats of South Korea and Saudi Arabia held talks in New York on Wednesday (US time) and discussed ways to boost bilateral ties and other regional issues, the foreign ministry said.During the talks with her Saudi counterpart, Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed satisfaction that the amicable bilateral relationship has led to developments in such fields as energy, infrastructure and information and communication technology, the ministry said in a r

Sept. 26, 2019

S. Korea, US hold biannual defense talks

South Korea and the United States opened biannual defense talks in Seoul on Thursday to discuss regional security and other pending alliance issues, the defense ministry said.The 16th Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue, set to run through Friday, came at a time when the allies are facing sensitive issues, such as Seoul's termination of a military information-sharing deal with Japan and ongoing negotiations on the sharing of costs for the stationing of American troops here.Deputy Defense Minist

Sept. 26, 2019

Foreign ministers of S. Korea, China agree to continue cooperation on NK

The foreign ministers of South Korea and China met in New York Wednesday and agreed to continue cooperation over North Korea's denuclearization, a Seoul official said.South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, held talks for 30 minutes on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to the South Korean foreign ministry official, who added that it was their first meeting since Wang visited Pyongyang in early September. On that trip, Wang

Sept. 26, 2019

Moon leaves New York after talks with Trump, UN address

South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed back to Seoul on Wednesday after a hectic visit here highlighted by talks with US President Donald Trump and a speech at a UN session.Moon had his ninth summit with Trump on Monday, in which they discussed ways to make headway in working-level nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington that will resume soon. They reaffirmed the principle of avoiding hostile acts against Pyongyang and help it move toward a bright future in case of denuclearization.The

Sept. 26, 2019

Trump, Abe note importance of trilateral cooperation with S. Korea

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe noted the importance of trilateral cooperation with South Korea during their talks in New York Wednesday, the White House said.In their meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Trump and Abe discussed issues of mutual interest and signed a preliminary bilateral trade agreement.The White House did not elaborate on the discussions on South Korea, but the two leaders are likely to have touched on the escalating

Sept. 26, 2019

Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, US, Japan hold trilateral talks in New York

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan held trilateral talks on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York this week ahead of nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator, Lee Do-hoon, met his US and Japanese counterparts -- Stephen Biegun and Shigeki Takizaki, respectively -- on Tuesday to discuss three-way cooperation in addressing the North Korean nuclear issue. W

Sept. 25, 2019

Moon requests IOC support for two Koreas' joint bid for 2032 Olympics

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday met with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, requesting his support for the plans to jointly host the mega sports competition with North Korea. At the start of the meeting, Moon credited the IOC for playing a critical role in last year’s PyeongChang Winter Olympics with North Korean participation, requesting Bach’s support in hosting the Summer Olympics in 2032 jointly with North Korea. “We will active

Sept. 25, 2019

US House passes resolution on S. Korea, Japan relations

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution stressing the importance of US alliances with South Korea and Japan.The resolution, led by Rep. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, came as trade and historical disputes between South Korea and Japan have threatened to undermine trilateral cooperation with the US.Engel also sent a letter to US President Donald Trump last week urging him to address the escalating tensions.The resolution expresses "the se

Sept. 25, 2019