Seoul FM, Lippert vow stronger S. Korea-U.S. alliance

The South Korean foreign minister said Monday he agreed with the U.S. ambassador to Seoul to step up efforts to cement the bilateral alliance despite last week's shocking attack on the envoy here.The pledge between Yun Byung-se and Mark Lippert came amid some jitters over the future course of the bilateral alliance following the knife attack on the U.S. envoy by a South Korean extremist activist.The 55-year-old activist with a criminal record slashed Lippert's face and wrist while he was prepari

March 9, 2015

New S. Korean ambassador to China to take up post this month

The new South Korean ambassador to China, Kim Jang-soo, is scheduled to arrive in Beijing later this month to take up his post, a South Korean diplomat said Monday. In a partial diplomatic reshuffle last month, South Korea tapped the 67-year-old Kim, a former defense minister who headed the National Security Council at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, as the new ambassador to China.China has notified South Korea of its consent to Kim's appointment, the diplomat said on the condition of ano

March 9, 2015

New deputy chief of mission named for U.S. Embassy in Seoul

Marc Knapper, director of the U.S. State Department's office of Indian affairs, has been named the deputy chief of mission for the U.S. Embassy in South Korea, sources said Sunday.Knapper is expected to take office as early as later this month as the No. 2 official at the embassy in Seoul, the sources said. He will succeed Leslie Bassett, who left the post in January to become ambassador to Paraguay.Knapper will be first in line to Amb. Mark Lippert, who has been recovering from wounds sustained

March 9, 2015

China says to 'accelerate' three-way trade talks with S. Korea, Japan

Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said Saturday that Beijing will "accelerate" negotiations this year with South Korea and Japan aimed at forging a three-way free trade agreement. Speaking at an annual press conference, Gao also reiterated that South Korea and China will spare no effort to formally sign a bilateral free trade agreement with South Korea. "Based on the conclusion and signing of the China-Korea FTA this year, we will also move forward and accelerate China-Japan-Korea FTA negoti

March 7, 2015

Korea, U.S. seek talks after attack

Seoul and Washington are seeking to boost high-level exchanges as they strive to turn around the mood and contain the aftermath of a knife attack against the U.S. ambassador here. Mark Lippert received slashes to his face and arm before a seminar in Seoul on Thursday by an ultraleft activist wielding a 25-centimeter knife and calling for a halt to South Korea-U.S. military drills and reunification with North Korea. The incident prompted concerns that it could sour public sentiment in both countr

March 6, 2015

PM calls for tighter ties with U.S. after envoy attack

The knife attack on U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert should become a chance to further tighten the South Korea-U.S. alliance, not to imperil it, the prime minister said Friday after his visit to the hospitalized envoy.The U.S. official is now recovering from surgery in a local hospital after sustaining knife wounds in an attack by a progressive local activist a day earlier.The 55-year-old activist with a criminal record cut Lippert's face and wrist with a 25-centimeter knife while the

March 6, 2015

S. Korea, UAE to jointly penetrate new renewable energy markets

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will join forces to make inroads into promising renewable energy markets, the government said Friday.The deal came as South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrived in the UAE the same day as part of her nine-day, four-nation trip to the Middle East to strengthen ties with the region. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was inked in Abu Dhabi on Thursday that can harness South Korea's technical know-how

March 6, 2015

Seoul to raise high-level diplomatic contacts with U.S.

South Korea plans to seek high-level diplomatic contacts with the United States as early as possible in a bid to minimize the negative impacts of a bloody attack on the U.S. ambassador to Seoul on their alliance, government officials said Friday.U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert was attacked at a forum on Thursday by a knife-wielding assailant, sustaining injuries on the face and wrist. The suspect, identified as 55-year-old Kim Ki-jong, said he attacked Lippert in opposition to ongoin

March 6, 2015

Korea-U.S. alliance to remain strong as before despite attack on ambassador: U.S. experts

The alliance between South Korea and the United States will remain as strong as before despite the bloody attack on U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert, American experts said Thursday."The alliance-partnership is stronger than ever, certainly strong enough and resilient enough to deal with this reprehensible act," said Evans Revere, a former principal deputy assistant secretary who also served as duty chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.A knife-wielding assailant slashed Amb. L

March 6, 2015

Park extends consolation to U.S. envoy over bloody attack

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Thursday extended her consolation to the top U.S. envoy in Seoul over the bloody attack on him, the latest in a series of move by Seoul not to undermine its alliance with Washington.Park told Mark Lippert by phone that she will pray for his quick recovery and said she will closely cooperate with the U.S. to ensure the incident will not have a negative effect on South Korea-U.S. relations, according to Park's office.Park is visiting the United Arab Emirates

March 6, 2015

Park holds talks with Abu Dhabi crown prince

South Korean President Park Geun-hye met with Abu Dhabi's crown prince, an official said Thursday, the latest in a series of summits that underscored Seoul's commitment to further deepening cooperation with the wealthy Gulf state.The summit is the third between Park and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in just over a year. The crown prince visited South Korea and met with Park in February 2014. They also met during Park's visit to the oil-rich capital of Abu Dhabi in May last year.Mohammed Bi

March 6, 2015

U.S. reaffirms strong alliance with S. Korea despite bloody attack on ambassador

The United States reaffirmed its strong alliance with South Korea on Thursday and said it won't be "deterred by senseless acts of violence" despite the bloody attack on its ambassador to Seoul.State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf also said in a statement that Amb. Mark Lippert is recovering in a hospital after surgery, and "is doing well and in great spirits." She cited a message the ambassador tweeted earlier in the day."The U.S.-ROK alliance is strong; we will not be deterred by sens

March 6, 2015

U.S. seeks to calm Korea over Japan

The U.S. has stepped in to defuse a rising furor after a top official openly expressed frustration over ongoing historical feuds in Northeast Asia, tacitly blaming South Korea and China for exploiting “nationalist feelings” toward Japan for domestic interests. At a seminar in Washington on Friday, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman said historical and territorial “disagreements” between the three countries are “understandable, but it can also be frustrating.”“Nation

March 3, 2015

Cracks emerge between Korea, U.S. over Japan

After pursuing a hard-line approach for years, South Korea may be seeing its policy toward Japan coming to a head as signs emerge of a rift with the U.S.With President Park Geun-hye’s inauguration in February 2013, it seemed the relationship with Japan could not possibly deteriorate further. Two years later, ties are still frosty. Many diplomatic and security initiatives are at a standstill. Businesses have closed down or scaled back investment, while tourist in- and outflows contracted. Though

March 2, 2015