‘N.K. admits to some surviving Japanese abductees’

North Korea has allegedly confirmed the survival of some Japanese nationals kidnapped decades ago, a Japanese news report claimed Thursday, suggesting a potential breakthrough in the two countries’ long-festering diplomatic tug-of-war. During a meeting in Beijing last week, North Korean officials presented a list of 30 survivors along with their birthdates, occupations and family members’ names, including “several” of the 17 people officially recognized as abductees by Tokyo, the Nikkei daily re

July 10, 2014

S. Korea, China set for fresh round of FTA negotiations next week

South Korea and China will hold a new round of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement next week, the South Korean government said Thursday, the first such meeting after the leaders of the two countries agreed to conclude the pact within this year.The 12th round of the FTA talks will be held in Daegu, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, from Monday through Friday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping ag

July 10, 2014

WTO chief rules out another delay of S. Korea's rice market opening without cost

South Korea will have to make compensation to other member nations should it decide to again delay opening its rice market, head of the world trade negotiation body said, as the country nears a deadline to make a decision on one of the most sensitive domestic issues.In a written interview Monday with Yonhap News Agency in Geneva, Director General Robert Azevedo of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said South Korea, pursuant to an earlier agreement, will be required to liberalize its rice market

July 10, 2014

Iran's supreme leader reveals demands in nuclear talks

TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran's supreme leader revealed Tuesday his country's demands for a massive long-term increase in its nuclear enrichment capability, laying bare huge gaps between Tehran and world powers negotiating a deal.The comments, published on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's website, represent a dramatic intervention in the talks currently taking place in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany, for a nuclear accord.His remarks re

July 8, 2014

U.S., China launch joint projects to cut greenhouse gases

BEIJING (Yonhap) -- The United States and China on Tuesday kicked off eight joint projects to reduce greenhouse gases, committing to work together in fighting the disastrous effects of climate change despite their differences on diplomacy and security in this region.U.S. President Barack Obama's special envoy on climate change, Todd Stern, and Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, oversaw the signing ceremony for the joint projects at the China Hall of

July 8, 2014

Abe hails start of ‘special’ relationship with Australia

Shinzo Abe used the first speech by a Japanese prime minister to Australia’s parliament to mark the beginning of what he termed a “special” bilateral relationship that will expand into the field of security.Japan and Australia, key allies of the U.S. as it pivots power into the Asia-Pacific to counter China’s military expansion, signed a trade agreement and an accord on the transfer of defense technology during Abe’s meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott today. The trip is the first formal vis

July 8, 2014

U.S.-China strategic talks get test this week

BEIJING (AP) -- The United States and China will spend time over the next couple of days testing whether their annual "Strategic and Economic Dialogue'' can produce tough compromises or just serve as a venue to talk about greater cooperation.The Obama administration comes with a clear set of priorities to this year's meeting in the Chinese capital: closer coordination against climate change, an end to Chinese industrial cyber-espionage and stricter rules governing maritime claims in Asia's conte

July 8, 2014

[Reporter's Column] Park’s short-sighted diplomacy limits her policy options

Just like the namesake board game, diplomacy needs at least two players. Your every move entails a message for your counterparts, while shaping your options for the next step. Seoul officials have long been grumbling about the cozy relationship between the Japanese government and the media. In particular since Shinzo Abe was sworn in as prime minister in late 2012, Tokyo officials have apparently been trying to test public opinion by leaking a secret policy agenda or pursue domestic political in

July 7, 2014

S. Korea, Turkey reach de facto free trade agreement for service, investment

South Korea and Turkey have reached a de facto agreement for free trade in the investment and service sectors, the trade ministry here said Monday.The agreement, once implemented, will complement a free trade pact for products between the countries that went into effect in May 2013, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA) in the investment and service sectors were resumed in August 2013 after a 17-month suspension due to what minist

July 7, 2014

Xi offers Park to jointly celebrate Korean peninsula's liberation

Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered South Korean President Park Geun-hye to "jointly hold memorial activities" next year to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's colonial rule as well as the end of World War II, according to China's foreign ministry on Friday. The proposal, which would mark a significant effort for China to join with South Korea in criticism of Japan, was made during summit talks between Park and Xi in Seoul on Thursday, the Chinese min

July 4, 2014

Kimchi exports to China may get long-awaited boost from bilateral summit meeting

Exports of kimchi to China may finally get a boost following the bilateral summit meeting between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.At talks held Thursday, the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation and exchanges in the food sector as well as review various regulatory standards that Seoul has argued effectively made it impossible to export kimchi to China.Kimchi is a salted, spicy fermented side dish made with either pickled cabbage, cucumber or radish

July 4, 2014

Leaders send message to North Korea

The leaders of South Korea and China raised pressure on North Korea to renounce its nuclear ambitions on Thursday, saying they were “adamantly” against the development of nuclear weapons on the peninsula.In a joint statement issued after the summit between Presidents Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping in Seoul, the two sides also stated the need to create conditions for the resumption of the six-party denuclearization talks. The talks involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia have be

July 3, 2014