Yoon begins US state visit to trumpet stronger alliance, resolve trade issues

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday began his five-day state visit to the US to mark the 70th anniversary of bilateral ties and to set a new direction for the alliance with US President Joe Biden, amid intensifying nuclear threats from North Korea and mounting trade issues. The primary focus of the summit scheduled for Wednesday is on the level of bilateral agreement to be reached on extended deterrence as well as the extent of economic and security cooperation. This will be Yoon�

April 24, 2023

S. Korea puts Japan back on export 'white list' after 3 years

South Korea on Monday put Japan back on its "white list" of trusted trading partners, three years after the removal, in a move to improve their bilateral economic and diplomatic relationship, the industry ministry said. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy issued a revision to its public notice on exports and imports of strategic items in the day that calls for restoring Japan's fast-track trade status, allowing companies that export strategic items to Japan to enjoy a short

April 24, 2023

China continues to pounce on Yoon’s Taiwan remarks ahead of S.Korea-US summit

China has continued to pounce on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s remarks on the Taiwan issue, raising tensions between the two countries, especially in the run-up to the South Korea-US summit where the leaders will discuss the alliance’s role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region as one of the key agenda topics. China’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday belatedly unveiled that Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong lodged a formal diplomatic protest about the

April 23, 2023

S. Korean envoy meets US assistant secretary of state to discuss Yoon-Biden summit

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's new ambassador to the United States Cho Hyun-dong met the US State Department's point man on East Asia on Friday to discuss preparations for the upcoming Seoul-Washington summit and other pending issues. During his meeting with Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Cho stressed that he will do his utmost to make the summit meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden a success.

April 22, 2023

Four Russian nationals dead after fishing boat catches fire in Ulsan

Four crew members from a Russian fishing boat were found dead after a vessel caught fire off the southeastern coast near Ulsan on Friday morning, while the other 21 were rescued, the Russian Embassy in Seoul and South Korea’s Coast Guard said Friday. All 25 crew members were Russian nationals, and two crew members who were rescued have reportedly sustained minor burns. Russia’s Ambassador to South Korea, Andrey Kulik, was quoted saying that he would like to “express his deepest

April 21, 2023

China fires back at Yoon over Taiwan remarks

Chinese Foreign Minister said Friday Taiwan belongs to China, vowing to fight off anyone threatening to dispute the fact, a day after South Korea summoned China’s top envoy in Seoul for Beijing’s open criticism of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s remarks on Taiwan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday it will not allow others to “meddle in conversations involving the Taiwan issue,” in response to Yoon’s interview with Reuters this week. He opposed changing the

April 21, 2023

S. Korea expresses regret as Japan honors war dead

South Korea on Friday expressed regret over mass visits by Japanese lawmakers to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a move Seoul sees as an attempt to whitewash Tokyo’s wartime wrongs since the shrine honors 14 World War II leaders convicted as war criminals. Earlier in the same day, some 90 lawmakers from several political parties paid their respects, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sending an offering to the shrine. He has done so five times since October 2021, when he took of

April 21, 2023

Russian fishing boat catches fire off Ulsan, 4 missing

ULSAN -- A Russian fishing boat carrying 25 people caught fire off the southeastern coastal city of Ulsan early Friday, leaving four of them missing, Coast Guard officials said. The 769-ton vessel was carrying 100 tons of seafood in waters off Ulsan, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, toward Russia when the fire broke out at 12:43 a.m., the officials said. All crew members were Russian. After receiving a distress call, the Coast Guard sent rescue ships to the scene, but four crew members w

April 21, 2023

US takes defense commitment to S. Korea very seriously: Kirby

WASHINGTON -- The United States takes its defense commitment to South Korea "very, very seriously," a White House official said Thursday, following Russia's threat to arm North Korea if South Korea sends lethal assistance to Ukraine. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said the US is grateful for the support South Korea has already provided to Ukraine. "I would just remind that we have a treaty alliance with South Korea. We take that com

April 21, 2023

South Korea, China exchange harsh words over Yoon's remarks on Taiwan

The foreign ministry strongly denounced China for committing a "serious diplomatic discourtesy" Thursday after a Chinese official branded President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent comments on Taiwan as a verbal meddling by others. The ministry issued the statement after the Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said earlier in the day Beijing would not allow others to meddle by word, in reference to Yoon's media interview the previous day in which that he expresse

April 20, 2023

Yoon, Biden to discuss extended deterrence, economic security at summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol will make a five-day state visit to the United States from April 24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden. During the visit, the two leaders are expected to strengthen their joint defense posture, discuss details of extended deterrence and further enhance economic and security cooperation. President Yoon's trip marks the first visit of a Korean president to the United States in 12 years, following the visit of former President Lee Myung-bak in 2011. The Whi

April 20, 2023

British ambassador talks about life in NK

The British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks shared his life in North Korea, where he previously served as a foreign ambassador from 2018 to 2021, at a forum in Seoul on Wednesday. At the Korea Safety Leaders Forum, Crooks showcased photographs of architecture, modern taxis and traditional North Korean liquors that he took in 2019. He witnessed a huge gap between Pyongyang and the countryside in terms of people’s lifestyles, standards of living and infrastructure. "Bullock carts are v

April 19, 2023

[Alliance in Action] NK could test nuke in response to Yoon’s US visit: Cha

Victor Cha, a former senior adviser on North Korea for the George W. Bush administration, said North Korea could conduct a nuclear test ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol's US visit next week to renew the allies' commitment to regional security. "When there is no diplomacy between the US and DPRK and we have military exercises (against the regime), North Korea does a lot of activities and a lot of negative activities," Cha, senior vice president and Korea chair at the Center

April 19, 2023

S. Korea to beef up inspection into seafood imports amid Fukushima concerns

South Korea will conduct a special inspection into the marking of country of origin for imported seafood products on concerns over Japan's planned release of contaminated water from its crippled nuclear power plant, the oceans ministry said Wednesday. The two-month intensive inspection in cooperation with the Coast Guard will begin next month to check if importers, distributors and retailers properly mark the origin of major seafood items coming from overseas, such as scallops, sea bream and sea

April 19, 2023

Yoon says S. Korea could provide non-humanitarian aid to Ukraine

President Yoon Suk Yeol has said South Korea could provide aid beyond humanitarian or financial support if Ukraine comes under large-scale attack against civilians, according to an interview published Wednesday. Yoon made the remark in the interview with Reuters ahead of an upcoming state visit to the United States, signaling a shift in Seoul's policy of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine in its war with Russia. "If there is a situation the international community cannot condone, such

April 19, 2023

US deterring conflict in Indo-Pacific amid N. Korean missile provocations: US commanders

WASHINGTON-- The United States is successfully and continuously preventing conflict with no imminent signs of war in the Indo-Pacific but North Korea's continued missile provocations, along with other threats, pose serious challenges to peace and stability in the region, the chief of US Indo-Pacific Command said Tuesday. Adm. John Aquilino also stressed the importance of strengthening US alliances to deter any future aggression from North Korea and China in a House armed services committee

April 19, 2023

S. Korea mulling evacuation of its citizens from conflict-ridden Sudan

South Korea said Tuesday it may evacuate its citizens from the conflict-ridden Sudan, as it seeks to stay on top of the ongoing hostilities in the African nation. An official with the foreign ministry told reporters the government has been keeping close tabs on the development in Sudan through news reports, and real-time information exchange with the United States and other allies. "We see this as a grave situation, as there have been attacks on foreign missions," the official said, on

April 18, 2023

Yoon says S. Korea-US alliance can recover from conflict of interest, trouble

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday the South Korea-US alliance is strong enough to bounce back from any conflict of interest or trouble, according to his spokesperson. Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting held days before he travels to Washington for a state visit and a summit with US President Joe Biden on April 26. "The president said the South Korea-US alliance is not a relationship that meets and parts according to one's interests, but an alliance rooted in the universal

April 18, 2023

Germany looks back on 140-year ties with Korea

Revisiting the trade, friendship and shipping treaty signed between the then German Empire and Joseon Kingdom on Nov. 26, 1883, German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel said Germany and Korea have developed a close partnership and trustful friendship in the 140 years since. The two countries established consular relations in 1954 and upgraded to full diplomatic relations in 1957. "A unique bond between German and Korean societies is the shared experience of being a divided nation,&qu

April 18, 2023

Experts call for supply chain boost, digital trade between ASEAN, Korea

Trade ties between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc and South Korea have been rapidly developing in recent years, but they need to advance to the next step, particularly in the area of supply chain, digital trade and climate change, according to experts at a roundtable held last week in Seoul. The roundtable hosted by the ASEAN-Korea Center and the Korea Institute of International Economic Policy suggested future directions to benefit businesspeople and stakeholders with the ASEAN

April 18, 2023