S. Korea, US defense chiefs hold phone talks over US military leak reports

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States held phone talks Tuesday over recent media reports about a leak of purported US military documents, Seoul's defense ministry said. During the conversation, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin explained to his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, about media reports on the leak, and affirmed that Washington will closely communicate and fully cooperate with the South Korean government over the issue, according to the ministry. The two s

April 11, 2023

US commitment to defense of S. Korea remains ironclad: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States remains fully committed to the security and defense of South Korea, a state department spokesperson said Monday, amid reports of leaked US intelligence documents that suggest the US may have been eavesdropping on conversations at the South Korean presidential office. Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the state department, reiterated that the US is still working to verify the validity of the leaked Pentagon documents, but said the country is also in talks with

April 11, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold trilateral defense talks in US this week

South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold a trilateral senior-level defense meeting in the US later this week, an informed source said Monday, amid joint efforts to sharpen deterrence against North Korean threats. The deputy minister-level Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT) is set to take place Friday (US. time), according to the source who requested anonymity. The last DTT session was held virtually in 2020. The three sides are expected to discuss ways to flesh out last year's summit

April 10, 2023

DP lawmakers deliver concerns over Fukushima water release plan during Japan visit

A group of opposition lawmakers who visited Japan last week said Monday they conveyed South Koreans' concerns over Tokyo's plan to release radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Four lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) paid a three-day visit to probe the radioactive water release plan, and hold meetings with municipal lawmakers and residents of the Fukushima area. They also requested Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of

April 10, 2023

Samsung seeks Dominican Republic's support for S. Korea's World Expo bid

Samsung Electronics Co. said Sunday it has asked for the Dominican Republic's support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southeastern city of Busan. Roh Tae-moon, president of the tech giant's Mobile eXperience business, made the request during his meeting with Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Pena on Thursday, as the vice president visited the Samsung Innovation Museum in Suwon, 34 kilometers south of Seoul. as part of her official trip to South Kore

April 9, 2023

Yoon reshuffles senior security officials ahead of US summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol reshuffled senior security officials Friday, bringing in the current ambassador to Russia to replace the Foreign Ministry’s first vice minister and sending the current first vice foreign minister to the US as head of mission. The move to reallocate key security roles ahead of Yoon’s state visit to the US in late April is the latest fallout from the discord within the administration over deciding on a to-do list at the summit. Last week, Yoon essentially fired

April 7, 2023

US congressional leaders say Yoon's address will provide vision for future of alliance

WASHINGTON -- US congressional leaders have invited South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to address a joint session of Congress, noting it will provide an opportunity to share his vision for the future of US-South Korea alliance, an invitation letter to Yoon released Thursday showed. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also said the historic event will highlight the progress made by the allied countries over the years. Yoon's office earlier said the preside

April 7, 2023

PM urges more efforts to win public support for Japan policy, veto of grain act

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday stressed the need for the government to step up efforts to broaden public support for its push to mend relations with Japan and President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to veto a controversial revision to the Grain Management Act. The measures have been taken "only for the people and national interest," he said at the outset of a policy coordination meeting with ministers. During an interpellation session at the National Assembly earlier this week

April 6, 2023

N. Korea warns of 'offensive' actions against S. Korea-US joint military drills

North Korea on Thursday denounced South Korea and the United States' latest joint military drills as an "unprecedented" war rehearsal, vowing to take "offensive" military steps against such actions. In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Choe Ju-hyon, a critic of international security affairs, said Seoul and Washington's "frantic" military drills have turned the Korean Peninsula into a "powder keg" that can explode at any mom

April 6, 2023

US working with allies, partners to supply ammunition to Ukraine, also backfill US stockpile: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to work with its allies and partners to help Ukraine secure ammunition for use in its war with Russia but also to replenish its own stockpiles, a Pentagon spokesperson said Wednesday. The spokesperson, Sabrina Singh, however, declined to comment when asked if ammunition secured from South Korea would be supplied to Ukraine. "We are, of course, focused on our military readiness and our stocks and that's why we have a whole division here focuse

April 6, 2023

Yoon 'pleased' to deliver 'historic address' at joint session of US Congress

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday he is "pleased" to be invited to address a joint session of the US Congress during his state visit to Washington later this month as the two allies mark the 70th anniversary of their establishment. Yoon is scheduled to hold a summit with US President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., on April 26.

April 5, 2023

Yoon reiterates stronger security cooperation with US, Japan

President Yoon Suk Yeol has reiterated the importance of cooperation and solidarity with countries that share universal values ​​at a meeting on national affairs Wednesday, underscoring the need for security collaboration with the United States and Japan to counter the North Korean threat. Yoon presided over the second national task inspection meeting to discuss major diplomatic and security issues, including Korea-Japan relations and North Korean nuclear threats, with 100 experts and citizens,

April 5, 2023

Indonesian foreign minister attends Iftar in Seoul

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (front row, center) attended the Iftar dinner hosted by Indonesian Ambassador Gandi Sulistiyanto (front row, fourth from right) in Yeouido, Seoul, last Wednesday. Iftar is a meal taken by Muslims at sunset to break the daily fast during Ramadan. Marsudi was in Seoul to attend the 2nd Summit for Democracy, the Indo-Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Meeting and the 4th Indonesia-Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM). The dinner was followed by an informal

April 4, 2023

[Photo News] Friends of Green Climate Fund

April 4, 2023

BIE members feel Seoul's fever for Busan Expo

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) committee visited Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul on Monday evening, where promotional events were held to support Busan to win the bid for World Expo 2030. Representatives of the BIE came to South Korea on Sunday, and are scheduled to meet government officials and visit Busan to assess the city's suitability to host the World Expo. The eight members of the BIE took a stroll around the LED rose garden, and listened to explanations of the gia

April 4, 2023

New national security adviser hopes for close communication with US counterpart

National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong voiced hope for close communication with his US counterpart, Jake Sullivan, as they held their first phone conversation since Cho took office last week, the presidential office said Tuesday. During Monday's call, Cho noted that the two countries' National Security Councils have maintained close communication and cooperation in the process of restoring the South Korea-US alliance since the inauguration of the Yoon administration. He also "expr

April 4, 2023

Donald Trump indicted; first ex-president charged with crime

NEW YORK — Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, prosecutors and defense lawyers said Thursday, making him the first former US president to face a criminal charge and jolting his bid to retake the White House next year. The charges remained under seal late Thursday, but the investigation centered on payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. Prosecutors said they were working to coordinate Trump's

March 31, 2023

New security adviser feels grave responsibility

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's newly appointed national security adviser said he feels a grave responsibility in assuming the role at a critical time, a day after he was appointed to replace Kim Sung-han who stepped down amid rumors of protocol blunders. Cho Tae-yong, who was a US ambassador, said he is given the mission of completing the Yoon administration's goal of turning South Korea into a pivotal state. "I feel a great sense of responsibility to take on the positio

March 30, 2023

S. Korea, Japan begin talks on corporate exchanges, trade in earnest after summit

Some 100 government and corporate officials from South Korea and Japan held a meeting Thursday on trade and new industry cooperation, the first major meeting after the two sides vowed to improve diplomatic and economic ties earlier this month, Seoul's industry ministry said. They discussed ways to boost cooperation in new industry sectors and economic exchanges in the trade meeting in Seoul, co-hosted by the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea-Japan Economic Association, acc

March 30, 2023

Presidential office rules out resumption of seafood imports from Japan's Fukushima

The presidential office on Thursday ruled out resumption of seafood imports from Japan's Fukushima region over radiation contamination concerns, saying the health and safety of people are the foremost priority. "Fukushima seafood will never come into the country," the office said in a notice to media. "With regard to the import of Japanese seafood products, the government's stance remains unchanged that the health and safety of the people are the top priority." Sout

March 30, 2023