US reaffirms commitment to engage with N. Korea in new security strategy

WASHINGTON -- The United States reaffirmed its commitment to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy in its latest national security strategy released Wednesday that focused largely on how it will handle its growing competition with China. It said the country will continue to enhance and expand its alliances to achieve both ends. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) continues to expand its illicit nuclear weapons and missile programs," said the

Oct. 13, 2022

South Korea loses election for membership at UNHRC for first time

South Korea was not reelected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, conceding to Bangladesh and the Maldives, among others. It is the first time the country has been turned down membership since the council was established in 2006. At the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Korea received 123 votes, landing fifth among seven Asian countries running to be part of the UN organization for the 2023-25 term. Bangladesh secured the most votes with 160 in the A

Oct. 12, 2022

S. Korea, Chile agree to resume FTA upgrade talks this year

SANTIAGO -- South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held talks with Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Tuesday and agreed to resume negotiations this year to upgrade a bilateral free trade agreement that went into effect in 2004. They also agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership as the two nations mark the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year. Chile was South Korea's first free trade deal partner, and the deal has served as a springboard for S

Oct. 12, 2022

UN kicks off investigation into North Korea's acquisition of Niuean ship passing Busan port

The United Nations kicked off an investigation into a Niuean vessel that appears to have been sold to North Korea after it passed by the South's Busan Port, according to local reports on Tuesday. Citing the biannual report released by the UN Panel of Experts on UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, Radio Free Asia reported that the UN is currently looking into a laden cargo ship, An Hai 6, that was spotted outside Nampo lock gate in North Korea around mid-June of this year.

Oct. 11, 2022

Yoon criticizes NK provocations, stresses military cooperation with Japan

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday criticized North Korea for making nuclear threats against the world, saying there is nothing to be gained through nuclear weapons. Yoon also vowed to establish solid security cooperation with the US and Japan amid growing criticism from the opposition party. North Korea has launched ballistic missiles 23 times and cruise missiles twice this year, with 11 missile launches since Yoon took office in May. “As North Korea continues to develop and upgrade i

Oct. 11, 2022

S. Korea, Japan to hold working-level consultations on wartime forced labor

South Korea and Japan plan to hold working-level diplomatic consultations Tuesday over their protracted row over wartime forced labor and other bilateral issues, the foreign ministry said. Lee Sang-ryeol, the ministry's director general for Asia and Pacific affairs, is scheduled to meet with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, at the Seoul foreign ministry in Seoul. Discussions are expected to focus on the issue of resolving compensation for forced labor of Koreans during World Wa

Oct. 11, 2022

Nat'l Assembly speaker honors Ethiopian war veterans' sacrifice

ADDIS ABABA -- National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo has met with Ethiopian veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War and honored their sacrifice. Kim visited the Ethiopian Korean War Veterans Memorial Park in Addis Ababa on Monday, met with eight veterans and expressed his gratitude. "Ethiopians showed they were brave soldiers. ... I pay deep respect to their comradeship that brought all 122 of the fallen soldiers back home," Kim said, adding he will work hard to improve ties between the two

Oct. 11, 2022

Kim Jong-un vows to bolster nuclear combat capabilities with 'all means possible,' rejects dialogue

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to bolster nuclear weapons capabilities “with all possible means” as he led a weekslong military training of tactical nuclear weapon units, the country’s state media said Monday. Leading a “field inspection” of the military drill conducted from Sept. 25 to Sunday, Kim also said there is no need to speak with “enemies,” while blaming the United States and South Korea for raising military tension on the Korean Peninsu

Oct. 10, 2022

Amid trilateral naval drill, opposition leader resurrects 'pro-Japanese' slur

The recent trilateral naval drill among South Korea, US and Japan has become the center of a dispute, after the main opposition party leader denounced it as “pro-Japanese.” Criticizing the military drill involving Japan, which annexed Korea from 1910-1945, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, claimed the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration may one day let Japan's Self-Defense Forces enter the Korean Peninsula. "It feels like steppin

Oct. 10, 2022

S. Korean Assembly speaker, Ethiopian president discuss economic cooperation

ADDIS ABABA/SEOUL -- South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo has held talks with Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde in Addis Ababa to discuss ways to bolster economic cooperation between the two countries, according to Kim's office. The talks took place on Sunday (Ethiopian time) as Kim was visiting the African country as part of his three-nation trip that will also take him to Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates. Kim's trip marked the first official visit to Ethiopi

Oct. 10, 2022

No. of S. Koreans abducted, detained or missing overseas in 5 yrs reaches 2,762: lawmaker

The number of South Korean citizens who have been kidnapped, detained or missing overseas in the recent five years has come to 2,762, an opposition lawmaker said Monday, citing data from the foreign ministry. Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party said that the number of South Koreans who went missing abroad from 2018 through the first half of this year was tallied at 2,474 while the figure of those, kidnapped or detained totaled 288 during the same period. Noting a recent ris

Oct. 10, 2022

North Korea at final stage for nuclear test, made progress in missiles: UNSC panel

North Korea is in its final stage in preparations for nuclear tests and has made progress in its missile programs by launching an unprecedented number of ballistic missiles this year, a United Nations Security Council panel said in its biannual report. Publishing the report assessing North Korea and sanctions implementation covering the past six months from late January, the UN Panel of Experts on UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea also said the North may also be using students

Oct. 9, 2022

[Newsmaker] Some Ukrainians voice mixed reactions to Nobel prize winners

  KYIV, Ukraine -- A day after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize with fellow human rights campaigners from Belarus and Russia, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties praised the work of her fellow laureates but cautioned against lumping the three together in a Cold War-like narrative. "We don't see _ and we shouldn't see _ this prize . as a Soviet narrative about brotherhood nations," said Oleksandra Matviychuk at a press conference on Saturday in Kyiv, Ukraine's capit

Oct. 9, 2022

PM set to visit Chile, Uruguay, Argentina this week

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is set to depart for Chile on Sunday for a three-nation trip that will also take him to Uruguay and Argentina, as Seoul seeks to bolster economic cooperation with the Latin American nations, officials said. During talks with leaders of the three nations, Han will also ask them to support South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern port city of Busan, the Office for Government Policy Coordination has said in a statement. In particular, Han and le

Oct. 9, 2022

US will hold N. Korea accountable for provocative missile launches: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States has a range of ways to hold North Korea accountable for its provocative actions, a state department spokesperson said Thursday, one day after China and Russia blocked a US-led move to put UN Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the state department, also said the US continues to closely monitor North Korea and will take additional action if necessary. "We continue to have a number of tools in our tool belt -

Oct. 7, 2022

US envoy on N. Korean human rights will help revitalize global discussion: S. Korean envoy

WASHINGTON -- Appointing a US special envoy for North Korean human rights will send a clear message to the reclusive regime that human rights matter while also helping to revitalize global discussions on the dire issue, South Korean envoy for North Korean human rights said Thursday. Amb. Lee Shin-hwa, special envoy for international cooperation on North Korean human rights, argued appointing a US envoy will also encourage the European Union to take the issue more seriously. "Number one, by

Oct. 7, 2022

UNSC fails to reach consensus on NK provocations with China, Russia backing NK

The United Nations Security Council failed to reach a consensus on how to handle the series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea, as China and Russia backed Pyongyang's actions as reasonable. The 15-member council held a public meeting on Wednesday to discuss North Korea's consecutive ballistic missile launches that include an intermediate-range missile that flew over Japan to land in the Pacific. The United States accused China and Russia, two permanent members of the council

Oct. 6, 2022

S. Korea, US condemn NK missile launch in joint statement with several UNSC members

NEW YORK -- South Korea, Japan and some Western member countries of the United Nations issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning North Korea for its ballistic missile provocation. The move came after the council failed to reach an agreement on additional sanctions or adopt an official statement against the North in a meeting over the North's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch earlier this week. The other signatories were two other permanent members of the council -- Brit

Oct. 6, 2022

N. Korea will only be more isolated if it continues provocation: Blinken

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged North Korea to engage in dialogue on Wednesday, saying its provocative actions will only lead to increased condemnation and isolation. The top US diplomat said the North will also face increased repercussions from the international community if they continue to take such actions. "We believe that North Korea would be much better served by not only refraining from these actions, but actually engaging in dialogue," Blinken said in

Oct. 6, 2022

US envoy for N. Korea calls on Pyongyang to engage in dialogue: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim has called on the recalcitrant state to cease its provocative actions and return to dialogue, the state department said Wednesday. In a trilateral call with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts -- Kim Gunn and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively -- the US envoy also condemned North Korea's recent missile launch, according to department spokesperson Ned Price. "Special Representative Kim strongly condemned the DPRK'

Oct. 6, 2022