Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan agree to continue cooperation despite Sado mine row

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan agreed Tuesday to keep the momentum alive for bilateral cooperation, despite discord over a memorial event for Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya shared the understanding during their "pull-aside" meeting that took place in Italy on the sidelines of the foreign ministers' gathering of the Group of Seven advanced n

Nov. 26, 2024

Top security officials of S. Korea, Lithuania discuss N.K.-Russia military cooperation

National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik met with his Lithuanian counterpart, Kestutis Budrys, on Tuesday and discussed coordinated responses against the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, the presidential office said. The top security officials agreed that North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine poses a grave threat to global security, with implications reaching beyond the Korean Peninsula and Europe, the office said in a release.

Nov. 26, 2024

Seoul boycotted Japan memorial to protest broken promise: vice minister

South Korea's decision to skip a memorial ceremony hosted by Japan on Sunday reflects its "strong protest and regret" over Tokyo proceeding with the event in a way that fell short of the standards it had publicly pledged to uphold, Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun said Tuesday. Kang, however, sidestepped criticism of the South Korean Foreign Ministry’s failure to coordinate effectively with Japan on the ceremony, which Seoul had envisioned as an occasion to genuinely

Nov. 26, 2024

Trump threatens to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on first day in office

President-elect Donald Trump threatened on Monday to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from Mexico as one of his first executive orders. The tariffs, if implemented, could dramatically raise prices for American consumers on everything from gas to a

Nov. 26, 2024

Korea’s memorial recalls plight of forced mine workers amid Japan’s silence

The South Korean government on Monday held a memorial to honor the lives and suffering of Korean forced laborers who endured harsh conditions at Sado Island’s gold mines during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule, as relatives of the deceased gathered at the former dormitory where the workers once lived. The decision followed Seoul’s boycott of a Japan-hosted ceremony a day earlier, where Japanese government representative Akiko Ikuina -- who has in the past visited the controversi

Nov. 25, 2024

NK troops disguised as 'indigenous' people in Far East for combat against Ukraine: report

A group of North Korean soldiers disguised as "indigenous people" of Russia's Far East have engaged in combat with Ukrainian troops in Russia's western border region of Kursk, according to a Ukrainian news report. Citing Kyiv's top military officer, RBC Ukraine on Sunday reported that more than 11,000 North Korean soldiers are already stationed in the Kursk region and have taken part in battles against Ukrainian troops. "These are mostly general military units. They

Nov. 25, 2024

Korea to hold own memorial for forced labor victims, boycotting Japan’s

The South Korean government plans to hold a separate on-site memorial ceremony for Koreans forced to work at the gold mines on Sado island during Japan's colonial rule, following a last-minute decision to boycott Japan’s memorial event on Sunday. Seoul’s abrupt reversal comes amid a growing domestic backlash over the choice of Akiko Ikuina, a parliamentary vice minister at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, as the chief government delegate for Sunday’s memorial event. Ikuina

Nov. 24, 2024

Trump picks ex-N. Korea policy official as his principal deputy national security adviser

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump named Alex Wong, who was engaged in working-level nuclear talks with North Korea during his first term, as his principal deputy national security adviser amid expectations he could seek to reengage with Pyongyang after returning to office. Trump issued a statement on his decision to appoint Wong, who served as the deputy special representative for North Korea and the deputy assistant secretary for North Korea in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at th

Nov. 23, 2024

Former Pentagon official expects Trump to seek reengagement with Kim Jong-un

US President-elect Donald Trump may seek to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "at some point," though the dynamics of their meeting will differ due to Pyongyang's progress in its weapons programs and Russia's backing for the regime, a former Pentagon official said Thursday. Randall Schriver, who served as the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs during Trump's first term, made the remarks amid expectations that Trump could try to

Nov. 22, 2024

US official says 'tariffs' not the only issue dictating trade amid worries about Trump's policy

A senior US diplomat said Thursday tariffs are "not the only issue" that will "make or break" trade, as concerns have lingered over President-elect Donald Trump's election-year proposal for sweeping tariffs on US imports that could affect trade with South Korea and other partners. Matt Murray, the US senior official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation at the State Department, made the remarks as he addressed a question about whether the APEC platform can serve as an

Nov. 22, 2024

Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S., Japan, Philippines, Australia discuss cooperation on sidelines of ASEAN meeting

Defense chiefs of South Korea, United States, Japan, the Philippines and Australia discussed multilateral cooperation on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministerial meeting in Laos. In their first joint meeting held in Vientiane, the defense chiefs "emphasized their shared commitment to advancing a vision for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region where international law and sovereignty are respected," according to Seoul'

Nov. 21, 2024

N. Korea, Russia court softer image: From animal diplomacy to tourism

North Korea and Russia concluded a ministerial meeting in Pyongyang aimed at expanding cooperation in the trade, economic, scientific and technological sectors on Wednesday, at a critical moment when global attention is focused on what Pyongyang might gain in return for dispatching troops to support Russia's war efforts in Ukraine. The Unification Ministry in Seoul on Thursday noted that neither Pyongyang nor Moscow revealed core agreements in the economic and trade sectors -- areas that co

Nov. 21, 2024

Oman celebrates 54th National Day

MUSCAT, Oman -- The Sultanate of Oman will celebrate its 54th glorious National Day on Nov. 18, marking milestone accomplishments in different areas. The citizens of Oman and various state institutions have rendered an indispensable contribution to the continuous achievements in the path of the comprehensive development during the renewed renaissance of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, who has outlined a wise and sound vision that leads to progress and prosperity in all fields. His Majesty&

Nov. 21, 2024

US House passes N. Korean human rights reauthorization act

The US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill Wednesday to reauthorize and update the 2004 North Korean Human Rights Act aimed at promoting rights and freedom in the reclusive state. The House endorsed the North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act in a 335-37 vote, raising hopes of filling the legal void left by the expiry of the reauthorization act in 2022. First adopted in 2004, the North Korean Human Rights Act is periodically updated and reauthorized. The House bill has been s

Nov. 21, 2024

Yoon returns home from APEC, G20 summits

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Seoul on Thursday from an eight-day trip to Peru and Brazil where he sought to expand global solidarity against the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Yoon attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima and then traveled to Rio de Janeiro to join the Group of 20 summit. In Lima, Yoon met with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to reaffirm their commitments to trilateral security cooperati

Nov. 21, 2024

UN committee adopts resolution on N. Korean human rights for 20th straight year

A UN General Assembly committee on Wednesday passed a resolution on North Korean human rights for the 20th consecutive year, calling for the UN system to address the North's "grave" situation "in a coordinated and unified manner." The Third Committee handling human rights and social affairs adopted by consensus the resolution, which expressed concerns over the North's declaration not to pursue reunification with South Korea and called for repealing practices and law

Nov. 21, 2024

Japan to hold 1st memorial for Korean forced labor victims at Sado mine

The first official memorial ceremony honoring Korean victims of forced labor at the gold mines on Sado Island during Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945 will be held in Sado on Sunday, attended by South Korean and Japanese government officials and bereaved families of the victims. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and Japan’s executive committee for the Sado Mine memorial jointly announced Wednesday that the event, officially titled the "Sado Mine Memorial Ceremony,"

Nov. 20, 2024

Trump taps Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Lutnick as his commerce secretary

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick as his commerce secretary, saying that if confirmed, Lutnick will spearhead the tariff and trade agenda of the incoming administration. Trump issued a statement on the nomination of Lutnick, a co-chair of his transition team, as US allies and partners have been paying keen attention to how Trump's trade policy would take shape and affect their economies after he takes office in January. "He will l

Nov. 20, 2024

Campbell to Trump: Be ‘constant, not variable’ for US allies

S. Korean FM reaffirms commitment to ‘peace through strength’ US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell speaks during a forum co-hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Korea Foundation in Washington on Monday. Kurt Campbell, the US deputy secretary of state and a key architect of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, made a direct appeal to the incoming Trump administration: be a "constant," not a "variable," in its military

Nov. 19, 2024

Trade minister calls for strengthening foundation for economic cooperation with Africa

Trade minister calls for strengthening foundation for economic cooperation with Africa Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Tuesday that the South Korean government will strengthen institutional foundations to expand trade and investment opportunities with Africa. Cheong made the remarks during an Africa business forum held in Seoul, a follow-up to a South Korea-Africa summit that took place in June and aimed to deepen cooperation with African partners. The forum was organized to review the outcome

Nov. 19, 2024