Asiana flight grounded in Kazakhstan to return to S. Korea this week: ministry

A South Korean passenger jet that has been grounded in Kazakhstan amid an anti-government protest is expected to return home later this week once the Central Asian nation's largest airport resumes operations, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The flight of Asiana Airlines Inc., a South Korean flag carrier, with dozens of South Koreans aboard has been grounded at Almaty International Airport since it landed there Wednesday, when protesters took control of the nation's main gateway. The ministr

Jan. 11, 2022

US, Japan, Europe condemn NK’s missile launch, urge to return to dialogue

The US and five other countries condemned Pyongyang’s missile launch last week, and urged the reclusive regime to abandon its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programs and return to denuclearization talks on Monday. 　 The joint statement by the US, Japan, France, the UK, Ireland and Albania came ahead of the UN Security Council closed-door meeting in New York to discuss the country’s last week’s test of what Pyongyang called a hypersonic missile. Shortly after the cou

Jan. 11, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] US and China Neck to Neck in a New Cold War Long Race

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had their first summit on Nov. 16. Although the summit was an online-only meeting, the whole international society paid serious attention, since it was the first bilateral talk since the Biden administration was inaugurated 10 months ago. During the main discussion, Biden pinpointed everything he had to from the US’ point of view for its own national interests. This includes human rights issues in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, unfai

Jan. 10, 2022

S. Korea extends travel ban on 6 countries, parts of Philippines

South Korea will extend a travel ban on six countries in the Middle East and Africa as well as some parts of the Philippines for six months due to prolonged security risks, the foreign ministry said Friday. The ban was slated to expire on Jan. 31. It will be extended for Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan and the southern region of the Philippine archipelago -- the Zamboanga Peninsula, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi -- the ministry said. The designated regions are exposed to constant

Jan. 7, 2022

S. Korea seeks int'l cooperation for stable resources supply chains

South Korea on Friday sought cooperation with partner nations to overcome current global supply chain disruptions and to seek measures to ensure stable supply chains, the industry ministry said. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo made the request during a meeting with ambassadors and charge d'affaires of 10 resource-rich nations held in Seoul in the day, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The 10 nations are Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, th

Jan. 7, 2022

Senior S. Korean, Iranian officials discuss frozen assets

Senior diplomats of South Korea and Iran had discussions on Iranian assets frozen here under US sanctions, the foreign ministry said Friday, with the thorny bilateral issue on the table for the talks in Vienna aimed at restoring the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. Seoul's First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun met with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Kani, in the Austrian capital Thursday (local time), on the sidelines of the eighth round of negotiations to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Pl

Jan. 7, 2022

N. Korean nuclear, missile programs pose 'ongoing' threat: Blinken

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose an ongoing threat to the region and the international community, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. The top US diplomat also highlighted the need to strengthen the US-Japan alliance to meet such threats. "Meanwhile, the DPRK's unlawful nuclear, missile programs pose an ongoing threat. And we saw that again this week with the most recent launch," Blinken said, referring to North Korea's test launch of a sel

Jan. 7, 2022

[Newsmaker] Controversial Harvard professor claims no contemporary evidence on ‘comfort women’

A Harvard professor whose earlier claim that victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery were voluntary prostitutes stirred great fury is expected to draw further criticism with his renewed assertion that denies contemporary evidence to back the existence of the euphemistically labeled “comfort women.” The South Korean government, as well as experts here, rebuffed his argument, saying Japan’s sexual enslavement is a historical fact that has already been “proven unive

Jan. 6, 2022

Seoul diplomat meets negotiators of Iran nuclear talks in Vienna

South Korea's vice foreign minister has held back-to-back talks with top negotiators of the five countries involved in Vienna-based talks aimed at reviving a 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, its foreign ministry said Thursday. Choi Jong-kun was in the Austrian capital for the talks as Seoul hopes the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would help address the thorny issue of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea under US sanctions. This week, Choi met with the US Special Envo

Jan. 6, 2022

S. Korea, Saudi Arabia agree to boost energy ties for low carbon economy

South Korea and Saudi Arabia have vowed to boost cooperation in nuclear power and other energy fields for their transition to a low carbon economy, Seoul's industry ministry said Thursday. South Korea's Industry Minister Moon Sung-wook and Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman reached their consensus at their meeting in the kingdom. Moon arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a three-day stay at the Saudi minister's invitation. During the Wednesday meeting, Moon suggested enhanc

Jan. 6, 2022

‘Nothing agreed until everything agreed’: US holds firm on sanctions on Iran

The US said “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” on lifting its sanctions on Iran, indicating that an immediate breakthrough to unlock some $7 billion of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea could be difficult. 　 State Department spokesman Ned Price made the remarks Tuesday in the US, when asked about whether the issue of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea due to US sanctions will be resolved soon. It comes as South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun is in

Jan. 5, 2022

[Herald Interview] Balancing act between China-US not in Korea’s interest: Victor Cha

South Korea should join the democratic coalitions designed to keep China in check, instead of hedging between the US and China, which could result in Seoul having to deal with Beijing alone, says Victor Cha, a former top adviser on North Korea in the George W. Bush administration. “Hedging is not a long-term strategy for South Korea between the US and China. It does not help relations with either party and growing US-China competition will make it harder to hedge,” Cha said, when as

Jan. 5, 2022

Sanctions on Iran will remain until full return to nuclear deal: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- US sanctions on Iran will remain in place until Tehran returns to full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday, suggesting that there will be no immediate release of some $7 billion of Iranian assets frozen in South Korea. On Tuesday (Seoul time), the South Korean foreign ministry said first vice minister, Choi Jong-kun, will visit Vienna for talks with negotiators from the US and five other member countries of the Iran nuclear deal, app

Jan. 5, 2022

US must not reward N. Korea with end of war declaration before talks: Harry Harris

WASHINGTON -- The United States must not give anything to North Korea, including an end of war declaration, before Pyongyang returns to the dialogue table, former US ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said Tuesday. Harris noted prospects for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula are getting darker by the day, but insisted giving benefits in advance to the North would only lead to failure. "I'll simply say that the quest for dialogue with the North must never be made at

Jan. 5, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Korea’s future diplomacy -- ‘pragmatic’ or ‘strenuous’?

The tension of the upcoming presidential election is not as heated as usual, as COVID-19 keeps people from gathering. Although the surface seems relatively calm, the candidates are somehow preparing their own policies. The diplomatic security policy might attract less attention than the domestic circumstance, however, it might be more urgent, requiring prompt action. While domestic politics is about dividing and distributing the interest pie among the inside powers, international politics is u

Jan. 3, 2022

[Herald Interview] Sanctions give NK ‘justification’ for nukes: senior diplomatic official

Washington should ease sanctions on North Korea with a “snapback” clause, as current measures only give Pyongyang justification for nuclear armament, says the head of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy. “The original purpose of sanctions is to make a country a normal state so that they stop further provocation or give up nuclear weapons. Punishment for doing wrong is incidental,” said Hong Hyun-ik, chancellor of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy, in an intervie

Jan. 3, 2022

Ex-UN chief says 'end goal' of inter-Korean cooperation efforts should be N.Korea denuclearization

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that North Korea's denuclearization should be the "end goal" of South Korea's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, in a message for Seoul's next administration set to be launched in May. Ban made the remarks in a New Year's message, as the incumbent Seoul government's efforts for cross-border rapprochement have remained stalled with little headway in the endeavors to denuclearize the North. "While tenaciously pushing to d

Dec. 31, 2021

S. Korea, US agree on draft text of end-of-war declaration: FM Chung

South Korea and the US “effectively” have agreed on a draft text of an end-of-war declaration, although questions remain on how to advance consultations with North Korea, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said Wednesday. Chung reiterated the Moon Jae-in government’s position that an end-of-war declaration provides a “very useful opportunity to resume dialogue” amid a protracted deadlock in talks with Pyongyang. “Our government views that an end-of-war declar

Dec. 29, 2021

S. Korea, US have effectively agreed on draft text of end-of-war declaration: FM Chung

South Korea and the United States have "effectively" agreed on the draft text of the proposed declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's top diplomat said Wednesday amid their continued push to resume dialogue with North Korea. Chung Eui-yong made the remarks during a press conference, noting he and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the progress in the allies' consultations over the declaration when they met on the margins of a Group of Seven session

Dec. 29, 2021

US hopes N. Korea will respond positively to outreach for dialogue: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to hope that North Korea will respond positively to its outreach for dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday. Ned Price also reiterated that the US remains ready and willing to meet with North Korea without any preconditions. "We have made clear through our public messaging and private messaging as well that we are ready, willing and able to engage in this diplomacy," Price said in a telephonic press briefing. "And we are

Dec. 29, 2021