Top US diplomat for East Asia policy due in Seoul for talks on alliance, economic ties

The top US diplomat for East Asia was set to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday as part of his first Asia trip since taking office in September, officials said, with North Korea, the bilateral alliance and economic cooperation likely to top the agenda in discussions with Seoul officials. Daniel Kritenbrink, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, will fly to Seoul later in the day, after wrapping up a four-day trip to Japan, the first leg of his six-day trip. His trip

Nov. 10, 2021

SK Group chief discusses green biz cooperation with visiting US senator

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has met with a visiting US senator and discussed cooperation in green business, including electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and climate change, the conglomerate said Wednesday. The meeting with Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) on Monday came as SK has been ramping up investment in America with its EV battery, hydrogen and other eco-friendly businesses in a move to join US emission-reducing efforts. In the US state of Georgia, SKC Co., a chemical unit of SK Group, South K

Nov. 10, 2021

US lawmakers call on Biden to declare formal end to Korean War

WASHINGTON -- A group of US lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden last week, urging his administration to quickly engage with North Korea and discuss declaring a formal end to the Korean War, an activist group said Monday. The letter was also sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to the Korean American Public Action Committee (KAPAC). "We wish to highlight the importance of the United States continuing its efforts to facilitate peace between South Korea and North K

Nov. 9, 2021

S. Korea's industry minister leaves for US for talks on chips, steel tariffs

South Korea's Industry Minister Moon Sung-wook left for the United States on Tuesday for talks on semiconductor supply chains, steel tariffs and other pending issues, his office said. During a three-day stay in Washington, Moon plans to meet with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, as well as other government officials and industry experts, to discuss ways to strengthen economic partnership, according to Seoul's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. &q

Nov. 9, 2021

China can and should help steer N. Korea toward denuclearization: Pentagon spokesman

WASHINGTON -- China has the ability to help steer North Korea toward a diplomatic solution of its nuclear standoff, the Pentagon Press Secretary said Monday. John Kirby insisted one way for China to do so would be to faithfully implement UN Security Council sanctions on the North. "China does have influence in Pyongyang and we all, the international community, would like to see them use that influence in a constructive way to put some bite into the sanctions that are already in place unde

Nov. 9, 2021

US, S. Korea see 'eye-to-eye' on need to denuclearize Korean Peninsula: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States and South Korea fully agree on the need to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy, a state department spokesperson said Monday, reaffirming US commitment to engage with North Korea. Ned Price, however, declined to comment on whether the US agrees with a Seoul-proposed declaration of an end to the Korean War. "We see eye to eye with our South Korean counterparts that achieving a complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula

Nov. 9, 2021

S. Korea joins high-level preparatory meeting for APEC summit

South Korea's senior diplomat participated in a preparatory meeting to fine-tune agenda items for an upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the foreign ministry said Monday. Lee Sung-ho, deputy foreign minister on economic diplomacy, represented Seoul during the virtual conference held last week to prepare for the annual APEC summit slated for Friday. Lee and other participants discussed actions plans for the Putrajaya Vision 2040, which aims to strengthen trade and investme

Nov. 8, 2021

S. Korea to import 200 tons of urea from Vietnam amid supply shortage

South Korea said Monday it plans to import 200 tons of urea from Vietnam next week in the latest move to help ease a supply shortage of urea water solution, a key material used in diesel vehicles to reduce emissions. The amount is part of 10,000 tons of urea that South Korea hopes to import from Vietnam and other nations to make urea water solution, according to the finance ministry. Separately, South Korea is set to import 27,000 liters of urea water solution from Australia, including 20,000

Nov. 8, 2021

Lee to meet top US diplomat for East Asia this week

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party, will meet with the top US diplomat for East Asia in Seoul this week, his party said Monday. Lee is scheduled to meet Thursday with US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Rep. Kim Han-jung, chief of the DP international committee, told reporters. Kritenbrink is set to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday on his first visit to the country since taking office in September. He is expecte

Nov. 8, 2021

Senior US diplomat to visit Seoul this week

A senior US diplomat for East Asia is scheduled to visit South Korea on Wednesday, during which he is expected to meet the South Korean presidential candidates of the two major parties. 　 Daniel Kritenbrink, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, is on his first Asia trip since taking office in September. He will arrive here on Wednesday after a four-day stay in Japan, according to the State Department. 　 In Seoul, Kritenbrink is expected to meet officials, in

Nov. 8, 2021

Senior US diplomat for East Asia policy to visit Seoul from Nov. 10-12

The US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs plans to visit Seoul next week as part of his first Asian trip since taking office in September, the US State of Department said Friday Daniel Kritenbrink will arrive in Japan on Sunday (local time) on the first leg of his six-day regional trip and then move to South Korea on Nov. 10 to stay there for three days, the department said. "During his visits, Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink will meet with senior government o

Nov. 5, 2021

Police drop defamation probe over Japanese diplomat's disparaging remarks against Moon

Police have dropped a defamation probe into a senior Japanese diplomat accused of making disparaging remarks against President Moon Jae-in's efforts to improve relations with Tokyo, considering his diplomatic immunity, officials said Friday. Hirohisa Soma, former deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, came under fire after he told a South Korean reporter during a lunch meeting in July that Moon's efforts to improve ties with Tokyo were tantamount to "masturbation."

Nov. 5, 2021

S. Korea's vice foreign minister to visit three African nations to bolster ties

South Korea's vice foreign minister will embark on a nine-day trip to three African nations this weekend to strengthen ties and draw their support for Seoul's greater role in international organizations, his ministry said Friday. Choi Jong-moon, second vice minister of foreign affairs, will travel to Uganda, Rwanda and Cameron from Nov. 6-14, which will mark the first trip in a decade by a Korean diplomat in the rank, according to the ministry. During the trip, Choi will meet with the foreign

Nov. 5, 2021

US remains committed to UN sanctions on N. Korea: State Dept.

The United States remains committed to implementing UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea, a State Department spokesperson said Thursday. Ned Price said the United States also urges all other UN members to do the same to prevent North Korea from further advancing its nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capabilities. "We do remain committed to the sanctions regime. We call on all UN members to fulfill their sanctions obligations under existing UN Security Council resolutio

Nov. 5, 2021

Moon optimistic about European battery partnerships

President Moon Jae-in expressed high hopes for battery partnerships with Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia at a first business forum held between South Korea and the Visegrad Group nations in Budapest on Wednesday. The forum was held on the sidelines of Moon’s state visit to Hungary and a series of summit meetings with the leaders of the four Central European nations during his stay. “The Visegrad Group has become South Korea’s largest investment destination

Nov. 4, 2021

S. Korea, Hungary FMs discuss bilateral ties, strategic partnership

The top diplomats of South Korea and Hungary held talks in Hungary to discuss ways to boost cooperation in various areas, with their relationship elevated to a strategic partnership, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong met with his Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, in Budapest on Wednesday (local time), accompanying President Moon Jae-in on his state visit to the European nation. In their summit, Moon and Hungarian President Janos Ader dec

Nov. 4, 2021

S. Korea ships 290,000 more doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam

South Korea shipped 290,000 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam on Thursday, in addition to its earlier donation of 1.1 million doses last month, Seoul's foreign ministry said. An airplane carrying the vaccine departed from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, earlier in the day and will arrive in Vietnam on the same day, the ministry said. It is on top of 1.1 million bottles of the AstraZeneca vaccine sent to Vietnam last month to help protect Korean nationals living

Nov. 4, 2021

S. Korea, Hungary agree to upgrade ties as bilateral trade grows

President Moon Jae-in held a summit with Hungarian President Janos Ader on Wednesday and agreed to upgrade relations between the two countries to a strategic partnership as two-way trade grew at a solid pace despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade reached a new high last year,” Moon said during a joint press briefing after the talks, adding that he hopes the two nations will step up cooperation in electric cars and batteries. The two side

Nov. 3, 2021

Moon to hold summit with Visegrad Group

President Moon Jae-in arrived in Budapest on Tuesday to hold a series of summit talks with the leaders of the so-called Visegrad Group: Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. It will be the second gathering between South Korea and the four Eastern European countries. On Thursday, the president will hold multilateral and bilateral meetings with the prime ministers of the Visegrad nations. On the sidelines of the meetings, a business forum, a first of its kind, also will be held to explo

Nov. 3, 2021

Foreign Ministry criticized for delay in conveying foreign governments’ condolences to Roh’s family

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is facing criticism for allegedly delaying the delivery of remarks of mourning issued from leaders of other countries upon the death of former President Roh Tae-woo. The Foreign Ministry officially delivered the statements to the bereaved family of Roh on Monday, days after remarks started flying in from global leaders after Roh’s death on Oct. 26. Remarks of condolences came from leaders of China, Japan and Vietnam, the ministry said. Ministry spokesperso

Nov. 2, 2021