Japan's attitude important over whether Moon will visit Japan: Cheong Wa Dae

    President Moon Jae-in will take Japan's attitude into account when deciding whether to visit Tokyo for the opening ceremony of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and bilateral summit talks, according to his office Monday.    "Our government intends to have South Korea-Japan summit talks," a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters, requesting anonymity. "But it maintains the position that there should be an accomplishment if talks are held."    The

July 12, 2021

UNESCO ‘strongly regrets’ Japan not fulfilling pledges on forced labor issue

A UNESCO committee on Monday expressed strong regrets over Japan not fulfilling its pledge to honor victims of wartime forced labor at an information center on its industrial revolution site registered on the World Heritage List.  Japan opened the Industrial Heritage Information Center last year, introducing 23 modern Japanese Meiji-era sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the notorious Hashima Island, also known as Battleship Island, where many Koreans were forced int

July 12, 2021

UNESCO committee to urge Japan to carry out recommendations on wartime forced labor

A UNESCO committee will adopt a decision next week calling for Japan to live up to its promise to honor forced labor victims at an information center on industrial revolution sites registered on the World Heritage list, an official said Monday. The World Heritage Committee (WHC) is expected to adopt the decision between July 21-23 during the 44th annual session slated to run virtually through the end of this month, a foreign ministry official said. In the decision, the WHC plans to express &qu

July 12, 2021

South Korean missionary couple abducted in Haiti freed

A South Korean missionary couple kidnapped by an unidentified group in Haiti were released over the weekend, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. 　 The two Korean nationals were freed at around noon on Saturday, local time, after being held captive for 17 days. They left the country on Sunday and are to return home via a third country. The couple remain in good health, the ministry said. 　 The two were abducted by a gang on the outskirts of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on June 24 while m

July 12, 2021

South Korean missionary couple abducted in Haiti have been released: foreign ministry

A South Korean missionary couple, who were abducted by an unidentified group in Haiti, have been released over the weekend after 17 days in captivity, the foreign ministry said Monday. The two Korean citizens were set free at 12:06 p.m. on Saturday (Haiti time) and left the country the following day to return home via a third country, the ministry said. They remain in good shape. Soon after learning that the couple were kidnapped on the outskirts of Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince on June 24

July 12, 2021

Seoul reasserts fruitful Korea-Japan summit as prerequisite for Moon's visit to Tokyo

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae reiterated Sunday that the decision on President Moon Jae-in's potential attendance at the opening ceremony of the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games depends on whether the visit would guarantee a fruitful summit meeting between the two countries' leaders. Cheong Wa Dae has left the door open for Moon's possible attendance at the opening ceremony set for July 23 and a summit meeting between Moon and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on that occasion. The possibil

July 11, 2021

S. Korea ranks 3rd in global passport index

The South Korean passport was found to be the third most effective one for travelers around the world, allowing its bearers to travel to 191 countries visa-free, data showed Sunday. Asia's fourth-largest economy and Germany tied for third, only after Japan and Singapore, in the latest edition of the Henley Passport Index. The Japanese passport provides visa-free travel to 193 countries and Singapore to 192 countries. The index released by immigration consulting firm Henley & Partners Co

July 11, 2021

Senior diplomat meets senior Congo officials to discuss bilateral cooperation

Ham Sang-wook, deputy foreign minister for multilateral affairs, met senior officials of the Republic of the Congo to discuss bilateral ties and economic cooperation during his trip there this week, the foreign ministry said Friday. On Wednesday, Ham paid courtesy calls on Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso and Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, the minister of international cooperation and promotion of public-private partnership. Ham's trip to the capital city of Brazzaville was designed to dee

July 9, 2021

Korean researcher joins IAEA team to monitor Japan's planned release of Fukushima water

The UN nuclear watchdog has formed a team of experts, including a South Korean researcher, to monitor Japan's planned discharge of treated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the government said Friday. Kim Hong-suk, a nuclear expert from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), joined the team that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formed Thursday, it said, noting his participation will help ensure the safety of the planned water release. The team is known

July 9, 2021

US still reviewing possibility of first lady's trip to Tokyo Olympics: White House

WASHINGTON -- The United States is still considering the possibility of its first lady, Jill Biden, traveling to Japan for the summer Olympics there, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday. "We are still assessing the feasibility of the first lady attending and our advance team arrives in Tokyo later this week," Jen Psaki told a daily press briefing. Her remarks come shortly after Tokyo said the Olympics will take place without any spectators, amid a resurgence in COVID-19 infection

July 9, 2021

South Korea expresses condolences over death of Haiti's president

The foreign ministry expressed "deep condolences" Thursday over the death of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise, pledging to support efforts to restore political and social stability in the country. Moise was killed during an attack at his private residence on Wednesday morning, creating political turmoil when the country struggles with poverty. First lady Martine Moise was also attacked and is under treatment, according to reports. "We express deep condolences to the bereaved fam

July 8, 2021

Cheong Wa Dae piles pressure on Japan over summit talks

Cheong Wa Dae is upping pressure on Japan over summit talks as it has started discussions about President Moon Jae-in’s possible attendance at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics later this month. Until last week, the presidential office had remained mum about the president’s Tokyo visit amid a flurry of news reports from Japan. But this week there has been a shift in tone as Moon’s key aides are starting to speak out that the ball is in Japan’s court. “We

July 8, 2021

Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, US hold phone talks

South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, Noh Kyu-duk, spoke by phone with his US counterpart, Sung Kim, on Thursday and discussed efforts to advance the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said. During the phone call, Noh and Kim discussed how to work together to swiftly implement agreements reached between President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden at their May 21 summit and to make substantive progress in efforts to realize complete denuclearization on the penins

July 8, 2021

Senior diplomat meets top DR Congo officials to discuss bilateral cooperation

Ham Sang-wook, deputy foreign minister for multilateral affairs, has met top officials of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to discuss bilateral ties and exchanges during his trip to the country, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Ham paid courtesy calls on President Felix Tshisekedi and Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen'Apala during his trip to Kinshasa from Monday through Thursday -- the first such visit by a senior Seoul official since the peaceful transfer of power in DR C

July 8, 2021

Competition with China already requires Cold War era measures: US intelligence officer

WASHINGTON -- Growing US competition with China may lead to a second Cold War, a US military intelligence officer said Wednesday. Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, director for intelligence at the US Indo-Pacific Command, also argued other US adversaries such as North Korea consider every day a war with the US for the upper hand. "You can avoid the word 'Cold War' and that's fine, but the degree of action that we need to take is of the magnitude of what we applied in the previous century," St

July 8, 2021

Moon, Dutch PM vow to bolster partnership on chips

President Moon Jae-in and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Wednesday pledged to further bolster cooperation on semiconductor production, a crucial partnership in the global supply chain for the most cutting-edge chips. Their virtual summit came as the two nations celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties this year. It is the third summit between the two leaders, following their two in-person talks held on the occasions of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and a G-20 summit, both in 2018

July 7, 2021

US wants partnership with S. Korea based on 'shared values' amid China challenge: congressman

The United States wants to work with like-minded countries, including South Korea, based on the shared values of democracy and freedom that are being challenged by an assertive China, a US congressman said Wednesday. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) made the remark during a media event in Seoul, noting that standing by those values could be a path for South Korea to take, rather than the frame of having to "choose" either the US or China amid their intensifying rivalry. "We never expect thi

July 7, 2021

[Herald Interview] Uncovering ‘true picture’ of Japan’s colonial rule of Korea

The four decades between 1905 and 1945, starting when Korea was forced to sign the Eulsa Treaty, which made it a protectorate of Japan, is largely considered a lost period in the history of the country’s foreign policy. 　 As a result of the 1905 treaty -- which laid the foundation for the country’s subsequent annexation in 1910 -- Korea was stripped of its diplomatic sovereignty, losing its voice and representation on the international stage until its liberation in 1945. 　 With Ja

July 7, 2021

Romania and the Republic of Korea: A strategic partnership that will grow stronger in the post-pandemic era

  Romania and the Republic of Korea: A strategic partnership that will grow stronger in the post-pandemic era The relationship between Romania and South Korea is strong and dynamic, beginning with the first contacts between the two peoples, which started to discover each other even before the formal establishment of diplomatic relations. Since culture and sport are usually the best ambassadors, the foundation of the Romanian language department by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in

July 7, 2021

US, Chinese envoys for N. Korea hold phone talks: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- Sung Kim, Special US representative for North Korea, held phone talks with his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday, the State Department said. The call between Kim and China's Liu Xiaoming apparently marks the first of its kind since Kim was named the special envoy in May. "I can confirm that a call took place," a department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency without elaborating. Department spokesman Ned Price later highlighted an important role China can play in addressi

July 7, 2021