S. Korea, US working closely on how to improve THAAD base conditions: Seoul ministry

South Korea is closely discussing with the United States ways to improve living conditions for American service members stationed on the THAAD missile defense base in the country, the defense ministry said Monday. Ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan made the remarks after a recent Chosun Ilbo report that said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin strongly protested poor conditions of the base during his recent visit to Seoul, calling the neglect "unacceptable." "I do not confirm

March 29, 2021

US put pressure on S. Korea to contribute to 1990 Gulf War: dossier

US officials put diplomatic pressure on South Korea to contribute to a US-led military coalition to fight in the 1990-91 Gulf War, suggesting that its role might affect the future course of bilateral ties, a declassified diplomatic dossier showed Monday. The pressure came when Ban Ki-moon, then director general for American affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, met with Carl Ford, then deputy assistant secretary of defense, during his visit to Washington in December in 1990, shortly before the c

March 29, 2021

S. Korea, India agree on closer military ties in high-level talks

The defense chiefs of South Korea and India held talks on Friday and discussed ways to further boost exchanges and cooperation in the security and arms industry fields, Seoul's defense ministry said. The meeting between Minister Suh Wook and his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, took place in New Delhi, as Suh is on a three-day visit to the country following his trip to the United Arab Emirates. During the talks, Suh explained his government's peace process involving North Korea, and Singh vo

March 26, 2021

US labeling mishap of ‘East Sea,’ ‘Sea of Japan’ fuels debate

South Korea and Japan’s unresolved dispute over what to call a body of water between the two countries came to the fore again after the US military called it the “East Sea,” and then later corrected it to the “Sea of Japan.” On Thursday, the US Indo-Pacific Command, in confirming North Korea’s missiles test, said the launches were made into the “East Sea,” the name which Seoul prefers.  Tokyo immediately protested the reference, with its De

March 26, 2021

Japanese firm repeats dismissed claims at court hearing on wartime forced labor

Japan's Nippon Steel Corp. on Friday reiterated its claim that the company is not liable to pay compensation to South Korean victims of forced labor during World War II. The Seoul Central District Court heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by two South Koreans who worked for Japan Iron and Steel Co., Nippon Steel's forerunner, in 1941 and 1944. The plaintiffs demanded 100 million won ($88,295) per person in damages. They lodged the suit in April 2019 after the Supreme Court ordered Nippon Steel

March 26, 2021

Saudi ambassador to become honorary Seoul citizen

Saudi Arabian Ambassador to South Korea Riyad Almubaraky will be awarded honorary citizenship of Seoul in recognition of his contributions to developing bilateral ties, the city government said Friday. Almubaraky has spent 10 of his more than 35 years in diplomatic service in Korea. His first overseas assignment was as secretary at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Seoul from 1990-95. Since 2016, he has served as Riyadh's ambassador to South Korea. Next month, he plans to complete his five-year ter

March 26, 2021

Russian FM calls to maintain peace on the peninsula, abandon arms race

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday stressed efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and called for related countries to renounce the arms race amid a ramping up of tensions in the region, following Pyongyang’s launch of what appeared to be ballistic missiles.   　 Lavrov’s remark came after his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, just hours after North Korea had fired two short-range

March 25, 2021

Ministry co-hosts photo exhibition on history of Korean migrants in Cuba

A photo exhibition capturing the history of Koreans who migrated to Cuba in the early 1900s opened in Seoul on Thursday in celebration of the centennial anniversary of the migration, the foreign ministry said. The weeklong exhibition, co-hosted by the ministry and Chonam National University, will showcase some 300 photographs and other visual materials that shed light on the lives of Koreans in Cuba in the 1920s and 1950s, including their efforts to assist the independence movement against col

March 25, 2021

Russian FM calls for efforts to keep peace on peninsula after NK missile launches

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for efforts to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and warned against "all kinds of military activities" Thursday, hours after North Korea fired off what appeared to be ballistic missiles into the East Sea. Lavrov made the remark in a press statement after his talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, where South Korea called for Moscow to play a "constructive" role in fostering a lasting peace on the divided peninsula. &qu

March 25, 2021

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Russia hold talks on bilateral ties, peninsula situation

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, held talks in Seoul on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties, the Korean Peninsula situation and other issues. The two countries' first foreign ministerial meeting in Seoul since 2009 came after tensions flared anew due to North Korea's missile launches in the morning and an acrimonious Sino-US rivalry that has brought China and Russia closer together. Chung called Russia a partner for regional peace, while touting progre

March 25, 2021

US will not ask allies to choose between 'us and them' with China: Blinken

WASHINGTON -- The United States will work with its allies and partners to tackle challenges posed by increasingly aggressive China and Russia, but will not ask its allies to choose sides, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. The top US diplomat also said countries can work with China when necessary. "China's blatant economic coercion of Australia to Russia's use of disinformation to erode confidence in elections and in safe, effective vaccines, these aggressive actions threat

March 25, 2021

FM vows to work closely with US to protect Koreans after Atlanta shootings

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Wednesday stressed efforts to protect the safety of South Koreans living in the United States in the wake of recent deadly shootings in Atlanta, vowing close cooperation with Washington on the matter. He made the remarks during a regular meeting with senior officials at the foreign ministry, his office said, as four women of Korean descent were among those killed in the US city last week amid speculation that the killings could be a hate crime against Asians.

March 24, 2021

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold high-level talks next week

President Moon Jae-in’s top security adviser Suh Hoon is expected to head to Washington next week to hold talks with his US and Japanese counterparts Jake Sullivan and Shigeru Kitamura as part of Washington’s ongoing policy review on North Korea. According to the White House on Tuesday, the US National Security Council will host the trilateral meeting at the end of next week, while the allies also plan to hold separate bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the daylong schedule.

March 24, 2021

US enjoys 'unquantifiable' benefits from military presence in S. Korea: GAO

WASHINGTON -- The United States enjoys a range of benefits from maintaining its military presence in South Korea and Japan, US officials said Tuesday. The officials from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) also suggested while some of those benefits may not be quantified, they could easily justify the associated costs. "There are important, intangible benefits coming from the military and interoperability issues. I mean it's not an insignificant benefit," said Diana Maurer, di

March 24, 2021

[Newsmaker] Online vigil to honor victims of deadly Atlanta shootings

WASHINGTON -- A vigil will be held this week to honor the victims of recent deadly shootings in Atlanta and to call for a stop to hate crimes in the United States that are increasingly targeting people of Asian descent, organizers said Tuesday. The solemn event will be held in Atlanta on Friday and streamed live at www.326vigil.org, according to KA Vote, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting Korean American civic engagement and representation. The move comes in the wake of shooting

March 24, 2021

Lavrov raps US' Indo-Pacific strategy, 'bloc' building, ahead of Seoul visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed concern that the US strategy for the Indo-Pacific region could be an attempt to create a bloc against specific countries. Lavrov made the remarks during a virtual meeting with Korean correspondents in Moscow last week ahead of his trip to Beijing and Seoul. He is set to arrive in Seoul on Tuesday to hold talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and attend other events. He claimed that the Indo-Pacific region expression was introduced as pa

March 23, 2021

S. Korea not to co-sponsor this year's UN resolution on NK human rights

South Korea decided not to co-sponsor a UN Human Rights Council resolution on North Korea's rights violations for the third consecutive year, though it will join the document's adoption by consensus, a Seoul official said Tuesday. The council is set to adopt the resolution for the 19th straight year during the 46th session in Geneva this week, as Seoul seeks to avoid tension with the North amid its efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue. "The government's position will remain the same as

March 23, 2021

S. Korea, Belgium to hold cultural fest celebrating 120th anniversary of ties

A yearlong cultural festival celebrating the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Belgium will begin Tuesday, the culture ministry said. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it has designated Belgium as this year's counterpart for its cultural diplomacy project. Under the plan, cultural events will be held to promote cultural exchange between the two countries under the slogan "sharing friendship together, enjoying prosperity to

March 23, 2021

Quad not on table for S. Korea-India defense ministerial talks: Seoul

Defense Minister Suh Wook has no plans to discuss the US-led regional forum Quad with his Indian counterpart during his visit to the country this week, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Suh, who has been on a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is scheduled to arrive in India on Thursday for a three-day visit. The planned visit to India spurred speculation that Suh could discuss the Quad forum during his talks with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. Involving the United States, Austr

March 23, 2021

Russian deputy defense minister to visit Seoul next week

Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin will visit Seoul next week for talks with his South Korean counterparts, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The meeting slated for Monday follows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's planned talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Seoul this week. "It will be a regular strategic dialogue," defense ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said during a regular press briefing. The top Russian officials' back-to-back South Korea tr

March 23, 2021