Washington could revive four-party, six-party talks with NK under Blinken

Washington could seek the now-defunct four-party or six-party talks with Pyongyang to resolve the nuclear issue with Antony Blinken, a strong advocate of multilateral diplomacy, at the reins of the US State Department, experts said on Wednesday. Blinken, a long time foreign policy aide to President Joe Biden, was sworn in as the new Secretary of State Tuesday (US time), after being approved by the Senate with a vote of 78-22.  With the top diplomat in place, Washington will kick off a re

Jan. 27, 2021

Moon’s tough job of striking balance between US, China

A phone call between President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping underscored again South Korea’s tough job of striking a delicate balance between the US and China, whose relations enter a new phase under the Joe Biden administration. The South Korean and Chinese presidents held the phone conversation Tuesday night to discuss a slew of topics ranging from Xi’s delayed visit to Seoul to Moon’s role in the frosty US-North Korea diplomacy and coronavirus respons

Jan. 27, 2021

Xi expresses support for Korean denuclearization in phone talks with Moon: Cheong Wa Dae

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed his active support for Seoul's initiative to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, calling the efforts in line with the common interests of both countries, according to Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. It said Xi delivered the comments during his phone talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday. During the talks, Moon said he hopes Seoul and Beijing can work together to open a trilateral summit between the two countries along with Japan. Xi repl

Jan. 27, 2021

S. Korea to host intl. conference on veterans affairs with 22 UN 'Sending States'

South Korea plans to host an international conference this year involving veterans affairs ministers from countries that participated in the 1950-53 Korean War, officials said Wednesday. The peace conference, to be held either in Seoul or the southern city of Busan in December, will bring together the ministers from 22 countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada and Turkey, to discuss ways to develop their friendly relationships and promote peace, according to the Ministry of Patrio

Jan. 27, 2021

S. Korea welcomes Blinken's inauguration as top US diplomat

South Korea welcomes the inauguration of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and expects that the alliance with the United States will develop further, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. "Our government welcomes the official inauguration of US Secretary of State Blinken following the Senate approval," ministry spokesperson, Choi Young-sam, said in a commentary. "We expect the South Korea-US alliance to develop further with the inauguration of the new secretary, who has ample

Jan. 27, 2021

Trump's push for KORUS FTA revision added uncertainty to alliance: CRS

WASHINGTON -- Former US President Donald Trump's push to revise the Korea-US FTA may have hurt the countries' alliance, a congressional report said Tuesday, noting the issue may need to be addressed by the Biden administration. "The modification agreement allayed some of these concerns, but the Trump Administration's statements linking trade and security issues and persistent threats of additional US unilateral import restrictions, particularly on US auto imports, added a degree of uncerta

Jan. 27, 2021

Ex-unification minister urges prompt decision on joint military drills

A former unification minister called for a prompt decision from the Moon Jae-in government on whether to hold joint military drills with the US this spring, saying the resolution of this issue would be an important turning point in inter-Korean relations. “North Korea is shameless enough to raise questions about the South’s strategic assets and military training while advancing its own nuclear weapons and missiles. But the ball is in the South’s court now,” Jeong Se-hyun

Jan. 26, 2021

Seoul city govt. to launch 3rd foreign residents council

The Seoul city government plans to launch a new council of foreign residents Tuesday as part of efforts to improve their quality of life here. The council, the third of its kind, will comprise 30 residents aged 18 or older from 20 countries, including the United States, France, Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia, the city government said in a press release. China accounts for the largest number with five members. The city government said it selected the members based on nationality, type of stay and o

Jan. 26, 2021

Biden US will work with allies to face competition from China: Psaki

The Joe Biden administration will work with US allies to deal with challenges posed by China that include threats to the United States' alliances, a senior White House official said Monday. White House press secretary Jen Psaki also highlighted the need for a new "strategy" to deal with China. "We are in serious competition with China," Psaki told a press briefing, adding China's conduct "hurts American workers, our technological edge and threatens our alliances and ou

Jan. 26, 2021

S. Korea delays UN peacekeeping ministerial forum to Dec. due to pandemic

South Korea has postponed its hosting of a high-level UN peacekeeping meeting, initially planned for April, to December due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministries of foreign affairs and defense said Monday. The decision to reschedule the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference for Dec. 7-8 came during the third session of a preparatory committee presided over by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Defense Minister Suh Wook. "Multiple UN member countries assessed that our decision on the

Jan. 25, 2021

S. Korea denounces deadly suicide bombings in Iraq

South Korea strongly denounces last week's deadly suicide bombings in Iraq that killed more than 30 people and wounded over a hundred, the foreign ministry said Monday. "Our government expresses deep concern over the terrorist attacks in central Baghdad that resulted in a high number of casualties and strongly denounces the attacks," ministry spokesperson, Choi Young-sam, said in a commentary. "We extend our deepest sympathy to the victims and their bereaved families, as well as

Jan. 25, 2021

Seoul calls for ‘genuine efforts’ from Tokyo to restore dignity of victims

South Korea on Saturday called on Japan to make “genuine efforts” to heal the wounds and restore the dignity of the women who were forced into sex slavery during World War II, after Seoul’s recent court ruling on the issue drew a strong rebuke from Tokyo. 　 In a statement, the Foreign Ministry here acknowledged that the 2015 bilateral deal on the victims – euphemistically known as “comfort women,” was an official agreement, and thus said Seoul will not seek

Jan. 24, 2021

S. Korean, US defense chiefs reaffirm alliance in phone talks

South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook held telephone talks Sunday with newly confirmed US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, where the two reaffirmed the importance of their alliance and agreed to closely cooperate on developing it, Seoul's defense ministry said. During the dialogue, which took place upon Washington's request, the two defense chiefs agreed that the Seoul-Washington alliance is more important than ever and promised to cooperate on improving the relationship, as well as openly com

Jan. 24, 2021

Japanese FM says Tokyo won't appeal Seoul court ruling over wartime sexual slavery

The Japanese government will not appeal a Seoul court order to compensate South Korean women who were forced to work in military brothels during World War II, its foreign minister said Friday. Toshimitsu Motegi made the remarks hours before a midnight deadline to file an appeal against the landmar ruling, which rekindled diplomatic tensions between the two neighbors. On Jan. 8, the Seoul Central District Court ordered Tokyo to pay financial reparations of 100 million won ($91,300) each to 12 s

Jan. 22, 2021

S. Korean, Costa Rican leaders discuss partnerships on coronavirus, green projects

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Costa Rican counterpart, Carlos Alvarado, had phone discussions Friday on the COVID-19 pandemic and other major issues including efforts to promote a green and emissions-free economy, Cheong Wa Dae said. Alvarado expressed his gratitude to South Korea for support related to the antivirus fight. The government has provided the Central American nation with high-efficiency KF-94 face masks, worth a total of around $1 million, and shared its virus control

Jan. 22, 2021

Foreign ministry hails Biden's pledge to strengthen alliances

The foreign ministry on Thursday welcomed new US President Joe Biden’s pledge to strengthen alliances, saying it will work with Washington to that end and seek an early summit between the two countries. “Our government welcomes that President Biden, through his inauguration speech, has expressed a willingness to lead the international community with the power of example, and particularly, to strengthen alliances,” ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said in a press briefing

Jan. 21, 2021

FM Kang vows strong ties with Biden admin for denuclearization and peace

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Tuesday vowed to strengthen the alliance with US under the incoming Joe Biden administration to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.  She made the remark during an opening address of a meeting of related offices and academia to discuss policy direction and ways to strengthen US-South Korea alliance under the new Biden administration, a day before Biden is set to be inaugurated as the next US President on Wednesday.  “We

Jan. 19, 2021

Outgoing US envoy meets PM, expresses hope to play role in advancing alliance

Outgoing US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris on Monday paid a farewell courtesy call on Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and expressed his wish to play a role in advancing the bilateral alliance between Seoul and Washington. Harris, a former Navy admiral-turned-diplomat, also expressed his wish that the friendship between the two countries further develop in a wide range of areas, including politics, the economy and public health, according to the prime minister's office. The ambassador rec

Jan. 18, 2021

Seoul's new envoy to Tokyo committed to "political" solution to historical conflicts

New South Korean Ambassador to Japan Kang Chang-il on Sunday stressed his commitment to exploring "political" solutions to a set of historical conflicts between the two countries and fostering a "future-oriented" bilateral relationship. Kang made the remarks in a virtual meeting with reporters before he officially takes office this week, amid renewed tensions between Seoul and Tokyo over a recent South Korean court ruling ordering the Japanese government to compensate victim

Jan. 17, 2021

Diplomats of S. Korea, Japan hold video talks amid tensions on wartime sexual slavery ruling

Diplomats of South Korea and Japan held video talks Friday to discuss a recent Seoul court ruling ordering Tokyo to compensate victims of its wartime sexual slavery and other pending issues, the foreign ministry said. The talks between Kim Jung-han, the ministry's director-general for Asia and Pacific affairs, and his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, came a week after the Seoul Central District Court ordered Tokyo to make reparations of 100 million won ($91,066) each to 12 Korean victi

Jan. 15, 2021