US official says S. Korea chose democracy amid controversy over ambassador's remarks

WASHINGTON -- South Korea already chose a system of democracy decades ago, a senior US official said Tuesday in response to a Seoul official boasting that his country can now choose between the United States and China. South Korea's position in the growing US-China rivalry came into sharper focus after Seoul's ambassador to Washington, Lee Soo-hyuck, told reporters last week that he feels pride in his country being able to "choose" between the two superpowers and not being forced to

June 10, 2020

Senate confirms Gen. Brown, with experience in S. Korea, as new US Air Force chief

WASHINGTON -- The US Senate confirmed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., with years of duty experience in South Korea, as the new US Air Force chief of staff Tuesday in a unanimous vote that will make him the first African-American to lead a US military branch. The US Air Force said that Brown, currently the Pacific Air Forces commander, won the Senate confirmation in a 98-0 vote to become the 22nd Air Force chief, which President Donald Trump hailed as "historic." "General Charles Bro

June 10, 2020

Vice FM calls for continued int'l efforts in pursuit of disarmament, nonproliferation

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho has called for continued international efforts toward achieving the shared goals of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting peaceful use of nuclear energy, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. Lee made the remark during the Stockholm Ministerial Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) held via videoconferencing late Tuesday to discuss cooperation to advance the commitments within the NPT framework. The Stoc

June 10, 2020

FM Kang renews calls to keep essential exchanges among nations during COVID-19

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has renewed calls for countries to maintain essential people-to-people exchanges to spur economic recovery from the aftermath of the new coronavirus, her office said Wednesday. Kang made the remarks during Tuesday's videoconference with her counterparts from six countries, including Canada and Australia. It was the ninth such session since the talks were launched in March to discuss joint efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. "Minister Kang proposed tha

June 10, 2020

FM says privacy concerns in fight against virus 'overblown'

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Tuesday concerns about possible breach of patients' privacy in South Korea in the process of containing the new coronavirus are exaggerated. Kang made the remark during a web seminar hosted by the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, noting that promptly sharing what the government knows about the virus situation was key to earning public trust in combating COVID-19. "I think the concern o

June 9, 2020

S. Korean kidnapped by pirates off Gabon released: Foreign Ministry

A South Korean national kidnapped off the coast of Gabon last month has been released unharmed, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. The man in his 50s was among six crew members abducted after unidentified pirates attacked two Senegal-flagged fishing boats near the Gabonese capital of Libreville in West Africa in early May. He was freed on Monday evening (Gabon time), along with the five others of Indonesian and Senegalese nationalities, and they are all in good health, the ministry said

June 9, 2020

S. Korea to host online seminar on virus response for foreign countries

The government is set to host another online seminar for foreign countries this week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, in the latest in a series of sessions being arranged to share South Korea's know-how and experience in battling the coronavirus pandemic. The web seminar, slated for Wednesday, is the fifth of its kind to be held since Seoul launched the task force in late April to respond to growing foreign requests for Korea to share its policy measures against COVID-19. South Korea has

June 9, 2020

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Hungary discuss coronavirus, bilateral ties

The top diplomats of South Korea and Hungary spoke by phone Monday to discuss how to cooperate over the coronavirus pandemic and bilateral issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said.  Speaking to her Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed thanks to the Hungarian government for allowing South Koreans to enter the country in late April in exception to entry restrictions over virus concerns.  She explained that although South Korea has managed to f

June 8, 2020

US scholar cites S. Korea's 'sense of community, social cohesion' as reason for successful virus response

A renowned US scholar has pointed to South Korea's "greater sense of community and social cohesion" as what has driven progress in its fight against the new coronavirus, calling it "impressive." Michael J. Sandel, professor of government at Harvard University, made the remarks in an online interview organized by the foreign ministry, part of a series of talks with renowned intellectuals on the post COVID-19 era. "I think one important difference is whether there is a

June 8, 2020

'National interest key to Korea’s path amid US-China spat'

The simmering conflict between the US and China is forcing South Korea to think about its own national interest, as pressure mounts from the two superpowers to pick a side, an international relations expert said. 　 Relying on the US for security and China for trade, Seoul has long had to juggle its loyalties between the two powers. But the latest developments are aggravating the conundrum, according to Chung Jae-ho, a professor of political science and international relations at Seoul National

June 7, 2020

S. Korea to provide $30 million for vaccine development: FM

South Korea will provide $30 million to an international health organization over the next five years to help facilitate the development and distribution of vaccines, its top diplomat has said. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the remark late Thursday during a videoconference of the Global Vaccine Summit, a multilateral gathering to discuss global funding for the development and supply of vaccines, her office said. She also called for global solidarity and collaboration to facilitate de

June 5, 2020

S. Korea conducted Dokdo defense exercise this week

South Korea conducted an annual military exercise on and around its easternmost islets of Dokdo earlier this week, sources said Friday, amid renewed tensions with Japan that has laid claims to the East Sea outcroppings. The Navy, along with the Air Force and the Coast Guard, carried out the drill Tuesday, involving around eight vessels and five aircraft, including F-15K fighter jets, according to the sources. The exercise was not made public in an apparent move to avoid aggravating tensions

June 5, 2020

US envoy comments on anti-US protest in S. Korea

US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said Thursday that he supports peaceful protests against racism in the United States but opposes those who condemn his country. Harris posted on his Twitter a photo of a group of Korean protestors carrying a placard, reading "US imperialism means 'I can't breathe!'" "I disagree with these protestors, but respect their right to peacefully protest here in democratic Republic of Korea," he tweeted. "The USA. will investigate full

June 4, 2020

126 Korean-owned shops suffer damage in US protests

More than 120 businesses owned by South Koreans in the US have suffered damage amid sweeping protests against police brutality and racism across the country, officials here said Thursday. 　 The Foreign Ministry said the number of Korean-operated stores reporting damage has continued to increase, numbering 126 across the US as of Thursday. Philadelphia was hit hardest with 56 cases, followed by Chicago (14), Minneapolis (10), St. Louis (10), six in Raleigh, North Carolina (six), and four each i

June 4, 2020

S. Korean PM orders consular protection of nationals from US unrest

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun ordered the country's chief envoy to the United States on Thursday to extend "proactive" consular protection for Korean nationals amid escalating anti-racism protests there. An anti-racism movement, sparked by the death of an African-American man, George Floyd, by a police officer late last month is turning violent in some parts of the US. A total of 126 cases of property damage have been reported at South Korean-run businesses in the US so

June 4, 2020

FM voices regret over Japan's decision to maintain export curbs on S. Korea

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke by phone with her Japanese counterpart Wednesday and expressed "deep regret" that Japan keeps export restrictions imposed on South Korea in a row over wartime forced labor, her office said. Kang's call with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi came a day after Seoul decided to take the issue to the World Trade Organization (WTO). She expressed "deep regret" that Japan refuses to lift the curbs even after Seoul resolved all issues

June 3, 2020

Trump’s G-7 invite heralds new status for Korea: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korea being invited to the G-7 meeting is a step toward a new international order that will raise the country to a new level in international society, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. “In the words of President Trump, G-7 is outdated, and the possibility of G-7 becoming G-11 or G-12 has grown,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok said at a press briefing about the previous day’s telephone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. On Mond

June 2, 2020

S. Korea honors 1984 Sino-British declaration on Hong Kong autonomy: foreign ministry

South Korea respects the 1984 declaration between China and Britain ensuring Hong Kong's autonomy, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid concerns Beijing's contentious security legislation could erode the semiautonomous territory's civil liberties. Last week, China's parliament endorsed the legislation for Hong Kong, which critics say could serve as a legal framework to suppress subversion or dissent in the former British colony and tighten Beijing's grip on it. "Hong Kong is an import

June 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] Over 70 Korean-owned properties suffer damage in US protests

Over 70 cases of damage to properties owned by South Koreans in the US have been reported due to violent protests convulsing across the country, fueled by the police-involved death of an African American man George Floyd, officials here said Tuesday. 　 The Foreign Ministry said a total of 79 stores operated by Koreans reported damage -- 50 cases in Philadelphia, 10 in Minneapolis, five in Raleigh, North Carolina, and four in Atlanta -- due to looting and vandalism. 　 No casualties from Korean

June 2, 2020

Moon's in-person summit season opener still uncertain despite Trump's invitation

For his summit diplomacy, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, like many of his foreign counterparts, has relied on phone or video links since the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Talk of Moon resuming his formal overseas trips is back with US President Donald Trump's invitation to an expanded Group of 7 (G7) session that he hopes to host as early as September. Moon agreed to join the session, if organized, but the feasibility of Trump setting it up remains doubtful with no end to the COVID-19

June 2, 2020