6 S. Koreans evacuated from New Caledonia amid unrest: foreign ministry

Six South Korean nationals have been safely evacuated from New Caledonia amid recent riots in the country, the foreign ministry said Sunday. The ministry said six individuals left the French Pacific territory via airplane with assistance from the French government. "The South Korean government will continue to ensure the safety of its nationals in New Caledonia," the ministry said. New Caledonia is currently experiencing severe political unrest due to conflicts between pro-French suppo

May 26, 2024

Austin to attend trilateral talks with South Korean, Japanese counterparts in Singapore: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will attend a trilateral meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on the margins of an annual security forum in Singapore slated to begin next week, the Pentagon said Friday. Austin will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue set to take place from May 31-June 2, during which he will join the three-way meeting with the Asian allies, and bilateral meetings with China's Minister of National Defense Adm. Dong Jun and other counterparts, ac

May 25, 2024

Ex-US diplomat notes Trump's apparent distrust toward N. Korean leader in FP interview

WASHINGTON -- Former President Donald Trump viewed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as someone who would "knife" him in the stomach if there was a chance to do so, a former US diplomat said in a media interview released this week. In a recent interview with Foreign Policy, Gordon Sondland, who served as Trump's top envoy to the European Union from 2018-2020, made the revelation, drawing a stark contrast with the former president's repeated claim that he "got along very we

May 25, 2024

S. Korea sanctions N. Koreans, Russian ships for illicit arms, oil trades

The South Korean government announced Friday sanctions against two North Korean individuals and two Russian ships involved in illicit arms and oil trades with Russia, contravening UN Security Council resolutions, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. Rim Yong-hyok was blacklisted for his involvement in weapons trading between Russia and North Korea while serving as the representative of the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation in Syria, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The

May 24, 2024

S. Korea to hold rotating presidency of UN Security Council next month

South Korea will undertake the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council next month for the first time in a decade, Seoul's top envoy to the UN said Thursday, unveiling plans to push for in-depth discussions on cybersecurity and other global issues. In a press meeting, Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook said that South Korea, a nonpermanent UNSC member, will hold the presidency for one month -- a position that rotates among the council's 15 member states on a monthly basis. Seoul last held the UNSC

May 24, 2024

Yoon meets ex-US Secretary Pompeo, discusses Korean Peninsula issues

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula, as well as the Seoul-Washington alliance, the presidential office said Thursday. During the meeting held in Seoul with Pompeo, who served as the top US diplomat under then President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2021, Yoon asked him to continue to pay close attention to South Korea's efforts to seek peace on the Korean Peninsula backed by the strong alliance. Yoon also e

May 23, 2024

S. Korea, Czech Republic discuss nuclear power cooperation at bilateral economic talks

South Korea asked the Czech Republic on Thursday to pay closer attention to the ongoing bilateral efforts for cooperation in the commercial nuclear power plant sector, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Kim Hee-sang, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, delivered the request to Petr Tresnak, deputy industry minister of the Czech Republic, during their joint economic dialogue earlier in the day, the ministry said. Kim used the session to highlight South Korean industry's strengths

May 23, 2024

S. Korea remains unchanged on China-Taiwan issue: foreign ministry

South Korea remains committed to respecting the "One China" policy amid tensions in the Taiwan Strait following the inauguration ceremony of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te earlier this week, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Earlier in the day, China's military began two days of what it calls "punishment" drills around the island, just days after the inauguration ceremony, which Beijing strongly condemned. "There is no change in our government's stance of r

May 23, 2024

Vice FM visits Iranian Embassy in Seoul to express condolences over death of Iranian president

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun visited the Iranian Embassy in Seoul on Thursday to extend condolences over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who was killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week, a Seoul official said. The official said South Korean Ambassador to Iran Kim Jun-pyo plans to attend a memorial service to pay respects to the late president on behalf of the government as soon as the venue is arranged by Tehran. Iran's state media confirmed Raisi's deat

May 23, 2024

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan discuss upcoming trilateral summit with China in phone talks

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, on Wednesday and discussed an upcoming trilateral summit also involving China and other issues of mutual interest, Cho's office said. During the 35-minute talks, Cho expressed hope that the three-way summit will serve as momentum for South Korea and Japan to further develop bilateral ties, as they have through the close communications between their leaders, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a relea

May 22, 2024

[Bridge to Africa] Africa-Korea partnership: Why it matters for future

South Korea has the "potential to be the most trustworthy partner for African countries" by leveraging its unique experience of rapidly transitioning from a developing to an advanced country overcoming historical challenges akin to those faced by the African continent, said Park Jong-dae, a former South Korean ambassador to South Africa and Uganda. "Korea has no history of colonial rule over other countries, and it has navigated a development path similar to what many African nati

May 22, 2024

Herald Media Group co-hosts ‘Africa Day 2024 Korea’ with African embassies

Herald Media Group will co-host "Africa Day 2024 Korea" on Thursday in collaboration with the African Group of Ambassadors representing 20 African countries, under the slogan "When African Possibilities Meet Korean Capabilities." The main aim of the event is to show how South Korea and Africa can chart a path forward in their economic partnership, and pave the way for the successful hosting of the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit on June 4 and 5. The event at the Convention Cen

May 22, 2024

S. Korea, Indonesia discuss partnership in development of key minerals

South Korea's industry ministry said Wednesday it has shared ideas with Indonesia on expanding bilateral cooperation in the development of a stable supply chain for key minerals. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with Airlangga Hartarto, the coordinating minister for economic affairs of Indonesia, in Seoul to discuss ways to broaden the economic partnership, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. During the meeting, South Korea and Indonesia agreed to expand ties, includi

May 22, 2024

FM Cho calls for 'coherent' AI governance to ensure responsible, inclusive use

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul called Wednesday for concerted efforts for a "coherent" international governance framework to ensure the responsible and inclusive use of artificial intelligence amid complex ethical and economic challenges. Cho made the call during a forum held in the follow-up to Tuesday's AI Summit, pointing out that the emergence of AI has created unique challenges that policymakers are "ill-equipped to tackle alone." "Generative AI transcends nation

May 22, 2024

AI Seoul Summit adopts declaration on safe, innovative, inclusive AI

A global summit hosted by South Korea and Britain adopted a declaration Tuesday on promoting safe, innovative and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) to address challenges and opportunities associated with the fast-evolving technology. The so-called "Seoul Declaration" was adopted during a virtual leaders' session of the AI Seoul Summit, hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The two-day event follows the inaugural global AI safety summit held in B

May 21, 2024

S. Korea expresses condolences over death of Iranian president

The South Korean government expressed condolences on Monday over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the other passengers involved in a helicopter crash. "The government expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families and the people of Iran for the loss of the Iranian president and his entourage in the helicopter crash that occurred on May 19," read a statement issued under the name of South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson. "(The gov

May 20, 2024

[Contribution] Warming the Pacific, desalting the Indian Ocean: Korea's strategic dive into the Indo-Pacific

By Special Representative for Indo-Pacific Chung Kee-yong The Indian and Pacific Oceans meet in a vast region near Australia, not with a sharp boundary but with their waters gradually merging over thousands of kilometers. Due to its larger size and proximity to the Arctic, the Pacific Ocean is typically cooler than the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean, in turn, boasts slightly higher salinity levels, likely a result of both higher evaporation rates and limited freshwater influx. This expansive Ind

May 20, 2024

Yoon, British PM say AI Seoul Summit will discuss innovation, safety, inclusivity

A global summit on artificial intelligence to be co-hosted by South Korea and Britain this week will present global AI governance principles to foster innovation, safety and inclusivity, the two nations' leaders said Monday. In a joint opinion article, President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the upcoming AI Seoul Summit aims to build on the conversation from the first AI Safety Summit held in England last November to address risks and triumphs of the fast-evolvin

May 20, 2024

US expert says N. Korea might ignore Trump if he returns to White House

WASHINGTON -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may not be "eager" to engage with former US President Donald Trump if he wins the White House in the Nov. 5 election, a US expert has said, noting Pyongyang has already been "burnt" by Trump. Ralph Cossa, president emeritus at the Pacific Forum, made the forecast in a recent piece for The National Interest, an international affairs magazine, suspecting Pyongyang will be more interested in "what kind of damage a second Trump a

May 18, 2024

NASA officials upbeat about greater space cooperation with S. Korea

Officials of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration expressed expectations for greater space cooperation with South Korea on Thursday, as the two countries are widening the scope of their alliance beyond its longstanding security focus. Mark Clampin, NASA's astrophysics division director, and John Wisniewski, a NASA scientist for the SPHEREx, a future space observatory, attended an event on bilateral space cooperation at the South Korean Embassy in Washington. The event took p

May 17, 2024