South Korea-US military cost-sharing deadlock drags out as US demands $1 billion

South Korea’s struggle to reach an agreement with the US for the cost of maintaining US troops here intensified when the gap between the total amount of Seoul’s contributions demanded by the US and that which Seoul was able to accept, as well as differences over the contract period, widened in December as a result of instructions from the very top in Washington, sources said Wednesday. Through a diplomatic channel, the US demanded in late December that South Korea pay $1.2 billion for costs rela

Jan. 23, 2019

US ambassador puts pressure on Cheong Wa Dae over USFK costs: report

The Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday that the US ambassador to South Korea visited Cheong Wa Dae last month, but declined to comment on a news report that the top envoy’s visit was designed to pressure Seoul to pay more for the US troops stationed here. “Our government is making efforts to reach a reasonable agreement, mutually acceptable, as early as possible on the basis of mutual respect and understanding (with the US ally),” ministry spokesperson Noh Kyu-duk said at a regular press briefin

Jan. 22, 2019

S. Korea voices "deep regrets" over Japan's announcement on radar dispute

South Korea's defense ministry expressed "deep regrets" Monday over Japan's disclosure of new evidence related to a military radar dispute and its decision to halt bilateral consultations.Tokyo's defense ministry announced its final view on the monthlong spat, saying that bilateral working-level dialogue may not lead to "verification of the truth."Further escalating tensions, it presented two audio files as fresh evidence to back up its claim that a South Korean warship locked fire-control radar

Jan. 21, 2019

Two Koreas and US officials gather in Stockholm to develop agenda for Trump-Kim summit

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that the US and North Korea have made progress in their denuclearization talks, while officials from the two countries have begun negotiations to craft details of agreement for a second summit next month.“We have made a lot of progress as far as denuclearization is concerned and we’re talking about a lot of different things,” Trump said after a 90 minute meeting with North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Yong-chol at the White House on Friday.  (Yonhap)Trump said

Jan. 20, 2019

No Davos meeting for Pompeo, Foreign Minister Kang as Trump calls off US delegation

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha’s planned meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, will not materialize as US President Donald Trump on Thursday called off his delegation to the forum, citing the partial government shutdown.“Out of consideration for the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay and to ensure his team can assist as needed, President Trump has canceled his delegation’s trip to the World Econo

Jan. 18, 2019

Foreign minister: South Korea and US share common goal of complete denuclearization

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa reaffirmed Wednesday that the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a shared goal of South Korea and the US, stressing close cooperation between the two countries. “Denuclearization talks will begin in earnest based on strategies that have been mediated between South Korea and the US. … I expect there will be great progress in denuclearization, inter-Korean relations and lasting peace settlement if a second North Korea-US summit and North Korean lea

Jan. 16, 2019

Korea vows to take pre-emptive steps over Brexit

South Korea pledged Wednesday to take pre-emptive steps to counter possible worse case scenarios after the British Parliament voted down Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal.Lee Ho-seung, the first vice minister of economy and finance, said South Korea will closely monitor the situation, though the rejection of the deal had a limited impact on global financial markets as it was widely expected. Lee Ho-seung (Yonhap)"We will take all necessary steps swiftly and decisively to stabilize financi

Jan. 16, 2019

Korea seeks ways to minimize impact from Brexit vote

The South Korean government plans to hold an interagency meeting Wednesday to discuss policy measures in response to British lawmakers' rejection of a Brexit deal, a ministry official said.Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Yun Kang-hyeon will preside over the session to open at 2 p.m. at the ministry's building in Seoul.   (Yonhap)It will be joined by representatives from other relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Economy and Fina

Jan. 16, 2019

[Newsmaker] No breakthrough from Korea-Japan military talks over radar tussle

Despite having held military talks, South Korea and Japan failed to narrow differences Monday in stand-offs over a recent radar incident, an informed source said.General-grade representatives from the two sides met in Singapore in a bid to resolve "mutual misunderstandings" over a dispute regarding Seoul's use of military radar for humanitarian search operations last month, according to Seoul's defense ministry. (Yonhap)It marked the first face-to-face contact between officials from the two nati

Jan. 15, 2019

PM calls for efforts to build future-oriented relations with Japan

South Korea's prime minister on Thursday called for government efforts to build a future-oriented relationship with Japan, separately from the task of addressing bilateral historical issues.Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said in a government meeting that history cannot be neglected, but it is not desirable to neglect preparations for the future due to history.(Yonhap)"Historical liabilities between South Korea and Japan should be resolved. At the same time, we should make efforts and pool our wisdom

Jan. 10, 2019

S. Korea, Sweden discuss N. Korea issue

South Korea's special representative for regional peace and security met Wednesday with the Swedish government's envoy to the peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said.Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met Kent Härstedt, who is here on a two-day trip that started Tuesday. Lee Do-hoon (Yonhap)"(They) exchanged opinions on cooperation between the two nations related to the Korean Peninsula issue and issues of mutu

Jan. 9, 2019

Seoul mayor rejects China's allegation over source of fine dust

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Monday rebutted the Chinese government's recent allegation that China has nothing to do with hazardous fine dust over the Korean Peninsula.Park said in a radio interview that he has research papers from municipal and state labs that conclude around 50 to 60 percent of fine dust over South Korea is from China."The matter should be approached by environmental experts or from the scientific perspective," the mayor told an MBC Radio talk show. (Yonhap)"Researchers at the

Jan. 7, 2019

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan agree to pursue future-oriented ties amid radar spat

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan agreed to pursue the "future-oriented" development of bilateral relations during their phone conversation Friday, Seoul's foreign ministry said amid an escalating spat involving military radar.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, discussed growing tensions over the row and South Korea's Supreme Court rulings last year in favor of South Koreans forced into hard labor by Japanese firms during Tokyo's 1910-45 colonial ru

Jan. 4, 2019

Korea continues to demand Japan's apology over radar row

Seoul's defense ministry on Wednesday continued to express regrets over Tokyo's claim that a South Korean naval destroyer targeted a Japanese warplane with fire-control radar last month, and urged Japan to make an apology for making threatening moves against the vessel. The statement came as Japan released a 13-minute-long video clip showing the operation of its patrol aircraft to back up its claim that the South Korean destroyer targeted the warplane with the radar last month. 

Jan. 2, 2019

NK leader talks of denuclearization, economic development in New Year address

　The North Korean leader on Tuesday reiterated his determination to achieve complete denuclearization and also called for economic development in his annual New Year’s address, stressing the need to strengthen the North’s defense.　In the address, Kim Jong-un highlighted last year’s developments in inter-Korean and US-North Korea relations, while calling on his country to seek economic development and modernize its defense industry. 　Kim delivered the address while sitting on a sofa in an office

Jan. 1, 2019

Wang Yi voices support for progress in inter-Korean ties, calls

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed his support for the recent progress in inter-Korean relations, and urged North Korea and the United States to swiftly enforce the agreement reached at the June summit."China has supported denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, establishment of a peace regime on it and resolving issues through talks consistently and made the efforts for more than 20 years,"Wang was quoted as saying by his office during an interview with local media Saturday.He sai

Dec. 30, 2018

US suggests one-year defense cost-sharing agreement with S. Korea

Defense cost-sharing negotiations between Seoul and Washington appear likely to remain tense following an unexpected suggestion from the US that the two sides sign a one-year agreement. In their latest round of talks earlier this month, the US negotiators suggested signing a defense cost-sharing deal that would remain valid for only a year, a diplomatic source said Friday, as Washington seeks a new approach to sharing defense costs with its allies. Seoul is said to have rejected the idea. The US

Dec. 30, 2018

2018 opened era of detente on Korean Peninsula

The year 2018 marked the beginning of a detente and peace-building on the Korean Peninsula, with the two Koreas seeking to improve ties and North Korea engaging the US in negotiating away its nuclear weapons program. A thaw on the peninsula was a dramatic departure from exchanges of insults and threats over North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile tests, which drove the US and North Korea close to the brink of war only last year. North Korea has conducted no nuclear or missile tests in 2018,

Dec. 30, 2018