Blinken set to arrive in S. Korea to attend democracy summit

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to arrive in South Korea on Sunday to attend a session of the Summit for Democracy, a US-led multination gathering formed to boost solidarity and shared values among democratic countries. Blinken is expected to arrive at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, for a two-day visit that will also include talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, their second meeting in less than a month after the earlier one held in Washin

March 17, 2024

S. Korea to host 3rd Summit for Democracy, first apart from US

The South Korean government will host the third Summit for Democracy next week, becoming the first foreign country to lead the US key initiative aimed at rejuvenating democracy and defending against authoritarianism. The three-day summit, themed "Democracy for Future Generations," is set to commence on Monday, with a ministerial conference and multistakeholder roundtable discussion on "Artificial Intelligence, Digital Technology and Democracy," the South Korean presidential o

March 15, 2024

S. Korea closely eyeing China's push to add Mt. Paekdu as UNESCO global geopark

South Korea is keeping close eyes on China's push to list Mount Paekdu as one of UNESCO's new global geoparks in the name of "Mount Changbai," the foreign ministry said Thursday. The issue of evaluating and approving the "Mount Paekdu area" nominated as one of the new global geoparks will be discussed at the 219th session of the UNESCO Executive Board to be held later this month, foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk told a press briefing. In 2020, China applied

March 14, 2024

White House official calls S. Korea democracy 'champion' ahead of democracy summit

A White House official on Wednesday highlighted "real value in the symbolic nature" of South Korea hosting the third Summit for Democracy next week, casting the Asian country as a democracy "champion." Kelly Razzouk, National Security Council senior director for democracy and human rights, made the remarks as Seoul is preparing to host the summit, a US-led initiative to promote solidarity among democracies, from Monday to Wednesday. "As President Biden said when we conve

March 14, 2024

CU opens first store in Kazakhstan

South Korean retail company BGF Retail has recently launched the first CU convenience store in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Embassy in Seoul said Wednesday. The new CU opened on March 6 in the busy Tole Bi Street in downtown Almaty. The embassy said the store was expected to breathe fresh air into Almaty’s retail landscape. “The CU chain store is to enhance the shopping experience for Almaty’s populace. … The store boasts appealing exteriors, unique interiors, swift se

March 14, 2024

Top envoy to Moscow meets deputy Russian FM over detained S. Korean national

MOSCOW -- South Korea's top envoy to Russia asked for Moscow's cooperation in relation to the arrest of a South Korean national in Russia reportedly on espionage charges, according to the South Korean Embassy in Moscow on Wednesday. Ambassador Lee Do-hoon met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and requested the Russian government actively cooperate to ensure the safety and protect the rights of the South Korean national, the embassy said. The meeting took place at th

March 13, 2024

Blinken to visit S. Korea next week for democracy summit

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit South Korea next week to attend a session of the Summit for Democracy, a US-led multination gathering formed to boost solidarity and shared values among democratic countries. Blinken is expected to arrive at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sunday, and take part in the ministerial segment of the forum Monday, according to people with knowledge of the matter. He will also hold bilateral talks with his South Korean counte

March 13, 2024

Germany shares results from recent inspection of its embassy in N. Korea

A senior German official briefed a South Korean official on the outcome of his delegation's recent inspection of its embassy in North Korea, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Earlier in the day, German State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office Thomas Bagger also discussed bilateral ties and regional security in his talks with First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun in Seoul. Last month, the German delegation visited Pyongyang to inspect the site of its embassy for the first time si

March 12, 2024

S. Korean detained in Russia for alleged espionage is missionary

A South Korean citizen who Russian authorities claim has been detained on charges of espionage since earlier this year is a Christian missionary focused on aiding North Korean people in Russia's Far East region, according to sources on Tuesday. The South Korean individual, first reported by Russia's state-run media outlet TASS as Baek Won-soon and later corrected as Baek Kwang-soon, had been actively involved in missionary efforts for North Koreans in Vladivostok, according to database

March 12, 2024

[Photo News] Ambassador for a Day

Ewha Womans University student Lee Yae-won (left) poses for a photo with Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto during the "Ambassador for a Day" initiative on Friday. The initiative is part of the annual International Women's Day celebration that selects a Korean university student based on an essay competition to work with the Italian ambassador for a day. Lee's essay titled "Empowering Change: Why Eliminating Violence Against Women Will Contribute to the Wellbeing of Men&q

March 12, 2024

[Photo News] Economic Outlook 2024

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2024 German Ambassador to South Korea Georg Schmidt (fourth from right, front row) and participants attend the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) Economic Outlook 2024 event in Busan on Thursday. Acknowledging the challenges of the year ahead, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the war in Gaza and North Korean threats, the event, themed "Building Bridges," was hosted by KGCCI and Busan Metropolitan City, attended by over 100 business leade

March 12, 2024

German Embassy, Women in Korea advocate for gender equality

The German Embassy in Seoul and Women in Korea (WIR), a leadership group under the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, advocated for gender equality to mark International Women's Day on Friday. Aligned with the theme for this year's International Women’s Day, "Inspire Inclusion," the gathering emphasized inclusive leadership to drive sustainable development in businesses and society. Delivering remarks at the event, German Ambassador Georg Schmidt talked abo

March 12, 2024

[BRIDGE TO AFRICA] Ties with Africa to grow with Korea’s support: Ivory Coast envoy

The upcoming Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul will increase cooperation with Korea and expand support for Africa's progress, according to Allou Wanyou Eugene Biti, Ivory Coast's ambassador to South Korea. “Ivory Coast holds significant influence in West Africa and across the entire continent,” said Biti, highlighting the importance of Korea's involvement in advancing the process to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) treaty. “Ivory Coast will

March 12, 2024

Foreign ministry says providing consular assistance to S. Korean national arrested in Russia

The foreign ministry said Tuesday it has been providing consular assistance to a South Korean national arrested in Russia reportedly on espionage charges. Russia's TASS news agency reported Monday that South Korean citizen Baek Won-soon has been held in the Lefortovo detention facility in Moscow since late February, and a court extended his detention until June 15, citing a law enforcement official. Baek was arrested by Russian law enforcement earlier this year in the Russian Far East city

March 12, 2024

S. Korean national arrested in Russia on espionage suspicions: TASS

A South Korean citizen arrested in Russia earlier this year on suspicion of spying is to remain in custody until mid-June, Russia's state news agency Tass said Monday. The news agency said it is the first time that a South Korean has been arrested for espionage in Russia. Tass said the man, identified by the agency as Baek Won-soon, was detained “at the start of the year” in the far eastern city of Vladivostok and was taken to Moscow at the end of February. He is being held in L

March 12, 2024

S. Korean citizen detained in Russia for spy charges: report

A South Korean citizen has been detained by Russian authorities on charge of espionage, Russia's state-run news agency Tass reported late Monday. If confirmed, it would mark the first time a South Korean has been pressed with spy charges by Russia. According to the Tass, the individual was transferred from Vladivostok, where he had been detained, to Moscow for further investigation. He was detained earlier this year on alleged charges of passing the "top secret" information of Rus

March 11, 2024

Philippines, S. Korea recall cooperation that forged 75 years of ties

The Philippines marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties with South Korea on Tuesday, recalling the cooperation and sacrifices that have strengthened the bilateral relationship. Stressing the exceptional strength of Philippine-Korea diplomatic ties, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the majority of diplomatic relations with Korea can be traced back approximately 60 years or less, but Korea’s relations with the Philippines predate the Korean War. The Philippines contri

March 10, 2024

Biden, Trump issue dire warnings of the other, as rematch comes into view in Georgia

ATLANTA -- President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump warned of dire consequences for the country if the other wins another term in the White House as the pair held dueling rallies in Georgia Saturday fresh off strong wins in Super Tuesday contests that positioned them for an all-but-certain rematch this November. The state was a pivotal 2020 battleground — so close four years ago that Trump finds himself indicted here for his push to “find 11,780 votes” and overtu

March 10, 2024

Biden: Netanyahu 'hurting Israel' by not preventing more civilian deaths in Gaza

WILMINGTON, Del. -- President Joe Biden said Saturday that he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “hurting Israel more than helping Israel” in how he is approaching its war against Hamas in Gaza. The US leader expressed support for Israel’s right to pursue Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack, but said of Netanyahu that “he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.” Biden has for months warned that I

March 10, 2024

China trumpets rising car exports to Russia as its envoy holds talks in Ukraine

BEIJING (AP) — In Beijing and Kyiv, the divide between China and Europe over the war in Ukraine was on display this week. As a Chinese envoy crisscrossed Europe for talks on ending the war, his boss, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, trumpeted a sharp rise in China-Russia trade — which the West sees as providing an economic lifeline to Moscow that undermines the sanctions it has imposed to try to pressure Russia to withdraw from Ukraine. “Russian natural gas has entered thousands o

March 9, 2024