Seoul working to identify Koreans among IS family members

The Korean government is looking into recent reports that its citizens were sighted among more than 1,000 wives and children of suspected Islamic State group fighters detained in Iraq.“We are currently working with the Iraqi government, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Committee of the Red Cross through our embassy in Iraq to look further into the matter,” the Foreign Ministry here said Tuesday.  A woman and a small child lie on the floor of a tent in a camp for di

Sept. 12, 2017

Ranking US lawmakers urge Trump to strengthen Korea alliance

WASHINGTON -- Two ranking US lawmakers urged President Donald Trump on Monday to bolster Washington's alliance with South Korea in the face of North Korea's escalating threat and China's growing regional influence.Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, and Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL), chairman of the subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, said it was clear the bilateral relationship has never been more important in their letter to Trump reflecting on their recent trip

Sept. 12, 2017

PM discusses economic cooperation with chairman of Oman's lower house of parliament

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with the chairman of Oman's lower house of parliament Monday, and discussed ways to bolster economic and other ties between the two countries, his office said.Khalid Al-Maawali, chairman of the Consultative Assembly of Oman, arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a five-day trip at the invitation of South Korean National Assembly Speaker Chung Se-kyun. It was his first trip to South Korea.Lee welcomed Al-Maawali, saying relations between the two countries have moved

Sept. 11, 2017

Former German chancellor to visit sexual slavery victims this week

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will come to South Korea early this week to meet people forced to endure World War II sexual slavery, an organization representing the victims said Sunday.Schroeder is due to visit the House of Sharing, a shelter for the surviving victims of the sexual enslavement in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, located on the outskirts of Seoul, on Monday, the organization said.During the war that ended in 1945, as many as 200,000 South Korean women were estimated to ha

Sept. 10, 2017

Foreign ministry sees hike in cyberattack attempts from China this year

South Korea's foreign ministry has seen a sharp rise in attempted hackings from China in 2017 from a year earlier, parliamentary sources said Sunday. A total of 8,263 cases of cyberattacks or attempted hackings were detected in the foreign ministry servers from January through July, according to data provided to Rep. Park Joo-sun of the minor opposition People's Party by the foreign office. The figure is almost on par with the corresponding number of 8,482 tallied for all of 2016, the lawmaker s

Sept. 10, 2017

Seoul, Tokyo to cooperate in persuading China, Russia to cut NK’s oil supply

South Korean President Moon Jae-in continued seeking ways to cut North Korea’s oil supply on Thursday, in the face of resistance from Pyongyang’s biggest suppliers: China and Russia. In his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Moon received confirmation that Tokyo supports his plans. President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during a session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday. (Yonhap)“The two lea

Sept. 7, 2017

Moon proposes expanding economic cooperation with Russia, building Northeast Asian energy links

VLADIVOSTOK-- President Moon Jae-in on Thursday proposed expanding economic cooperation between South Korea and Russia in a wide range of areas, including energy, infrastructure and agriculture, noting those projects might set an example of co-prosperity for isolated North Korea. In his address to the third Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Moon also called for talks to build a Northeast Asia super grid to enhance regionwide energy cooperation, which would help meet growing power dema

Sept. 7, 2017

Leaders of S. Korea, Mongolia agree to enhance ties, economic cooperation

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaagiin Battulga agreed Wednesday to further improve their countries' relationship."I am very fond of Mongolia as if it were our brother nation, as South Korea and Mongolia share many similarities in terms of their ethnicity and language," Moon said while meeting his Mongolian counterpart in a bilateral summit in Vladivostok.The two leaders are here for the third Eastern Economic Forum, a regional economic summit hosted by Rus

Sept. 6, 2017

Putin ‘casually late’ for summit with President Moon

Russian President Vladimir Putin showed up 30 minutes late for the summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, once again living up to his reputation for tardiness.Bilateral talks between the two leaders were scheduled for 1 p.m. local time. President Moon flew to Vladivostok and headed straight to Far Eastern Federal University, where the summit was set to take place. Moon arrived on time, but was kept waiting. No explanation was given for the tardiness. However, Putin has a re

Sept. 6, 2017

Moon, Putin call for immediate efforts to stop N. Korean provocation

VLADIVOSTOK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Russian President Vladimir Putin called for efforts to stop North Korea from making any further provocations Wednesday, calling it the most urgent challenge facing their countries and the rest of the world."President Putin and I agreed that resolving the North Korean nuclear issue at the earliest date possible is the most important task," the South Korean leader said of his bilateral talks with the Russian president in the Russian far eastern

Sept. 6, 2017

Opposition whip calls on Moon to retool foreign, security policy

The floor leader of the minor opposition People's Party called on President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday to reshape his security and foreign policies, pointing to North Korea's escalating threats and perceived friction with the United States and China.During his parliamentary speech, Kim Dong-cheol also demanded the "complete" replacement of Moon's security staff, which critics argue lacks expertise in military strategies and tactics.Pyongyang's sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date Sunday ha

Sept. 6, 2017

Korean President Moon arrives in Russia for summit with Putin, regional forum

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived here Wednesday on a two-day visit for a regional economic forum that will also include a series of summit meetings with Russian and Japanese leaders.Moon's itinerary will begin with a bilateral summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, according to the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.It will be followed by an expanded summit and luncheon involving some 15 other top government officials from each side.Moon

Sept. 6, 2017

Indonesian architects blueprint models of attractive future

Inside the roughly gentrified studio Haenghwatang in northern Seoul, another attempt at innovative engineering is taking place, this time unveiling lush, local imaginations of Indonesian architects before the public eye.As a collateral event to the International Union of Architects World Congress in Seoul under the theme of “soul of the city,” works of more than 53 Indonesian architects that came to Korea are being showcased through Sept. 10.According to architects and event curators Danny Wicak

Sept. 4, 2017

Latin American films come to town

The Latin American embassies, in collaboration with the Korea Film Archive, will organize a film festival in Seoul from Tuesday to Sunday, introducing their rich and diverse cultures and lifestyles through critically acclaimed films. The event will feature a variety of genres, encompassing drama, comedy, adventure, romance, thriller, biography and science fiction. Thirteen movies from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Ve

Sept. 4, 2017

‘Turkey, lasting bulwark against global terrorism, extremism’

Amid celebrations of 60 years of official diplomacy with Korea, the Turkish Embassy on Wednesday observed its national holiday -- Victory Day -- and paid tribute to the triumph against occupying Greek forces in the Battle of Dumlupinar on Aug. 30, 1922, which helped create a modern, republican nation state. During a reception in Seoul, Turkish Ambassador to Korea Arslan Hakan Okcal also noted the thriving strategic partnership since 2012 between Ankara and Seoul, as the two nations have bolstere

Sept. 4, 2017

‘ASEAN, Korea pave way for prosperous, secure future’

Building on the last 50 years of fruitful cooperation and integration, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is forging ahead with pragmatic plans to secure a future of common prosperity and security, the regional bloc’s top diplomats said last week, urging South Korea’s continuing engagement as an indispensable strategic partner. This year marks the golden jubilee of ASEAN, a group of 10 nations that have moved beyond their ideological, political, cultural, ethnic and linguistic difference

Sept. 4, 2017

PM calls for sincere explanations to China about decision to host THAAD

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Monday that South Korea should offer sincere explanations to China about its decision to host the US THAAD missile defense system that Beijing sees as a threat to its national security.Lee issued the instruction during a meeting with senior aides, saying China has pent-up disappointment with Seoul as the previous administration of former President Park Geun-hye decided to host THAAD, just 10 days after it said it wouldn't do so. Beijing sees the decision as a viol

Sept. 4, 2017

Korean president to visit Russia for summit with Putin, regional forum

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set to visit Russia next week for a bilateral summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and other heads of state, as well as a regional forum aimed at boosting economic cooperation in Northeast Asia that includes Russia's Far East, an official from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.The president will depart Wednesday for Vladivostok, where he will attend the Eastern Economic Forum, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hy

Sept. 1, 2017

ASEAN culture house to open in Busan

The Foreign Ministry will unveil an institute on Friday in Busan designed to promote the cultures of Southeast Asian countries and joint academic research as part of efforts to deepen sociocultural exchanges, officials said Thursday. The ASEAN Culture House will be sheltered in a four-story building that spans 2,640 square meters in the port city’s vibrant Haeundae area. It will be operated by the Korea Foundation and will have exhibition halls, libraries, a culture experience chamber and resear

Aug. 31, 2017

Foreign minister urges ASEAN support for S. Korea's NK policy

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha called for strong support from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for South Korea's policy vision toward North Korea in a conference on two-way cooperation Wednesday.Kang said she wants ASEAN to continue to be a "strong supporter" of the "Berlin initiative," President Moon Jae-in's new North Korea policy vision, during her keynote speech at the International Conference on ASEAN-Korea Partnership, hosted by the Seoul-based ASEAN-Korea Centre.She also apprec

Aug. 30, 2017