S. Korea, Vatican commemorate 60th anniv. of diplomatic ties with Mass

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea held a special Mass here Monday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and the Holy See. In a message sent to the Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in downtown Seoul, Pope Francis expressed hope that the two sides will continue to develop their friendly ties and work together for peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. The message was read by Monsignor Fernando Duarte Barros Reis, acting Apostolic Nuncio to K

Dec. 11, 2023

Yoon, Modi exchange messages marking 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have exchanged congratulatory messages marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the foreign ministry said Monday. In the message marking their establishment of formal ties on Dec. 10, 1973, Yoon said the two countries have advanced their "special strategic partnership" in various areas, including the supply chain, arms industry, science and technology as well as c

Dec. 11, 2023

8 NATO envoys to visit Seoul to discuss Indo-Pacific security

A delegation of representatives from eight NATO member countries is set to visit Seoul later this week, in a rare collective visit reflecting the transatlantic security alliance's heightened interest in the Indo-Pacific region amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The three-day visit from Wednesday to Friday aims to "engage in discussions on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and other pertinent issues," South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Monday. The participating

Dec. 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] ‘N. Korea needs reassurance, besides deterrence’

TOKYO -- Deterring aggression by reaffirming pledges to counter North Korean nuclear strikes with the same force needs to take place in tandem with reassuring the regime of its safety, a Japanese expert said of curbing North Korea’s provocations. The strategy of using the US nuclear umbrella is what Seoul and Washington have been doubling down on since April when the two allies agreed to bolster deterrence on the North’s weapons tests. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who came to power in Ma

Dec. 11, 2023

Israeli army dismisses outcry over stripped Gaza men footage

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel's army on Sunday dismissed outcry over footage showing scores of stripped Palestinians in Gaza, saying it was part of routine searches, while Hamas insisted the men were "unarmed civilians." Footage of the men stripped down to their underwear, with some of them appearing to hand over weapons, was aired by Israeli media on Thursday, reporting the alleged surrender of Hamas militants. Israel launched an intense military campaign targeting Hamas in the Gaza S

Dec. 10, 2023

Yoon travels to Netherlands for chip allaince, strategic partnership

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to embark on a state visit to the Netherlands on Monday, mainly to "forge a chip alliance" and level up the existing bilateral strategic partnership in diplomacy, defense and economic security, the South Korean presidential office said Sunday. The two countries are expected to strengthen cooperation in addressing a diverse set of challenges, including chip supply chain issues compounded by the intensifying US-China tech war. "To forge a chip alliance

Dec. 10, 2023

USAID official urges boosted development cooperation among S. Korea, US, Japan as 'like-minded' countries

South Korea, the United States and Japan seek to demonstrate to China and others that being democratic and transparent is "the way for greater economic growth" as the three countries work to deepen cooperation in development projects amid rising global competition, a senior official at the US development agency has said. Michele Sumilas, assistant to the administrator of the bureau for planning, learning and resource management at the US Agency for International Development, stressed t

Dec. 10, 2023

OPEC members push against fossil fuel phase-out in COP 28 deal

OPEC members are pushing against attempts to include language on "phasing out" fossil fuels in a UN Climate Change Conference, or COP 28, deal, highlighting the struggle over whether the summit can for the first time in 30 years address the future of oil and gas. Negotiators and observers at the annual U.N. climate talks, pursuing a deal to tackle the worst impacts of climate change, said several OPEC members appeared to have heeded calls by the oil producer group to veto any deal to p

Dec. 9, 2023

British Embassy, BASS celebrates 'Mince Pie Morning'

The British Embassy and the British Association of Seoul (BASS) celebrated the annual Mince Pie Morning at the residence of British Ambassador Colin Crooks in Seoul on Thursday. The event featured traditional English mince pies — a sweet pastry filled with a delectable mixture of fruit, spices, and suet — marking the spirit of the holiday season in English-speaking traditions. “BASS is an important part of the vibrant expat community here in Seoul. It was, as always, a pleasure

Dec. 8, 2023

US, Japan agree on need to bolster deterrence over NK missile threats in security talks

The United States and Japan have agreed on the need to beef up deterrence amid an "increasingly challenging" security landscape marked by North Korea's repeated missile launches and its military cooperation with Russia, the State Department said Thursday. The two sides shared the need during their bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue that took place in Japan from Tuesday to Thursday (local time). Extended deterrence refers to the US commitment to using the full range of its mili

Dec. 8, 2023

Deputy secretary of state nominee stresses focus on NK deterrence amid growing threats

President Joe Biden's nominee for deputy secretary of state highlighted the need Thursday to focus "even more" on deterrence against growing North Korean threats, noting Pyongyang continues to perfect its long-range weapons capabilities while shunning dialogue. Kurt Campbell, currently the National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, made the remarks during a Senate confirmation hearing as he responded to a question of whether he has any "creative" ide

Dec. 8, 2023

US defense policy bill calls for maintaining 28,500 US troops in Korea

House and Senate negotiators released their compromise draft of an annual defense policy bill Thursday, which calls for maintaining 28,500 US troops in South Korea and deepening nuclear deterrence coordination between Seoul and Washington. They unveiled the final draft of the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2024 fiscal year. Congress passes the bill each year to set defense policy and funding priorities and give guidance on a range of key security matters. The NDAA draft includes a ca

Dec. 8, 2023

Korean attorney elected as new ICC judge

South Korean attorney Paek Kee-bong was elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court on Wednesday. He is the third Korean to be elected to the court. Paek will serve a nine-year term from 2024 to 2033 at the ICC headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Six new judges were elected, comprising one-third of the court's total of 18 judges, during the annual session of the Assembly of States Parties in New York. ICC judges play a

Dec. 7, 2023

G7 leaders strongly condemn N. Korea's satellite launch, arms transfers to Russia

The leaders of the Group of Seven countries "strongly" condemned North Korea's recent spy satellite launch and its arms transfers to Russia on Wednesday, stressing the moves directly contravene UN Security Council resolutions. The leaders of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan issued a statement on a range of global issues, including Russia's war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group, after they met virtually. &quo

Dec. 7, 2023

Congresswoman redoubles calls for support to designate Nov. 22 as 'Kimchi Day'

A US congresswoman renewed calls Wednesday for support to designate Nov. 22 as "Kimchi Day," named after a Korean traditional side dish, stressing that kimchi has now become a "culinary icon" reflective of South Korea's rising cultural influence. Rep. Young Kim, a Korean American lawmaker, made the call during a House session as she has submitted a resolution on the fermented dish with backing from more than a dozen other lawmakers. "I rise in support of Kimchi Day.

Dec. 7, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan to discuss regional security issues: White House

National security advisors of South Korea, the United States and Japan are expected to discuss a "robust" agenda of regional security issues and trilateral cooperation at their talks in Seoul this week, a White House official said Wednesday. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, made the remarks as South Korea's National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong and his US and Japanese counterparts, Jake Sullivan and Takeo Akiba, respectively, are set to m

Dec. 7, 2023

S. Korea asks UAE to correct nat'l flag image mix-up on COP28 website

South Korea has requested the United Arab Emirates correct the faulty posting of North Korea's national flag as that of South Korea on the website of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. On the COP28's official website, an image of the North Korean flag had been put up above the Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea, in a list of 38 countries that participated in the mutual recognition of certification sc

Dec. 6, 2023

Korea, Japan hold working-level talks on bilateral ties

Korea and Japan held working-level diplomatic consultations Tuesday to discuss pending bilateral issues and ways to boost bilateral ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Seo Min-jung, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs at South Korea's foreign ministry, met with her Japanese counterpart Hiroyuki Namazu to assess bilateral relations and exchange views on "issues of shared interest," the ministry said in a press release. The ministry didn't give details, but ther

Dec. 5, 2023

N. Korea closes 7 embassies, now down to 46, says Seoul

North Korea has closed seven embassies across Africa, Europe and Southwest Asia, reducing its total from 53 to 46, amid persistent challenges in earning hard currency abroad exacerbated by economic sanctions, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. Pyongyang has closed embassies in Guinea, Nepal, Bangladesh, Senegal, Spain, Angola and Uganda as of Tuesday. News about a series of embassy closures started emerging in October. But the Foreign Ministry disclosed the withdrawal of North Kor

Dec. 5, 2023

Experts forecast US-China rivalry to continue for at least 5 years: report

South Korean and global security experts saw it unlikely for the growing competition between the United States and China to end soon, with some even predicting an armed conflict within the next five years, a report showed Tuesday. In the "2023 Near Global Survey Report of the World Order" released by the NEAR Foundation, an independent think tank specializing in Northeast Asia, 15 percent of the 42 experts surveyed believed a military clash between Beijing and Washington is likely to b

Dec. 5, 2023