Korea, China to launch joint crackdown on illegal fishing

South Korea and China have agreed to launch joint efforts before the year’s end to curb illegal fishing in their shared waters, the South Korean government said Monday.“The countries agreed to begin their joint inspection of fishing activities using their surveillance ships in the joint fishing zone at the earliest date possible before the end of the year,” the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said in a press release.The agreement came at the end of four-day talks last week that sought to renew

Nov. 3, 2014

No troop control transfer until full deterrence in place: P.M.

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won told lawmakers Monday that the U.S. control of South Korean troops in wartime should continue until Seoul is fully ready to deter the North’s war ambitions. South Korea and the U.S. agreed late last month to a “conditions-based” operational control transition, citing North Korea’s growing military threat. The transfer, previously scheduled for December 2015, is expected to take place in the mid-2020s.With no clear time frame set, opposition lawmakers and activists c

Nov. 3, 2014

Korean conscripts for Japanese army seek compensation

Three family members of Koreans who were drafted into Japan’s Imperial Army during World War II said Monday they have filed a lawsuit with a local court to seek compensation from the South Korean government.South Korea and Japan signed a treaty in 1965 in which Japan agreed to pay $800 million as compensation for its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea under Park Chung-hee’s rule, however, spent most of the payment to revitalize its economy and failed to adequately compe

Nov. 3, 2014

S. Korea, Dutch sign US$23 mln deal on upgrading atomic reactor in Netherlands

South Korea and the Netherlands signed a deal Monday to upgrade a Dutch experimental reactor in the first export of the Asian country's nuclear reactor technology to Europe.   The signing ceremony took place as South Korean President Park Geun-hye stood side by side with visiting Dutch King Willem-Alexander after a summit at the presidential office in Seoul.   A South Korean consortium is set to upgrade the capacity of an atomic reactor at Delft University of Technology to 3 megawatts from the c

Nov. 3, 2014

S. Korea, China agree to launch joint crackdown on illegal fishing

South Korea and China have agreed to launch joint efforts before the year's end to curb illegal fishing in their shared waters, the South Korean government said Monday.   "The countries agreed to begin their joint inspection of fishing activities using their surveillance ships in the joint fishing zone at the earliest date possible before the end of the year," the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said in a press release.   The agreement came at the end of four-day talks last week that sought to

Nov. 3, 2014

S. Korea, U.S. eye summit next week

South Korea and the United States are in talks to arrange a summit between their leaders on the sidelines of a series of regional conferences next week, government sources said Monday.   The meeting, if realized, would likely be held during the East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw, Myanmar between Nov. 12 and 13 or during a summit of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies in Brisbane, Australia between Nov. 15 and 16, the sources said on condition of anonymity.   South Korean President Park Ge

Nov. 3, 2014

Park to visit China, Myanmar, Australia next week

South Korean President Park Geun-hye will visit China, Myanmar and Australia next week to attend a series of regional summits, her senior foreign affairs secretary said Sunday.On the first leg of her trip, Park will visit Beijing for four days starting next Sunday to attend a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Ju Chul-ki said in a press briefing.From Beijing, she will fly to Naypyidaw, Myanmar to attend the East Asia Summit and a summit between member nations of the As

Nov. 2, 2014

S. Korea, Germany to share experience on unification

Officials from South Korea and Germany will hold a first round of bilateral talks to discuss current geopolitical issues on the Korean Peninsula and share the European country’s experience of achieving peaceful unification, the Seoul government said Friday.Germany’s top diplomat, Frank-Walter Steinmeiser, is currently in Seoul to participate in the talks and to meet President Park Geun-hye in the afternoon. Steinmeiser met South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in the morning and is set to v

Oct. 31, 2014

Park calls for dialogue in Northeast Asia amid tension

President Park Geun-hye called Thursday for dialogue and cooperation in Northeast Asia amid fresh tensions on the Korean Peninsula over high-level talks.The Koreas had agreed to hold high-level talks between late October and early November during a recent surprise visit to South Korea by a high-powered North Korean delegation. South Korea later proposed to hold the talks on Oct. 30 as North Korea had asked the South to set a date.On Wednesday, North Korea rejected South Korea's offer in protest

Oct. 30, 2014

Korea, U.S. seek new options on nuke accord

South Korea is seeking to revise its nuclear cooperation accord with the U.S. in a “creative” manner that could guarantee Seoul’s autonomy in its civilian use of nuclear energy to some extent, a ranking official said Wednesday.South Korea and the U.S. are in the final stage in revising the accord over Seoul’s civilian nuke energy use, also known as the“123 agreement. The two sides hailed the “significant progress” in negotiations for the renewal of the pact, according to a statement unveiled fol

Oct. 29, 2014

China FM stresses commitment to denuclearizing N. Korea

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday reiterated Beijing's commitment to denuclearizing North Korea, days after the top U.S. military commander in South Korea said Pyongyang may be able to miniaturize a nuclear weapon to load it atop a missile. "We are firmly committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Wang said in his speech at the Chinese foreign ministry, which details the agenda of an upcoming APEC summit in Beijing. 

Oct. 29, 2014

Prince Edward in S. Korea for youth leadership program

Britain's Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II's youngest son, visited South Korea Wednesday to attend a global gathering of youth achievement award holders, local organizers said.Edward arrived at Incheon International Airport just west of Seoul earlier in the day and was welcomed by officials from the British Embassy in South Korea.There was no formal welcoming ceremony at the airport because he made the visit for private activities, not as a state guest, said the Korea Youth Work Agency, the Kor

Oct. 29, 2014

Security forum on trust-building in Asia-Pacific opens in Seoul

Hundreds of security experts and government officials from the Asia-Pacific countries gathered in Seoul on Wednesday to participate in a multilateral security forum aimed at seeking ways to build military trust in the region, Seoul's defense ministry said.Under the theme of "From Conflict to Cooperation: Measures for Trust-building among Asia-Pacific Countries," the 2014 Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD), the vice ministerial-level forum launched in 2012, kicked off in Seoul for a three-day run.It br

Oct. 29, 2014