Indonesia pledges closer friendship, stronger partnership with Korea

Top diplomats from South Korea and Indonesia pledged to forge a closer friendship and stronger partnership during a talk held online and in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday. The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Korea. Speaking to attendees gathered at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who attended the event online, called for closer friendship and partnership, including in building a greener and more sustain

Jan. 31, 2023

In face of supply disruptions, Korea, India must work together

India is willing to collaborate with South Korea to resolve supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other geopolitical conflicts, said Amit Kumar, Indian ambassador to Korea, on Friday, stressing the 50 years of bilateral ties and deep trust building towards the future. Global geopolitical conflicts have exposed the acute vulnerability of supply chains and the risks of dependency on one country, Kumar told The Korea Herald, noting that "India and Korea must work togethe

Jan. 31, 2023

Indian Embassy celebrates 74th Republic Day

The Indian Embassy in Seoul on Thursday celebrated its 74th Republic Day with traditional dances and performances. The event commemorates the Jan. 26 anniversary on which the Indian Constitution came into effect in 1950. Delivering Indian President Droupadi Murmu’s message at the event, Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar outlined India's recent changes, development projects, achievements and future vision to the Indian diaspora in Korea. Kumar also spoke about India–Korea cul

Jan. 31, 2023

US House resolution seeks to denounce socialism, N. Korean leaders

WASHINGTON -- A resolution proposed in the US House of Representatives seeks to denounce socialism and socialist dictators, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his predecessors, the resolution showed Monday. The resolution, titled "Denouncing the horrors of socialism," also notes over 3.5 million people in North Korea have starved due to what it called crimes committed by socialist ideologues. The resolution notes "many of the greatest crimes in history were committed by

Jan. 31, 2023

Adversary that challenges S. Korea challenging Seoul-Washington alliance as whole: US defense chief

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Tuesday that if an adversary challenges South Korea or the United States, it would be challenging the two countries' "alliance as a whole," reaffirming America's "ironclad" security commitment to the Asian ally. Austin issued the warning in an exclusive contribution piece to Yonhap News Agency, as he plans to hold talks with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup in Seoul later in the day to discuss deterrence against evolving Nort

Jan. 31, 2023

NATO chief warns of risks of overreliance on China

South Korea should be careful not to be overly dependent on China, a key sourcing destination for Seoul, as Beijing could leverage that to get what it wants in a world split between free democracies and authoritarian regimes, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Seoul on Monday. The visit by the chief of the 30-member military alliance based in Brussels, Belgium -- the second time since 2017 -- is the latest move by the Western coalition trying to push back against longtime adversarie

Jan. 30, 2023

Pentagon chief to arrive in S. Korea for talks on deterrence against N.Korea

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to arrive in Seoul on Monday for talks with his South Korean counterpart over deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and other security issues, officials here said. His trip comes as Seoul and Washington are striving to sharpen deterrence through reinforced combined military drills as well as their trilateral security coordination with Tokyo, in the wake of Pyongyang's missile provocations. At their scheduled meeting Tuesday, Au

Jan. 30, 2023

N. Korea slams NATO chief's visit to S. Korea as 'prelude' to confrontation, war

North Korea on Monday denounced a visit to South Korea by the chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as a "prelude" to war, saying the move could bring a "new Cold War" to the Asia-Pacific region. In an article carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Tong-myong, a researcher of the North's organization on international political study, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's current trip to Northeast Asia appears to be ai

Jan. 30, 2023

NATO chief stresses 'interconnected' security amid N. Korean support of Russian war efforts

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday that North Korean support of Russia in the war in Ukraine reinforces the need for the rest of the world to stay "interconnected" in their security efforts. Stoltenberg made the remark in his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin in Seoul. "I think that in a more unpredictable and uncertain world, it's even more important that countries that believe in freedom and democracy in rul

Jan. 29, 2023

FM Park, NATO chief discuss North Korea, expanding ties

Foreign Minister Park Jin and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday discussed jointly working on curbing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and bolstering ties between the Asian country and the 30-member military alliance. The meeting comes as President Yoon Suk Yeol looks to enlist help from European countries in combatting an increasingly belligerent North Korea, which fired off a record number of missiles last year and still shows no sign of dialing down aggression. Yoon was th

Jan. 29, 2023

Blinken looks forward to any opportunity to engage with S. Korean FM: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would welcome any future opportunity to engage with his South Korean counterpart, a state department spokesperson said Thursday. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the state department, however, said he had nothing to announce when asked about a possible meeting between Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin in Washington. "The secretary has had the opportunity to engage with the foreign minister on a number of occa

Jan. 27, 2023

S. Korea, US to discuss NK, trade dispute

Foreign Minister Park Jin is set to hold talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in early February, sources said Thursday, as the two allies step up efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and resolve a trade dispute involving US tax rules that its allies say favor locally made electric vehicles. The Foreign Ministry said details like exact dates and agendas were under debate, without elaborating. In late February, Park is expected to attend the Munich Security Conference i

Jan. 26, 2023

Yoon to meet NATO chief, US defense secretary next week

President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to hold meetings next week with Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, a presidential official said Thursday. The NATO chief and the US defense secretary are set to visit Seoul next week, and the presidential office is making arrangements for meetings with Yoon, the official told Yonhap News Agency. During the meetings, Yoon is expected to reaffirm his commitment to strengthening the s

Jan. 26, 2023

US may appoint special envoy solely dedicated to N. Korea if dialogue resumes: State Dept.

WASHINGTON-- The United States may consider appointing a special envoy solely dedicated to issues related to North Korea should there be active dialogue with the reclusive country, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday. The department spokesperson, Ned Price, also underscored Pyongyang continued disregard for US overtures as a reason for Sung Kim concurrently serving as special envoy for North Korea and US ambassador to Indonesia. "If we are to arrive at a position where it does ma

Jan. 25, 2023

‘Rewriting wartime past’ clouds prospects for forced labor deal

A second attempt by Japan to seek a UNESCO World Heritage List designation for a 400-year-old gold mine that South Korea says forced Koreans into labor during World War II is casting a shadow over current bilateral talks underway to resolve the dispute. Tokyo formally refiled a request Friday to obtain recognition for its Sado Island mine, omitting the history of Koreans forced to work at what was once the world’s largest gold producer before the shutdown in 1989. Updated documents submitt

Jan. 24, 2023

US House resolution calls for return of USS Pueblo seized by N. Korea

WASHINGTON-- A resolution has been proposed in the US House of Representatives calling for the return of a US Navy ship seized by North Korea 55 years ago, a summary of the resolution showed Monday. The resolution, introduced last week by Rep. Steube Gregory, calls for the return of USS Pueblo while denouncing North Korea's seizure of the ship and its crew on Jan. 23, 1968. The House "maintains North Korea's seizure of the vessel USS Pueblo and its detention of the crew were in

Jan. 24, 2023

US, S. Korea working to hold N. Korea accountable for supporting Russian war in Ukraine: State Dept.

WASHINGTON-- The United States and South Korea regularly discuss ways to address threats posed by North Korea, including its support for Russia's war against Ukraine, a state department spokesperson said Monday. State Department Press Secretary Ned Price also said the US will continue to use all available means to hold accountable those that support Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. "It's fair to say that of course, we have the closest of relations with our South Korean alli

Jan. 24, 2023

Key takeaways from contentious deal on forced labor

After roughly a four-year struggle, South Korea and Japan are nearing a compromise on making amends to Koreans forced into labor by Japanese companies during World War II. The dispute -- which Seoul’s top court said in October 2018 was Tokyo’s fault -- strained bilateral ties as Japan refused to honor the ruling and pay damages to the victims. Tokyo claims a 1965 treaty that normalized relations with Seoul following its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula already settled the issue.

Jan. 23, 2023

No S. Korean victims from mass shooting in California: foreign ministry

The South Korean foreign ministry said Monday that no Korean injuries or deaths have been reported from the deadly mass shooting in California that claimed 10 lives. "No Korean damage has been reported to the Korean Embassy or local Korean communities so far," the ministry said. "We will make constant efforts to keep close tabs on the incident in cooperation with the Los Angeles authorities." A gunman killed 10 people and injured 10 more in a shooting Saturday night (U.S.

Jan. 23, 2023

S. Korea summons Japan envoy over re-pushing for Sado mine as UNESCO heritage

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned a senior Japanese diplomat on Friday over Japan’s repeated attempt to recognize gold and silver mines on the island of Sado, where Koreans were forced to work during World War II, as a World Heritage site. “The Korean government regrets that the Japanese government resubmitted the nomination of ‘Sado Island Gold Mines,’ for the inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List,” Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said in

Jan. 20, 2023