Presidential office says 'no comment' on S. Korea-Japan summit

LONDON -- The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said Sunday it had "no comment" on Japanese news reports denying plans for a summit between Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in New York this week. Yoon's office said earlier that the two countries had agreed to a summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly either Tuesday or Wednesday in what would be their first bilateral summit since December 2019. The news raised hope of an improvement in relation

Sept. 19, 2022

Yoon attends reception hosted by King Charles III

LONDON -- President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday attended a reception in London hosted by King Charles III and expressed his condolences over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, his office said. Yoon, who arrived with first lady Kim Keon-hee in London earlier in the day, attended the reception at Buckingham Palace ahead of the queen's state funeral Monday. Yoon personally expressed his condolences to King Charles, who thanked the president for traveling to London to mourn his mother's death, a

Sept. 19, 2022

Presidential office says 'no change' in planned Korea-Japan summit during UN General Assembly

The South Korean presidential office said Sunday there's "no change" in the plan to hold a South Korea-Japan summit meeting this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. A ranking presidential official made the remarks in a phone call with Yonhap News Agency, rejecting Japanese news reports on Sunday that the possibility of the summit meeting between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida remains uncertain. The presidential office an

Sept. 18, 2022

Yoon heads to London for Queen's funeral on 3-nation swing

President Yoon Suk-yeol left for London on Sunday to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, kicking off a three-nation trip that will include his first address to the UN General Assembly, and summits with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Yoon's second overseas trip since taking office will also take him to Canada on the last leg. He is set to arrive in London on Sunday afternoon (local time) and visit a Korean War memorial to honor the 56,000 British tro

Sept. 18, 2022

Maryland Gov. Hogan expects 'compromise' over controversial law on inflation after midterm elections

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan voiced cautious hope Saturday for a "compromise" over a new U.S. law aimed at reducing inflation that has unnerved South Korea by excluding electric vehicles made outside North America from tax benefits.  He raised the possibility of a breakthrough on the controversial matter after the November midterm elections, speaking at a press conference in Seoul. The governor highlighted his commitment to efforts to insulate Seoul-Washington relations from the neg

Sept. 17, 2022

KAI signs follow-up contract with Poland to export 48 FA-50 fighters

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft maker, signed a US$3 billion contract with Poland on Friday to follow up on an earlier basic deal to export 48 FA-50 fighter jets, Seoul's arms procurement agency said. KAI inked the "executive" contract with Warsaw's Armament Agency as a follow-up to the "framework" contract signed in July to supply the fighters to the European country, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

Sept. 16, 2022

Yoon invites Chinese leader Xi to visit S. Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Seoul, during his meeting with Li Zhanshu, China's top legislator. Yoon said Xi's visit will "serve as important momentum to open a new chapter in Seoul-Beijing relations for the next 30 years," according to the presidential office. In response, Li, China's third-highest-ranking official and chief of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said he will de

Sept. 16, 2022

Seoul asks Beijing to prevent distortions of Korean history

S. Korea’s National Assembly speaker asked China’s third-ranking leader Li Zhanshu to ensure efforts to prevent possible attempts at distorting the history between the two countries, during a bilateral meeting held at the National Assembly on Friday. “History is related to the identity of a country and its people. It is important to accept facts as objective as possible and educate the next generation as such,” National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo said. Kim also said

Sept. 16, 2022

Yoon, Biden could discuss currency swap at summit: official

President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden could discuss the possibility of a currency swap deal between the two countries when they meet in New York next week, a presidential official said Friday. Choi Sang-mok, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, told reporters he would not get ahead of the meeting slated to take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, but that both sides have taken an interest in the issue of reopening a currency swap line. "The leaders

Sept. 16, 2022

'US-China decoupling is matter of survival for Korea'

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- The escalating strategic competition between the United States and China is posing "life-or-death" challenges to countries around the world. In order to prevent complete disengagement of the two countries and to stop the world from splitting into two spheres of technology and economy, it is crucial for the US and China to cooperate on the important issue of climate change, experts said at a forum on Jeju Island on Friday. Speaking at a session dubbed, "Th

Sept. 16, 2022

S. Korea's vice foreign minister asks US to address ' discriminatory' part in new law on inflation

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- A senior South Korean diplomat had meetings with US government and congressional officials in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, during which he delivered Seoul's concerns about the impact from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that excludes Korean-made electric vehicles from tax credits, according to his ministry. Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong was on a visit to the US capital, along with Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul, for the allies' Extended Deterrence St

Sept. 16, 2022

Japan's forced labor dispute: Korea should freeze liquidation process, former ambassador says

JEJU CITY -- A former South Korean ambassador to Japan said Korea should "freeze" the liquidation process of Japanese firms accused of using forced labor in the early part of the 20th century to mend ties with Japan, as the country's top court continues deliberating on a critical ruling in the case. Seoul should also legislate any final settlement made over the issue with Japan to put an end to the dispute once and for all, Shin Kak-soo, who served as ambassador to Japan from 2011-13

Sept. 15, 2022

[Newsmaker] Suriname may take legal action against producers of 'Narco-Saints' over unfair portrayal

The government of Suriname said it will consider legal action against the producers of the recent Netflix series "Narco-Saints," which possibly casts a negative image of the country. The South Korean Embassy in Venezuela issued an advisory to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals living in Suriname, according to local reports on Thursday. "Narco-Saints," which is titled "Suriname" in Korean, revolves around a South Korean drug lord operating in Suriname and

Sept. 15, 2022

Trade chief to visit Cambodia this week for RCEP talks, ASEAN meetings

South Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun plans to visit Cambodia this week to attend the inaugural ministerial meeting of a regional mega trade pact, as well as three ASEAN-related economic talks, his office said Thursday. During the three-day visit to Siem Reap starting Friday, Ahn will meet his counterparts from 14 member nations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to discuss ways to better ensure stable supply chains and to check detailed rules of their trade deal,

Sept. 15, 2022

PM to head for Japan to attend Abe's state funeral

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will visit Japan later this month to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister's Office said Thursday. Han and Chung Jin-suk, the interim leader of the ruling People Power Party who doubles as the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, will lead the South Korean delegation for Abe's funeral on Sept. 27, the office said. During the visit, Han plans to meet Japan's political and business leaders, as well a

Sept. 15, 2022

China's top legislator due in South Korea

China's top legislator, Li Zhanshu, was set to arrive in Seoul on Thursday for meetings with President Yoon Suk-yeol and National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo amid speculation he could discuss the possibility of President Xi Jinping visiting South Korea. Li, China's third-highest-ranking official and chief of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, will lead a large delegation to Seoul for the three-day trip at the invitation of Kim. After arrival in the afternoo

Sept. 15, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Strategic puzzles that Biden’s Asia Tour left

From May 20-24, international attention shifted to the Indo-Pacific region from Ukraine, where a power struggle between the US and NATO against Russia has been taking place since mid-February. US President Joe Biden attended the “Quad” summit in Japan after visiting Korea in May. It was only 10 days after the inauguration of Korea’s new government headed by President Yoon Suk-yeol. As Biden selected South Korea for his first destination in Asia, he certainly attracted Korea

Sept. 14, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the world] Seeking new Korea-China relations: Evaluating economy and trade

Now is the time for Korea and China to look back on the past, face the present and talk about the future. Over the past 30 years, Korea-China relations have developed explosively. This week, as we continue the series on the New Korea-China relations, the second topic covers economy and trade, following the social and cultural dimensions. This week’s discussion invites two experts from home and abroad. Senior research fellow Yang Pyoung-seob at Korea Institute for International Economic Pol

Sept. 14, 2022

Jeju peace forum explores ways to tackle geopolitical challenges, climate change

The 17th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity kicked off in Jeju on Wednesday to address and explore ways to tackle major global challenges such as the intensifying US-China rivalry, the Ukraine crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Under the theme, “Beyond Conflict, Towards Peace: Coexistence and Cooperation,” the three-day forum has invited world-class leaders, government officials and experts of various sectors to the International Convention Center Jeju to share insig

Sept. 14, 2022

Australian labor expert tapped as head of OHCHR Seoul office after 2-year vacancy

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights appointed an Australian labor expert as the new head of the Seoul office, filling in the post that has been vacant for the past two years, according to a media report Wednesday. The office of the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General confirmed that James Heenan, the head of the OHCHR Office in Palestine, has been tapped as the new chief of the Seoul office, the Voice of America reported. “The head of the office is Jam

Sept. 14, 2022