Foreign Minister to promote Korea-ASEAN ties in Cambodia

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin were to take off for Cambodia on Wednesday to attend a series of annual meetings led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, during which he will present South Korea’s diplomatic goals and reaffirm its commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. During the multilateral meetings, which are set to take place over two days starting Thursday, Park plans to take part in several meetings -- including the Korea-ASEAN foreign ministe

Aug. 3, 2022

Pelosi’s Korea visit comes amid soaring US-China tensions

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is to meet with ranking South Korean officials Thursday, amid US-China tensions heightened by her trip to Taiwan. Pelosi’s stop in Taiwan sparked backlash and military actions from China. North Korea and Russia also pitched in and launched a blistering criticism of the US, showing a glimpse of the regional security complex that will be compounded by the visit. South Korea is the fourth leg of the US congressional delegation’s trip to the Indo-Pacific r

Aug. 3, 2022

Pyongyang lashes out at Seoul’s appointment of NK human rights ambassador

North Korea lashed out at South Korea’s appointment of an ambassador-at-large on North Korean human rights issues on Wednesday, calling it “Seoul’s vicious political provocation to battle with Pyongyang until the end.” North Korea’s propaganda radio station Echo of Unification strongly criticized the South, as Seoul has recently appointed Lee Shin-wha, an international relations professor at Korea University, to the post that has been vacant for the past five year

Aug. 3, 2022

US welcomes Speaker Pelosi's trip to S. Korea, Japan: White House

US President Joe Biden welcomes the ongoing trip to Asia by the speaker of the House of Representatives that will soon take her to South Korea and Japan, a White House official said Tuesday. The remarks by John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, came as Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) arrived in Taiwan on a visit protested by Beijing. "The president has already seen that Speaker Pelosi has already accomplished some important conversations on this trip with respec

Aug. 3, 2022

South Korea keeps watchful eye on Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan

South Korea‘s Foreign Ministry is keeping a watchful eye on the escalating tensions between the United States and China as the US House speaker is reportedly expected to visit Taiwan, a ministry official said Tuesday. Nancy Pelosi, the US House speaker is reportedly planning to visit Taiwan as part of her Asian tour, despite warnings from China, which views the official American contact with Taiwan as a show of support for the island’s independence -- Beijing claims the self-ruled

Aug. 2, 2022

South Korea condemns North for ‘abusing’ NPT regime, urges to cease provocations

South Korea strongly condemned the North for “abusing” the Non-Proliferation Treaty to openly develop nuclear weapons and urged the regime to return to dialogue for complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization during international nuclear arms talks. Addressing the 10th NPT Review Conference held at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday, Korean Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of Foreign Ministry Ham Sang-wook said the nonproliferation goal is bein

Aug. 2, 2022

S. Korean defense chief to visit Australia for talks on arms industry cooperation

South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup is set to depart for Australia on Tuesday for talks with his Australian counterpart on arms industry cooperation and regional security, his ministry said. Lee plans to meet Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Canberra on Thursday to discuss two-way defense cooperation as part of follow-up measures to the summit between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held on the margins of a NATO summit in Madrid in

Aug. 2, 2022

Blinken reaffirms US commitment to NPT, citing threats posed by N. Korea, Iran

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on Monday, citing threats posed by North Korea and Iran. The top US diplomat reiterated the world faced a "critical moment" amid fears of a potential North Korean nuclear test. "And so we come together at a critical moment. The DPRK continues to expand its unlawful nuclear program and continues its ongoing provocations against the region," Blinken said,

Aug. 2, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] India is not the weakest link in the Quad

India is expected to grow to have the world’s greatest population, overtaking China. Its economy also has a huge role in the United States’ Silicon Valley, as India produces numerous advanced IT human resources. And its low-key but powerful influence can also bee see in Indian diplomacy. India’s biggest antagonist is China. The Indo-China border dispute is appalling. In 2018, there was a military confrontation for more than 70 days in the Doklam region of the Himalayas, in wh

Aug. 1, 2022

Yoon to send special envoy to Colombian president's inauguration

President Yoon Suk-yeol will send a special envoy to the inauguration of incoming Colombian President Gustavo Petro and deliver his wish to work closely with the new government, Yoon's office said Monday. The delegation, headed by Rep. Park Duk-hyum of the ruling People Power Party, will attend the inauguration ceremony on Aug. 7 and extend Yoon's congratulations. "President Yoon will deliver his special congratulations on the inauguration of President Petro through the delegation

Aug. 1, 2022

[News Analysis] Can Yoon cut Gordian Knot of South Korea-Japan relations?

They are not allies, but they are close neighbors and sometimes join hands for regional security. Yet, there has always been tension between South Korea and Japan, as disputes stemming from their bitter history plague relations. The current issue between the two nations is the South Korean Supreme Court’s ruling that orders Japanese companies to sell their assets based in South Korea to provide compensation for Koreans who they forced into labor during the Japanese occupation of Korea

July 31, 2022

[Newsmaker] Isolation complication? US finds it's hard to shun Russia

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration likes to say Russia has become isolated internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine. Yet Moscow’s top officials have hardly been cloistered in the Kremlin. And now, even the US wants to talk. President Vladimir Putin has been meeting with world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a NATO member. Meanwhile, his top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is jetting around the world, smiling, shaking

July 29, 2022

[Photo News] Wall of Remembrance unveiled in Washington

The unveiling ceremony of the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC was held on Wednesday, with names of 43,808 fallen heroes of the 1950-53 war displayed on the lengthy black granite board. The ceremony was held on the very day the Korean War came to a close 69 years ago. High-profile officials from South Korea and the US, as well as 2,000 citizens gathered to honor and lay flowers for those whose names are on the wall. 

July 29, 2022

USFK chief highlights importance of Korea-US alliance in dealing with challenges

WASHINGTON -- US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera stressed the importance of strengthening the US-South Korea alliance Thursday, one day after the countries marked the 69th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. The four-star US general insisted the alliance provides the "strategic depth" and "legitimacy" to deal with any global challenges, including North Korea. "I see an opportunity for the alliance to extend its

July 29, 2022

US remains committed to defense of S. Korea, engagement with N. Korea: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States remains firmly committed to the defense of South Korea, a state department spokesperson said Thursday, hours after North Korea warned South Korea that it may face "annihilation." Ned Price said the US also remains open to engaging in dialogue with Pyongyang, but that the reclusive regime continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures. "We have a vital interest in deterring the DPRK, defending against provocation or use of force, limiting the reach

July 29, 2022

Ranking US official visits S. Korea to discuss cyber security: NSC

WASHINGTON -- A senior White House official visited South Korea this week to discuss ways to enhance the countries' cooperation in countering cybercrimes committed by actors such as North Korea, the White House National Security Council (NSC) said Thursday. Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor (DNSA) for cyber and emerging technologies, traveled to Seoul from Monday through Wednesday, according to NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson. "During her meetings with Korean counterpar

July 29, 2022

Yoon, Widodo agree to cooperate on supply chains, capital relocation

The leaders of South Korea and Indonesia have agreed to stabilize supply chains of materials crucial for manufacturing of technology, and strengthen ties to support smooth delivery of Indonesia’s capital city relocation project. President Yoon Suk-yeol also conveyed Korea’s strong willingness to strengthen ties with ASEAN nations and shared its views on the region’s strategic importance. The agreement was announced after a summit held Thursday between Yoon and Indonesian Pre

July 28, 2022

China demands Korea uphold ‘Three Nos’ policy

As China appears to relay stronger words to express its discomfort against Seoul’s diplomacy plans largely aligning with the United States, eyes are on how the Yoon Suk-yeol administration will navigate its way through the US-China rivalry. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday demanded the Yoon administration, which was inaugurated in May, to up hold the previous government’s China policy of the so-called “Three Nos” -- no additional deployment of the US-made Term

July 28, 2022

US will react appropriately to any N. Korean nuclear test: Kirby

The United States and its allies will take appropriate steps to hold North Korea accountable should the recalcitrant country conduct a nuclear test, a National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson said Tuesday. John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, also noted the North may continue to be ready to conduct a test. "We have been very clear that North Korea could be ready to conduct a nuclear test. That is something we said very, very openly," Kirby said in a press brief

July 27, 2022

Japan should seek neighbors’ consent before releasing Fukushima wastewater: Yoon

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Tuesday that Japan should seek the consent of neighboring countries before moving ahead with its plan to discharge treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. When asked by a reporter about the Japanese government’s recent approval to build discharge facilities during his regular morning press briefing, Yoon said: “Since my presidential campaign, my position has been that (Japan) should provid

July 26, 2022