[Herald Interview] 'Seoul needs to ask NK to refrain from provocations'

After four tumultuous years of the Donald Trump presidency, countries around the world are trying to figure out what President-elect Joe Biden’s America will mean for them. 　 With Biden’s win on pledges to take the nation on a very different path from Trump on every front -- from COVID-19 responses and the economy to foreign policy -- a lot is at stake for Seoul, Washington’s key ally on issues from security to trade and North Korea diplomacy. 　 The Blue House appears to be

Nov. 11, 2020

Spy chief’s Tokyo trip unlikely to spark dramatic changes in Korea-Tokyo relations

The South Korean National Intelligence Service chief’s series of meetings with Japanese leaders appear unlikely to spark sudden changes in bilateral relations, with his suggestions reportedly being met with little enthusiasm. On Wednesday, National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won returned to Seoul after having met with Japan’s political leaders including Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the previous day. At the meeting with Suga, Park suggested issuing a Korea-Ja

Nov. 11, 2020

FM meets with people close to Biden, stresses need for US to prioritize NK issue

WASHINGTON -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Tuesday she met with people considered close to US President-elect Joe Biden and stressed the need for the incoming administration to prioritize the North Korean nuclear issue. During the meetings, including one with John Allen, head of the Washington-based Brookings Institute, Kang said she stressed the nuclear standoff requires Biden's personal interest and called for an early resumption of the stalled nuclear negotiations with t

Nov. 11, 2020

Vice FM Lee reiterates S. Korea's commitment to strengthening multilateralism

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho has renewed South Korea's commitment to strengthening multilateralism to help cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and other global challenges, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. Lee made the remarks in a video message sent to Tuesday's high-level forum that the Spanish government hosted in support of multilateralism on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. "The Republic of Korea is ready to cooperate with various

Nov. 11, 2020

Senior diplomats of S. Korea, Britain hold talks on post-Brexit economic cooperation

Senior diplomats of South Korea and Britain have held video talks to discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation after Britain's complete withdrawal from the European Union (EU), Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. During the talks held Tuesday with Nigel Adams, minister for Asia at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho stressed the need for continuity in bilateral trade relations between the two countries after Britain's transitio

Nov. 11, 2020

FM meets with US national security adviser

WASHINGTON -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien on Tuesday and discussed "many important national security issues facing the two countries," the US official said. "It was great to speak with my esteemed colleague Kang Kyung-wha, Foreign Minister of our ally, the republic of Korea," O'Brien tweeted. "We discussed many important national security issues facing both nations and the Indo-Pacific." Kang has b

Nov. 11, 2020

Moon, British PM hold phone talks over ties, climate change

President Moon Jae-in held phone talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday and discussed ways to promote bilateral ties and cooperate on climate change, his office said. Johnson invited Moon to the summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies to be held in Britain next year, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Moon expressed appreciation for the invitation and also invited Johnson to the upcoming P4G summit that South Korea plans to host in May next year. P4G, which stands for Par

Nov. 10, 2020

S. Korea's spy chief meets Suga amid protracted dispute over wartime forced labor

TOKYO/SEOUL -- South Korea's National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo on Tuesday, a senior Japanese official said, amid strained relations between the two countries over wartime history and trade. Tokyo's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a regular press briefing that Park paid a courtesy call on Suga, in the first high-level meeting between the two countries since Suga took office in September after his predecessor,

Nov. 10, 2020

Court public notice takes effect for compensation of wartime forced laborers

A public notice by a court went into effect on Tuesday to proceed with a stalled legal process to liquidate the assets of a Japanese firm and compensate wartime forced laborers. The Daejeon District Court in central South Korea has served the notice to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) to institute the compensation process, as the Japanese company failed to respond to a ruling by South Korea's Supreme Court to compensate five forced laborers and their families who suffered during World War

Nov. 10, 2020

S. Korea considering arranging Moon-Biden phone talks at 'appropriate time': foreign ministry

South Korea is considering arranging phone talks between President Moon Jae-in and US President-elect Joe Biden at an "appropriate" time, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Lee Jae-woong, the ministry's deputy spokesman, made the remarks as speculation has grown over when Moon will hold his first phone conversation with Biden as President Donald Trump has refused to concede defeat in last week's election. "We are considering holding diplomatic events with the US president-elect,

Nov. 10, 2020

S. Korea to continue consultation with Japan on wartime forced labor amid legal compensation process: ministry

South Korea will continue close consultations with Japan over the long-simmering issue of Tokyo's wartime forced labor, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, as a legal process to compensate victims took a step forward with no diplomatic solution in sight. A district court in the central city of Daejeon has served Mitsubishi Heavy Industries a public notice related to the victims' request to sell off local assets of the Japanese firm. The notice took effect at the start of Tuesday. The public not

Nov. 10, 2020

Kang, Pompeo reaffirm close cooperation on peninsular affairs

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed their commitment for their countries to closely cooperate on ensuring the stable management of the Korean Peninsula situation. 　 Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the top diplomats of the two countries held talks during a luncheon in Washington on Monday, discussing pending bilateral and regional issues. 　 Kang and Pompeo agreed on continuing efforts to develop South Korea-US relations a

Nov. 10, 2020

Kang, Pompeo reaffirm efforts to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula

WASHINGTON -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula, both sides said, as they held talks two days after Joe Biden was elected the next US president. "During the meeting, Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Kang discussed bilateral and regional priorities, including coordination on ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula and expanding cooperation through the US Indo-

Nov. 10, 2020

Senior diplomats of S. Korea, China hold virtual talks ahead of ASEAN summits

Senior diplomats of South Korea and China held video talks on Monday to discuss upcoming summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other bilateral issues, the foreign ministry said. Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn met virtually with his Chinese counterpart, Luo Zhaohui, ahead of the ASEAN Plus Three summit involving their countries and Japan and the East Asia Summit to be joined by 18 countries including the United States, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and Indi

Nov. 9, 2020

S. Korea, Caribbean countries to hold annual forum to discuss health care, food security

South Korea and Caribbean countries will hold their annual high-level forum later this week to discuss cooperation on health and medical care, and food security in the post-coronavirus era, the foreign ministry said Monday. The 10th High-Level Forum on the Korea-Caribbean Partnership is scheduled to take place in Seoul on Wednesday, as Seoul seeks to strengthen cooperation with the region in various areas, such as responses to pandemics and climate change, and energy. The ministry will host th

Nov. 9, 2020

USFK veterans' association holds alliance conference for junior American soldiers

An association of American veterans who served in South Korea said Monday that it held a conference to help junior US service members better understand the alliance between the two countries and security situations surrounding the Korean Peninsula. The conference took place at Camp Humphreys in the city of Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on Friday and brought together around 80 junior members of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and officers from the Eighth Army, according to the Kore

Nov. 9, 2020

Kang says Biden won’t return to ‘strategic patience’ with Pyongyang

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha predicted that the incoming Joe Biden administration would not return to the Obama-era policy of “strategic patience” in dealing with a nuclear-armed North Korea.  Kang made the remarks to reporters on Sunday (US time) after visiting the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington. Seoul’s top diplomat is in the US capital through Wednesday for talks with her counterpart, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, about pending bilateral a

Nov. 9, 2020

FM Kang arrives in US for talks with Pompeo after Biden victory

WASHINGTON -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha arrived in Washington on Sunday for talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about pending bilateral and regional issues. Kang's visit came shortly after US Democratic candidate Joe Biden won the presidential election in a move sure to bring sweeping changes to how the United States deals with South Korea and other allies and how it will approach the daunting issue of North Korea. The top South Korean diplomat noted the US' approach t

Nov. 9, 2020

Seoul eyes bolstering ties with new Biden administration

With Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential race, South Korea will seek to forge ties with the new administration to further bolster the alliance and make progress toward peace on the Korean Peninsula. 　 South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday sent a congratulatory message to US President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, hours after major media outlets in the US announced Biden’s win over incumbent President Donald Trump. 　 “Congratulati

Nov. 8, 2020

Foreign Ministry vows continued efforts with incoming Biden government for stronger alliance

South Korea's foreign ministry said Sunday it will continue efforts with the incoming government of US President-elect Joe Biden to strengthen the bilateral alliance and achieve progress in efforts for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. The ministry's statement came as Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha left for Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, congressional people and academics, which observers predict could include those close to Biden. "The foreign ministry

Nov. 8, 2020