S. Korea reiterates priority on citizens' health in handling Fukushima water issue

South Korea's foreign ministry reiterated its "foremost priority" to protect its citizens' health and safety Friday in dealing with Japan's potential discharge of contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. The ministry also said the government has been handling the issue under a vice-ministerial inter-agency dialogue platform, amid public safety concerns over Japanese media reports that Tokyo has decided to release it into the sea with an official announcement likel

Oct. 16, 2020

Biden criticizes Trump for making US less secure, more isolated

WASHINGTON -- US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden lashed out at President Donald Trump on Thursday, arguing that he has made the United States less secure and more isolated in the world. The former vice president also claimed the US president has made the United States a laughing stock on the global stage. "We find ourselves in a position where we're more isolated in the world than we have ever been," Biden said, adding Trump's America First policy has left "America a

Oct. 16, 2020

Asian American communities hold key in US presidential election: Biden supporters

WASHINGTON -- Asian American voters, including Pacific Islanders, will play a major role in determining who will win in many of the most closely contested states of the upcoming US presidential election, a group of supporters for Democratic candidate Joe Biden said Thursday. They said the number of registered Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters more than doubled over the last decade, making them the fastest growing block of voters in the US. "There are over 11 million eligib

Oct. 16, 2020

US, S. Korea hold same views on declaration of war's end: S. Korean adviser

WASHINGTON -- There exists no difference of opinion between South Korea and the United States on the need to formally end the Korean War as part of the process to denuclearize North Korea, South Korea's national security adviser said, adding it is "common sense" that the two issues go together. Suh Hoon, director of South Korea's National Security Office, said the only issue was when a declaration of the war's end could or should be made. "The issue of declaring the war's end is

Oct. 16, 2020

Vice FM meets with new EU ambassador

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun met with the new European Union (EU) ambassador to South Korea on Thursday and discussed bilateral ties and other issues of mutual concern, the foreign ministry said. During the meeting with Maria Castillo Fernandez, Choi expressed hope that the strategic partnership between Seoul and the 27-member economic bloc will develop further by expanding high-level exchanges in various fields, such as transportation, trade and climate change. Castillo Fernande

Oct. 15, 2020

Top S. Korean, US security officials discuss alliance, N. Korea: Cheong Wa Dae

Top national security officials of South Korea and the United States held talks in Washington, DC this week and reaffirmed that their alliance remains robust, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. Suh Hoon, director of national security at the presidential office, arrived in the US on Tuesday (local time) for his first trip to the US since assuming the post in July. He met with his White House counterpart Robert O'Brien the following day for discussions on issues of mutual concern, including recent Kor

Oct. 15, 2020

Deputy FM Kim to visit Mexico next week for talks on resumption of FTA talks, economic cooperation

Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn will visit Mexico next week for talks with his counterpart and other officials over economic cooperation, including the resumption of bilateral free trade talks, the foreign ministry said Thursday. During his visit from Monday to Wednesday, Kim plans to separately meet his counterpart, Julian Ventura, as well as officials from the South Korea-Mexico parliamentarian friendship group and chiefs of South Korean businesses operating in the country. At the talks wit

Oct. 15, 2020

S. Korea's national security adviser in US on unannounced visit

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's national security advisor Suh Hoon has been in Washington on a previously unannounced trip and has already met with his US counterpart Robert O'Brien, multiple sources confirmed Wednesday. Suh arrived in Washington on Tuesday, an informed source said on condition of anonymity without providing further details, including what the purpose of his trip was. O'Brien later confirmed Suh's visit, saying in a tweet that they met earlier in the day. "Great to see my fr

Oct. 15, 2020

Esper says equitable burden-sharing necessary for 'stable stationing' of US troops

WASHINGTON -- US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday highlighted the importance of what he called a more "equitable" sharing of costs to maintain US troops in South Korea, saying it would ensure the "stable stationing" of US troops in the Asian ally. His remarks came in an annual meeting of defense ministers of the two countries, known as the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). "We must find a more equitable means of sharing the costs of our common defense, so i

Oct. 15, 2020

Esper says OPCON transfer will take time

WASHINGTON -- The United States is committed to the envisioned transition of the wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces back to Seoul, but it will take time to meet the required conditions, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday. Esper made the remark at the start of annual defense talks with his South Korean counterpart, Suh Wook, amid growing speculation that the OPCON transfer is unlikely to be completed before the term of President Moon Jae-in ends in May 2022.

Oct. 15, 2020

Vice FM holds talks with ambassadors of UAE, Saudi Arabia

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun met separately Wednesday with the ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia for talks on bilateral ties and other issues, the foreign ministry said. In the talks with Ambassadors Abdullah Saif Nuaimi of the UAE and Riyad Ahmed Al Mubaraky of Saudi Arabia, Choi asked for the two countries' keen attention to enhancing bilateral cooperation in coronavirus responses so as to expand the scope of such cooperation to a wider range of hea

Oct. 14, 2020

Berlin’s district office defers order to remove Statue of Peace

A Berlin district office on Tuesday deferred its order to remove the statue symbolizing the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery, in the face of strong resistance from activists and citizens. Reversing its earlier order to remove the Statue of Peace by Wednesday, the Mitte district’s office said the statue will remain for the time being until a court makes a ruling on a South Korean civic group’s request to invalidate the removal order. Stephan von Dassel, district mayor

Oct. 14, 2020

Ambassador admits handling of sexual harassment case in New Zealand was insufficient

South Korean Ambassador to New Zealand Lee Sang-jin admitted Wednesday that his embassy's handling of a sexual harassment case involving a senior diplomat was insufficient. Lee made the remarks during a video-linked parliamentary audit session in response to a lawmaker's question about the 2017 case, although the ambassador was not serving at the embassy at the time. A local employee at the embassy has accused the diplomat of groping him multiple times. The case resurfaced in July when New Zea

Oct. 14, 2020

Navy kicks off scaled-down monthlong cruise training over pandemic

The Navy launched annual cruise training on a smaller scale Wednesday amid the virus pandemic, which includes visits to Guam and Malaysia for the delivery of medical items to Korean War veterans and overseas Koreans, officials said. The Navy Cruise Training Task Group, consisting of the 4,400-ton destroyer Kang Gam-chan and the 10,000-ton logistics support ship Soyang, set sail from the southern resort island of Jeju with 540 sailors aboard, including 147 naval cadets, on the day. During the 7

Oct. 14, 2020

Berlin district office withholds order to remove sex slave statue

BERLIN -- A Berlin district office has withheld its order to remove a statue symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery following protests from activists and citizens. The Mitte district office said in a statement Tuesday that the order to remove "The Statue of Peace" by Wednesday was no longer applicable due to an injunction filed by local civic group Korea Verband, which brands itself as a platform for all who are interested in Korea. "We will take time to thoroughl

Oct. 14, 2020

Hundreds stage rally to protect 'peace statue' in Berlin

BERLIN -- Hundreds of people staged a rally in Berlin on Tuesday to protest a district office's order to remove a statue in the German capital symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery. Some 300 activists and citizens gathered near the statue, formally called "The Statue of Peace," in Berlin's Mitte district and marched to the Mitte district office, demanding the German city authorities revoke the removal decision. Korea Verband, a Berlin-based civic group with South Ko

Oct. 13, 2020

Lawmakers deliver letter to protest Berlin's 'peace statue' removal order

Over 100 South Korean lawmakers have signed a joint letter protesting the city of Berlin's order to remove a statue symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery from the streets of the German capital, according to political parties Tuesday. The letter, signed by 113 members of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), the minor progressive Justice Party, Basic Income Party, Transition Korea party and independent legislators, was delivered to the German embassy in South Korea on Tuesday. Korea

Oct. 13, 2020

Uncertainty clouds trilateral Asian summit on Seoul-Tokyo feud

The trilateral summit planned later this year for South Korea, Japan and China is no longer a sure thing, as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has reportedly notified Seoul he will not attend unless “proper measures” are taken to settle a feud between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime forced labor. 　 Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it would continue to work toward the trilateral summit within this year and was consulting with the other two countries. The ministry d

Oct. 13, 2020

Koreans protest Berlin district's order to remove 'statue of peace'

A legal battle to protect a statue erected in the German capital commemorating the victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery began on Monday as Koreans based in Germany sought to invalidate a Berlin district office’s order to remove the statue. Korea Verband, a Germany-based civic organization with Korean ties, were set to file for an injunction in protest against the central Mitte district’s order to remove the statue, which was installed late last month with the city author

Oct. 12, 2020

Vice FM holds talks with top Indian envoy

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun met with India's top envoy to Seoul on Monday for talks on strengthening bilateral relations amid the coronavirus pandemic, the foreign ministry said. In the talks with Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan, the two sides agreed to continue efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation, especially in the defense industry and people-to-people exchanges. They also shared the need to continue close communication via virtual meetings between the two governments and

Oct. 12, 2020