5 S. Koreans kidnapped in waters off Benin released

Five South Korean nationals who were kidnapped by an unidentified armed group in waters off the western African country of Benin have been released, the foreign ministry said Saturday. The South Koreans were released from southern Nigeria on Friday (local time), around a month after being abducted in waters about 111 kilometers south from Cotonou Port of Benin, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On June 24, the armed group attacked a 994-ton fishing vessel. A total of 30 crewmen we

July 25, 2020

Seoul evacuates 293 nationals from Iraq

Two South Korean military planes carrying 293 Korean nationals from Iraq arrived back home Friday morning, amid the severe novel coronavirus outbreak in the Middle Eastern country. 　 Departing from Baghdad, two KC-330s planes arrived at Incheon Airport at around 10:20 a.m., two hours later than the scheduled arrival time due to quarantine procedures and fueling, according to a Defense Ministry official. Of the passengers, 86 said they had COVID-19 symptoms. 　 Health authorities said those con

July 24, 2020

Defense chief congratulates United Nations Command on 70th founding anniversary

Defense Minister Jeong kyeong-doo expressed gratitude to the United Nations Command Friday for its decadeslong commitment to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, as the command marked the 70th anniversary of its foundation. The US-led UNC was established on July 24, 1950, based on the UN Security Council Resolution 84, just a month after the outbreak of the Korean War. It is the unified command structure for the multinational military forces supporting South Korea. The Armistice Agre

July 24, 2020

FM Kang to hold diplomatic strategy meeting amid growing US-China tensions

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will host a diplomatic strategy meeting next week, her office said Thursday, as South Korea seeks a coherent strategy to keep clear of geopolitical tensions between the United States and China. The third Strategic Coordination Meeting on Foreign Affairs is set for Tuesday amid friction between the two major powers over the US' recent order to close the Chinese consulate in Houston, China's claims to the South China Sea and its sweeping security law for Hong Kong

July 23, 2020

S. Korea sends two military planes to bring home nearly 300 citizens

South Korea on Thursday sent two military planes to bring home nearly 300 citizens from coronavirus-hit Iraq, officials said, with their return set for the following day. The KC-330 air refueling tankers took off from an Air Force base in Gimhae, 450 kilometers south of Seoul, at 7 a.m. The planes, which are set to carry 297 people, mostly workers in Iraq, are expected to arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Friday morning. The government included four military medical s

July 23, 2020

Yoo returns home after election campaign for WTO throne

South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee returned home from Geneva Thursday after campaigning for her bid for the top job of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In Geneva, Yoo held a series of back-to-back meetings with numerous representatives from WTO member states as she pledged to make the world trade body inclusive for all 164 member states, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Yoo has said in a press conference that she would rebuild trust in the multilateral tradin

July 23, 2020

Top envoys of US, China hold talks

The ambassadors of the United States and China to South Korea met one-on-one Wednesday and discussed the two countries' bilateral relations and other issues, embassy officials said. The meeting between Ambassadors Harry Harris and Xing Haiming took place at the US envoy's residence in central Seoul earlier in the day, an embassy official said. The meeting lasted for about 90 minutes. Harris later tweeted about their meeting, along with a selfie they took together -- with broad smiles. &qu

July 22, 2020

Diplomats from Asia-Pacific countries hold videoconferences on regional, global issues

Diplomats from Asia-Pacific countries have held videoconferences on joint responses to the new coronavirus, peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, tensions in the South China Sea and other pending issues, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The diplomats attended the Senior Officials' Meetings (SOM) of three regional dialogue platforms -- the ASEAN-plus-three meeting, which involves the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, South Korea, China and Japan; the East Asia Summit (EAS); a

July 21, 2020

US Embassy to resume nonimmigrant visa services for student, exchange program participants

The US Embassy in Seoul said Thursday it will resume nonimmigrant visa services for students and exchange program participants, partially rolling back the suspension of all visa operations put in place over coronavirus fears. The new measure will take effect Monday, the embassy said. "The United States Embassy in Seoul will resume certain nonimmigrant visa services for F, M and J nonimmigrant visa applicants. While the Embassy will process applications as soon as practicable, applicant

July 17, 2020

Trump said he didn't like dealing with Moon, that S. Koreans were 'terrible': governor

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump told governors in February that he doesn't like dealing with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and thinks the South Korean people are "terrible," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday. Hogan, a Republican, wrote in The Washington Post that Trump had harsh words for South Korea, the birthplace of the governor's wife, Yumi, during a private dinner sponsored by the Republican Governors Association. "I don't remember him mentioning the vir

July 17, 2020

S. Korea's trade minister confident Japan will consider credentials in choosing WTO chief

GENEVA -- South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee voiced confidence Thursday that Japan will look at her credentials as a candidate rather than bilateral disputes in choosing its pick for the next World Trade Organization chief. The global trade body is preparing to select a new director-general to succeed Roberto Azevedo of Brazil, who is set to step down next month. Yoo, who is running against seven other candidates, faces opposition from Japan, which has been locking horns with South Kor

July 17, 2020

Moon, 7 other leaders call for equal global access to COVID-19 vaccine

WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and seven other world leaders on Wednesday called for equal global access to coronavirus vaccines. The leaders wrote in an opinion piece published in The Washington Post that immunization is the key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic but only if all countries get access to the vaccine. "At this point in time, with almost 200 potential covid-19 vaccine candidates currently at different stages of development, there is hope that soon one or more

July 16, 2020

Unification ministry dismisses reports on overseas education of nominee's son

The unification ministry on Wednesday dismissed media reports questioning how minister nominee Lee In-young was able to finance his son's overseas education, saying that the reports are inaccurate and maliciously distorted. Media reports claimed that Lee spent around $25,000 on tuition and living expenses for his son's stay in Switzerland to attend a design school for about a year from 2017. Some have raised questions over how the nominee was able to afford the costs. Lee, a four-term lawmake

July 15, 2020

S. Korea expresses concerns about US visa restrictions for foreign students

The foreign ministry said Tuesday it has expressed concern about the US government's plan not to issue visas to students enrolled in online schools and programs and to ban those students from entering the country. "The government has been seeking consultations (with Washington) through its diplomatic missions in the US to minimize the impact on Korean students by conveying our concerns about the plan," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity. On July 6 (local time

July 14, 2020

Yoo vies to become WTO’s first female boss

South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee is a woman of many firsts. In the 70-year history of the Trade Ministry, she is the first woman to attain the top position. This is after climbing the ladder within the agency, led mostly by men. This year the 53-year-old minister has set her sights on yet another milestone: becoming the first woman and the first Korean to lead the World Trade Organization. 　 Currently in Geneva to attend the WTO’s General Council meeting, slated to start Wednesda

July 14, 2020

Foreign ministry calls in Japanese diplomat over renewed Dokdo claims in defense white paper

The foreign ministry called in a senior Japanese diplomat Tuesday to lodge a protest after Tokyo renewed its claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo in its latest defense white paper. Kim Jung-han, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, summoned Hirohisa Soma, a senior official from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to express regret over the annual report and urge Tokyo to withdraw the claims. Soma entered the ministry building at about 11 a.m., w

July 14, 2020

Ministry holds videoconference with all overseas mission chiefs on COVID-19 response

The foreign ministry on Thursday held a videoconference with the heads of all of South Korea's overseas diplomatic missions to discuss ways to reinforce the country's response to the new coronavirus. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha presided over the session that brought together more than 180 diplomats, including ambassadors, consulate generals and other diplomatic mission chiefs across the world, as well as senior officials in Seoul. It marked the first such online gathering involving all ch

July 9, 2020

Top diplomats of S. Korea, UAE to hold talks in Seoul

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will hold talks over bilateral cooperation in Seoul this week, the foreign ministry said Thursday, as the two countries mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, are set to meet Friday. The UAE's minister arrived here Thursday for a three-day visit. The planned talks come as the two countries have b

July 9, 2020

Top S. Korean, Japanese officials hold phone discussions on regional security

Suh Hoon, the newly appointed top security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, had a phone conversation Wednesday with his Japanese counterpart on relations between the two sides and regional security, Cheong Wa Dae said. Shigeru Kitamura, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's national security adviser, made a call to Suh, director of national security at the presidential office, for a congratulatory message on his inauguration. Suh began work earlier this week, having served as chief of the

July 8, 2020

S. Korean, Qatari foreign ministers discuss coronavirus response business cooperation

   Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke by phone with her Qatari counterpart Wednesday and discussed joint efforts for economic cooperation and coronavirus responses, her office said. In the phone conversation with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, deputy prime minister cum foreign minister, Kang hailed the 23.6 trillion won ($19.2 billion) deal inked last month between Qatar’s state oil company and South Korean shipbuilders on the reservation of construction capacity for liqu

July 8, 2020