[News analysis] PM’s Japan trip raises hopes for Seoul-Tokyo relations, but administration remains cautious

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s upcoming trip to Japan is raising hopes for a way out of the impasse in South Korea-Tokyo relations, but Seoul appears cautious on the outlook. On Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Lee will be traveling to Japan on a three-day schedule to attend the enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito.  Lee will attend the ceremony on Oct. 22 and a banquet hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the following day. Although Lee&rsq

Oct. 14, 2019

Seoul raises concerns over Fukushima's contaminated water in London

South Korea's fishery ministry said Monday it raised concerns over Japan's plan to release contaminated water from its disabled Fukushima power plant into the sea at an international maritime gathering held in London last week.During a London Convention and Protocol meeting held last week at the headquarters of the Britain-based International Maritime Organization, South Korea urged Japan to make efforts to win consensus from neighboring countries on handling the water, according to the Ministry

Oct. 14, 2019

Prime minister to attend Japanese emperor’s enthronement ceremony

Despite soured ties between South Korea and Japan, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon will attend the Japanese emperor’s enthronement ceremony next week, the government said Sunday.According to the Prime Minister’s secretariat, Lee will visit Japan from Oct. 22 to 24 for the enthronement events of Japanese Emperor Naruhito. Lee will attend the enthronement banquet on Oct. 22, and another banquet hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Oct. 23, the secretariat said in a statement.&nbs

Oct. 13, 2019

S. Korean prime minister to attend Japanese emperor's enthronement event

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon is expected to visit Tokyo next week to attend the Japanese emperor's enthronement event in an apparent move to mend soured relations between the two neighbors over trade and shared history, sources said Sunday. Lee will visit Japan from Oct. 22-24 for the ceremony. The prime minister's office is set to announce further details later in the day, according to the sources.Last week, a Cheong Wa Dae official said President Moon Jae-will not attend the event,

Oct. 13, 2019

FM Kang stresses co-prosperity in preparations for Nov. summit with ASEAN

    Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Friday reiterated co-prosperity as a key element in South Korea's preparations for its summit with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) slated for November.    The minister presided over the fourth session of an inter-agency government committee tasked with preparing for the special summit scheduled to take place in the southeastern port city of Busan on Nov. 25 and 26.      The gathe

Oct. 11, 2019

S. Korea's top nuke envoy returns from US trip

South Korea's top nuclear negotiator returned home Thursday after talks with his US and Japanese counterparts in Washington over how to make progress in denuclearization negotiations with North Korea.Lee Do-hoon had bilateral and trilateral meetings with his US and Japanese counterparts, Stephen Biegun and Shigeki Takizaki, on Tuesday, after the unfruitful working-level talks between the US and the North in Sweden on Saturday last week.When asked whether the talks between Washington and Pyongyan

Oct. 10, 2019

4 Chinese boats seized for alleged illegal fishing

South Korea has seized four Chinese fishing boats on charges of illegal fishing in its exclusive economic zone in the West Sea, the oceans ministry said Thursday.The West Sea Fisheries Management Service seized the four vessels, including two 99-ton fishing boats, between Saturday and Wednesday. The four boats had permits to enter South Korea's western exclusive economic zone for fishing, but they are suspected to have used gillnets with a mesh 41 millimeters in diameter on average.The ministry

Oct. 10, 2019

Tightlipped S. Korean envoy says NK could latch onto his remarks

South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator left the United States Wednesday after holding talks with his American and Japanese counterparts on how to make progress in denuclearization negotiations with North Korea.Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, had bilateral and trilateral meetings with US envoy Stephen Biegun and Japanese envoy Shigeki Takizaki in Washington Tuesday.They agreed not to disclose the details of their discussions, according to Lee,

Oct. 10, 2019

S. Korea gets US consent for new ambassador

The United States has formally agreed on South Korea's plan to send Rep. Lee Soo-hyuck of the ruling Democratic Party as its new ambassador, Cheong Wa Dae confirmed Thursday.Seoul recently received the diplomatic consent, known as "agrement," from Washington over the pick of the diplomat-turned-lawmaker, according to Cheong Wa Dae's deputy spokesperson Han Jung-woo.President Moon Jae-in will soon appoint Lee so that he can assume the post, he said.The consent came about two months afte

Oct. 10, 2019

S. Korea, US, Japan envoys meet after breakdown of NK nuke talks

The chief nuclear negotiators of South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Washington Tuesday and reaffirmed the importance of working together to achieve complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the US State Department said.Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, held bilateral and trilateral talks with his US and Japanese counterparts -- Stephen Biegun and Shigeki Takizaki -- to discuss last weekend's working-level

Oct. 9, 2019

S. Korea issues travel warning for Ecuador over anti-govt protests

South Korea issued a travel warning for Ecuador on Tuesday, citing growing safety risks from anti-government protests, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said. A “yellow warning,” the second lowest of the four-phase travel advisory system, calls for Korean citizens to refrain from traveling to the nation, the ministry said in a release.The warning is to ensure the safety of Koreans staying in or planning a trip to the country, as there has been a spike in clashes between citizens and law

Oct. 8, 2019

Top nuclear envoy to leave for US after Sweden talks break down

South Korea's chief nuclear envoy was set to leave for Washington on Monday for talks with his US counterpart after the breakdown of the working-level nuclear negotiations between the US and North Korea in Sweden. Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will meet Stephen Biegun, US special representative for North Korea, in Washington to coordinate their positions and strategies in the follow-up to Saturday's talks between Biegun and North Korea's top

Oct. 7, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Time to focus on people to create sustainable community with ASEAN

People-oriented diplomacy will empower South Korea’s pursuit of stronger partnership with Southeast Asian nations, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Korea Center Lee Hyuk said. “We need to make efforts to get to know and respect ASEAN through deep understanding of their cultures and people in order to create an intimate community,” he said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald at the ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul.The United States’ “America First” policy and

Oct. 6, 2019

Abe wants summit with North Korea, keeps distance from South

TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday he wants to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un even though he keeps testing missiles. At the same time, Abe gave a cold shoulder to South Korea amid tensions over wartime history.In a policy speech opening the parliamentary session, Abe said he will take any chance to meet Kim."I'm determined to face Chairman Kim Jong-un, without attaching any preconditions," Abe said, after changing his policy earlier this year. "

Oct. 4, 2019

Japan OKs 7 shipments of industrial materials under restriction to S. Korea

Japan has approved only seven shipments of sensitive industrial materials under restriction to South Korea since the neighbor implemented its export curbs in July. Seoul's trade minister said Wednesday.In July, Tokyo abruptly adopted strict regulations on South Korea-bound exports of three industrial items -- fluorine polyimide, resist and hydrogen fluoride -- vital for the production of chips and displays.In a parliamentary audit session, Seoul's Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee said Japan has give

Oct. 2, 2019

Pentagon: OPCON transfer plans show strength of S. Korea-US alliance

 The planned transfer of wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea is a testament to the strength of the bilateral alliance, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday.Randall Schriver, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, made the remark at a forum in Washington as he sought to dispel concerns about a rift in the alliance caused in part by South Korea's decision to end a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.The General Security of

Oct. 2, 2019

British minister dispels worries about uncertainty over post-Brexit ties with S. Korea

Britain's top official for Asia dispelled concerns Tuesday about lingering uncertainty over the future relationship between South Korea and Britain after London's expected departure from the European Union.Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Asia and the Pacific Heather Wheeler stressed that backed by a set of institutional frameworks, such as a recently signed bilateral free trade agreement, the ties between the two countries are "certain.""There shouldn't be any undue s

Oct. 1, 2019

S. Korea, Britain ink MOU on establishment of senior-level economic dialogue

South Korea and Britain signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday to launch a vice-ministerial consultative body aimed at strengthening economic cooperation after London's expected departure from the European Union.Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho and Britain's Minister for Asia and the Pacific Heather Wheeler inked the MOU on the establishment of a Senior Economic Dialogue, Seoul's foreign ministry said.  "In order to create new opportunities for economic cooperation in a

Sept. 30, 2019

S. Korea, Britain to open vice-minister level dialogue channel ahead of Brexit

South Korea and Britain will open a high-level dialogue channel this week to deal with the aftermath of Britain's departure from the European Union, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday.Via the channel, the two countries will discuss a variety of issues ranging from bilateral economic cooperation and finance to climate change and energy, according to the ministry.The measure is the latest in a series of preparations ahead of Britain's exit from the EU, known as Brexit, slated for the end of Octo

Sept. 29, 2019

S. Korea, Bulgaria to strengthen partnerships on nuclear energy, ICT

The leaders of South Korea and Bulgaria agreed Friday to bolster strategic partnerships between the two nations in various fields, including nuclear energy, ICT and arms production.The accord came at summit talks here between President Moon Jae-in and visiting Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, according to Cheong Wa Dae.Moon began the Cheong Wa Dae summit by expressing his gratitude for Sofia's help in the search for missing South Koreans in a May river cruise boat sinking on the Danube River in Bu

Sept. 27, 2019