S. Korea, US, Japan vow to fully implement new NK sanctions

Top diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan promised on Monday to cooperate to ensure a full implementation of new United Nations sanctions against North Korea. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Manila on the sidelines of meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.  (Yonhap)"The foreign ministers of the three countries shared the view that the North's two ballisti

Aug. 7, 2017

Korea to promote use of East Sea name in upcoming UN meeting

South Korea plans to call for the use of the term East Sea for the body of water lying between the nation and Japan in an upcoming United Nations meeting on geographical names, the foreign ministry here said Monday."Since our delegation first proposed the issue of East Sea naming at the sixth meeting of UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names in 1992, (Korea) has called for the dual use of East Sea and the Sea of Japan," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said."Also in the upcomi

Aug. 7, 2017

S. Korea, Russia FMs agree to closer cooperation in implementing new sanctions on N. Korea

SEOUL/MANILA -- The top diplomats of South Korea and Russia agreed on Monday to step up bilateral cooperation for the implementation of a new United Nations Security Council resolution against North Korea during their talks in Manila, the Philippines, the South Korean foreign ministry said.During their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov hailed Resolution 2371, which they said would be a landmark achievem

Aug. 7, 2017

Old Japanese textbook shows Japan didn't consider Dokdo its territory

A Japanese state textbook shows that the country hadn't laid a territorial claim to Dokdo, a group of small islets in the East Sea, at least until in the late 19th century, in the latest piece of evidence that gives an upper hand to Korea in the territorial dispute between the two neighbors.At the monthly seminar on Aug. 3, organized by the Seoul-based Northeast Asian History Foundation, Han Cheol-Ho, a history education professor at Dongguk University in Seoul, unveiled a new piece of informati

Aug. 7, 2017

Chinese FM says Seoul's THADD deployment decision throws cold water on ties

MANILA -- South Korea's decision last month to install additional launchers of the U.S. missile shield system called THAAD threw cold water on relations between South Korea and China, Beijing's top diplomat said Sunday.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on the sidelines of a string of meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila.(AFP-Yonhap)  In response, Kang reiterated Seoul's

Aug. 6, 2017

Korea's FM makes debut on multilateral diplomatic stage at ASEAN meetings

MANILA -- South Korea's top diplomat will make her debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage Sunday by joining ministerial meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where she will discuss cooperation on diverse issues, including North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha arrived in Manila on Saturday and held back-to-back bilateral talks with counterparts from Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia.On Sunday, Kang will participate in the S

Aug. 6, 2017

Korea, China to have bilateral meeting feared to be overshadowed by THAAD row

MANILA -- Foreign ministers of South Korea and China will hold talks in the Philippines on Sunday to discuss North Korea and other pending issues, according to Seoul officials.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi are to attend a set of ministerial meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including the ASEAN Regional Forum scheduled for Monday.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Yonhap)They will meet on Sunday afternoon for their first official b

Aug. 6, 2017

Korean top diplomat arrives in Manila for ASEAN meetings

MANILA -- South Korea's top diplomat arrived in the Philippines on Saturday to attend meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations where she will discuss measures with regional powers to curb growing threats from North Korea."This is my debut on a multilateral diplomatic platform," Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told reporters upon arriving at Ninoy Akino International Airport in Manila. "Having said that, we have arranged bilateral talks with as many countries as possible."She is to

Aug. 6, 2017

Korean president vows enhanced cooperation with Indonesia, ASEAN

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday vowed to upgrade his country's relations with Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations to the level of its ties with the world's most powerful countries."I am very happy to see that South Korea-Indonesia relations are expanding," Moon said, according to his top press secretary Yoon Young-chan. "I hope such cooperation will further expand to help strengthen (Indonesia's) defense capabilities."Moon's remarks came at a meeting with Indonesian Defen

Aug. 2, 2017

Assembly speaker to visit Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar to bolster ties

South Korea's parliamentary speaker will embark on a 12-day trip to Iran, Pakistan and Myanmar on Wednesday to help enhance bilateral cooperation and support the country's businesses operating there, his office said.Chung Sye-kyun will first visit Tehran to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani Friday (Iran time) and attend the inauguration ceremony for President Hassan Rouhani the following day.During the talks with Larijani, Chung will call for Tehran's support for South Korean

Aug. 2, 2017

Korea eyes trilateral FM talks with US, Japan

South Korea is pursuing a trilateral foreign ministerial meeting with the United States and Japan to discuss North Korea's nuclear stalemate and other issues of mutual concern, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is to attend foreign ministerial meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations early next week in Manila, the Philippines. They include the ASEAN Regional Forum, a rare gathering attended by North Korea."On the sidelines of the ASEAN meeti

Aug. 2, 2017

Top Korean diplomat meets with ambassadors from ASEAN countries

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Tuesday to discuss South Korea's cooperation with the bloc ahead of an annual regional forum set for the weekend in the Philippines.The ASEAN Regional Forum and a series of foreign ministers' meetings involving ASEAN and its partners will be held from Sunday to Tuesday in Manila to discuss diplomacy and cooperation issues.  (Yonhap)"I am looking very much forward to the meetings in Manila ...

Aug. 1, 2017

[Feature] Sex slave statues multiplying in South Korea

Bronze statues of little girls symbolizing wartime sex slaves during Japanese colonial era are multiplying across South Korea, as the historic issue, a long-standing thorn in Seoul-Tokyo relations, remains unsolved more than half a century on. A miniature “comfort woman” statue inside a high school classroom in Incheon. (Okyrun Girls’ High School)South Korean activists and supporters try to ensure, with the statues, that Japan’s World War II sexual enslavement of an estimated 200,000 mostly Kore

Aug. 1, 2017

China reportedly calls in Korean envoy in protest over THAAD deployment

China's foreign ministry recently called in South Korea's ambassador to Beijing in protest of Seoul's decision to deploy more interceptor missile launchers of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, a local newspaper reported Tuesday.Kong Xuanyou, assistant minister at the Chinese foreign ministry, brought in Ambassador Kim Jang-soo on Saturday, right after President Moon Jae-in ordered the deployment of an additional four THAAD launchers in response to North Korea's latest missile provo

Aug. 1, 2017

Task force vows ‘victim-oriented’ approach to sex slavery deal

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Monday launched a public-private task force to review a 2015 settlement on Japan’s sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II, pledging a “victim-oriented” approach and fair reports free from political influence. The panel, chaired by former journalist Oh Tai-kyu and consisting of eight other public officials and private experts, held its first meeting after being appointed by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha earlier in the day.  Oh Tai-kyu (center, front),

July 31, 2017

‘Humanitarian aid should enter national debate’

With violent crises surging around the world, Korea should incorporate humanitarian aid into its national policies and social debate, eliciting wide-ranging political, financial and public support, according to the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross mission here. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Georgios Georgantas, who took the helm of the global humanitarian institution’s Korea office in May, stressed that the number, scale and duration of conflicts worldwide have expan

July 31, 2017

ASEAN artists unveil rainbow of colors at exhibition

Adorned in pastel hues with soft brush strokes, the painting by Im Pesey glowed with a warm, impressionistic feel at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul last week.The work of the Cambodian artist, titled “Liveliness,” depicted bustling activities at the Central Market in capital Phnom Penh in the early 1990s, a fledgling period after the harrowing internecine war.“I wanted to draw the situation in Phnom Penh right after the war, with people restarting their lives and various commercial activiti

July 31, 2017

Colombia celebrates peace, progress on National Day

As Colombia precariously extricates itself from five decades of an internecine conflict with armed guerilla group FARC, Colombians should muster their patriotism, intellect and skills to rebuild the society, said the country’s top envoy here, commending Korea’s rapid economic and social development following the 1950-53 Korean War. “Our society is in a process of historical transition, and we as Colombians must grow our knowledge and productivity and overcome challenges of achieving better educa

July 31, 2017

Foreign ministry to launch advisory group to support self-reform drive

South Korea's foreign ministry said Monday that it will launch an advisory group to assist in its self-reform drive this week.The 15-member group comprised of experts from civic groups, businesses and relevant government agencies will be launched on Wednesday, according to the ministry.The experts in diverse areas like organization, budget, personnel and administrative affairs will discuss and come up with solutions to challenges confronting the ministry. Kang Kyung-hwa (Yonhap)They will work wi

July 31, 2017