[Herald Interview] Norway shows way to thrive outside European Union

When Norway voted for the second time not to join the European Union through a referendum in 1994, the country had just brokered the Oslo peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians and hosted the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. Confidence was in the air, recalled Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Jan Grevstad. Norway, an affluent, benevolent and confident country always “on the doorstep” of the EU, but adroitly outside, had since moved on without regrets, the envoy said in an interview.“T

May 16, 2017

Korea reviewing UN recommendation to modify 'comfort women' deal

South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday that it is reviewing a UN panel's recent recommendation that a 2015 deal reached with Japan on its wartime sexual slavery be modified to sufficiently help and support the victims. South Korea and Japan agreed to the deal in December 2015 under which Tokyo provided 1 billion yen ($9.1 million) to support the lives of South Korean victims. Critics, however, have accused it of lacking any prior consultation with the victims, as well as Japan's sincere apo

May 16, 2017

Moon, Trump to hold first summit in June

President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump are expected to hold their first summit next month in Washington, as they seek to coordinate North Korea policy following their respective leadership transitions, officials said Tuesday. A visiting delegation of White House officials in charge of Korea affairs met with a group of foreign affairs and security advisers for Moon, chaired by former Ambassador to Geneva Chung Eui-yong. The representatives, led by Matt Pottinger, senior directo

May 16, 2017

Korea, China moving toward mending ties strained over THAAD: experts

South Korea and China appear to be moving toward mending their strained ties over the installation of a US missile defense system here as exchanges and contacts in diverse areas have apparently been gaining traction since the inauguration of liberal President Moon Jae-in, experts said Tuesday.The recently wrapped-up international forum hosted by China, in particular, served as a "good starter" for the two Asian neighbors' push to keep their ties back on track and maintain a unified approach to t

May 16, 2017

S. Korea, US agree to seek new 'bold' ways to denuclearize N. Korea

South Korea and the United States agreed Tuesday to work toward the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea, also vowing to seek new and practical ways to rid the communist North of its nuclear weapons, Seoul officials said.The agreement came at a meeting between South Korean officials and US National Security Council officials."The United States reaffirmed its strong commitment to the security and defense of South Korea," Yoon Young-chan, the top press secretary of South Korean President Moo

May 16, 2017

Importer nabbed for palming off US lobsters as Canadian products

A South Korean importer has been arrested for selling American lobsters under a Canadian label for two and a half years, the South Regional Headquarters of the Korea Coast Guard said Tuesday.The importer, identified only as 53-year-old Kim, is accused of importing 18 tons of American lobsters worth 2.13 billion won ($1.9 million) in 321 shipments from September 2014 to March this year and selling them to local restaurants as more expensive Canadian products, the maritime police agency said. Lobs

May 16, 2017

Chinese state councilor calls for efforts to recover ties with Korea under Moon admin.

BEIJING -- Chinese State Councilor for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi has called for joint efforts to repair South Korea-China relations under the new Moon Jae-in administration, a South Korean delegation said Tuesday. A South Korea delegation led by Rep. Park Byeong-seug of the ruling Democratic Party held talks with Yang on Monday evening on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which wrapped up its two-day run in Beijing the same day. Rep. Park Byeong-seug of th

May 16, 2017

Seoul, Washington set for talks on summit, N. Korea

Senior White House officials were set to hold talks with their South Korean counterparts in Seoul on Tuesday on a possible summit between their leaders and ways to deal with communist North Korea.The US delegation, led by National Security Council director for East Asia Matt Pottinger, was scheduled to meet with Chung Eui-yong, a former ambassador to Geneva who leads a foreign affairs and security advisory group for South Korean President Moon Jae-in.National Security Council director for East A

May 16, 2017

White House delegation visits Seoul for summit preparations

A White House official handling Korea affairs arrived in Seoul Monday for a two-day visit to prepare for a summit between the leaders of South Korea and the United States.  Matt Pottinger, senior director for East Asia at the National Security Council, said he will covey President Donald Trump's congratulations to new President Moon Jae-in and his administration. Matt Pottinger, Special Assistant to US President Donald Trump and National Security Council (NSC) Senior Director for East Asia (R) a

May 15, 2017

Global ombudsman conference to be held in PyeongChang

The 2017 Global Ombudsman Conference will be held at the main convention center in Alpensia Resort in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, from Tuesday to Friday to map out development and the future of the ombudsmen alliance in Asia. This year’s four-day biannual event, co-hosted by South Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the Gangwon Province Ombudsman, will be attended by 400 local and international guests, including leaders of the Asian Ombudsman Association and International

May 15, 2017

Pro-NK newspaper urges US to forge conditions for dialogue

A pro-North Korean newspaper in Tokyo said Monday the Trump administration should create a "proper situation" for dialogue first if it wants to avoid collision with the North and end the current deadlock. "The decades-long confrontation between the North and the United States would never be addressed for itself with just a recent remark by Trump that has hinted at the possibility of summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un," The Chosun Sinbo of the association of pro-Pyongyang residents

May 15, 2017

White House delegation to visit Seoul for summit preparations

White House officials handling Korea affairs are to visit South Korea later Monday to make preparations for a summit between new President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump, government sources said Monday.The delegation led by Matt Pottinger, senior director for East Asia at the National Security Council, will arrive in Seoul in the evening for a two-day stay. Allison Hooker, director for Korea at the NSC, will accompany him, according to the sources. Matt Pottinger (Yonhap)This wi

May 15, 2017

US senator to introduce bill calling for more missile interceptors against NK

A US senator plans to introduce a bill this week that calls for significantly beefing up ground-based missile interceptors in the United States to better defend against North Korea, according to a news report Sunday.Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) will bring in the legislation that asks for adding an additional 28 Ground-Based Interceptors in Alaska and California, the Hill reported, citing unidentified Senate staffers. The US currently has 30 interceptors, four in California and the rest in Alaska, an

May 15, 2017

US envoy: NK missile launch 'not a way to sit down' for negotiations with Trump

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley slammed North Korea's latest missile launch, saying Sunday that such a provocative act "is not a way to sit down" for negotiations that the communist nation wants.Speaking on ABC's "This Week," Haley also said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be in a "state of paranoia" and the latest missile launch is believed to be aimed at sending a message to South Korea after the election of new President Moon Jae-in.Haley also said the United S

May 15, 2017

Officials to discuss summit between Moon, Trump

South Korean presidential officials will meet a US delegation on Monday to discuss details for a summit between their leaders, according to a Cheong Wa Dae official.The official told reporters Sunday that the US delegation, led by Matt Pottinger, senior director for East Asia at the National Security Council, and Allison Hooker, director for Korea at the NSC, will arrive in Seoul on Monday for a two-day visit. Matt Pottinger, senior director for East Asia at the White House's National Security C

May 14, 2017

Two Koreas' delegations meet during Beijing forum

South Korea's delegation to an international economic forum in Beijing said Sunday it held a brief meeting with its North Korean counterpart and expressed concern over Pyongyang's latest missile provocation.Rep. Park Byeong-seug of the ruling Democratic Party, who leads the delegation, said he had a short conversation with Kim Yong-jae, Pyongyang's minister of external economic relations, at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that runs in Beijing through Monday. Rep. Park Byeo

May 14, 2017

Trump's Asia aides to visit Seoul for summit preparations

White House officials handling Korea affairs plan to visit Seoul this week, as South Korean President Moon Jae-in is seeking an early summit with his American counterpart Donald Trump, diplomatic sources said Sunday.The US delegation, led by Matt Pottinger, senior director for East Asia at the National Security Council, is scheduled to arrive here Monday for a two-day stay. Allison Hooker, director for Korea at the NSC, is also included in the group, according to sources. Matt Pottinger, senior

May 14, 2017

Moon taps senior lawmaker as envoy for Beijing forum

President Moon Jae-in on Friday tapped Rep. Park Byeong-seug of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea as chief of his delegation to attend a forum in Beijing amid spats over a US missile shield, government and party officials said Friday. The five-term lawmaker will steer Seoul’s delegation for the Belt and Road Forum, slated to open in Beijing on May 14. The two-day event is designed to discuss Chinese President Xi Jinping’s initiative to build a new Silk Road, dubbed “One Belt, One Road,” which

May 12, 2017

Trump calls FTA with Korea 'horrible deal,' up for renegotiation

US President Donald Trump has called the free trade agreement with South Korea a "horrible deal" in a recent interview, saying that Washington has already informed the Seoul government of its intention to renegotiate it.In the interview with the British weekly Economist published on Thursday (local time), he added that the FTA with South Korea is "up for renegotiation" and the United States wants a "fair" deal with its ally. (Yonhap)"Everything in NAFTA is bad. That's bad. Everything's bad. But

May 12, 2017

US putting together delegation to Korea

The United States is believed to have started putting together a delegation of officials to be dispatched to South Korea to lay the groundwork for the first summit between President Donald Trump and South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in, sources said Thursday.Trump said in his first phone call with Moon on Wednesday that he will send a high-level delegation to Seoul to discuss Moon's first visit to Washington as president. Moon also said he would send a special envoy to Washington to lay the g

May 12, 2017