FM Yun, Kerry reaffirm strong response to N. Korea's nuke test

SEOUL (Yonhap) – South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday discussed "specific ways" to enact a strong punishment against North Korea for its recent nuclear test, Yun's ministry said.They spoke on the phone for about 20 minutes, as Kerry plans to visit Beijing later this week.Yun and Kerry "discussed specific ways to push for the strongest and most comprehensive sanctions on North Korea at the U.N. Security Council" to make it pay a price for the

Jan. 24, 2016

Korea urges Japan to resolve history issues for regional cooperation

South Korea has urged Japan to work toward resolving historical disputes to further regional cooperation in Asia, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan of the ruling Saenuri Party, a special envoy of President Park Geun-hye, made the remarks at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos that ran through Saturday. Choi said the historical disputes with Japan must be resolved to establish the economic cooperation system of East Asian countries.Choi also called for gl

Jan. 24, 2016

Korea denounces Japan for Dokdo claim

South Korea called on Japan Friday to drop its reckless claim to sovereignty over a pair of rocky islets in the East Sea.It was responding to a Tokyo speech by Japan's top diplomat Fumio Kishida. He reiterated that Dokdo belong to Japan and said his government will deliver the position constantly.In a statement, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said it can't help deploring Kishida's repeat of such an "unfair claim.""(We) urge the Japanese government to immediately abandon its reckless claim to Dokdo, wh

Jan. 22, 2016

Abe says South Korea, Japan share 'strategic interests'

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described South Korea on Friday as his country's "most important neighbor that shares strategic interests," an expression reflecting the mood of improved bilateral ties.In his annual policy speech in parliament, Abe pointed out that Seoul and Tokyo have put an end to a longstanding source of conflict with a deal on the "comfort women" issue late last month.Under the agreement, Japan admitted that it's responsible for the sexual enslavement of many Korean women

Jan. 22, 2016

Chinese fishing boats' requests for access to Korea's EEZ dips in 2016

Chinese fishing boats requesting access to operate in South Korea's exclusive economic zone has dipped in 2016, the government said Friday.The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the number of boats that applied for permits stood at 1,502, down 4 percent from 1,564 in 2015.The fishing quota given to these boats also decreased 9 percent to 54,603 tons, from 59,996 tons in the previous year.All ships that want to fish in South Korea's EEZ must get prior permits that they must show to fishery pat

Jan. 22, 2016

U.N. chief meets with President Park's special envoy

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with a special envoy of South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Switzerland and discussed ways to increase cooperation between the two sides, Ban's office said Thursday.The meeting with Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the ski resort of Davos and the two sides discussed global issues as well as bilateral cooperation, the office said in a statement.Ban expressed his appreciation for South Korea's support in adva

Jan. 22, 2016

Ministry says no illicit act by foreign envoys over law firm rules

South Korea's Foreign Ministry defended foreign envoys here Tuesday from criticism that they are illegitimately seeking to pressure the country's parliament over a bill on law firms.A day earlier, U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Mark Lippert met with Rep. Lee Sang-min, head of the National Assembly's legislation and judiciary committee, and delivered a protest statement against the revision bill on the opening of South Korea's legal market.It was also signed by British Amb. Charles Hay, EU Amb. Gerhard

Jan. 19, 2016

Korea hits back after Abe denies forced nature of sex slavery

South Korea made clear Tuesday that Korean women were forced against their will to provide sexual services for Japanese soldiers during World War II, rebutting contrary claims by the Japanese prime minister.South Korea and Japan reached a landmark deal last month to resolve the issue of the so-called comfort women through an apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and payment of Japanese state-funded reparations to the South Korean victims.Amid controversy over the agreement, Abe told a

Jan. 19, 2016

Taiwan's new leader wants closer ties with Korea

Taiwan's President-elect Tsai Ing-wen voiced optimism Tuesday about future relations with South Korea, saying the two sides now have one more thing in common: first-ever female leaders.It's historically meaningful that both countries, which already share democratic values and development experiences, have embraced female presidents, she said.Tsai, an independence-leaning opposition leader, won the Taiwanese presidential polls over the weekend."I cherish the common experiences of South Korea and

Jan. 19, 2016

China denies reports that it banned JYP singers over flag

China's culture ministry on Monday denied some South Korean media reports that it has banned singers under JYP Entertainment from performing in mainland China in the wake of a flag row involving a 16-year-old Taiwanese K-pop singer. JYP Entertainment is the South Korean management agency for the singer, Chou Tzu-yu, who waved Taiwan's national flag on a South Korean entertainment TV program in November. The image of Chou, who performs under the name Tzuyu as a member of South Korean girl band TW

Jan. 18, 2016

95-year-old being tried in Germany on Auschwitz allegations

BERLIN (AP) -- A German court says a 95-year-old man will go on trial next month on 3,681 counts of accessory to murder for allegedly serving in the Nazis' Auschwitz death camp.Hubert Zafke is accused of working as a medic in Auschwitz in an SS hospital. Prosecutors argue that in that role, the former SS sergeant helped the death camp function.An appeals court in December ruled he was fit for trial, though the Neubrandenburg state court said Monday that when his trial opens Feb. 29, judges will

Jan. 18, 2016

China's Xi inaugurates AIIB

Chinese President Xi Jinping officially inaugurated the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on Saturday, pledging to make the AIIB a "truly rules-based" regional lender.The inauguration of the AIIB is "historic" event and the new regional lender will become a "truly international, rules-based, high-standard" regional lender, Xi said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the AIIB in Beijing. Xi said the AIIB will become a "professional and efficient platform to promote infr

Jan. 16, 2016

Dozen found accountable for lapses in mistaken anthrax shipment

A dozen people have been found accountable for lapses that contributed to the massive mistaken shipment of live anthrax samples from a U.S. Army laboratory in Utah, an investigation report said Friday.They include Brig. Gen. William E. King, who then as a colonel commanded the Dugway Proving Ground laboratory between 2009 and 2011. The Army investigation report accused him of actions that "perpetuated a complacent atmosphere" among lab workers.Those oversight and laboratory deficiencies may have

Jan. 16, 2016

Kerry to visit China for talks on N. Korea

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will visit China later this month for talks on North Korea, the State Department announced Friday, as Washington steps up efforts to win Beijing's cooperation for its push to punish Pyongyang for its fourth nuclear test.Kerry will visit Beijing on Jan. 27 for "meetings with senior leaders of the Chinese government to discuss a range of global, regional, and bilateral issues, including North Korea," the department said in a release without elaborating.Ahead of K

Jan. 16, 2016

S. Korea raises travel advisory level for Istanbul after terrorism

South Korea raised the travel advisory level for Istanbul on Wednesday, a day after a deadly terrorist attack killed 10 people and injured 15 others, including a South Korean college student.A Syrian suicide bomber targeted a popular tourist destination in the Turkish city on Tuesday, with the Islamic State jihadists blamed for the attack.South Korea had previously placed the former Turkish capital on the lowest travel advisory level of "blue" out of the four existing ones.The level has now been

Jan. 13, 2016

S. Korean, Russian foreign ministers to hold phone talks on N. Korea

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged Wednesday to cooperate on the U.N.'s move to deal with North Korea's latest nuclear test, Seoul's foreign ministry said.Lavrov delivered the message in a telephone conversation with his South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se.He was quoted as saying that Moscow agrees to the seriousness of the North's nuclear weapons development.He added Russia will actively participate in consultations at the U.N. Security Council to punish Pyongyang under the princi

Jan. 13, 2016