Navy chiefs of S. Korea, China vow 'pragmatic' cooperation

The navy chiefs of South Korea and China held talks this week during which they voiced their willingness to forge "pragmatic" cooperation to ensure peace and stability in Northeast Asia, according to China's military on Saturday. Adm. Chung Ho-seop, the South Korean Navy's Chief of Staff, met with Adm. Wu Shengli, commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) navy, in Beijing on Thursday, the PLA Daily, the Chinese military's official newspaper, reported late Friday. During the talks

June 13, 2015

U.S. moves closer to THAAD's permanent stationing in Guam

The U.S. Army has completed an environmental assessment of its proposal to permanently station a THAAD missile defense unit on Guam, and plans to hold public hearings later this month to collect views from residents, officials said Friday.The environmental analysis has found that a permanent THAAD battery "will not have a significant environmental impact on the human and natural environment, either by themselves or cumulatively with other actions," according to the report."After thoroughly consi

June 13, 2015

Park, Obama agree to reschedule postponed summit in U.S.

President Park Geun-hye and her U.S. counterpart Barack Obama agreed Friday to reschedule their postponed summit as soon as possible as Seoul seeks to forestall any fallout from her last-minute cancellation of her trip to Washington. They had a phone conversation two days after Park decided to delay her visit, which Cheong Wa Dae said was aimed at focusing on coping with the Middle East respiratory syndrome epidemic here. As the outbreak continued to spiral, controversy erupted over whether she

June 12, 2015

Civic group blames gov't for failure to hold joint summit event

A South Korean civic group argued Friday that the government is partly to blame for the failure to organize a joint summit anniversary event.  Civic groups from South and North Korea have failed to agree on any joint ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of the June 15 inter-Korean summit as the North abruptly proposed to hold it separately.  In a statement, the preparatory group in the South expressed regret over what it called the Park Geun-hye administration's confrontational policy toward th

June 12, 2015

Obama says he fully understands Park's decision to delay U.S. trip: Cheong Wa Dae

U.S. President Barack Obama said he fully understands the decision by President Park Geun-hye to delay a trip to Washington over the MERS virus, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.  Obama also said during his telephone conversation with Park that he supported her decision and leadership, the presidential office said in a statement.  The U.S. president also said he is ready to provide all necessary aid to South Korea to help its Asian ally contain the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus,

June 12, 2015

FM Yun due in Berlin against Japan's UNESCO bid

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se left Thursday for Germany in a campaign against Japan's bid to gain UNESCO world heritage status for some early industrial sites tied to Korean slave laborers.  Germany is the chair of the 21-member World Heritage Committee, which will decide in the coming weeks whether to accept Tokyo's bid.  Tokyo is seeking to have 23 mines, shipyards and other locales registered as world heritage sites. Seven of them used nearly 60,000 Koreans as slave workers.  "Minister Yun is

June 11, 2015

Lippert says U.S. 'understands' Park's cancellation of D.C. trip

The South Korea-U.S. alliance won't be affected by President Park Geun-hye's cancellation of a trip to Washington this month, the top U.S. envoy here said Thursday.  "We are very understanding of the decision," Amb. Mark Lippert said in an interview with MBC radio.  He reaffirmed that President Barack Obama is looking forward to meeting Park at a "mutually convenient time."  Park announced Wednesday that she would delay her visit to the U.S. capital for summit talks with Obama, which was initial

June 11, 2015

S. Korea, Japan in talks over joint anniversary event

South Korea and Japan may exchange visits of government delegations this month to commemorate a key anniversary on their relations, a South Korean diplomat said Thursday.  Lee Sang-deuk, the Foreign Ministry's director-general of the Northeast Asia affairs bureau, said the two sides will continue consultations over the issue, raising hopes of a breakthrough in efforts to warm their icy ties.  The Northeast Asian neighbors mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties on June

June 11, 2015

S. Korea, Iran discuss boosting ties amid nuclear talks

South Korea and Iran held talks here Thursday on enhancing two-way cooperation in light of international negotiations aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.  The annual policy meeting, led by Kwon Hee-seog, director-general of the Africa and Middle East affairs bureau, and his Iranian counterpart, Abdolrassoul Mohajer, came just weeks before the June 30 target date for the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of the United States, Britain, China, Russia

June 11, 2015

Royce expresses understanding of Park's decision to postpone U.S. visit

The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee said Wednesday he understands South Korean President Park Geun-hye's decision to postpone her trip to Washington.  Park had planned to visit the U.S. next week, but put it off at the last minute earlier Wednesday in order to oversee South Korea's response to the massive outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome that has sickened 108 people and claimed nine lives.  The decision reflected her commitment to containing the viral disease ami

June 11, 2015

Foreign minister mulls Japan visit

South Korea is considering sending a high-level official, potentially Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, to Japan to explore ways to enhance bilateral ties and to mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of their relationship, Seoul officials said Wednesday.“On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of the bilateral relationship, we are considering sending an ‘appropriate’ high-level official to Japan,” an official at Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said on condition of anonymity.

June 10, 2015

S. Korea, Iran to hold policy talks this week

South Korea and Iran will hold talks this week on Tehran's pending nuclear deal with major world powers, the political situation on the Korean Peninsula and other issues of mutual concern, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.  The annual policy talks will be held in Seoul on Thursday, led by Kwon Hee-seog, director-general of the Africa and Middle East affairs bureau, and his Iranian counterpart, Abdolrassoul Mohajer Hejazi, the ministry said in a press release.  "During the policy talks, the tw

June 10, 2015

S. Korea, Japan to meet over wartime sex slaves

South Korea and Japan will meet again this week over Seoul's demand that Tokyo apologize for its wartime sex slavery, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.  The eighth round of talks will be held in Tokyo on Thursday, led by Lee Sang-deok, the Foreign Ministry's director-general of the Northeast Asia affairs bureau, and his Japanese counterpart, Junichi Ihara, the ministry said in a press release.  The talks come as both countries have been seeking a breakthrough in their strained ties in a year

June 10, 2015

FM Yun considers visiting Japan

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se is considering visiting Tokyo to mend ties between South Korea and Japan, which have been strained over the past years for Japan's failure to apologize for its wartime atrocities, government officials said Wednesday.  The bilateral ties have soured under the current administrations of President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe due to disputes over their shared history, including the issue of Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese so

June 10, 2015

U.S. Pacific Commander vows strong response to N.K. provocations

The new head of the U.S. Pacific Command reaffirmed  Wednesday stern responses to any provocations by the "dangerous and unpredictable" North Korea based upon the steadfast alliance with South Korea.  Adm. Harry Harris, chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, made the pledge during his visit to the South Korean Navy's 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, where he paid tribute to sailors killed in the North's deadly attack on the South Korean warship C

June 10, 2015

U.S. senators introduce resolution welcoming Park's visit

U.S. senators have introduced a resolution welcoming South Korean President Park Geun-hye's upcoming visit to Washington, congressional records showed Tuesday.  Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) initiated the resolution (S.Res.194) on Monday, together with Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) as a co-sponsor. It was titled "a resolution welcoming the President of the Republic of Korea on her official visit to the United States and celebrating the United States-Republic of Korea relationship, and for other purpose

June 10, 2015

[News Focus] Korea, Japan haggle over Tokyo’s heritage bid

Seoul and Tokyo struggled Tuesday to hammer out a compromise over Japan’s bid to put its major “industrial revolution” sites, including those related to Koreans’ colonial-era forced labor, on the World Heritage list.During the second round of talks in Seoul, they engaged in another intense debate with Seoul maintaining Tokyo should exclude seven of the 23 sites of “Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution” ― where nearly 57,900 Koreans were forced to work during the 1910-45 colonial era ― from its ca

June 9, 2015

S. Korea, Japan fail to reach deal on UNESCO row

South Korea and Japan ended another round of talks Tuesday with no breakthrough in their sparring over Japan's bid to put some historical sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, an official here said.Japan has applied to list 23 historical industrial facilities, including coal mines and shipyards, under the period of 1850-1910.South Korea is strongly against the bid as it includes seven sites where nearly 60,000 Koreans were forced to work especially in the 1940s during Japan's 1910-45 occupati

June 9, 2015