US working with allies to secure support for Ukraine: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States is working to secure support for the Ukrainian military from its allies and partners, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. Department Press Secretary Matthew Miller made the remark when asked about any ongoing discussions between Seoul and Washington about possible provision of South Korean-made ammunition to Ukraine. "The United States has led a worldwide effort since before even the onset of this conflict to secure assistance from our partners an

May 25, 2023

S. Korean experts complete two-day inspection of Fukushima plant's water treatment facilities

TOKYO/SEOUL -- A South Korean team of experts visiting the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant on Wednesday completed their two-day on-site inspection of facilities for the dilution and discharge of radioactive water, amid concerns over Tokyo's plan to release tons of contaminated water into the sea this summer. The 21-member team, headed by Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Chairperson Yoo Guk-hee, is currently on a six-day visit to Japan to assess whether the treated water is sa

May 24, 2023

S. Korean experts to examine water dilution, discharge facilities on 2nd day of Fukushima nuclear plant inspection

TOKYO -- A South Korean team of experts visiting the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant will inspect facilities for dilution and discharge of radioactive water on Wednesday amid concerns over Tokyo's plan to release tons of contaminated water into the sea this summer. The 21-member team, headed by Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Chairperson Yoo Guk-hee, is currently on a six-day visit to Japan to assess whether the treated water is safe enough to be discharged into the sea. On

May 24, 2023

Yoon pledges efforts to establish digital trade norms in meeting with WTO chief

President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged Tuesday efforts to establish norms in emerging trade sectors, such as digital trade, in a meeting with Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of the World Trade Organization in Seoul. Okonjo-Iweala arrived in South Korea on Monday for a three-day stay for talks with senior government officials and business leaders on the roles of the WTO and South Korea in revitalizing the multilateral trading system and addressing other challenges to global trade. During the meetin

May 23, 2023

Ex-consul general to LA expected to head agency for overseas Koreans

A former South Korean ambassador for representing the interests of 7.5 million overseas Koreans is the top candidate to lead a new agency to be set up early next month for exclusively overseeing such roles, according to reports quoting senior officials at the presidential office Tuesday. Lee Ki-cheol, the ambassador, served as Seoul’s chief envoy to the Netherlands and consul general in Los Angeles after leaving the post. He is currently secretary-general of UNICEF Korea. The move to estab

May 23, 2023

[Photo News]Arabic Culture Quiz

Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Korea Sami M. Alsadhan (right) and Korea-Arab Society Secretary General Ma Young-sam present a certificate and prize money to Kim Sang-yeop (second from right), a student at Dankook University, the winner of the "Quiz on Arab" event about Arabic culture co-hosted by the embassy of Saudi Arabia, the Korea-Arab Society and Korea University’s Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies of the Asiatic Research Institute on May 15 at Korea University in Seoul

May 23, 2023

S. Korean experts set to begin on-site inspection of Fukushima nuclear plant

TOKYO -- A team of South Korean experts is set to begin a two-day inspection of the planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant Tuesday, amid lingering concerns about the safety of the water. The 21-member team, headed by Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Chairperson Yoo Guk-hee, will visit the plant from early Tuesday to examine the plant's custom purification system, known as ALPS, and assess whether the treated water is safe enough to be rele

May 23, 2023

S. Korea, Chile hold talks to upgrade bilateral FTA

South Korea and Chile have launched another round of talks on upgrading a bilateral free trade agreement in line with changing global trade circumstances, Seoul's industry ministry said Tuesday. The seventh round of negotiations to revise their FTA began Monday in Santiago and is set to run until Wednesday, during which they will deal with upgrading rules on a wide range of sectors, including goods trading, trade facilitation, intellectual property, labor and environment, according to the M

May 23, 2023

PM calls for recovering ‘multilateral trading system’ in meeting with WTO chief

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo met with the visiting head of the World Trade Organization on Monday, highlighting the importance of recovering the multilateral trading system, according to Han's office. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala arrived in Seoul on Monday for a three-day stay, marking the first visit to South Korea by the WTO’s top official since 2014. During the dinner meeting, Han emphasized the crucial role of the WTO in restoring the multilateral trading system ami

May 22, 2023

Korea, EU agree to foster peace, address security challenges

President Yoon Suk Yeol and European Union leaders have agreed to strengthen their cooperation to foster peace and stability in their regions in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and North Korea’s growing provocations, during their summit held in Seoul on Monday. Yoon held a summit meeting on Monday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, who flew to Seoul after attending the Group of Seven summit held in Hiroshima

May 22, 2023

S. Korean inspection team set to kick off on-site inspection of Fukushima nuclear plant

TOKYO -- A team of South Korean experts began its official activities to inspect the planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant Monday, amid lingering concerns about the safety of the water. The Korean delegation is scheduled to hold a meeting later in the day with Japanese officials from the Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the wrecked power plant, as well as the industry ministry and the Nuclear Regulation Authority, the country's top n

May 22, 2023

S. Korea, Germany agree to sign military pact

South Korea and Germany agreed on Sunday to sign a military deal on sharing their military secrets to streamline supply chains involving the two countries’ defense industries. The summit, which took place at the presidential office in Seoul following the two leaders’ participation in the Group of Seven summit in Japan the same day, is the latest efforts by Yoon to partner with democracies to put checks on North Korea amid its escalating nuclear threats. “Germany understands th

May 21, 2023

Yoon, Widodo discuss future industry cooperation

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Indonesian President Joko Widodo discussed widening their relations and cooperation in future industries at a summit on the sidelines of the Group of Seven Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday. During the bilateral summit, Yoon said he is pleased with the rapid progress in cooperation between the Korea and Indonesia since Widodo’s visit to Korea in July last year, according to a written briefing from the presidential office. Yoon said the Korean go

May 21, 2023

Seoul vows more non-lethal support for Ukraine

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to continue providing non-lethal aid for Ukraine upon the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in their first meeting held in Hiroshima, Japan, on the sidelines of an expanded Group of Seven summit session on Sunday. Yoon told Zelenskyy that Seoul will push for sustained diplomatic, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, with medical evacuation vehicles and demining vehicles being the primary focus as of the current moment, Yoon'

May 21, 2023

Yoon, Biden, Kishida hold summit in Hiroshima

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday. The three leaders met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit for talks expected to focus on ways to strengthen trilateral security cooperation against North Korea's nuclear threat and China's assertiveness. The leaders last held a three-way meeting in Cambodia in November and agreed to share missile warning data in real time to cope w

May 21, 2023

S. Korean water inspection team departs for Fukushima

A 21-member Fukushima Daiichi wastewater inspection team departed from Incheon Airport Sunday morning for a six-day trip to Japan to deliver Seoul's own assessment of the wastewater treatment facilities in the quake-hit region before Japan's planned discharge of the water starting as early as this year. The inspection team reiterated that it would affirm the safety of the facilities in Japan based on "scientific grounds and standards." This came amid persistent local backlash

May 21, 2023

Yoon, Kishida pay respects to Korean victims of Hiroshima atomic bomb

Leaders of South Korea and Japan on Sunday visited a cenotaph dedicated to the Korean victims of the 1945 atomic bombing in Hiroshima, Japan, for the first time in history, underscoring their shared commitments to honoring a "painful history" while forging a path toward a "peaceful future" in unison. On the final day of the Group of Seven meeting held in the city where the first-ever use of an atomic bomb killed an estimated 200,000 civilians 78 years ago, South Korean Presid

May 21, 2023

Yoon, Japan PM hold summit in Hiroshima

HIROSHIMA -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a summit in Hiroshima on Sunday, their third meeting in two months as bilateral relations thaw. The latest meeting came on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit, while the previous two were held in Tokyo in March and then in Seoul earlier this month during bilateral visits by Yoon and Kishida, respectively. Bilateral relations have warmed significantly since Seoul offered in March to compensate

May 21, 2023

Yoon to meet Zelenskyy for 1st time at G-7

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time in Hiroshima on Sunday, according to Yoon's officials. The meeting is set to take place on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit. The Ukrainian leader arrived in the Japanese city on Saturday. The meeting was arranged at Ukraine's request, they said. The meeting comes less than a week after Yoon met Zelenskyy's wife, first lady Olena Zelenska, in Seoul. On Tuesday, Zelens

May 21, 2023

Yoon pledges $24m donation to epidemic coalition

President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged $24 million to a coalition combating epidemics and double its provision of grain through the UN World Food Program during an expanded meeting of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Saturday. Yoon pledged the new donation to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to strengthen global health care systems. The coalition was created at the 2007 Davos Forum as a public-private joint venture whose backers included the Norwegian government and the Bill Gate

May 20, 2023