Amid trilateral naval drill, opposition leader resurrects 'pro-Japanese' slur

The recent trilateral naval drill among South Korea, US and Japan has become the center of a dispute, after the main opposition party leader denounced it as “pro-Japanese.” Criticizing the military drill involving Japan, which annexed Korea from 1910-1945, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, claimed the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration may one day let Japan's Self-Defense Forces enter the Korean Peninsula. "It feels like steppin

Oct. 10, 2022

S. Korean Assembly speaker, Ethiopian president discuss economic cooperation

ADDIS ABABA/SEOUL -- South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo has held talks with Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde in Addis Ababa to discuss ways to bolster economic cooperation between the two countries, according to Kim's office. The talks took place on Sunday (Ethiopian time) as Kim was visiting the African country as part of his three-nation trip that will also take him to Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates. Kim's trip marked the first official visit to Ethiopi

Oct. 10, 2022

No. of S. Koreans abducted, detained or missing overseas in 5 yrs reaches 2,762: lawmaker

The number of South Korean citizens who have been kidnapped, detained or missing overseas in the recent five years has come to 2,762, an opposition lawmaker said Monday, citing data from the foreign ministry. Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party said that the number of South Koreans who went missing abroad from 2018 through the first half of this year was tallied at 2,474 while the figure of those, kidnapped or detained totaled 288 during the same period. Noting a recent ris

Oct. 10, 2022

North Korea at final stage for nuclear test, made progress in missiles: UNSC panel

North Korea is in its final stage in preparations for nuclear tests and has made progress in its missile programs by launching an unprecedented number of ballistic missiles this year, a United Nations Security Council panel said in its biannual report. Publishing the report assessing North Korea and sanctions implementation covering the past six months from late January, the UN Panel of Experts on UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea also said the North may also be using students

Oct. 9, 2022

[Newsmaker] Some Ukrainians voice mixed reactions to Nobel prize winners

  KYIV, Ukraine -- A day after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize with fellow human rights campaigners from Belarus and Russia, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties praised the work of her fellow laureates but cautioned against lumping the three together in a Cold War-like narrative. "We don't see _ and we shouldn't see _ this prize . as a Soviet narrative about brotherhood nations," said Oleksandra Matviychuk at a press conference on Saturday in Kyiv, Ukraine's capit

Oct. 9, 2022

PM set to visit Chile, Uruguay, Argentina this week

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is set to depart for Chile on Sunday for a three-nation trip that will also take him to Uruguay and Argentina, as Seoul seeks to bolster economic cooperation with the Latin American nations, officials said. During talks with leaders of the three nations, Han will also ask them to support South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern port city of Busan, the Office for Government Policy Coordination has said in a statement. In particular, Han and le

Oct. 9, 2022

US will hold N. Korea accountable for provocative missile launches: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States has a range of ways to hold North Korea accountable for its provocative actions, a state department spokesperson said Thursday, one day after China and Russia blocked a US-led move to put UN Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the state department, also said the US continues to closely monitor North Korea and will take additional action if necessary. "We continue to have a number of tools in our tool belt -

Oct. 7, 2022

US envoy on N. Korean human rights will help revitalize global discussion: S. Korean envoy

WASHINGTON -- Appointing a US special envoy for North Korean human rights will send a clear message to the reclusive regime that human rights matter while also helping to revitalize global discussions on the dire issue, South Korean envoy for North Korean human rights said Thursday. Amb. Lee Shin-hwa, special envoy for international cooperation on North Korean human rights, argued appointing a US envoy will also encourage the European Union to take the issue more seriously. "Number one, by

Oct. 7, 2022

UNSC fails to reach consensus on NK provocations with China, Russia backing NK

The United Nations Security Council failed to reach a consensus on how to handle the series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea, as China and Russia backed Pyongyang's actions as reasonable. The 15-member council held a public meeting on Wednesday to discuss North Korea's consecutive ballistic missile launches that include an intermediate-range missile that flew over Japan to land in the Pacific. The United States accused China and Russia, two permanent members of the council

Oct. 6, 2022

S. Korea, US condemn NK missile launch in joint statement with several UNSC members

NEW YORK -- South Korea, Japan and some Western member countries of the United Nations issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning North Korea for its ballistic missile provocation. The move came after the council failed to reach an agreement on additional sanctions or adopt an official statement against the North in a meeting over the North's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch earlier this week. The other signatories were two other permanent members of the council -- Brit

Oct. 6, 2022

N. Korea will only be more isolated if it continues provocation: Blinken

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged North Korea to engage in dialogue on Wednesday, saying its provocative actions will only lead to increased condemnation and isolation. The top US diplomat said the North will also face increased repercussions from the international community if they continue to take such actions. "We believe that North Korea would be much better served by not only refraining from these actions, but actually engaging in dialogue," Blinken said in

Oct. 6, 2022

US envoy for N. Korea calls on Pyongyang to engage in dialogue: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim has called on the recalcitrant state to cease its provocative actions and return to dialogue, the state department said Wednesday. In a trilateral call with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts -- Kim Gunn and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively -- the US envoy also condemned North Korea's recent missile launch, according to department spokesperson Ned Price. "Special Representative Kim strongly condemned the DPRK'

Oct. 6, 2022

Yoon, Kishida to hold phone talks following N. Korean missile launch

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plan to hold phone talks this week, Yoon's office said Wednesday amid tensions caused by North Korea's recent intermediate-range ballistic missile launch. The phone conversation is set to take place Thursday, two days after the recalcitrant regime fired the missile over Japan to fall into the Pacific, marking its first launch of an IRBM in eight months. Yoon and Kishida are expected to discuss joint responses to evolving

Oct. 5, 2022

Nigeria vows to partner with Korea for sustainable development

Nigeria will seek stronger cooperation with Korea for sustainable development, Nigerian officials said at the Nigeria-Korea Business Forum at the Ambassador Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday. The forum aimed to strengthen Nigeria-Korea network capabilities, and share diverse ideas and business solutions for sectors such as oil and gas, agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing and ICT, tourism culture, and the creative industry to reach out to investors and key figures taking lead. The Forum is par

Oct. 5, 2022

[Hwang's China and the World] The Korean entertainment industry’s public diplomacy competitiveness

On Sept. 13, the Korean drama “Squid Game” won six awards at the 74th Emmy Awards, including those for outstanding lead actor and outstanding directing for a drama series -- the first non-English TV series to do so. “Squid Game” enjoyed explosive popularity internationally, made history, and received high praise at home and abroad. It seemed like an event that deserves to sweep the world at least once. In this sense, we cannot help but recall director Bong Joon-ho&rsq

Oct. 5, 2022

S. Korea, US, Japan condemn N.Korea IRBM launch as ‘serious threat’

South Korea’s first vice minister exchanged phone calls with his US and Japanese counterparts to strongly condemn the North’s recent launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile and agreed to meet for trilateral talks in Tokyo this month. According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the First Vice Minister Cho Hyun-dong held a trilateral talk with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo over the phone after Pyongyang

Oct. 5, 2022

Foreign Ministry audit riddled with strife over president’s overseas trip

The parliamentary inspection of the Foreign Ministry dragged on to Tuesday midnight as lawmakers across the aisle wrangled over whether President Yoon Suk-yeol’s overseas trip last month was a “diplomatic disaster” or not. From the start of the session on Tuesday, the lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea refused to proceed, demanding Foreign Minister Park Jin to leave the session, citing last week's passage of a no-confidence motion. Less than 40 minu

Oct. 5, 2022

[Newsmaker] 3 physicists share Nobel Prize for work on quantum science

  (STOCKHOLM) -- Three scientists jointly won this year's Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for proving that tiny particles could retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon once doubted but now being explored for potential real-world applications such as encrypting information. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger were cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for experiments proving the "totally crazy" field of

Oct. 5, 2022

U.S. condemns N. Korea's missile launch as unacceptable threat, vows to take int'l actions

The US strongly condemned North Korea's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile Tuesday, calling it a reckless decision that poses an unacceptable threat to regional and international security. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also discussed appropriate responses the international community should take in phone talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts. "The United States strongly condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK)

Oct. 4, 2022

Parliamentary inspection crippled as opposition demands foreign minister exit

The parliamentary inspection of the Foreign Ministry failed to proceed as it kicked off Tuesday, with the main opposition lawmaker demanding the minister leave the session, holding him to account for the president’s overseas trip it claims to have ended as a “diplomatic disaster.” The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has taken issue with President Yoon Suk-yeol's seven-day trip to the UK, US and Canada last month, assessing that the trip was a "diplomatic fiasco&q

Oct. 4, 2022