S. Korea identifies remains of another Korean War soldier

South Korea has identified the remains of another soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War following their excavation in North Korea decades ago, the defense ministry said Friday. The ministry's excavation team recently confirmed the remains of Pfc. Park Jin-ho. They were among those the North handed over to the United States from 1990-94. His remains returned here in 2020, as they were thought to be of a South Korean troop. Park served at the 31st Regiment of the US 7th Division under

July 15, 2022

N.Korea recognizes two Russian-backed breakaway regions in Ukraine: state media

North Korea has formally recognized two Russian-supported breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states and pledged to develop “state-to-state relations” with them. In response, Ukraine has severed diplomatic relations with North Korea. North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui announced the country’s decision to recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) in letters sen

July 14, 2022

Ukraine severs diplomatic ties with N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- Ukraine has severed diplomatic ties with North Korea for recognizing the independence of Ukrainian territories seized by Russia, the country's foreign ministry said Wednesday. In a statement posted on its Web site, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said it strongly condemns North Korea's decision to recognize the "so-called "independence" of the territories temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation in the Donetsk and Luhanks regions of Ukraine." &quo

July 14, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Everything roots in something, the reason Australia actively steps into the Indo-Pacific Strategy

Australia is a country that has multiple similarities with Korea. Both are considered middle powers, both are allies of the US and have China as the largest trading partner, and the foreign policies in both countries depend on the domestic governing power. Above all, looking back at our choices between the US and China, they were mostly based on “Anmi-kyeongjung,” depending on the security of the US and the economy of China. Just like Korea-China relations, Australia-China relations

July 13, 2022

[Newsmaker] Sri Lanka president flees to Maldives ahead of expected resignation

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's embattled president flew out of his country to the Maldives early Wednesday, in a likely prelude to his resignation after months of widespread protests against his island nation's worst-ever economic crisis. Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday and clear the way for a "peaceful transition of power" after fleeing his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it. As president, Rajap

July 13, 2022

Yoon pays respects to Abe in Seoul

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday visited the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to pay his respects to late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. President Yoon arrived at the Japanese Embassy‘s public information and cultural center at 4 p.m. and entered the memorial altar under the guidance of Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Aiboshi, according to the presidential office. President Yoon wrote in the guest book, “I pray for the repose of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Ab

July 12, 2022

[Newsmaker] Japan mourns as funeral for former PM Abe held in Tokyo

TOKYO -- Family and friends of assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe gathered at a Tokyo temple Tuesday for a private funeral, as mourners outside condemned the leader's "despicable" murder. Abe was shot at close range on Friday while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara, days ahead of upper house elections that saw his ruling party strengthen its hold on power. The murder suspect, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, is in custody and has told police he targeted Abe because h

July 12, 2022

S. Korean ambassador discusses alliance, NK nuclear issues with US deputy secretary

South Korean Ambassador to the United States Cho Tae-yong met with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to discuss the bilateral relations of Seoul and Washington and North Korea’s nuclear issues on Monday (US time). In a Facebook post, Amb. Cho explained how he had first met with Sherman when he was serving as the first vice minister of the Foreign Ministry, from February 2014 to October 2015. “Deputy Secretary Sherman is the first women to serve in the post at the US Dep

July 12, 2022

Foreign minister vows to strengthen alliance with new US ambassador to Korea

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin greeted newly appointed US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg and shared their commitment to bolster the Korea-US alliance on Tuesday. The US diplomat has just begun his duty as the ambassador, filling the post left vacant about 1 1/2 years after his predecessor Harry Harris left upon the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Goldberg arrived in Seoul on Sunday. “It is the Korean government’s utmost priority to promote the common valu

July 12, 2022

US State Department adviser visits S. Korea for talks on alliance, N. Korea

A key aide to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Tuesday with a South Korean foreign ministry official for discussions on the bilateral alliance and other issues. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet tweeted that he had a meeting with Yeo Seung-bae, deputy minister for political affairs, in Seoul. "We spoke about the US-ROK Alliance and our joint efforts on regional and global issues. I appreciate the ROK's partnership on Burma," Chollet wrote, using the acronym for Sout

July 12, 2022

Japan’s ruling party victory, Abe’s death could slow progress on Tokyo ties: experts

The recent turn of events in Japan -- the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the ruling party winning the majority of seats in the upper house -- could delay efforts to resolve bilateral relations with South Korea, experts here said on Monday. The former premier died on Friday after a lone gunman shot him while he was delivering a campaign speech on a street in the city of Nara in central Japan. As the country mourned the death of a prominent political leader, the ruling L

July 11, 2022

S. Korea's foreign minister pays respects to former Prime Minister Abe

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin paid his respects to former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe on Monday. He visited the Japanese embassy's public information and cultural center in downtown Seoul, mourned Abe's death and offered his condolences, three days after he was fatally shot during an election campaign speech. President Yoon Suk-yeol is also scheduled to visit there later this week with a plan to send a delegation led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to a formal memorial service f

July 11, 2022

Yoon to pay tribute at Abe’s memorial altar in Korea

President Yoon Suk-yeol will soon visit a memorial altar set up by the Japanese Embassy in Korea to pay his respects to Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the presidential office said Sunday. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Foreign Minister Park Jin are expected to accompany Yoon. The Japanese Embassy in Seoul is preparing to run a memorial altar for former Prime Minister Abe early this week. President Yoon also plans to send a delegation of condolences to Japan when an offici

July 10, 2022

[Newsmaker] 'In pain, distraught': Japan devastated by Abe assassination

NARA – A day after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, a steady stream of mourners, many in tears, arrived at the scene of his murder in western Japan to offer flowers and prayers. People from all walks of life formed a long line on Saturday on the otherwise ordinary street outside a train station where Abe was shot while campaigning ahead of weekend elections. Afternoon downpours did not deter the crowds who came to offer condolences, some having traveled great distance

July 10, 2022

New US ambassador due in Seoul on Sunday afternoon

Philip Goldberg, the new US ambassador to South Korea, is scheduled to arrive here on Sunday afternoon to begin his duty, an informed source said. The post has been vacant for 1 1/2 years since the departure of Harry Harris timed with the inauguration of President Joe Biden. In May, the Senate confirmed Biden's pick of the veteran diplomat who have served in various key positions, including the job as coordinator for the Implementation of UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1874 on North Korea

July 10, 2022

Seoul's foreign minister underscores values of freedom, human rights in talks with China

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed to regularly communicate in their first in-person bilateral meeting, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday. During their bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers‘ meeting on Thursday, Park and Wang exchanged their views on the active exchanges of the two countries after Korea inaugurated a new administration in May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The meeting, hel

July 8, 2022

S. Korea's top diplomat attends G-20 meeting in Indonesia

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin joined a Group of 20 (G-20) foreign ministers' meeting in Indonesia on Friday to discuss regional and global issues in his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage as Seoul's top diplomat He arrived on the resort island of Bali on Thursday for a two-day stay to take part in the session focusing on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It also set the stage for Park's bilateral talks with his counterpart from the world's 20 adva

July 8, 2022

Youth policymakers from 25 nations discuss solutions for the future

The Minister of Youth World Forum organized by the International Youth Fellowship was held in Busan on Thursday, bringing together youth and education policymakers from around the world.  The forum, annually held alongside IYF World Camp, had been on hold for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  IYF World Camp is an international event involving youth and college students from 50 countries.   In this year’s forum, ministers and vice ministers of 26 youth and

July 8, 2022

S. Korea, Singapore vow stern measures against N. Korean missile provocations

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in handling North Korea’s missile provocations, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday. In his visit to the Southeast Asian country, Park also met with his Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong on Wednesday to exchange views on regional affairs and agree to strengthen their partnership on economic and s

July 7, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Yoon displayed bold, decisive diplomacy at NATO summit

After the previous summit with US President Joe Biden in May, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s attendance at the NATO summit was a straight one-two punch that proved a change in the new Korean government’s foreign policy. Contrasting with the Moon Jae-in government’s friendly stance toward China, Yoon instead moved boldly without hesitation. He chose to prioritize the alliance with the US. Under the framework of a Korea-US-Japan cooperation, this could be understood as a signal of a

July 7, 2022