FBI, treasury department issue joint advisory against N. Korean ransomware

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a cybersecurity advisory on Wednesday against ransomware that it said is being used by North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors. The advisory, jointly issued by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Department of Treasury, said North Korean hackers have been using Maui ransomware since at least May 2021 to target healthcare and public health (HPH) sector organizations. "Since May 2021, the FBI has observed and responded to

July 7, 2022

S. Korea, Japan, US foreign affairs chiefs to hold first meeting at G-20

The foreign affairs chiefs from Seoul, Tokyo and Washington are expected to hold their first face-to-face trilateral meeting as they attend a foreign ministers’ meeting of leading rich and developing nations this week. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin has departed Seoul to attend the two-day Group of 20 summit that is taking place in Bali, Indonesia, from Thursday. Park will participate in the meeting along with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and US Secretary of Stat

July 6, 2022

South Korea seeks to reinvigorate economic ties with Latin America

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin proposed resuming talks on free trade with Mexico, the ministry said Tuesday, as the government seeks to reinvigorate ties with South America. Park met with his Mexican counterpart, Marcelo Ebrard, in Seoul on Monday to discuss enhancing bilateral ties and increasing cooperation in various sectors, according to the Foreign Ministry. During their first bilateral talk, the Korean minister suggested the two countries resume negotiations for a free trade ag

July 5, 2022

US bill expresses concerns over proposed abolishment of S. Korean ministry of equality

WASHINGTON -- A US bill is seeking to express concerns over the proposed abolishment of South Korea's Ministry of Equality and Family, the bill showed Monday. The House of Representatives bill on the 2023 budget for the state department will also urge the secretary of state to remain "actively engaged" in promoting gender equality in South Korea if passed. "The Committee is concerned about the abolishment of the South Korean Ministry of Equality and Family and urges the Secre

July 5, 2022

South Korea discusses ways to resolve dispute on Japan’s wartime forced labor

The South Korean government launched a consultative group on Monday to discuss ways to resolve the dispute with Japan over court rulings here that ordered Japanese companies to compensate victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor. The Foreign Ministry’s First Vice Minister Cho Hyun-dong presided over the first meeting of the government-private consultative group, which involved dozens of government officials, Japan experts and the legal representatives of the forced labor victims and

July 4, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Japan’s China policy, between firmness and flexibility

Since China overtook Japan in terms of economy in 2010, Japan‘s vigilance and checks against China have been visibly rising. Mostly, the two countries have a wide gap regarding issues surrounding the East China Sea, South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The Russia-Ukraine war re-emphasizes the importance of traditional Japanese geopolitics. In addition, technological competition -- the core of supply chain and future hegemony -- intensifies Japan’s foreign and security policies an

July 4, 2022

S. Korea, US set to hold first economic security dialogue session in Washington

South Korea and the United States will hold the first session of their newly launched economic security dialogue in Washington this week, the presidential office said Monday. The dialogue channel was established as part of a summit agreement between President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden in May, and aims to help the two countries deepen cooperation on economic and energy security. Wang Yun-jong, presidential secretary for economic security, will leave for Washington on Wednesday and

July 4, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Seeking a crack for cooperation amid the tension between the US and China

US-China relations are the most critical bilateral relations among numerous others in the international community. Since Xi Jinping became the supreme leader of China in 2012, China has been shaping its own diplomatic color, instead of “taoguang yanghui” (keep a low profile and bide your time, while also getting something accomplished). Although there is still a lack of sophistication and detail, it is clear enough to shock and give tension to the US, since the US has enjoyed a

July 3, 2022

S Korea-China-troop remains return

South Korea and China agreed Sunday to hold a ceremony returning remains of Chinese troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War in September, in what would be the ninth such repatriation, Seoul's defense ministry said. Kim Sang-jin, the ministry's director-general of international policy, and Li Jingxian, a Chinese veterans affairs official, met in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen, and agreed to hold an event casketing the remains on Sept. 15 and return them the following day. The min

July 3, 2022

FM hints at military cooperation with Japan, US

As the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to work together to deter North Korea’s nuclear threats, Seoul’s foreign minister raised the possibility of the three countries expanding their military cooperation. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin also said China “has benefited the most from free trade,” and urged the country to join the “new world order” forming in the Asia-Pacific region, in a televised interview

July 3, 2022

Yoon touts nuclear energy, green tech, chips as strengths

Korea’s future growth depends on nuclear power plants, green technology, chips and next-generation electric batteries, President Yoon Suk-yeol said Sunday, basing his statement on discussions he held with several Western leaders on the sidelines of the NATO summit last week. Yoon returned home on Friday after attending the summit held in Madrid, Spain, seeking to strengthen security and economic ties with Western partners. He held 10 bilateral talks on the sidelines of the event, seeking

July 3, 2022

Yoon, NATO Secretary-General reaffirm to develop cooperative relationship

MADRID – South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg during a NATO summit in Madrid on Thursday to discuss South Korea-NATO cooperation and exchange views on major international issues, including those pertaining to the Korean Peninsula. President Yoon said that South Korea and NATO have been closely cooperating and responding to various challenges facing the international community since establishing the global partnership in 2006, according t

July 1, 2022

Korea, UK adopts new framework for closer cooperation

President Yoon Suk-yeol had a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the occasion of attending the NATO Summit on Thursday. The two leaders adopted a “Bilateral Framework for Closer Cooperation” encompassing a vision of bilateral relations and discussed key international issues, including peace on the Korean Peninsula. President Yoon said, “We are pleased to have adopted the Korea-UK framework on the occasion of today‘s talks and evaluated that

June 30, 2022

Korea, Canada eye deeper security, economic ties

MADRID -- President Yoon Suk-yeol had a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, reaffirming their efforts to deal with North Korean provocations and the Ukraine crisis, on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Trudeau said he fully agrees with the future-oriented bilateral relationship with South Korea, and explained that Canada’s newly announced Indo-Pacific strategy puts close relations with regional partners such as Korea as a top priority, according to the presid

June 30, 2022

Seoul to launch public-private consultative body to address issue of Japan’s forced labor

  South Korea plans to establish a public-private consultative group to discuss possible solutions in providing compensation for the victims of Japan’s coercion into labor during wartime, ratcheting up efforts to reset strained ties with Japan. 　 According to victim support organizations here, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that victims attend the first meeting of the envisioned consultative group of civil organizations and the government, set to launch Monday. The entity

June 30, 2022

Yoon’s NATO trip ‘achieved goals beyond expectations’: presidential office

MADRID -- President Yoon Suk-yeol’s first overseas trip had exceeded expectations, the presidential office said Wednesday, crediting the administration’s two-track strategy of attending security-themed NATO meetings and economy-focused bilateral summits. “As the Asia-Pacific value issue is inseparable from that of Europe and security issues in one region are amplified globally, we have reached the awareness that all countries in the global village must work together to s

June 30, 2022

Awkward yet cordial: Yoon and Kishida's encounters in Spain

MADRID -- The South Korea-Japan bilateral summit some had hoped for did not materialize, but both nations’ leaders appeared sincere at this week’s NATO summit about wanting to improve relations. The invitation of the two countries to the Western military alliance gathering in Madrid, Spain, drew attention to the possibility of a bilateral summit between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. As Yoon -- even during his presidential campaign -- has promised to

June 30, 2022

[Newsmaker] Hong Kong in limbo 25 years after British handover to China

HONG KONG (AP) -- When the British handed Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, it was promised 50 years of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed on the Communist-ruled Chinese mainland. As the city of 7.4 million people marks 25 years under Beijing's rule on Friday, those promises are wearing thin. Hong Kong's honeymoon period, when it carried on much as it always had, has passed, and its future remains uncertain, determined by forces beyond its control. Before

June 30, 2022

Jill Biden advises first lady Kim: "Just be yourself"

MADRID -- US first lady Jill Biden advised South Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee on Wednesday to be herself as she talked about the pressures of being the president's wife, the presidential office said. Biden and Kim took part in an official program for spouses of leaders attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Madrid, which included visits to the Royal Palace of La Granja of San Ildefonso near Segovia, northwest of Madrid, the nearby Royal Glass Factory of La Granja, an

June 30, 2022

Yoon, French president discuss cooperation in nuclear power, space

MADRID -- President Yoon Suk-yeol met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday and discussed cooperation in various sectors, including nuclear power and space, the presidential office said. During the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Madrid, the two leaders agreed on the importance of nuclear energy in achieving carbon neutrality and promised to expand bilateral cooperation to ensure the safety of nuclear power generation an

June 30, 2022