Korean captain and four others of fishing boat kidnapped near Ghana: report

WASHINGTON -- A Korean captain and four crew members of a fishing boat have been kidnapped in waters off Ghana, in west Africa, a report said Thursday. The five crew members of the Atlantic Princess, a tuna boat, were kidnapped on Thursday (local time), according to the report from Dryad Global, a maritime security and intelligence provider. "The vessel is understood to have been approached by one speedboat with 8 pirates onboard," it said, adding the incident reportedly took place 6

May 21, 2021

US lawmaker proposes bill calling for declaration to end Korean War

WASHINGTON -- A US lawmaker proposed a bill on Thursday that calls for US efforts to declare a formal end to the Korean War and exchange liaison offices with North Korea. The bill, proposed by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), also seeks to require the State Department to consider lifting its travel ban on North Korea for Korean Americans with separated families in the North. "The United States should pursue a sustained and credible diplomatic process to achieve an end to the Korean War, and ever

May 21, 2021

Moon meets Pelosi, discusses alliance, N. Korea, vaccines

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to a stronger alliance with Washington during a meeting with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders Thursday. In the session held on Capitol Hill, he described the bilateral alliance as "the world's most exemplary" one, according to Chung Man-ho, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication. "I promise that we will continue to go together in the same direction

May 21, 2021

Moon visits US military cemetery in show of commitment to stronger alliance

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, kicking off his official schedule in the United States. Moon laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the cemetery in northern Virginia, just south of the US capital. The monument is dedicated to fallen American service members whose remains have not been identified, including many killed in the 1950-53 Korean War. The president paid his respects to all soldiers who dedicated the

May 21, 2021

New US policy on NK designed to be 'flexible' to enable 'best chance of diplomatic success': official

The new North Korea policy of the Joe Biden administration is designed to be flexible to enable the "best chance of diplomatic success" by learning from past unsuccessful efforts, a senior US administration official said Thursday. "We are not going to lay out exactly our diplomatic strategy here and now, I would simply say that we've tried to design it to be flexible," the official told reporters while speaking on condition of anonymity. "We understand where previous e

May 20, 2021

Moon to meet US political leaders ahead of summit with Biden

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit Capitol Hill for a meeting with Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, and other leaders of the chamber, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. He is expected to request congressional support for the Korea peace process and Seoul’s bid to emerge as a global vaccine production hub. Moon will hold a summit with Biden at the White House on Friday afternoon. It will mark their first face-to-face meeting. The two plan to

May 20, 2021

S. Korea reiterates concerns over Israeli-Palestinian conflict, backs mediation efforts

South Korea reiterated concerns Thursday over the worsening humanitarian crisis from the fighting between Israel and the Hamas militant group, backing international efforts to broker a ceasefire. Since May 10, Israel and Hamas militants have launched deadly rocket attacks against each other. The United States, the United Nations and others have beefed up mediation efforts to stop the conflict from escalating into a full-blown war. "Our government again expresses deep concerns over the rap

May 20, 2021

S. Korea to hold climate change sessions in run-up to P4G summit

South Korea will hold a series of climate change forums next week in the run-up to a global summit on climate change and sustainable development set for late this month, its preparatory committee said Thursday. A total of 10 sessions will take place during the "Green Future Week" from Monday to Saturday to enhance the international community's awareness and resolve to fight climate change ahead of the virtual Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) summit slated for May

May 20, 2021

Biden to award Medal of Honor to US Korean War veteran: White House

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden will award the highest military medal to a Korean War veteran this week in a ceremony that will also be attended by his visiting South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, the White House said Wednesday. "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., will award the Medal of Honor to Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr., United States Army, Retired, for conspicuous gallantry during the Korean War. President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea will join this ceremony," it said

May 20, 2021

US goal remains complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States' goal is to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday, ahead of an upcoming summit this week between the leaders of South Korea and the United States. The summit between President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, is expected to partly focus on ways to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table. "When it comes to DPRK. I can't underscore enough that our goal remains clear -- that

May 20, 2021

[#WeFACE] Climate goals deepen but challenges linger

Fighting climate change is now a top domestic and international priority for many countries, as world leaders solidify their carbon-cutting commitments for a greener future. But experts say the goal may be harder to realize than thought. The climate summit in late April, joined by dozens of world leaders and hosted by US President Joe Biden seeking to restore American leadership on climate policy, marked a renewed global push to tackle the crisis after years of lukewarm response to the challeng

May 19, 2021

US will build on Singapore agreement with N. Korea: Campbell

WASHINGTON -- The US administration of President Joe Biden will build on a 2018 summit agreement with North Korea, White House Asia czar Kurt Campbell said Tuesday, extending overtures to Pyongyang after completing a monthslong policy review on the North. "Our policy review took a careful look at everything that has been tried before. Our efforts will build on Singapore and other agreements made by previous administrations," Campbell, White House policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacifi

May 19, 2021

Moon-Biden summit to produce 'tangible partnerships' on supply chains: Campbell

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will discuss ways to address COVID-19 vaccine shortages in the South and forge "tangible partnerships" on semiconductor supply chains, White House Asia policy chief Kurt Campbell said Tuesday. Moon is set to visit Washington for his first in-person talks with Biden set for Friday, where cooperation on coronavirus vaccines and semiconductor supplies are expected to be among the key agenda items, along with how

May 19, 2021

S. Korea, US can cooperate on building 'trusted' supply chains to reduce Chinese dependence: report

Developing trusted supply chains is one area that South Korea and the United States can work together to reduce economic dependence on China, a joint report by Korean and American experts showed Tuesday. A total of 27 experts, including former high-level government officials in Seoul and Washington, made the case in the report, noting how the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the vulnerability of the global supply chains heavily dependent on Beijing amid the virus-driven border controls across the wo

May 18, 2021

Biden’s vaccine export plans boost ‘vaccine swap’ prospects for Korea

US President Joe Biden on Monday (US time) announced plans to send an additional 20 million doses of approved COVID-19 vaccines to other countries by the end of June, giving a boost to Seoul’s prospects of securing vaccines through a swap arrangement with Washington. 　 The pledged vaccines were produced by US drugmakers Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, and this is the first time that the US is sending shots authorized for domestic use to other nations. This brings the total ear

May 18, 2021

Moon set for 5-day trip to US for summit with Biden

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will make a five-day trip to the United States this week for his first face-to-face summit talks with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday. Their summit will be held at the White House on Friday afternoon (local time) followed by a joint press conference, according to Chung Man-ho, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public communication. Moon plans to leave for the US capital on Wednesday afternoon. He is scheduled to begin hi

May 18, 2021

Biden unveils plans to send 20 million doses of US approved COVID vaccine overseas

US President Joe Biden on Monday unveiled plans to provide 20 million doses of domestically approved COVID-19 vaccines to other countries by the end of next month, reiterating his pledge to turn his country into an "arsenal" of vaccines for the entire world. It is the first time that the US has agreed to send coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the US to other countries. So far, the FDA has approved COVID-19 vaccines of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson for use in the Unit

May 18, 2021

Anti-junta coalition says ready for dialogue with conditions

The National Unity Government fighting Myanmar’s military junta is ready for dialogue to rebuild the country torn by monthslong clashes between protesters and troops, if the junta stops killing people and returns power to people, the unity government’s minister of international cooperation said Friday. Dr. Sasa, a doctor-turned-politician who goes by the single name and was working with elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi before the military detained her and seized power on Feb. 1, rule

May 17, 2021

Seoul, Tokyo likely to form consultative body on Fukushima wastewater release

South Korea and Japan are likely to form a joint consultative body to discuss Tokyo’s controversial plan to dispose of radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant by releasing it into the sea, media reports said Sunday. 　 The Asahi Shimbun, citing diplomatic sources, reported that Seoul is said to have sounded out Tokyo on the possibility of establishing a consultative group between the two countries. The Japanese government is reviewing the proposal and leaning toward acc

May 16, 2021

S. Korea considering ways to hold consultations with Japan on Fukushima water

South Korea is considering ways to hold bilateral consultations with Japan on Tokyo's planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the foreign ministry said Friday. A local news outlet reported earlier that the two countries agreed to form a consultative group to exchange information and views on risks, verification and legal issues and other details related to the Fukushima water release. South Korea has expressed concerns about potential health risks

May 14, 2021