Russian FM calls to maintain peace on the peninsula, abandon arms race

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday stressed efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and called for related countries to renounce the arms race amid a ramping up of tensions in the region, following Pyongyang’s launch of what appeared to be ballistic missiles.   　 Lavrov’s remark came after his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, just hours after North Korea had fired two short-range

March 25, 2021

Ministry co-hosts photo exhibition on history of Korean migrants in Cuba

A photo exhibition capturing the history of Koreans who migrated to Cuba in the early 1900s opened in Seoul on Thursday in celebration of the centennial anniversary of the migration, the foreign ministry said. The weeklong exhibition, co-hosted by the ministry and Chonam National University, will showcase some 300 photographs and other visual materials that shed light on the lives of Koreans in Cuba in the 1920s and 1950s, including their efforts to assist the independence movement against col

March 25, 2021

Russian FM calls for efforts to keep peace on peninsula after NK missile launches

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for efforts to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and warned against "all kinds of military activities" Thursday, hours after North Korea fired off what appeared to be ballistic missiles into the East Sea. Lavrov made the remark in a press statement after his talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, where South Korea called for Moscow to play a "constructive" role in fostering a lasting peace on the divided peninsula. &qu

March 25, 2021

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Russia hold talks on bilateral ties, peninsula situation

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, held talks in Seoul on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties, the Korean Peninsula situation and other issues. The two countries' first foreign ministerial meeting in Seoul since 2009 came after tensions flared anew due to North Korea's missile launches in the morning and an acrimonious Sino-US rivalry that has brought China and Russia closer together. Chung called Russia a partner for regional peace, while touting progre

March 25, 2021

US will not ask allies to choose between 'us and them' with China: Blinken

WASHINGTON -- The United States will work with its allies and partners to tackle challenges posed by increasingly aggressive China and Russia, but will not ask its allies to choose sides, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. The top US diplomat also said countries can work with China when necessary. "China's blatant economic coercion of Australia to Russia's use of disinformation to erode confidence in elections and in safe, effective vaccines, these aggressive actions threat

March 25, 2021

FM vows to work closely with US to protect Koreans after Atlanta shootings

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Wednesday stressed efforts to protect the safety of South Koreans living in the United States in the wake of recent deadly shootings in Atlanta, vowing close cooperation with Washington on the matter. He made the remarks during a regular meeting with senior officials at the foreign ministry, his office said, as four women of Korean descent were among those killed in the US city last week amid speculation that the killings could be a hate crime against Asians.

March 24, 2021

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold high-level talks next week

President Moon Jae-in’s top security adviser Suh Hoon is expected to head to Washington next week to hold talks with his US and Japanese counterparts Jake Sullivan and Shigeru Kitamura as part of Washington’s ongoing policy review on North Korea. According to the White House on Tuesday, the US National Security Council will host the trilateral meeting at the end of next week, while the allies also plan to hold separate bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the daylong schedule.

March 24, 2021

US enjoys 'unquantifiable' benefits from military presence in S. Korea: GAO

WASHINGTON -- The United States enjoys a range of benefits from maintaining its military presence in South Korea and Japan, US officials said Tuesday. The officials from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) also suggested while some of those benefits may not be quantified, they could easily justify the associated costs. "There are important, intangible benefits coming from the military and interoperability issues. I mean it's not an insignificant benefit," said Diana Maurer, di

March 24, 2021

[Newsmaker] Online vigil to honor victims of deadly Atlanta shootings

WASHINGTON -- A vigil will be held this week to honor the victims of recent deadly shootings in Atlanta and to call for a stop to hate crimes in the United States that are increasingly targeting people of Asian descent, organizers said Tuesday. The solemn event will be held in Atlanta on Friday and streamed live at www.326vigil.org, according to KA Vote, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting Korean American civic engagement and representation. The move comes in the wake of shooting

March 24, 2021

Lavrov raps US' Indo-Pacific strategy, 'bloc' building, ahead of Seoul visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed concern that the US strategy for the Indo-Pacific region could be an attempt to create a bloc against specific countries. Lavrov made the remarks during a virtual meeting with Korean correspondents in Moscow last week ahead of his trip to Beijing and Seoul. He is set to arrive in Seoul on Tuesday to hold talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and attend other events. He claimed that the Indo-Pacific region expression was introduced as pa

March 23, 2021

S. Korea not to co-sponsor this year's UN resolution on NK human rights

South Korea decided not to co-sponsor a UN Human Rights Council resolution on North Korea's rights violations for the third consecutive year, though it will join the document's adoption by consensus, a Seoul official said Tuesday. The council is set to adopt the resolution for the 19th straight year during the 46th session in Geneva this week, as Seoul seeks to avoid tension with the North amid its efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue. "The government's position will remain the same as

March 23, 2021

S. Korea, Belgium to hold cultural fest celebrating 120th anniversary of ties

A yearlong cultural festival celebrating the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Belgium will begin Tuesday, the culture ministry said. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it has designated Belgium as this year's counterpart for its cultural diplomacy project. Under the plan, cultural events will be held to promote cultural exchange between the two countries under the slogan "sharing friendship together, enjoying prosperity to

March 23, 2021

Quad not on table for S. Korea-India defense ministerial talks: Seoul

Defense Minister Suh Wook has no plans to discuss the US-led regional forum Quad with his Indian counterpart during his visit to the country this week, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Suh, who has been on a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is scheduled to arrive in India on Thursday for a three-day visit. The planned visit to India spurred speculation that Suh could discuss the Quad forum during his talks with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. Involving the United States, Austr

March 23, 2021

Russian deputy defense minister to visit Seoul next week

Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin will visit Seoul next week for talks with his South Korean counterparts, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The meeting slated for Monday follows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's planned talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Seoul this week. "It will be a regular strategic dialogue," defense ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said during a regular press briefing. The top Russian officials' back-to-back South Korea tr

March 23, 2021

Russia's top diplomat to visit Seoul for talks on bilateral ties, peninsula issues

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was set to visit South Korea on Tuesday for talks with Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong about bilateral relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other issues, officials said. Lavrov is expected to fly in here from China, where he made a two-day visit for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Lavrov last came to Seoul in 2013, when he accompanied Russian President Vladimir Putin on a trip. Before that, he traveled to Seoul in 2009, which

March 23, 2021

S. Korea's nuclear armament will only justify N. Korea's nuclear ambition: Vincent Brooks

Arming South Korea with its own nuclear weapons against threats from North Korea would only help justify the North's ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons, and thus making it impossible to denuclearize the North, a former commander of US Forces Korea said Monday. Vincent Brooks argued the US must instead periodically reaffirm its commitment to the joint defense of South Korea and strengthen its extended nuclear deterrence for South Korea. "My opinion is that the provision of nuclear weapons

March 23, 2021

US court action begins for N. Korean extradited by Malaysia: Justice Department

WASHINGTON -- Court proceedings began here Monday for a North Korean national suspected of money laundering, the US Department of Justice said. The suspect, Mun Chol-myong, "made his initial appearance today in federal court in the District of Columbia, where he was indicted on May 2, 2019," the department said in a press release. "The indictment further alleges that Mun was affiliated with the DPRK's primary intelligence organization, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is

March 23, 2021

US remains committed to denuclearizing N. Korea, engaging allies and partners: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States will continue to work closely with its allies and partners, including China and Russia, to denuclearize North Korea, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The White House adviser also said the North continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures for dialogue. "We have not yet heard directly from them through diplomatic channels," he said in an interview with MSNBC. The US earlier said it has reached out to North Korea through "

March 23, 2021

Vice FM Choi calls for world's commitment against racial discrimination

Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon called Monday for the world to reaffirm its commitment against racial discrimination amid concerns over a reported rise in anti-Asian sentiment related to the new coronavirus. Choi made the call in a pre-taped speech for the UNESCO Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination, as the Korean community in the United States mourns the deaths of four women of Korean descent killed in last week's shootings in Atlanta. "Given the recent upsurge of

March 22, 2021

[Herald Interview] Colombia eyes stronger ties with Korea in agriculture, culture, environment

For many South Koreans, coffee is the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Colombia.   　 As one of the largest coffee producers in the world, Colombia enjoys a presence in cafes here with fresh, high-quality coffee beans that feed this coffee-loving nation.   　 Along with coffee, there are many more areas where the two countries can share what they have to offer, said visiting high-ranking officials from Colombia last week. These include agriculture, trade, culture and

March 22, 2021