S. Korea signs world’s largest free trading deal

South Korea on Sunday signed a mega free trade pact that would create the world’s largest open trading bloc of 15 economies, including China and Japan. President Moon Jae-in formally inked the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement at a virtual summit with the leaders of 14 partner countries, including 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said. “We note that the RCEP Agreement is an unprecedented mega re

Nov. 15, 2020

Ruling party lawmakers head to US for discussions on NK, alliance following Biden's election

Three ruling party lawmakers, including the chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, left for Washington on Sunday for meetings with US congressional leaders and experts in the wake of Joe Biden's election as US president. The three members of the Democratic Party's task force on Korean Peninsula issues -- Reps. Song Young-gil, Kim Han-jung and Yun Kun-young -- plan to meet with Brad Sherman (D-CA), a member of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Asia, and Rep. Thomas Suoz

Nov. 15, 2020

US House to vote on resolution calling for strengthening alliance with S. Korea

NEW YORK -- The US House of Representatives plans to vote this week on a resolution calling for further strengthening the alliance with South Korea, congressional sources said Saturday, as the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take over. The resolution, which was first introduced by Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) in January and passed unanimously through the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March, has been introduced to a House session set for Wednesday morning, the

Nov. 15, 2020

Moon joins ASEAN summit with Japanese, Chinese leaders, urges closer ties for post-coronavirus economy

South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a virtual summit with the leaders of Japan and China as well as 10 Southeast Asian countries Saturday and stressed the need for closer partnerships for health care and economic growth. "As the COVID-19 situation is being prolonged, there's an increasing number of problems that we have to resolve together," Moon said, delivering his opening remarks at the annual ASEAN Plus Three Summit. ASEAN stands of the Association of South East Asian Nati

Nov. 14, 2020

S. Korean lawmakers meet Suga in effort to mend diplomatic ties

A group of South Korean lawmakers met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday amid growing expectations for improvement in ties between the two nations frayed over historical and trade issues. Seven members of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union, who arrived in Tokyo for a three-day visit on Thursday, paid a courtesy call on the new Japanese leader. It marked the first time for Suga to meet South Korean lawmakers since he took office as prime minister in September. South Korea an

Nov. 13, 2020

S. Korea, Greece hold defense talks, vow to strengthen cooperation

The vice defense ministers of South Korea and Greece held a meeting Friday and agreed to enhance bilateral defense cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said. Greece's vice defense chief, Alkiviadis Stefanis, is in South Korea at the invitation of Seoul's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War. During the talks held in Seoul, Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min and Stefanis "vowed to make efforts to beef up defense cooperatio

Nov. 13, 2020

Korea, Mekong nations upgrade relations, adopt joint statement

South Korea and countries along the Mekong River on Friday upgraded relations to that of strategic partners, and adopted a joint statement outlining ways to further increase cooperation at the second Korea-Mekong Summit held via video link. Friday’s summit among the leaders of Korea and Mekong River nations – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – was the second to be held since Moon proposed the summit in 2018. At Friday’s summit, Moon stressed the need for

Nov. 13, 2020

Seoul seeks breakthrough in ties with Tokyo

The South Korean government is seeking to make a breakthrough in its strained relations with Tokyo over a wartime labor dispute, with Seoul officials racing to Japan for talks with political leaders.  A delegation of bipartisan lawmakers from the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians’ Union, led by Rep. Kim Jin-pyo of the ruling Democratic Party, is in Tokyo from Thursday to Saturday to meet with its counterparts and officials to discuss ways to improve bilateral relations deteriorated by a f

Nov. 13, 2020

S. Korea to donate $10m for COVID-19 vaccine support to developing nations, Moon says

President Moon Jae-in on Friday held a summit with leaders of Southeast Asia's Mekong River nations via video links, in which he promised to contribute $10 million to help provide new coronavirus vaccines to developing nations. "We will contribute $10 million for coronavirus vaccine support to developing countries through the COVID-19 Vaccines Advance Market Commitment (COVAX)," Moon said during his second annual summit with leaders of the five Mekong River nations -- Vietnam, Cambodi

Nov. 13, 2020

Ministry says cancellation of Samsung-chartered flights to China does not mean halt of 'fast-track' program

The foreign ministry said Friday that this week's cancellation of two Samsung-chartered flights to China does not mean a suspension of a bilateral "fast-track" program to ease COVID-19 entry restrictions for essential businesspeople. The ministry called the cancellation an "isolated" case, amid speculation that the cancellation of the flights, initially set to depart for the Chinese cities of Xian and Tianjin on Friday, amounted to a halt of the fast-track program. "I

Nov. 13, 2020

Moon congratulates US congressional leaders, asks for alliance

President Moon Jae-in has formally congratulated US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other key American congressional figures for their recent election wins, requesting their continued support for the Seoul-Washington alliance, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. In congratulatory telegrams, Moon expressed thanks to the US congressional leadership and Korea-related organizations for their interest and support toward the alliance, according to Moon's office. Moon also asked for their sustained interest an

Nov. 13, 2020

Seoul to provide aid to hurricane-hit Central American nations

South Korea will provide $700,000 in humanitarian assistance to five Central American nations to help them recover from recent hurricane damage, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. South Korea will support Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador after they were severely hit by Hurricane Eta, which left more than 120 dead and more than 2.5 million people displaced. The ministry said it hopes the aid will help people who suffered damage to be able to swiftly return to their

Nov. 12, 2020

Moon dials up diplomatic push for Southeast Asia

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday announced the “New Southern Policy Plus” initiative to enhance the country’s regional diplomacy at the Korea-ASEAN Summit, held via satellite link. Moon stressed the need for international cooperation in face of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the newly unveiled strategy reflects the changing needs of Korea and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc, in light of the virus crisis. “I think that it is very

Nov. 12, 2020

Pope Francis expresses hope to visit North Korea

Pope Francis has expressed hope of visiting North Korea sometime in the future, reaffirming his previous stance of wanting to bring about peace on the Korean Peninsula. 　 The pontiff made the remark last month during a closed-door meeting with then-South Korean Ambassador to the Holy See Lee Baek-man, who paid the pope a farewell courtesy call before leaving his post, according to the Korean Embassy in the Vatican. 　 When Lee asked whether the pope still wanted to visit the North, as he had s

Nov. 12, 2020

[Herald Interview] Biden will be tough on China, but likely to rescind tariffs, experts say

US President-elect Joe Biden faces a number of crises at home, such as the coronavirus and its ensuing economic fallout, as well as a deep partisan divide and civil unrest. Such domestic imperatives cast doubts on how much Biden can do on the foreign policy front, especially in Asia. But he will no doubt be tough on China, a major threat to the US economy, experts told The Korea Herald, and he will likely do so by building a united front of allies and partners, rather than raging a trade war li

Nov. 12, 2020

Biden says he is looking forward to working with Moon on challenges, including N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- US President-elect Joe Biden said Wednesday he looks forward to working closely with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on various challenges facing their countries, such as the North Korean nuclear issue and climate change. In his first phone call with Moon, Biden also expressed "his desire to strengthen the US-ROK alliance as the linchpin of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," according to a statement from his transition team. ROK stands for South Kore

Nov. 12, 2020

Moon, Biden reaffirm commitment to alliance, cooperation on global issues

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday spoke with US President-elect Joe Biden via phone, reaffirming their commitment to the alliance and to cooperating on global issues ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change. “I think that the election result is a reflection of US citizens’ high expectations for President-elect Biden’s long experience in state affairs, outstanding leadership and clear vision,” Moon was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-s

Nov. 12, 2020

FM Kang's late father-in-law to become state-honored independent fighter

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha's late father-in-law will be posthumously recognized by the state as a patriot for his contribution to Korea's independence from the Japanese colonial rule, the veterans affairs ministry said Thursday. Lee Ki-eul, emeritus professor of Seoul's Yonsei University, applied for the recognition in April, which was approved during a Cabinet meeting earlier this month, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA). In 1940, when he was a high school

Nov. 12, 2020

Moon, Biden agree to cooperate closely on N. Korean nuke issue in phone call

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his incoming US counterpart, Joe Biden, agreed to work closely together to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, as they had a 14-minute phone conversation Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae said. Biden described South Korea as a "linchpin" of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Moon's spokesman Kang Min-seok. Moon asked Biden to "communicate closely" for the forward-looking development of the Seoul-Washington allia

Nov. 12, 2020

Biden visits Korean War memorial in Philadelphia on US Veterans Day

WASHINGTON -- US President-elect Joe Biden made a brief trip to a Korean War veterans' memorial in his home state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday as the United States observed its national Veterans Day. "Biden, holding the hand of his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and accompanied by the Mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, arrived at the black marble memorial that stands in a square. US and Korean flags flew overhead," a pool report said. The visit lasted 15 minutes, during which the president-el

Nov. 12, 2020