Yoon, Romanian president to hold summit in S. Korea next week

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will visit South Korea next week to hold a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol and discuss cooperation in arms and nuclear energy, among other sectors, Yoon's office said Friday. Iohannis will pay an official visit to South Korea from Monday to Thursday, during which the leaders will meet to discuss areas of "strategic cooperation" between the two countries, the presidential office said. The two held talks last July on the sidelines of a North Atl

April 19, 2024

S. Korea voices strong regrets over Japanese textbooks distorting wartime history

South Korea lodged a strong protest against Japan on Friday after Tokyo approved new school textbooks that downplay the coercive nature of its wartime atrocities and reinforce its territorial claims to Dokdo. The foreign ministry also called in Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Aiboshi to deliver the formal protest message after Tokyo's education ministry approved two history textbooks for middle school students. The textbooks were said to have been approved last month, but the anno

April 19, 2024

S. Korea votes in favor of Palestinian bid for UN membership

South Korea on Thursday voted in favor of a UN Security Council draft resolution aimed at facilitating full United Nations membership for Palestine, reaffirming its endorsement of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, South Korea clarified during a meeting of the UN Security Council that its vote did not amount to recognition of Palestine as an independent state. A total of 12 out of 15 Security Council members, including South Korea and Japan, voted for the draft

April 19, 2024

S. Korea not invited to G7 summit meeting this year: sources

South Korea appears not to have been invited to this year's summit of the Group of Seven countries set for June in Italy, diplomatic sources familiar with the matter said Friday. South Korea was "not included" in a list of countries invited to the upcoming summit set to take place in Apulia, Italy, from June 13-15, the sources said. The G7 consists of the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Italy is serving as the rotating presidency of the G7 for thi

April 19, 2024

Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official

Russia's denial of entry of a South Korean national and its subsequent decision to impose a 30-year entry ban on the person appears to be unrelated to the bilateral relations that have soured amid Moscow's war in Ukraine, a Seoul official said Thursday. Lim Soo-suk, the foreign ministry spokesperson, made the comment after the Donga Ilbo daily reported that a South Korean businesswoman, who has spent more than 20 years doing business in Russia, was denied entry last month upon arrival

April 18, 2024

S. Korea requests Chinese e-commerce giants comply with personal data protection law

The South Korean private information protection watchdog requested Chinese e-commerce giants Thursday to faithfully comply with the South Korean law on personal data protection, the agency said. Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) Vice Chairperson Choi Jang-hyuk made the request during a meeting in Beijing with officials from AliExpress, Temu and about eight other Chinese internet firms, as Chinese e-commerce firms have rapidly emerged as major players in South Korea. A senior exec

April 18, 2024

Vice FM visits Mauritius to seek support for South Korea-Africa summit

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun has visited Mauritius as a special envoy for an upcoming summit with African nations, his office said Thursday. Kim paid a courtesy call on Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on Wednesday and discussed cooperation in the areas of infrastructure and high-level exchanges, according to the ministry. He asked for Mauritius's support and attendance at the South Korea-Africa summit, to be held on June 4-5 in Seoul, saying the meeting will ser

April 18, 2024

S. Korean envoy discusses upcoming Africa summit, climate change with Algerian officials

South Korea's envoy for climate met with top government officials in Algeria earlier this week and discussed an upcoming summit with African nations and other environmental issues, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Kim Hyo-eun, ambassador and deputy foreign minister on climate change, met with Lounes Magramane, the secretary general of Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, on Wednesday. Kim invited Algeria to the South Korea-Africa summit, set for June

April 18, 2024

Senior trade officials from S. Korea, US discuss 3-way talks with Japan

Senior trade officials from South Korea and the United States discussed preparations for the upcoming three-way talks of industry chiefs with Japan, Seoul's industry ministry said Thursday. The discussion was made as Deputy Minister for Trade Yang Byeong-nae met with officials from the US Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative during his three-day visit to Washington this week, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Seoul and Washington also d

April 18, 2024

President of Equatorial Guinea to attend 1st Korea-Africa summit

The President of Equatorial Guinea will attend the first-ever South Korea-Africa summit from June 4 to 5, acknowledging the commitment of the Yoon Suk Yeol government to strengthening cooperation with African countries, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul announced Wednesday. The announcement followed talks between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Equatorial Guinean counterpart Simeon Oyono Esono Angue in Seoul on the same day. "Both sides engaged in discussions on matters of mut

April 17, 2024

Russia, China efforts won't halt new NK sanctions monitoring: US envoy

The United States and its allied countries will ultimately develop an alternative mechanism to replace the soon-to-be-dissolved UN panel of experts tasked with monitoring sanctions on North Korea, said the US ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday in response to Russia's recent exercise of veto rights on the matter at the UN Security Council. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted that the initiative will proceed independently, regardless of the cooperation and agreement of C

April 17, 2024

[Bridge to Africa] Rwanda, financial gateway to Africa

Rwandan Ambassador to Korea Bakuramutsa Nkubito Manzi said the African country can serve as a swift and safe financial gateway for Korean companies to enter Africa. Noting similarities between Korea and his country's history, systems and culture, Manzi underscored Rwanda's transformation from a war-torn country to a potential economic powerhouse. “We've gone from chaos; it was the Korean War here in Korea, it was the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda that leveled the cou

April 17, 2024

UAE highlights unity, tolerance in Seoul

United Arab Emirates Embassy in Seoul said it hosted an event under the theme of unity and tolerance on March 31. "In the United Arab Emirates, we celebrate not only the breaking of the fast but also the breaking down of barriers -- barriers of race, color and ethnicity," said UAE Ambassador to Korea Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi. "Here, amidst our diverse cultures, languages and traditions, we embrace the essence of tolerance that defines our nation," Al Nuaimi added. According to

April 17, 2024

Bangladesh marks 53rd Independence Day

Bangladesh commemorated its 53rd Independence Day in Seoul on Monday. The day serves as a reminder of a nine-month-long liberation war, a period etched in the annals of Bangladesh's history. Paying homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladeshi Ambassador to South Korea Delwar Hossain thanked countries across the globe for their solidarity during the nation's liberation struggle. "I pay tribute to the brilliant freedom fighters and three million martyrs who made the supr

April 17, 2024

US 'incredibly concerned' about suspected NK-Iran military ties

The United States is "incredibly concerned" about long-suspected military cooperation between North Korea and Iran, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson, made the remarks in response to a question about whether America has concerns about Iran working with Pyongyang on nuclear and ballistic missile programs. "Certainly, that's something we've been incredibly concerned about," Miller told a press briefing. Having established diplomatic

April 17, 2024

Vice FM, ICAO chief share concerns over N. Korean missile launches

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun held talks with the chief of a United Nations agency on international civil aviation to discuss ways to strengthen their partnership, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Kang met with Juan Carlos Salazar, secretary-general of the International Civil Aviation Organization, to share concerns over North Korea's missile launches and explore ways to enhance cooperation. During the meeting, Kang said North Korea's missile and spy satellite launches pos

April 16, 2024

S. Korea, Australia hold vice-ministerial talks on Indo-Pacific strategy, bilateral ties

Senior diplomats of South Korea and Australia held talks in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss joint efforts to boost bilateral cooperation in their Indo-Pacific strategies and a wide range of issues, the foreign ministry said. Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won met with his Australian counterpart, Elly Lawson, deputy secretary of the Strategic Planning and Coordination Group at the Australian foreign ministry, Seoul's ministry said. The two sides shared the view that their bilateral ties a

April 16, 2024

US envoy to UN warns China, Russia not to hide NK's 'bad behavior'

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, on Tuesday delivered a concise yet stern message to China and Russia not to hide and reward North Korea's bad behavior. She also urged Pyongyang to "say yes" to Washington's repeated calls for dialogue without preconditions. "Hiding the truth does not change it. Rewarding bad behavior only encourages it," Thomas-Greenfield conveyed pointed admonition to China and Russia during her visit to

April 16, 2024

S. Korea ‘strongly’ protests Japan’s claim over Dokdo in diplomatic bluebook

South Korea's Foreign Ministry lodged a strong protest Tuesday against Japan's renewed assertion of its unjust sovereignty claim over Dokdo, the easternmost sovereign islets of South Korea, in its annual report on diplomatic policy. A Japanese diplomat was also summoned by the Foreign Ministry less than two hours after the ministry's spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, issued a formal denunciation. "The government strongly protests against the Japanese government's repeated inclu

April 16, 2024

S. Korea to provide $12m to conflict-ridden Sudan

South Korea will provide $12 million in humanitarian assistance to Sudan and the neighboring countries struggling with a yearlong conflict between rival military factions, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Choi Jai-chul, South Korean Ambassador to France, announced the plan Monday (local time) during an international humanitarian conference in Paris, as he voiced concerns over the worsening situation in Khartoum. "Our government will continue to join international efforts to assist countri

April 16, 2024