NATO invites S. Korea to Washington summit in July

The chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said Wednesday leaders of South Korea and three other nations in the Indo-Pacific region were invited to the upcoming summit scheduled in July in Washington. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said South Korea was invited to the NATO summit for the third year as one of the non-NATO partners in the Indo-Pacific region, which include Japan, Australia and New Zealand. "I welcome the fact that I have now invited for the third time the hea

April 3, 2024

Veto shows harms of NK-Russia alignment: Cho

Russia's veto against renewing a panel of experts overseeing sanctions on North Korea illustrates the adverse repercussions of the growing alignment between Pyongyang and Moscow on international order and regional security, South Korean Ambassador to the US Cho Hyun-dong said Tuesday. Russia exercised its veto power Thursday to block the yearly extension of the panel of experts responsible for monitoring the enforcement of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea. The panel of experts

April 3, 2024

Biden stresses 'enduring' US commitment to Korean Peninsula denuclearization to Xi: White House

President Joe Biden underscored the United States' "enduring" commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during phone talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, the White House said. The call came amid growing concerns over North Korea's continued saber-rattling, including its missile launch this week, and a potential erosion of the sanctions regime against the North due to Russia's veto last week of a resolution to extend the mandate of a UN panel mon

April 3, 2024

S. Korea, Chile hold talks on improving bilateral FTA

South Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday it has launched another round of talks with Chile to update their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) that went into effect in 2004, aiming to reflect the latest changes in the global supply chain and the digital economy. Director General for FTA Policy Ahn Chang-yong met his Chilean counterpart, Pablo Urria, in Santiago for the ninth round of negotiations on improving South Korea's first FTA, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and E

April 2, 2024

[Hello India] Korea, India interwoven as 'win-win cooperation partners'

The synergistic cooperation between South Korea and India, deeply rooted in shared values, stands as indispensable in nurturing economic growth and security as well as regional security, amid compounding crises worldwide, South Korean Ambassador to India Chang Jae-bok said. "The significance of India cannot be emphasized enough, given its status as the world's largest manufacturing hub and its potential as a market, as well as its role in ensuring economic security and sustaining globa

April 2, 2024

[Hello India] India rises as new economic powerhouse under Modi

The Indian economy, once labeled by Morgan Stanley as one of the "Fragile Five" countries due to its vulnerability, has surged to become the world's fifth-largest and fastest-growing economy over the decade since 2014, under the two terms of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When Modi assumed office in 2014, he inherited an economy grappling with a range of challenges, including the Indian Rupee Crisis of 2013, a downturn in the stock market, reduced foreign direct investment into Ind

April 2, 2024

Hearings on forced labor compensation lawsuits resume following top court ruling

South Korean courts have resumed or are set to hold hearings on lawsuits filed by forced labor victims under Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule after the top court cleared the way for them to file lawsuits against Japanese companies. The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday held a hearing for the compensation lawsuit filed in 2019 by the families of forced labor victims against Japan's Nippon Steel and JX Metals, resuming the court proceedings for the first time in two years and seven mo

March 30, 2024

Officials from S. Korea, US, Japan discuss cooperation against NK cyber threats

Diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan discussed trilateral cooperation to counter North Korea's evolving cyber threats during their working group talks in Washington on Friday, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Lee Jun-il, director general for North Korean nuclear affairs at the ministry, and US and Japanese representatives, Lyn Debevoise and Naoki Kumagai, respectively, led the second session of the trilateral working group tasked with responding to the North's thr

March 30, 2024

Yoon receives JFK Profile in Courage Award from late president's daughter

President Yoon Suk Yeol met US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy on Wednesday and received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, five months after being honored by the US foundation, the presidential office said. The ambassador, honorary president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the daughter of the late US president, handed over a sterling silver lantern symbolizing the award to Yoon during their meeting at the presidential office. The delivery comes after the founda

March 27, 2024

Germany, South Korea talk energy transition

Germany and Korea discussed the role of sustainable supply chains for energy transition while co-hosting the sixth edition of the Korean-German Energy Day conference in Berlin on Thursday. Korean-German Energy Day is an event held under the Korean-German Energy Partnership, jointly hosted by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The partnership, initiated in 2019 through a joint declaration of intent, signifies

March 26, 2024

Tajikistan marks Navruz, hopes fresh start in Seoul

The Tajikistan embassy in Seoul highlighted the core of peace, tolerance and new beginnings marking Navruz on Monday. Navruz means "New Day," symbolizing the rejuvenation of nature and the start of a new year. The festival is celebrated on the first day of spring, typically on March 21, coinciding with the astronomical vernal equinox. The festival is said to have a historic tradition of thousands of years in regions along the Silk Roads, including the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the

March 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Indonesia, Korea can bridge global AI divide, says vice-minister

Nezar Patria, the Indonesian vice minister of communications and informatics, called for a bilateral partnership with South Korea to bridge the global artificial intelligence gap. The influence of Western values perpetuates an AI divide and leads to the concentration of economic and social benefits in specific regions of the Global North, he said, citing the 2023 World Economic Forum report. The report underscores the potential of AI to boost economic growth while noting the geographical concent

March 26, 2024

Korea, Uzbekistan to bolster infra, energy, supply chain ties

South Korea and Uzbekistan agreed to reinforce cooperation on infrastructure, energy and supply chains and continue to expand leader-to-leader and high-level exchanges during a vice-ministerial level policy dialogue on Monday, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The 16th South Korea-Uzbekistan Policy Consultation, led by South Korean Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won and Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Bobur Usmanov, was held Monday in Tashkent, according to the f

March 26, 2024

S. Korea, Malaysia to resume free trade talks

South Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday it has agreed with Malaysia to resume their bilateral free trade agreement talks that have been stalled since 2019. Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo and his Malaysian counterpart, Tengku Zafrul Aziz, made the announcement during their meeting in Kuala Lumpur, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The two countries agreed to seek a bilateral FTA in 2019 but related negotiations have been stalled after holding three rounds of talks that

March 26, 2024

Cambodia calls for cultural diplomacy on National Culture Day

The Cambodian Embassy called for cultural diplomacy to enhance cooperation, hosting its National Culture Day on Sunday. Marked each year on March 3, Cambodia’s National Culture Day showcases the resilience and richness of Cambodian heritage. Delivering remarks at the event, Cambodian Ambassador Chring Botumrangsay paid homage to generations who have preserved and cherished Cambodian traditions, passing them down through the ages with love and reverence. “In a world shaped by rapid ch

March 25, 2024

US lawmakers to visit S. Korea this week: sources

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan US congressional delegation will visit Seoul this week for talks with South Korean officials, multiple sources said Saturday. The delegation includes Korean American Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, and Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA). They are expected to pay a courtesy call on President Yoon Suk Yeol and discuss the strengthening of the South Korea-US alliance in light of North Korean provocations. The group of US repre

March 24, 2024

S. Korea summons Japanese envoy to protest historical distortion in textbooks

South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Aiboshi to formally protest Japan's approval of history textbooks asserting sovereignty over the Dokdo islets and watering down the coercive nature of its wartime forced labor and sexual slavery. The Foreign Ministry in Seoul also expressed “deep regret” over the Japanese government’s approval of textbooks for middle schools that distort historical facts in a statement issued u

March 22, 2024

N. Korean international department head meets China's No. 4 in Beijing

The Chinese Communist Party's No. 4 official Wang Huning met Kim Song-nam, who serves as North Korean director of the international affairs department of the Party Central Committee and is recognized as a China expert, on Thursday in Beijing, the Chinese Embassy in North Korea said Friday. The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral relations and cooperation, coinciding with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, which fal

March 22, 2024

US official notes Korean firms' move not to sell used chip equipment to China as 'encouraging'

A senior US official on Thursday portrayed South Korean companies' reported move to stop selling used semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China as "encouraging," as Washington has been seeking tighter export controls on key technologies amid an intensifying Sino-US rivalry. Alan Estevez, under secretary of commerce for industry and security, made the remarks in his written statement to a hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, entitled "Countering China on the Worl

March 22, 2024

FM says S. Korea can negotiate defense cost sharing with US on 'favorable conditions'

South Korea should be able to engage in negotiations on defense cost-sharing with the United States under "favorable conditions," its top diplomat said Thursday, promising efforts to ensure the new deal will be reached at a reasonable level. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made the remarks as the allies are expected to soon launch the negotiations on determining Seoul's share of the costs for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea. The two countries announced their respect

March 21, 2024