Leaders of NK, China talk improvement of strategic ties: KCNA

Announcing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s surprise summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, the North’s Korea Central News Agency reported Wednesday that key issues, such as the improvement of strategic ties between the two nations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, were discussed. “The two great leaders of (North Korea) and China and respective parties exchanged in-depth opinions on important issues including the development of ties between China and North Korea and manage

March 28, 2018

Korea repatriates remains of 20 Chinese soldiers

South Korea repatriated the remains of 20 Chinese soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War on Wednesday in a humanitarian move that reflects Seoul's pursuit of forward-looking ties with the former foe.The two sides held a handover ceremony of the caskets, covered with the Chinese national flag, at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul."Historically, the repatriation of (soldiers') remains between the two parties involved in a battle is a humanitarian move and also carries a peace mes

March 28, 2018

Parties show mixed responses on NK-China summit

South Korea‘s political parties showed mixed responses to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said it believes the summit “created an opportunity that would help find a peaceful resolution to the North’s nuclear issue through dialogue.”“The more North Korea comes out to the diplomatic stage, the easier it will be to solve problems of the Korean Peninsula,” the party’s spokesperson Kim Hyun said in a statement Wednesday.“

March 28, 2018

Top Chinese diplomat to visit Seoul to offer briefing on results of Xi-Kim talks

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi will visit Seoul on Thursday morning to brief South Korea on the results of talks between President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a Cheong Wa Dae official said.Yang is scheduled to meet with Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, and hold a dinner with him. Yang is also scheduled to pay a visit to President Moon Jae-in, senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said.Yang Jiechi (Yonhap)Yang is expected t

March 28, 2018

Moon visits military unit, meets Dubai leader on final day of UAE trip

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday met with Korean soldiers stationed in the United Arab Emirates, and met with the ruler of Dubai, wrapping up his trip to the Middle Eastern state. Moon began his final day in the UAE with a visit to the Korean military unit, Akh. The unit has been stationed in the UAE since January 2011, tasked with aiding the training of UAE soldiers and protecting Koreans in the country in case of a military conflict. “The Akh unit is the pride of Korea’s armed forces, and the

March 27, 2018

NK leader Kim Jong-un makes surprise visit to China: reports

 South Korean media outlets identified Kim Jong-un as part of a high-level North Korean delegation that left Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, citing intelligence sources. 　The news came as both Koreas and the US are gearing up for an inter-Korean summit in April and a possible US-North Korea summit in May. Japanese media had previously reported a “specific train” carrying an unidentified high-ranking North Korean official arriving in China on Monday. The same train left Beijing on Tuesday afternoon

March 27, 2018

Why is NK high-profile official in China now?

A high-level North Korean official’s visit to China is likely a sign that the two communist states hope to improve ties and gain leverage in Pyongyang’s upcoming summits with Seoul and Washington, experts say.　News reports said Monday that a high-level Pyongyang official -- possibly North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- made an unannounced visit to Beijing by train. Whoever visited China, North Korea’s traditional ally and biggest trading partner, the visit marks a significant turning point in Chin

March 27, 2018

Trump's threat to withdraw from Paris Agreement 'shortsighted,' 'irresponsible': ex-UN chief Ban

Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday slammed President Donald Trump's threat to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on fighting climate change, saying he will consider writing to the president as the new chairman of an international green growth organization based in Seoul."I have been voicing very strong concerns on various occasions, particularly when he announced that he would withdraw from the Paris Agreement," he said in a press conference marking his inauguration as

March 27, 2018

Crown Prince of UAE says Korea lined up for $25b projects

ABU DHABI -- South Korean firms may expect to cinch up to $25 billion in new energy development projects in the United Arab Emirates, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has told the visiting South Korean president, South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.The assurance was made in a bilateral summit Sunday between the UAE leader and President Moon Jae-in, according to Cheong Wa Dae officials.The amount was not offered in detailed projects, but in a sum, they said, addi

March 27, 2018

Moon to visit S. Korean troops in UAE, meet ruler of Dubai

ABU DHABI -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in was set to make a rare trip Tuesday to meet a South Korean military contingent in the United Arab Emirates under a program to help train UAE troops, followed by a meeting with the UAE prime minister and ruler of Dubai.The president will first travel to the base of the South Korean military unit, Akh, to meet its 138 service members, according to his office Cheong Wa Dae.The Akh unit has been stationed here since January 2011 to help train UAE troop

March 27, 2018

Seoul should be cool-headed about N. Korea: former UN chief

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that the South Korean government should keep a cool head about a diplomatic opening with North Korea ahead of the planned inter-Korean summit. 　Warning of the “nature of North Korea,” Ban, who was also foreign minister here from 2004-2006, said that Pyongyang is reaching out to Seoul at this particular moment due to a faltering economy and social conditions brought on by heavy international sanctions. 　“We are very hopeful and excit

March 26, 2018

Still no clues about Stellar Daisy that vanished in Atlantic Ocean

A Korean cargo ship with 24 people on board went missing in the South Atlantic about a year ago and eight Korean nationals never returned home. The victims’ families still don’t know what happened that day.The families of those who remain unaccounted for on Monday called on the government to launch an investigation and approve the use of underwater search equipment to determine the cause of the sinking of the Stellar Daisy that sank some 3,700 kilometers off Uruguay on March 31.  Families of tho

March 26, 2018

Korean, UAE leaders celebrate completion of first Barakah reactor

President Moon Jae-in on Monday attended a ceremony marking the completion of the United Arab Emirates’ first nuclear reactor, as he continues efforts to improve ties with the Middle Eastern state. The reactor, located in Barakah, was built by Korean engineers in a multibillion-dollar project won in 2009. Moon was accompanied by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. According to Cheong Wa Dae, the trip and the crown prince’s presence highlight the importance the Barakah plant h

March 26, 2018

Leaders of Korea, UAE to hold summit, seek to improve ties

ABU DHABI -- Korean President Moon Jae-in was set to hold talks with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi here Sunday to discuss ways to improve their countries' bilateral ties and boost economic cooperation, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.The summit between Moon and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan will be the first of its kind since Moon took office in May 2017.Moon arrived here Saturday on an official visit that will also include a meeting with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, pr

March 25, 2018

Moon mixes with ordinary Vietnamese at casual Hanoi restaurant

South Korean President Moon Jae-in dropped by a no-frills rice noodle restaurant in Hanoi for breakfast on Saturday to mingle with ordinary Vietnamese citizens on the last leg of his three-day state visit there.Moon, accompanied by first lady Kim Jung-sook, visited "Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su," a famous rice noodle restaurant popular with both Vietnamese people and foreign tourists, on Saturday morning.The diner, which is also well known among South Korean travelers as one of Hanoi's three-best rice rest

March 24, 2018

S. Korean president heads to UAE for summit with Crown Prince

South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed for the United Arab Emirates Saturday, ending his three-day state visit to Hanoi aimed at boosting his country's bilateral trade and cooperation with Vietnam.Moon was set to arrive in Abu Dhabi later in the day. He is set to hold a bilateral summit with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on Sunday.This is Moon's first official visit to UAE since he took office in May 2017. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and first lady Kim Jung-sook atte

March 24, 2018

Seoul, Hanoi agree on more trade, cooperation

South Korea and Vietnam on Friday agreed to raise bilateral relations to that of strategic partners, and to increase trade to $100 billion by 2020. The agreement was included in the Korea-Vietnam joint declaration announced following President Moon Jae-in’s summit with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi. President Moon Jae-in and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang pose for a photograph before their summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Friday. YonhapIn a joint declaration released shortly after t

March 23, 2018

Trump’s pick of Bolton sparks concerns in S. Korea

US President Donald Trump’s pick of defense hawk John Bolton as his new security adviser is fueling concerns in South Korea that Washington is shifting to a tougher stance on North Korea ahead of its planned summit with Pyongyang.　Trump announced in a tweet he had tapped as his new national security adviser Bolton, a Fox News analyst and former US ambassador to the United Nations known for his hard-line stance advocating the use of military force against North Korea and Iran. 　The decision to re

March 23, 2018

Leaders of Korea, Vietnam agree to boost trade, bilateral cooperation

HANOI -- The leaders of South Korea and Vietnam agreed Friday to work together to increase bilateral trade to more than $100 billion by 2020.South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang also agreed to deepen diplomatic ties and enhance development cooperation during their summit in Hanoi. Moon arrived in the Vietnamese capital Thursday.  "I am very glad to have visited Vietnam again as the destination of my first overseas trip this year. Vietnam is a very special co

March 23, 2018

Korea to work closely with new US national security advisor Bolton: official

South Korea will work closely together with incoming US National Security Advisor John Bolton, a senior presidential official said Friday, amid questions about what changes the hawkish official will bring to US policy on Pyongyang.US President Donald Trump announced earlier that Bolton will be replacing H.R. McMaster as his national security advisor next month. Bolton, who served as undersecretary of state and US ambassador to the United Nations, has long been considered one of the most hawkish

March 23, 2018