Abe instructs envoy to request S. Korea implement deal on comfort women: report

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday instructed its ambassador to South Korea to request that Seoul implement a landmark 2015 deal to resolve the long-running rift over Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women, a Japanese broadcaster reported.Abe met with Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, who will return to Seoul later in the day after being recalled nearly three months ago in response to Korean civic groups erecting a statue of a girl symbolizing the sexual slavery victims in fron

April 4, 2017

S. Korea rules out possible talks with NK on occasion of sports events

South Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday dismissed the possibility that it would hold dialogue with North Korea on the occasion of sports events being held on both sides of the border.On Thursday, women ice hockey players from the two Koreas will square off in Gangneung, some 230 kilometers east of Seoul. A day later, their women's football teams will compete in a qualifying match in Pyongyang for the Asian Football Confederation Women's Asian Cup.North Korean players celebrate their goal a

April 4, 2017

Acting president warns against 'reckless' NK nuclear ambitions

South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday warned against North Korea's "reckless" nuclear ambitions, saying it could launch yet another nuclear test or strategic provocation in time for major political events this month.Hwang made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting amid reports that Pyongyang has been seen preparing for what could be its sixth nuclear test, which experts fear could bring it closer to its long-cherished goal of becoming a nuclear power. South Ko

April 4, 2017

UN, OPCW chiefs warn N. Korea over use of chemical weapon

The heads of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have sent a letter to North Korea, issuing a warning over the regime's use of a prohibited chemical weapon in the recent assassination of the North Korean leader's half brother, according to the foreign ministry here on Tuesday.The letter signed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu was sent to North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho on March 30 in link with the

April 4, 2017

Seoul, London form friendship city agreement

LONDON (Yonhap) -- The mayors of Seoul and London formed a friendship city agreement on Monday aimed at strengthening cooperation in nine sectors including economic democratization, improved response to climate change and digital renovation.Park Won-soon and Sadiq Khan signed the agreement at City Hall in London after they agreed in Paris Wednesday to implement a Global Car Scoring System under which the cities will collect data on car emissions and publish them online as part of efforts to figh

April 4, 2017

US envoy on N. Korea to travel to Moscow: State Department

WASHINGTON -- The US special envoy on North Korea issues will visit Moscow later this week for talks with his Russian counterpart, the State Department announced Monday. Amb. Joseph Yun, US special representative for North Korea policy (Yonhap)Amb. Joseph Yun, special representative for North Korea policy, will be traveling to Moscow on Tuesday to Thursday for talks with Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov, the department said in a statement.Yun will also hold meetings with

April 4, 2017

Victor Cha: Trump should press China to sever financial links with N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump should press China to sever financial links with North Korea when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping for their first summit talks later this week, a US expert said Monday.Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the suggestion in a newsletter previewing the summit, saying that putting enough pressure on North Korea should come first before any consideration of diplomacy. Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Cent

April 4, 2017

British candidate for WHO chief vows to address NK children's health issues

A British candidate running to become the next director-general of the World Health Organization said Monday that health and nutrition problems facing North Korean children are a major part of his focus and he will engage with the North Korean regime to tackle them if he wins the seat."My basic view on all countries is that you have to start with a conversation with leaders and they have to trust you if they are going to work with you. If the conversation leads to trust, then after trust comes t

April 3, 2017

Recalled Japanese envoy to return to Seoul

Japan said Monday it plans to return its ambassador to South Korea to Seoul on Tuesday amid lingering tension over a statue representing Korean women forced into wartime sex slavery. But Japan’s Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the country was “at least at this point” not considering reopening negotiations on a currency swap deal intended to stabilize the Korean currency in the event of a financial crisis.Yasumasa Nagamine, the Japanese Ambassador to Korea (gettyimages)Yasumasa Nagamine was

April 3, 2017

Denmark, Korea cooperate in sustainable agriculture

The leading food and agricultural institutes of Denmark and Korea signed a cooperation agreement in late March to pave the way for joint programs in education and training, innovation and entrepreneurship.According to the Danish Embassy in Seoul, the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (EPIS) inked a memorandum of understanding with SEGES, a subgroup under the Danish Agricultural and Food Council.The two organizations will condu

April 3, 2017

ASEAN youths dream of future in Korea

Alfiana Raharjo dreams of teaching the Korean language to Southeast Asians vying for careers in Korea.As an Indonesian studying at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, she has acquired an acumen of Korea, which she believes will prove instrumental in bridging the two countries. Raharjo also wants to offer her perspectives on halal-oriented tourism here, as the country is belatedly beginning its charm offensive toward Muslim travelers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as part of its di

April 3, 2017

Peru pleads for flood relief

The Peruvian Embassy in Seoul has urged for solidarity and support in recovering from a natural disaster that has wrecked the country since mid-March. Massive floods and landslides caused by “El Nino Costero” have ravaged the South American country, destroying more than 100,000 homes, 200 bridges and countless roads. Over 90 people have died, 122,000 have lost their homes and 700,000 are adversely affected, according to the diplomatic mission. A woman and her baby stand on a flooded street in th

April 3, 2017

[Herald Interview] ‘US not afraid to strike North Korea in war’

With North Korea inching closer to acquiring intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach America’s shores, the United States would be more inclined to take unilateral actions against the threat, including military options, a renowned political scientist said. Dr. James Nolt, senior fellow at the World Policy Institute and adjunct associate professor at New York University, said US President Donald Trump could gain “political advantages” in a war-time situation involving the North, as it

April 3, 2017

Victor Cha: US sends 'secondary sanctions' warning to China through blacklisting of NK firm

WASHINGTON -- The latest US sanctions on North Korea could be a warning of "secondary sanctions" on Chinese firms doing business with the North ahead of US President Donald Trump's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, a US expert said.The Treasury Department blacklisted one North Korean trading firm and 11 individuals Friday for their involvement in providing support to the North's nuclear and missile programs as Washington further tightens the financial screws on Pyongyang.The tr

April 3, 2017

Trump says US will tackle N. Korea on its own unless China reins in Pyongyang

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said the United States will tackle North Korea on its own if China refuses to use its leverage and rein in the communist neighbor, according to an interview published Sunday.Trump didn't elaborate on how he will deal with the North without Chinese help. But the remark, made in an interview with the Financial Times, was seen as a veiled warning to Beijing that it would be bad for Chinese interests if the US starts taking unilateral action. US President Dona

April 3, 2017

Seoul protests Japan’s Dokdo claim in educational guidelines

Seoul on Friday condemned Tokyo’s reinforced claim to Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo through new educational guidelines, which further stoked the territorial and historical tensions between the two countries. The Japanese government approved updated guidelines for primary and middle schools, in which the islets are described for the first time as Japanese territory.Education Ministry spokesperson Ju Miung-hyun condemns Tokyo’s reinforced claim to Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo through

March 31, 2017

Kim Jong-nam's body, 2 NK suspects leave for Pyongyang

BEIJING -- The body of the slain half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday was transferred on a flight to Pyongyang en route to Beijing as Malaysia and North Korea have agreed to resolve a diplomatic row over his death, sources said.Two North Korean suspects involved in the killing of Kim Jong-nam also left for Pyongyang on the same flight after a stopover in China, they added.On Thursday, Malaysia agreed to send to North Korea the body of Kim, who was killed last month in Malays

March 31, 2017

Archive of N. Korean human rights abuses to be established in Geneva: VOA

An archive of evidence detailing North Korea's human rights violations will be set up at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva in accordance with the latest UN resolution, a US broadcaster reported Friday. The previous Friday, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously adopted the resolution, which calls for the launch of the archive and the international community's cooperation in identifying the North's crimes against humanity. Tomas Ojea Quintana (C), U.N. special rap

March 31, 2017

Trump-Xi summit crucial test for US commitment to Korea amid hinese bullying over THAAD: Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- Next week's summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is a key test of whether the US will stand up for South Korea against a series of Chinese retaliatory measures over Seoul's hosting of the US THAAD missile defense system, the Washington Post said.Trump is scheduled to hold his first meetings with Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort on April 6-7.  (Yonhap)"The United States' allies in Northeast Asia will be watching closely to see if the Trump administrat

March 31, 2017

Malaysia agrees to send body of Kim Jong-nam to N. Korea

Malaysia released the body of the slain half brother of North Korea's leader to the North, ending a diplomatic row between the two countries over Kim Jong-nam's death."Malaysia agreed to facilitate the transfer of the body to the family of the deceased in North Korea," according to a joint statement between North Korea and Malaysia carried by the Korean Central News Agency. Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of late leader Kim Jong-il (Yonhap)The deceased refers to Kim Jong-nam, who was killed last mo

March 31, 2017