US notes China's role in curbing N. Korea's 'provocative' activity

The United States on Thursday took note of China's role in curbing North Korea's "provocative" and "harmful" activities amid international criticism over Pyongyang's transfers of weapons to Russia and its evolving military threats. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel made the remarks in response to a reporter's question over whether China -- with close relations with the North and Russia -- is responsible for its apparent inaction regarding t

Jan. 12, 2024

N. Korea using Ukraine as 'test site' for nuclear-capable missiles: Seoul

South Korea raised the alarm at the UN Security Council that Russia's use of North Korean missiles has opened the door for North Korea to use Ukrainian territory as a "testing site of its nuclear-capable missiles," posing new security challenges. The 15-member Security Council convened Wednesday to discuss the grinding war in Ukraine after the US disclosed North Korea's illicit transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia and Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles t

Jan. 11, 2024

White House official not aware of any indications about N. Korea-Hamas military cooperation

A White House official said Wednesday that he has not seen any indication of military cooperation between North Korea and the Hamas militant group, despite the South Korean spy agency's assessment that North Korean-made arms are being used by the group. John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, made the remarks after Seoul's National Intelligence Service confirmed last week's Voice of America report that Hamas fighters have used an F-7 roc

Jan. 11, 2024

48 countries, EU unite in condemning NK-Russia arms transfer

A united front of 48 countries, alongside the European Union, unequivocally expressed their condemnation in the "strongest possible terms" against North Korea's export of ballistic missiles and Russia's recent use of the ballistic missiles in the assault on war-torn Ukraine. The joint statement, featuring endorsements from foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, Japan, Ukraine, and other participating countries, was issued on Wednesday, Seoul time. "Our gove

Jan. 10, 2024

Security advisers of S. Korea, US decry N. Korea's missile transfer to Russia for use in Ukraine

The national security advisers of South Korea and the United States condemned "in the strongest possible terms" North Korea's transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine during a phone call on Tuesday, the White House said. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his new South Korean counterpart, Chang Ho-jin, to discuss the North's increasing military cooperation with Russia and its provocative actions along the Demilitarized Zone separating the tw

Jan. 10, 2024

Outgoing FM says S. Korea-Japan ties 'completely normalized' thanks to Yoon

Foreign Minister Park Jin left office Wednesday after nearly two years of juggling a set of diplomatic tasks, ranging from addressing escalating North Korean provocations to ramping up the alliance with the United States and improving ties with its neighboring countries. At his farewell ceremony, Park touched on the ministry's achievements during his term, saying South Korea has realized the "complete normalization" of its ties with Japan owing to the "big decision" of P

Jan. 10, 2024

US presidential election top global risk in 2024: report

The US presidential election could be the foremost global risk, with anticipated effects extending more broadly and profoundly across global security, stability and economic outlook than any other event, according to a report. The biggest challenge in 2024 is the "United States versus itself," marked by the presidential election scheduled in November, Eurasia Group, a New York-based political risk consulting firm, said in its annual forecast report that listed the top 10 risks to the w

Jan. 9, 2024

China trust needed but priority remains on US: FM nominee

Cho Tae-yul, the nominee for South Korean foreign minister, said Monday that the country should manage its relations with China in a way that does not compromise the Korea-US alliance. Cho said the core of South Korea's approach to China is to "define its position amid the strategic competition between the US and China." "During our response to it, the focus should be on the Korea-US alliance," Cho said during his parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assemb

Jan. 8, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan address China, NK, Russia at 1st Indo-Pacific Dialogue

South Korea, the United States and Japan jointly condemned deeper military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait during the first Indo-Pacific Dialogue. The three governments held the inaugural trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue in Washington on Friday, following up on the agreement established during the Camp David summit in August last year. The leaders of South Korea, the US and Japan previously agreed to launch

Jan. 7, 2024

Guam investigates fatal shooting of Korean visitor, offers $50,000 reward for information

HAGATNA, Guam (AP) -- Authorities in the US territory of Guam on Friday vowed to bring to justice those who fatally shot a South Korean visitor in a tourist district. The shooting occurred shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday when the traveler and his wife were walking toward Tsubaki Towers, a hotel on Guam's popular Tumon Bay, from nearby Gun Beach, KUAM-TV reported , citing police. An older model, dark-colored SUV approached them from behind, Guam Police Chief Stephen Ignacio said at a news c

Jan. 6, 2024

UK daily adds S. Korean name for sea area in naming row with Japan after Seoul request

A British daily has added the term "East Sea" on a map of South Korea in its recent travel article that had only labeled a sea area by its Japanese name, after the South Korean government requested both names be in the picture. The London-based newspaper, The Times, published the article Wednesday (Korean time) introducing South Korea as an exciting place to visit this year. The article showed a map of South Korea, with the sea to the east of the peninsula named the Sea of Japan -- the

Jan. 5, 2024

S. Korean envoy voices worries over 'reckless' Houthi rebel attacks in Red Sea

South Korea expressed concerns Wednesday over Iranian-backed Houthi rebels' attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, as it took part in a UN Security Council meeting for the first time since it became a non-permanent member. South Korean Ambassador to the UN Hwang Joon-kook attended the meeting as Seoul chairs a UNSC sanctions committee on Yemen. The meeting came amid tensions caused by the Yemeni militants' repeated attacks in the sea, a crucial shipping lane for oil and other ca

Jan. 4, 2024

Ex-Secretary Pompeo mentions N. Korea while accusing Biden of 'decay of deterrence'

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has slammed President Joe Biden for causing what he called a "decay of deterrence" as he voiced concerns over a "dangerous" security landscape marked by the authoritarian leaders of North Korea, China and Russia. During an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Pompeo, who served as the top US diplomat under then President Donald Trump from 2018-2021, took a swipe at Biden's foreign policy as Trump is seeking a second White House ter

Jan. 4, 2024

US says dialogue is 'most preferred route' to achieve peninsula denuclearization amid tough NK rhetoric

The United States on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to diplomacy with North Korea, casting dialogue as the "most preferred route" to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Matthew Miller, the department's spokesperson, made the remarks as North Korea has ratcheted up tensions by hardening its rhetoric against Seoul and Washington and stressing its focus on war preparation efforts. "We would still welcome dialogue with North Korea because we think ultimatel

Jan. 4, 2024

FM nominee says to 'unwaveringly' seek gov't compensation plan for forced labor victims

The nominee for foreign minister said he will "unwaveringly" push for the government's plan to compensate Korean victims of Japan's forced labor through a foundation funded by South Korean companies, documents submitted to the National Assembly showed Wednesday. Cho Tae-yul's nomination as South Korea's new top diplomat has drawn attention as Cho has been suspected of involvement in a high-profile judicial power abuse scandal centering on former Supreme Court Ch

Jan. 3, 2024

Ukrainian envoy calls for global action amid escalating Russian attacks

Ukrainian Ambassador to Seoul Dmytro Ponomarenko on Wednesday urged the international community to condemn Russia's heightened aggression against Ukraine and take immediate and decisive action. Russian attacks have destroyed civilian infrastructure, and injured and killed civilians, including children, he told The Korea Herald, citing a second mass missile strike within just four days. The envoy suggested urgent measures that he believes the world should take to support Ukraine in its defen

Jan. 3, 2024

Ex-US ambassador stresses need to step up allied drills against N. Korean threats

A former US ambassador to South Korea called Tuesday for beefed-up defense drills between Seoul and Washington to counter North Korean threats, stressing the pursuit of dialogue with the recalcitrant regime should not come at the expense of the allies' military readiness. Retired Adm. Harry Harris, who served as US ambassador to South Korea from 2018-2021, made the call, pointing to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's unrelenting focus on advancing his regime's nuclear program and o

Jan. 3, 2024

[KH Explains] How will South Korea use its seat on UN Security Council?

South Korea embarked on its two-year tenure as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council as 2024 commenced, aiming to foster unified action on crucial security matters, including North Korea's nuclear buildup, amid ongoing discord among the five veto-wielding permanent members. South Korea's Foreign Ministry has underscored the growing importance of its present seat on the UN Security Council, even though the country previously held the position during the periods of 1996-1997 a

Jan. 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Vietnam sees Korea as ‘good partner’ to boost its economy

HANOI, Vietnam -- Vietnam sees South Korea as a “good peer” in its plan to achieve developed-country status by 2045, according to Nguyen Anh Tuan, the deputy director general at the Foreign Investment Agency under Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment. “We plan to grow our economy to be a developing country with the GDP per capita in the group of the high-middle income by the year 2030,” Tuan told a group of Korean reporters at the ministry’s headqua

Jan. 2, 2024

Korea enters 2024 in fog of uncertainties

As the calendar flicks over into 2024, South Korea finds itself entangled in an intricate tapestry of mounting uncertainties. In charting its course forward, Korea will need to navigate rising diplomatic complexities and elevated security risks -- especially the possibility of inter-Korean clashes -- while protecting its economic security amid the strategic competition between the United States and China. The challenges stem from two pivotal factors, over 10 experts based in South Korea told The

Jan. 1, 2024