South Korea and Japan appear to be in a war of nerves ahead of their high-stakes negotiations over the thorny issue of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery as they seek to gain the upper hand in the upcoming consultations. President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hold a summit at Cheong Wa Dae this week. (Yonhap)A Seoul official on Friday said it was Tokyo that should first propose solutions to the issue involving Korean victims of the colonial-era atrocity. His remarks came a da

Nov. 6, 2015

Korea’s rise from the rubble of the 1950-53 Korean War is a “message of hope” for Palestinian refugees in the war-ravaged region, the chief of a U.N. relief agency supporting them said Thursday, expressing hopes for a deeper cooperation between Seoul and his agency.Pierre Krahenbuhl, commissioner general of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, speaks during a meeting with reporters in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)“Think of what has happened since the 1950s. You

Nov. 5, 2015

The ongoing dispute over the South China Sea is posing a tricky diplomatic challenge to South Korea as the U.S. appears to be increasing pressure on its ally to take its side in the name of “freedom of navigation.”Defense Minister Han Min-koo attends a parliamentary budget session on Thursday. (Yonhap)Public opinion is divided over how Seoul should handle the issue: Some argue that Seoul should keep a low profile and prevent itself from falling into a situation in which it has to choose between

Nov. 5, 2015

The leaders of South Korea and France on Wednesday agreed to upgrade their bilateral ties in politics, security and economy, adopting a set of specified action plans for strengthening comprehensive partnership.Celebrating the 130th anniversary of diplomatic ties between two countries this year, Presidents Park Geun-hye and Francois Hollande vowed upon their summit talks at Cheong Wa Dae to intensify bilateral consultations on defense and foreign policies, and diversify economic cooperative model

Nov. 4, 2015

From joining China-led financial and infrastructure initiatives to shunning the U.S-led economic sanctions against Russia, South Korea is taking an increasingly pragmatic foreign policy approach, all the while triggering concerns over the potential impact on its alliance with the U.S.President Park Geun-hye and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pose for a photo before their talks at Cheong Wa Dae last week. (Yonhap)Analysts say that South Korea has secured more “autonomy” in its foreign policy decision

Nov. 4, 2015

At its 92nd republic anniversary last week, Turkey drew on inspirations from the past to confront present and future challenges.The holiday, which falls on Oct. 29, marks the birth of a democratic, secular and constitutional Republic of Turkey, following the victorious war of independence (1919-23) that repelled the Allies of World War I. “The Republic of Turkey is a source of hope for not only its own citizens, but all the victims, oppressed, kin and brother communities in our region and the wo

Nov. 3, 2015

This is the fourth installment in a series of interviews with scholars and experts on China as a resurgent Asian power that is changing the regional order. This installment looks into China’s relations and strategy for dealing with the two Koreas. -- Ed.China has apparently reevaluated the value of its communist brethren, North Korea, as a source of strategic leverage amid its reemergence as a great power, according to renowned China expert Suh Jin-young.Suh, professor emeritus at Korea Universi

Nov. 3, 2015

China urged an early resumption of official maritime demarcation talks with South Korea during a summit in Seoul on Friday, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said Monday, sparking concerns that the talks could rekindle the dispute over Ieodo, a rock in the East China Sea. President Park Geun-hye and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pose for a photo before their talks at Cheong Wa Dae last week. (Yonhap)The ministry revealed its proposal in a press release on its website. Seoul did not mention the proposal in

Nov. 2, 2015

The leaders of South Korea and Japan on Monday agreed to accelerate the ongoing negotiations on wartime sexual slavery for an early breakthrough, thawing years of frozen ties in their first-ever summit, but leaving most of the details unresolved.Sitting down for a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered officials to speed up the consultation process for an early finalization without setting a specified deadline.President Park

Nov. 2, 2015

Those enchanted by the Northern Lights, icy deserts, polar bears, sea voyages or research exploration in the Arctic will have an opportunity to satiate their curiosity at an exhibition in Seoul that runs until Nov. 12. “Explore the Arctic ― Past, Present and Future” at the Korea Foundation Gallery is a collaboration between the Norwegian Embassy, the Fram Museum, the Korea Polar Research Institute and Korea Foundation.The venue displays posters and videos with detailed descriptions of the landsc

Nov. 1, 2015

As a result of united efforts to follow through the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, the island of Ireland, by and large, is a separated country at peace now. The agreement ended an ethnoreligious conflict of over 750 years, which had intensified from the late 1960s fueled by Irish independence causes. Violence has withered substantially, after more than 3,000 people were killed along the way. The paramilitary Irish Republican Army was disbanded and transformed into a political party, and cooperat

Nov. 1, 2015

The Polish Embassy on Thursday awarded two individuals for their contributions to promoting Poland in Korea. The deputy director of the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, Joanna Hosaniak, was given the “Bene Merito” honor from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and composer Ryu Jea-joon received the “Gloria Artis” badge from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Ryu is a graduate of the Academy of Music in Krakow, where he studied under the Polish composer Krzy

Nov. 1, 2015

After years of bitter ties between Seoul and Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived at Seongnam Airbase, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, for a trilateral meeting and his first-ever talk with President Park Geun-hye on Monday.Though previous leaders of the two countries have held summits at least once a year ― visiting each other quite on a regular basis ― Monday’s summit is the first of its kind since May 2012, when Park’s predecessor Lee Myung-bak sat down with the then Japanese Premier Y

Nov. 1, 2015