Yoon names chief of overseas Korean agency

President Yoon Suk Yeol has named Lee Key-cheol, former Korean ambassador to the Netherlands, to head a new government body overseeing the interests of 7.5 million overseas Koreans launched Friday. Lee also previously served as consul general in Los Angeles and is currently secretary-general of UNICEF Korea. The new agency is intended to offer streamlined services from visas to taxes and pensions to overseas Koreans, which includes citizens living abroad as well as noncitizens with Korean famili

June 2, 2023

US deepening trilateral cooperation with S. Korea, Japan against N. Korean threats: Biden

The United States is strengthening its cooperation with South Korea and Japan to deter evolving threats posed by North Korea, President Joe Biden said Thursday. Biden's remark comes after North Korea launched what it claims to be its first military spy satellite in a botched attempt. "In the Indo-Pacific, we deepened our alliance and our trilateral cooperation with Japan and the Republic of Korea," Biden said while addressing the graduating class of the US Air Force Academy in Col

June 2, 2023

Forum highlights Denmark-Korea offshore wind, clean hydrogen cooperation

The Denmark-Korea Green Business Forum was held Thursday on the sidelines of the World Climate Industry Expo at Bexco in Busan, highlighting strong partnership between South Korea and Denmark in fields of wind energy and clean hydrogen. Attending the forum, the Danish Embassy ran a pavilion in collaboration with the Confederation of Danish Industry, the Danish Chamber of Commerce, and 10 other Danish companies. "This participation signifies the deepening ties and growing cooperation betwe

June 1, 2023

GGGI, Elders discuss path to net zero for Asia

Leaders and experts discussed a path to net zero for Asia at a forum co-hosted by the Global Green Growth Institute and the Elders on Monday. "Reaching net zero by 2050 could boost Asia’s gross domestic product by up to 6 percent, create 36 million new jobs by 2030, and improve Asia’s trade balance by hundreds of billions of dollars as a result of declining fossil fuels in the world," said former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who serves as president and chai

June 1, 2023

Tritium found beyond safe limits in treated Fukushima wastewater

A type of radioactive isotope in the over 1.3 million tons of wastewater being collected at the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant and planned for discharge by as early as this summer has been found at levels beyond those earlier suggested to be safe by the Japanese government, a wastewater safety review report by the International Atomic Energy Agency showed Thursday. The finding has raised the need to ensure the treated wastewater is diluted before it is discharged, so that the wastewater

June 1, 2023

Details of comfort women talks to stay hidden

South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a complaint demanding the government disclose negotiations that led to a 2015 agreement between South Korea and Japan meant to settle the issue of Korean sex slaves, a contentious deal that fell short of putting on record whether Tokyo had directly forced the victims into sex slavery. The pact, signed in December 2015 when the Korean and Japanese foreign ministers released statements vowing never to revisit the issue without mentioning coer

June 1, 2023

[Herald Interview] ‘Ecosystem’ needed for S. Korea, Italy to bolster relations: Italy envoy

South Korea and Italy should come together for business as well as cultural ties as they prepare to mark 140 years of relations next year, Italian Ambassador to South Korea Federico Failla said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday. On the occasion of Republic Day, the annual national holiday that falls on June 2 to celebrate the 1946 transition from monarchy to democracy through a referendum, the envoy stressed bolstering relations in decades to come depends on establishing an &ldq

June 1, 2023

N. Korea must be held accountable despite failure to launch spy satellite: Kirby

WASHINGTON -- North Korea must be held accountable for its failed attempt to launch a military spy satellite, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council said Wednesday. John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, added the launch posed a threat to peace in the entire region despite its failure. "The major concern is that with each and every one of these launches, whether it fails or succeeds, Kim Jong-un and his scientists and engineers, they learn and they improve an

June 1, 2023

S. Korea holds public-private meeting on IPEF developments, future strategies

Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with officials of major economic and industry associations Wednesday to discuss latest developments regarding the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the future path of its negotiations, his office said. Ahn explained to the participants the result of the IPEF ministerial meeting held last week in Detroit, where its 14 member nations reached an agreement on supply chain resilience, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Supply chain resili

May 31, 2023

S. Korea, Japan resume dialogue on steel cooperation after 5-year hiatus

South Korea and Japan on Wednesday held their first regular dialogue on steel industry cooperation in five years to discuss ways to boost technology exchanges and to jointly respond to the net-zero market trend, the industry ministry said. The 20th Korea-Japan Steel Dialogue was held in Tokyo on the day as the latest in a series of bilateral economic and industry meetings amid a thaw in their diplomatic relations following summit talks in recent months. The last meeting of its kind was held in N

May 31, 2023

[Herald Interview] Arms support for Ukraine should be through international consensus, EU expert says

It is important for South Korea to ensure that its provision of weapons to Ukraine's battlefields aligns with the consensus of the international community, given the delicate balance between the increasing demand for lethal aid and the potential risks of retaliation, according to a leading scholar specializing in European Union studies. As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, South Korea faces a challenging situation. The US, NATO and Ukraine itself have demanded that the eighth-largest

May 31, 2023

S. Korea, France sign arrangement on military space partnership

South Korea and France signed an arrangement on military space cooperation on Tuesday in an effort to pursue "future-oriented" bilateral security cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said. Choi Byung-ok, director general at the defense policy bureau of Seoul's defense ministry, and French Space Commander Philippe Adam inked the letter of intent on the South Korea-France military space partnership in Seoul. Based on the arrangement, the two sides will discuss military space c

May 30, 2023

Members of anti-proliferation initiative agree to step up cooperation against changing security environment

SEOGWIPO, South Korea -- A group of countries endorsing the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to interdict the illicit transfer of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related materials. The agreement was reached at a high-level forum on the 20th anniversary of the PSI on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju with delegates from 70 PSI-endorsing and observer countries, including the United States, Japan and Australia, joining the event. I

May 30, 2023

S. Korea establishes diplomatic ties with Pacific island nation of Niue

South Korea on Monday established formal diplomatic relations with the Pacific island nation of Niue on the sidelines of Seoul's inaugural summit with 18 countries in the region. A signing ceremony for the forging of diplomatic ties was held at Seoul's foreign ministry attended by Foreign Minister Park Jin and Dalton Tagelagi, the premiere of Niue who also doubles as the country's top diplomat. According to the ministry, the small island nation with a population of some 1,600 is n

May 29, 2023

Korea steps up diplomatic efforts to win UN Security Council seat

NEW YORK -- South Korea is intensifying last-minute diplomatic efforts for Seoul's bid for a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), with just 10 days to go before the vote. South Korea, which last sat on the council in 2013-2014, aims to return to the council for 2024-2025, and the UN will vote on the bid on June 6. If elected, it will mark the third time for South Korea to serve as one of the 10 nonpermanent UNSC members. Previously, South Korea had served the

May 28, 2023

S. Korea, Japan to launch college exchange program

South Korea and Japan are discussing launching a college exchange program that leaders of the two countries agreed on at their March summit, reports said Friday. The program is intended to open a new era by educating the next generation, as the two Asian neighbors seek to move past major historical disputes involving Japan’s 1910-45 rule of the peninsula. The March meeting essentially brought closure to making amends to Koreans forced to work for Japanese firms during the colonial period,

May 26, 2023

Military denies report on Korea sending ammunition to Ukraine

South Korean military authorities said Thursday that a report by the Wall Street Journal that the country is in the process of transferring hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery to Ukraine is "inaccurate," and that the Korean government's position "remains unchanged." Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu told reporters that there was some discussion about the export of ammunition between the US Department of Defense and Korean companies, but the government

May 25, 2023

'Newspaper bridging Korea with world': Foreign envoys laud Korea Herald's 70-year journey

Top diplomats representing 50 countries attended a gala celebrating the 70th anniversary of The Korea Herald in Seoul on Wednesday, touting the role the newspaper has played in bridging the country with global communities since 1953. Indonesian Ambassador to Korea Gandi Sulistiyanto applauded the newspaper’s professionalism and its commitment in delivering accurate and reliable news. "For seven decades, The Korea Herald served as a pillar of English-language news for the diplomatic co

May 25, 2023

S. Korea, Japan hold first energy dialogue in 6 years

South Korea and Japan on Thursday held their first energy dialogue in six years to discuss ways to boost cooperation on nuclear power generation, renewable energy, hydrogen and other energy issues, the industry ministry said. The director-level dialogue in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan is the latest in a series of meetings between the two neighbors amid a thaw following three summits of their leaders in two months. The two sides shared the need to work together on strengthen

May 25, 2023

US working with allies to secure support for Ukraine: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States is working to secure support for the Ukrainian military from its allies and partners, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. Department Press Secretary Matthew Miller made the remark when asked about any ongoing discussions between Seoul and Washington about possible provision of South Korean-made ammunition to Ukraine. "The United States has led a worldwide effort since before even the onset of this conflict to secure assistance from our partners an

May 25, 2023