N. Korea warns of 'offensive' actions against S. Korea-US joint military drills

North Korea on Thursday denounced South Korea and the United States' latest joint military drills as an "unprecedented" war rehearsal, vowing to take "offensive" military steps against such actions. In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Choe Ju-hyon, a critic of international security affairs, said Seoul and Washington's "frantic" military drills have turned the Korean Peninsula into a "powder keg" that can explode at any mom

April 6, 2023

US working with allies, partners to supply ammunition to Ukraine, also backfill US stockpile: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to work with its allies and partners to help Ukraine secure ammunition for use in its war with Russia but also to replenish its own stockpiles, a Pentagon spokesperson said Wednesday. The spokesperson, Sabrina Singh, however, declined to comment when asked if ammunition secured from South Korea would be supplied to Ukraine. "We are, of course, focused on our military readiness and our stocks and that's why we have a whole division here focuse

April 6, 2023

Yoon 'pleased' to deliver 'historic address' at joint session of US Congress

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday he is "pleased" to be invited to address a joint session of the US Congress during his state visit to Washington later this month as the two allies mark the 70th anniversary of their establishment. Yoon is scheduled to hold a summit with US President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., on April 26.

April 5, 2023

Yoon reiterates stronger security cooperation with US, Japan

President Yoon Suk Yeol has reiterated the importance of cooperation and solidarity with countries that share universal values ​​at a meeting on national affairs Wednesday, underscoring the need for security collaboration with the United States and Japan to counter the North Korean threat. Yoon presided over the second national task inspection meeting to discuss major diplomatic and security issues, including Korea-Japan relations and North Korean nuclear threats, with 100 experts and citizens,

April 5, 2023

Indonesian foreign minister attends Iftar in Seoul

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (front row, center) attended the Iftar dinner hosted by Indonesian Ambassador Gandi Sulistiyanto (front row, fourth from right) in Yeouido, Seoul, last Wednesday. Iftar is a meal taken by Muslims at sunset to break the daily fast during Ramadan. Marsudi was in Seoul to attend the 2nd Summit for Democracy, the Indo-Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Meeting and the 4th Indonesia-Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM). The dinner was followed by an informal

April 4, 2023

[Photo News] Friends of Green Climate Fund

April 4, 2023

BIE members feel Seoul's fever for Busan Expo

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) committee visited Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul on Monday evening, where promotional events were held to support Busan to win the bid for World Expo 2030. Representatives of the BIE came to South Korea on Sunday, and are scheduled to meet government officials and visit Busan to assess the city's suitability to host the World Expo. The eight members of the BIE took a stroll around the LED rose garden, and listened to explanations of the gia

April 4, 2023

New national security adviser hopes for close communication with US counterpart

National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong voiced hope for close communication with his US counterpart, Jake Sullivan, as they held their first phone conversation since Cho took office last week, the presidential office said Tuesday. During Monday's call, Cho noted that the two countries' National Security Councils have maintained close communication and cooperation in the process of restoring the South Korea-US alliance since the inauguration of the Yoon administration. He also "expr

April 4, 2023

Donald Trump indicted; first ex-president charged with crime

NEW YORK — Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, prosecutors and defense lawyers said Thursday, making him the first former US president to face a criminal charge and jolting his bid to retake the White House next year. The charges remained under seal late Thursday, but the investigation centered on payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. Prosecutors said they were working to coordinate Trump's

March 31, 2023

New security adviser feels grave responsibility

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's newly appointed national security adviser said he feels a grave responsibility in assuming the role at a critical time, a day after he was appointed to replace Kim Sung-han who stepped down amid rumors of protocol blunders. Cho Tae-yong, who was a US ambassador, said he is given the mission of completing the Yoon administration's goal of turning South Korea into a pivotal state. "I feel a great sense of responsibility to take on the positio

March 30, 2023

S. Korea, Japan begin talks on corporate exchanges, trade in earnest after summit

Some 100 government and corporate officials from South Korea and Japan held a meeting Thursday on trade and new industry cooperation, the first major meeting after the two sides vowed to improve diplomatic and economic ties earlier this month, Seoul's industry ministry said. They discussed ways to boost cooperation in new industry sectors and economic exchanges in the trade meeting in Seoul, co-hosted by the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea-Japan Economic Association, acc

March 30, 2023

Presidential office rules out resumption of seafood imports from Japan's Fukushima

The presidential office on Thursday ruled out resumption of seafood imports from Japan's Fukushima region over radiation contamination concerns, saying the health and safety of people are the foremost priority. "Fukushima seafood will never come into the country," the office said in a notice to media. "With regard to the import of Japanese seafood products, the government's stance remains unchanged that the health and safety of the people are the top priority." Sout

March 30, 2023

Seoul to host third Democracy Summit: Yoon, Biden

South Korea will host the third Summit for Democracy, an annual virtual summit organized by the US, next year, the leaders of the two countries said Wednesday. The decision was announced just before the second Summit for Democracy kicked off with the participation of leaders around the world. “The United States and the Republic of Korea share deep bonds, rooted in our common democratic values and respect for human rights, and we are committed to further strengthening our robust political,

March 29, 2023

Yoon taps US envoy as new national security adviser

President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Cho Tae-yong, Korean ambassador to the US, as his new national security adviser shortly after his predecessor, Kim Sung-han, offered to resign on Wednesday afternoon. The announcements came amid rumors that Kim could be replaced due to a protocol blunder ahead of the upcoming summit between South Korea and the US in April. Cho's successor will be appointed "swiftly," and will ask for agreement from the US, Yoon's senior press secretary Kim

March 29, 2023

UN envoy slams China, Russia for NK falsehoods

Joint efforts by South Korea and the US for North Korea’s denuclearization have been disrupted in part by China and Russia -- the North’s supporters who “wrongly blame” the South and the US for little headway, according to South Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations. At a press briefing Wednesday held on the sidelines of an annual meeting meant to update the foreign minister on the latest issues, Hwang Joon-kook, the envoy, said Seoul has to fight back against th

March 29, 2023

Japan’s textbook revisions threaten thaw in ties

South Korea on Tuesday called in Japan’s deputy chief of mission in Seoul over textbook revisions stating that Japan did not force Koreans to provide labor during its 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula and that the Dokdo islets controlled by Seoul belong to Tokyo. The Foreign Ministry in Seoul summoned Naoki Kumagai, the deputy chief at the Japanese Embassy, and formally lodged a complaint about the textbook changes affecting students entering elementary school in April 2024, sayin

March 28, 2023

[Photo News] Iftar dinner in Seoul

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin holds an Iftar dinner commemorating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Friday. Iftar is a meal taken by Muslims at sunset to break the daily fast during Ramadan. The event invited some 170 guests, including members of the diplomatic corps from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Foreign Ministry has held Iftar dinners since 2004 to enhance mutual understanding between different cultures. (Sanjay Kumar/

March 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korea should use new gas deposits in Peru: ambassador

South Korea should partner with Peru to utilize new gas deposits, said Paul Duclos, the newly appointed Peruvian ambassador to Korea, in an interview with The Korea Herald. Peru is seeking investment for a new gas field with the potential to match the needs of the Camisea gas project, said Duclos, urging Korea to build new infrastructure to tap, extract and export gas. Peru's Camisea gas project extracts gas in the Amazon basin and transports it to the coast via two pipelines hundreds of ki

March 28, 2023

US goal remains 'complete denuclearization' of Korean Peninsula: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States' goals remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a state department spokesperson said Monday after Pyongyang threatened to use its nuclear weapons should the US continue to push for such an objective. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the state department, also reaffirmed US commitment to engaging in dialogue with North Korea. "We are committed to diplomatic approach with the DPRK and we harbor no hostile intent,"

March 28, 2023

Japan’s right wing ‘changing’: envoy

Japan is moving toward accepting South Korea as a partner that Tokyo can work with following Seoul’s decision to put behind their historical dispute, South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min said Monday in an annual meeting meant to update the foreign minister on the latest issues. The ambassador was referring to a March 6 decision that essentially skips Japan’s official apology for and direct compensation to Korean victims forced to work for Japanese companies during Japan&rsquo

March 27, 2023