S. Korea downplays Yoon’s Iran remarks during UAE trip

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday downplayed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s remarks made a day earlier during his state visit to the United Arab Emirates, in which he said that Iran was the UAE’s “enemy,” and compared their relationship to inter-Korean hostilities. Yoon was offering a word of encouragement to the soldiers while visiting a Korean special forces unit stationed in Abu Dhabi to train local troops, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said at bri

Jan. 17, 2023

State-run body to start fleshing out compromise on forced labor

South Korea’s state-run foundation established to help Koreans forced into labor by Japanese companies during World War II is preparing to reach out to Korean companies as early as next week to compensate the victims, sources said Tuesday, as part of a compromise deal Seoul believes will help settle the longtime historical dispute with Tokyo. Last week, the Korean government essentially endorsed a plan to have the Korean government or companies compensate the victims while awaiting Japan&r

Jan. 17, 2023

Timing of S. Korea-Japan summit too early to say: presidential office

ABU DHABI -- The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday it is too early to say when Yoon will hold another summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following a news report that it was being scheduled for as early as next month. The Donga Ilbo newspaper carried the report earlier Monday, saying Kishida told a news conference in Washington that he and Yoon agreed to swiftly settle the issue of compensation for Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor. "The two leaders a

Jan. 17, 2023

Yoon lauds Barakah nuclear plant as symbol of special partnership between S. Korea, UAE

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, accompanied by Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday, reconfirming close energy ties with the UAE on the third day of his state visit. The Barakah nuclear power plant was the first nuclear power plant in the country and the first overseas nuclear power plant designed and built by Korea. The nuclear power plant is being jointly constructed by Hyu

Jan. 16, 2023

2 Koreans in Nepal plane crash confirmed dead

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Monday evening a teenage Korean -- who remained missing from a plane that crashed into a gorge on Sunday while making a 27-minute flight to a Nepalese tourist town northwest of the capital Kathmandu -- also died, along with his father found dead earlier in the day. The Korean consul in Nepal confirmed the bodies of the father and his son who were flying for a family vacation, at the Gandaki Medical College hospital in Pokhara, the destination that the tw

Jan. 16, 2023

China eases visa rules for S. Korea, Japan amid spat

Chinese authorities resumed issuing visas for some South Koreans and Japanese on official or nonofficial business that requires immediate attention, Kyodo News said Monday, citing Chinese sources. The latest relaxation of rules, which China toughened only last week by ceasing the issuing of short-term visas for the two countries, came as Seoul and Tokyo complained about Beijing’s “retaliation” for stepping up their COVID-19 travel curbs on Chinese arrivals amid a fresh surge in

Jan. 16, 2023

First lady discusses culture with UAE leader's mother, minister

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- First lady Kim Keon Hee went on her solo events, attending a dinner invitation by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi, mother of the Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and meeting Minister of Culture and Youth Noura Al Kaabi, the presidential office said Monday. On Sunday evening, Kim had the dinner at the presidential palace Qasr Al Watan with the UAE leader's mother who is also the widow of the late President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Jan. 16, 2023

Polish ambassador expects further upgrade in bilateral ties this year

Polish ambassador Piotr Ostaszewski said he expects to see further development in bilateral relations this year, noting that the two countries have seen their ties rapidly developing in the wake of $14.7 billion worth of deal to export Korean defense systems and weapons to the European country last year. "The best partnership emerges when both partners understand each other," said Ostaszewski applauding 34 years of Polish-Korea relations that flourished in the 1990s and went through tr

Jan. 16, 2023

Search continues for Korean still missing after plane crash in Nepal

Nepalese authorities on Monday resumed searching for a South Korean, one of four people who remained missing from a plane that crashed into a gorge on Sunday while making a 27-minute flight to a Nepalese tourist town northwest of the capital Kathmandu. The Himalayan country’s deadliest plane crash since 1992 left at least 68 of the 72 people aboard dead, including another Korean -- the father of the missing teenage Korean who was a noncommissioned Army officer, according to local reports.

Jan. 16, 2023

Canada reaffirms commitment with Korea to address global challenges

Canadian Embassy reaffirmed its commitment with Korea to address global challenges at an event hosted to mark the 60th anniversary of Canada-Korea diplomatic relations in Seoul on Thursday. Canada established diplomatic relations with Korea on Jan. 14, 1963. Delivering a welcoming address at the event, the Canadian Embassy's Charge d'Affaires, Tamara Mawhinney highlighted the significance of the 60 years of Canada-Korea relations. She expressed Canada's commitment to the Comprehen

Jan. 16, 2023

S. Korea, Japan hold working-level consultations on wartime forced labor

SEOUL/TOKYO-- South Korea and Japan held working-level diplomatic consultations Monday on ways to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor under 2018 rulings by Seoul's Supreme Court. Seo Min-jung, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs at South Korea's Foreign Ministry, met with her Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, for discussions at the Japanese foreign ministry in Tokyo. It marked their first face-to-face discussions after Seoul formally float

Jan. 16, 2023

UAE pulls out all stops for Yoon's state visit

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- President Yoon Suk Yeol received the highest level of courtesy during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he was invited for the first state visit by a Korean leader. Before the summit with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan for closer economic cooperation, Yoon was received in a large-scale official welcoming ceremony Sunday morning, the second day of his visit to the nation. At the beginning of the ceremony, seven UAE fighter jets

Jan. 15, 2023

2 Koreans onboard in deadly plane crash in Nepal: ministry

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Sunday it has confirmed that two Korean passengers were on board an aircraft that had crashed near an airport in central Nepal. "We have confirmed that two Korean nationals were on the list of passengers in a passenger aircraft that crashed in Nepal," said a Foreign Ministry official. "We are working to check whether the passengers were on board and the damage caused by the crash." The ministry added it has dispatched an official of th

Jan. 15, 2023

Leaders agree to broaden ties with $30 billion investment

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates has decided to invest $30 billion (37 trillion won) in South Korea at a summit held between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday, during which the leaders agreed on stronger strategic cooperation, the South Korean presidential office said. “We decided to make the investment with confidence in the Republic of Korea that keeps its promises under all circumstances,

Jan. 15, 2023

Macron hopes for early visit to S. Korea: envoy

PARIS-- French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed hope for visiting South Korea at an early date to hold talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol, Seoul's top envoy here said Sunday. Ambassador Choi Jai-chul said he presented his credentials to Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday and then had an hourlong conversation, joined by several other new foreign ambassadors. Macron was quoted as saying he hopes to visit South Korea at an early date to discuss ways for the development of Seoul-Par

Jan. 15, 2023

Yoon says he expects 'big achievements' from UAE visit

  ABU DHABI -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Saturday he expects to see "big achievements" from his state visit to the United Arab Emirates as he arrived with a business delegation representing some 100 firms. Yoon made the remark while meeting with top UAE officials at Abu Dhabi International Airport immediately after his arrival, according to senior presidential secretary for press affairs Kim Eun-hye. Yoon is the first South Korean leader to pay a state visit to the UAE since th

Jan. 15, 2023

Assembly speaker drums up support for expo bid from Vietnam

National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo has sought support from Vietnam for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southeastern port city of Busan, his office said Saturday. Kim embarked on a trip on Thursday to Vietnam and Indonesia to discuss expanding economic and security cooperation with the countries. During a meeting with Phan Van Mai, chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, on Thursday, Kim said Busan is the perfect city to host the world exposition. Kim pl

Jan. 14, 2023

Yoon departs for UAE to promote energy, arms sales

President Yoon Suk Yeol departed for the United Arab Emirates on Saturday as part of a two-nation swing focused on promoting South Korean exports especially in energy and arms. Yoon is set to arrive in Abu Dhabi on a state visit, the first by a South Korean leader since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1980, and meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During his four-day stay, he will also visit the Akh unit, a South Korean military contingent, and the Barakah nuclea

Jan. 14, 2023

Biden, Kishida call for denuclearization of N. Korea, reaffirm cooperation with S. Korea

US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed their commitment to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula in their bilateral summit held here in Washington on Friday. The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to further enhancing trilateral cooperation among their countries and South Korea to that end, according to their joint statement, released by the White House. "We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula i

Jan. 14, 2023

Biden says 'Katchi Kapshida' on Korean American Day

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden underscored the importance of a strong US-South Korea alliance on Thursday, saying the countries are stronger when they work together. The US leader also used the famous phase of US Forces Korea, "Katchi Kapshida" or Let's go together, in a statement released by the White House to mark Korean American Day. "One hundred and twenty years ago today, a group of 102 Korean men, women and children arrived in Hawaii in search of a new start,"

Jan. 13, 2023