Yoon asks UN chief for stern response to N.Korea provocations

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday and called for a stern international response if North Korea conducts an additional nuclear test, an official said. The two met on the margins of the UN General Assembly and talked for 25 minutes about North Korea, cooperation between South Korea and the UN, and issues raised during Yoon's address to the assembly earlier in the day, according to Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary fo

Sept. 21, 2022

S. Korea seeks 'political' solution to US inflation law: industry minister

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea hopes to find a political solution to the new US law on inflation that excludes South Korean-made electric vehicles (EVs) from US tax benefits, South Korean Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang said Tuesday. Lee made the remarks shortly after arriving in Washington for a meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. "The essence of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is that it is a law legislated by Congress, (which means) discussions between a

Sept. 21, 2022

US made dialogue offer to N. Korea in July, no response yet: envoy

The United States made yet another dialogue offer to North Korea this summer through a communication channel in New York, but the North has not responded, Washington's top nuclear envoy said Tuesday. US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim said that the overture was made through the so-called New York channel, involving the North's diplomatic mission at the UN, in July, as he highlighted the Joe Biden administration's continued commitment to reengage with Pyongyang. "I believe ou

Sept. 20, 2022

Foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan vow 'sincere efforts' to resolve historic disputes

Foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan agreed to work together to resolve historic disputes in a bilateral meeting in New York, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday. In their meeting held for some 50 minutes, the two ministers agreed to continue to strengthen bilateral, and also trilateral cooperation wit

Sept. 20, 2022

[Newsmaker] Can Britain's King Charles fill his treasured mother's shoes?

LONDON -- Teenager Olivia Burch waited for hours in a queue with other mourners to pay a final tribute to Queen Elizabeth as her body lay in state. But despite that devotion, she thought Britain should no longer have a monarchy. "I think it's gone. It's too traditional and old--fashioned, and I don't think we can spend so much money on a family with no more right to be here than anyone else," said the 19--year--old Londoner, one of hundreds of thousands who waited in line to file past

Sept. 20, 2022

Yoon focuses on freedom at UN

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who arrived in New York on Monday afternoon there, was to deliver his first address at the 77th United Nations General Assembly under the theme of “freedom and solidarity,” hold bilateral talks with the US and Japan separately on the sidelines and carry out multiple economic-related schedules in New York. Yoon's speech was set for the first session of the first day, as he was scheduled to stand on the stage on Tuesday afternoon -- between 1:30 a.m. a

Sept. 20, 2022

[Contribution] Expanding horizons for global development partnership

Last December, Kazakhstan celebrated the 30th anniversary of its independence. A country with modest beginnings, Kazakhstan made a significant transition from being a recipient of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the first country in Central Asia to adopt the national law on ODA in 2014. Given Kazakhstan’s geographic location, its national capacity, as well as the challenges of global development, Kazakhstan has prioritized development assistance to the countries of its immediate

Sept. 20, 2022

[From the Scene]Partnership with Korea in e-governance, digital ecosystem vital to Kazakhstan: minister

By SanjayKumar Korea Herald correspondent NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- A partnership with South Korea in e-governance and the digital ecosystem is vital to Kazakhstan, the country's Minister of Digital Development Bagdat Musin said Thursday. “I visited South Korea in 2006 and I saw first e-services there and I realized the need to bring such a system to Kazakhstan,” Musin told foreign journalists at the Digital Government Office in Nur-sultan, Kazakhstan. “Now, we are collaboratin

Sept. 20, 2022

Industry chief to visit US for talks on EV tax credit, chips bills

South Korean Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang departed for Washington on Tuesday for talks with US officials on ways to minimize impacts on South Korea by new US bills on tax incentives for electric vehicles and investment in semiconductors, his office said. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed by US President Joe Biden in August, gives up to $7,500 in tax credits to buyers of EVs assembled only in North America, sparking concerns that South Korean carmakers will lose ground in the US market, as

Sept. 20, 2022

Yoon arrives in New York for UN General Assembly

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol arrived in New York on Monday to attend the UN General Assembly and hold a series of summits on the sidelines, including a highly anticipated meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The New York visit, the second stop on Yoon's three-nation swing, follows his attendance at Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral in London and comes ahead of a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. Yoon will stay in the city for four d

Sept. 20, 2022

After China's top legislator's Seoul visit, THAAD remains source of conflict with Beijing

China’s top legislator made an unprecedented visit to Seoul last week, where they confirmed their differences on South Korea’s deployment of the US-made missile defense system that Beijing opposes. Li Zhanshu, Beijing’s third-highest-ranking official and chief of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, made an unprecedented two-day trip to Seoul from Thursday, as South Korea has embarked on work to normalize operations of the Terminal High Altitude Area

Sept. 19, 2022

[Newsmaker] Bidens among thousands paying respects to Queen Elizabeth II

  LONDON -- US President Joe Biden paid his respects at Queen Elizabeth II's coffin on Sunday as thousands of police, hundreds of British troops and an army of officials made final preparations for the queen's state funeral _ a spectacular display of national mourning that will also be the biggest gathering of world leaders for years. People across Britain paused for a minute of silence at 8 p.m. in memory of the only monarch most have ever known. At Westminster Hall, where the queen is lyi

Sept. 19, 2022

Presidential office says 'no comment' on S. Korea-Japan summit

LONDON -- The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said Sunday it had "no comment" on Japanese news reports denying plans for a summit between Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in New York this week. Yoon's office said earlier that the two countries had agreed to a summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly either Tuesday or Wednesday in what would be their first bilateral summit since December 2019. The news raised hope of an improvement in relation

Sept. 19, 2022

Yoon attends reception hosted by King Charles III

LONDON -- President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday attended a reception in London hosted by King Charles III and expressed his condolences over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, his office said. Yoon, who arrived with first lady Kim Keon-hee in London earlier in the day, attended the reception at Buckingham Palace ahead of the queen's state funeral Monday. Yoon personally expressed his condolences to King Charles, who thanked the president for traveling to London to mourn his mother's death, a

Sept. 19, 2022

Presidential office says 'no change' in planned Korea-Japan summit during UN General Assembly

The South Korean presidential office said Sunday there's "no change" in the plan to hold a South Korea-Japan summit meeting this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. A ranking presidential official made the remarks in a phone call with Yonhap News Agency, rejecting Japanese news reports on Sunday that the possibility of the summit meeting between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida remains uncertain. The presidential office an

Sept. 18, 2022

Yoon heads to London for Queen's funeral on 3-nation swing

President Yoon Suk-yeol left for London on Sunday to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, kicking off a three-nation trip that will include his first address to the UN General Assembly, and summits with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Yoon's second overseas trip since taking office will also take him to Canada on the last leg. He is set to arrive in London on Sunday afternoon (local time) and visit a Korean War memorial to honor the 56,000 British tro

Sept. 18, 2022

Maryland Gov. Hogan expects 'compromise' over controversial law on inflation after midterm elections

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan voiced cautious hope Saturday for a "compromise" over a new U.S. law aimed at reducing inflation that has unnerved South Korea by excluding electric vehicles made outside North America from tax benefits.  He raised the possibility of a breakthrough on the controversial matter after the November midterm elections, speaking at a press conference in Seoul. The governor highlighted his commitment to efforts to insulate Seoul-Washington relations from the neg

Sept. 17, 2022

KAI signs follow-up contract with Poland to export 48 FA-50 fighters

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft maker, signed a US$3 billion contract with Poland on Friday to follow up on an earlier basic deal to export 48 FA-50 fighter jets, Seoul's arms procurement agency said. KAI inked the "executive" contract with Warsaw's Armament Agency as a follow-up to the "framework" contract signed in July to supply the fighters to the European country, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

Sept. 16, 2022

Yoon invites Chinese leader Xi to visit S. Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Seoul, during his meeting with Li Zhanshu, China's top legislator. Yoon said Xi's visit will "serve as important momentum to open a new chapter in Seoul-Beijing relations for the next 30 years," according to the presidential office. In response, Li, China's third-highest-ranking official and chief of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said he will de

Sept. 16, 2022

Seoul asks Beijing to prevent distortions of Korean history

S. Korea’s National Assembly speaker asked China’s third-ranking leader Li Zhanshu to ensure efforts to prevent possible attempts at distorting the history between the two countries, during a bilateral meeting held at the National Assembly on Friday. “History is related to the identity of a country and its people. It is important to accept facts as objective as possible and educate the next generation as such,” National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo said. Kim also said

Sept. 16, 2022