Will South Korea join US-led chip alliance ‘Chip 4’?

As the United States is seeking to include South Korea in a chip alliance it is planning to form, eyes are on whether Seoul would again join US’ apparent effort to strategically isolate its rival China in the semiconductor supply chain. The US first made the proposal to South Korea, Japan and Taiwan to establish a strategic alliance of global chip powerhouses in March. While the envisioned alliance, dubbed “Chip 4” explicitly aims at boosting the manufacturing prowess of fri

July 22, 2022

South Korea calls out on Japan’s Dokdo claims in defense white paper

The South Korean government on Friday strongly condemned Japan’s renewed claims over South Korea’s Dokdo islets in its latest defense white paper, and summoned Japanese diplomats in protest. “We strongly protest that Japan has renewed its unjust territorial claims to Dokdo in its defense white paper, which is clearly our inherent territory, historically, geographically and internationally, and we urge an immediate retraction of the claims,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson

July 22, 2022

Foreign Ministry, Busan City launches ‘UNs’ student ambassador campaign

The Foreign Ministry and Busan Metropolitan City launched a team of university student ambassadors, dubbed “UNs,” and held a kick-off ceremony on Friday. According to the ministry, it chose 50 Korean and 50 foreign university students as its ambassadors promoting the Busan City. The foreign students come from 22 countries, including China, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, among others. The student ambassadors will carry out activities including creating promotional content for social media,

July 22, 2022

Yoon makes economic diplomacy a top priority

President Yoon Suk-yeol stressed on Thursday that economic diplomacy is important and that he is willing to go anywhere if it helps the economy during a meeting with Foreign Minister Park Jin on Thursday. After a two and half hour meeting, Minister Park held a press briefing where he said that President Yoon ordered him to look after the diplomatic relationships with Russia, China, Japan and the US -- with a focus on the Korea-US alliance -- and expand diplomatic horizons in Asia, the Middle

July 21, 2022

[Newsmaker] South Korea sets 7 diplomatic tasks, aims to expand presence as ‘global pivotal state’

South Korea will aim to reset relations with the neighboring countries of Japan and China and build regional cooperative network to strengthen its role as a “global pivotal state,” Foreign Minister Park Jin said in his briefing to the president on major diplomatic tasks on Thursday. In his first official report to President Yoon Suk-yeol, Park presented an operation plan to carry out seven major diplomatic tasks, including a diplomacy road map with major countries, operation plans

July 21, 2022

Hungarian, Colombian ambassadors become honorary Seoul citizens

The Hungarian and Colombian ambassadors to South Korea were awarded honorary citizenship of Seoul on Thursday in recognition of their contributions to developing bilateral ties. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presented a certificate of honorary citizenship to Hungarian Ambassador to South Korea Mozes Csoma and Colombian Ambassador to South Korea Juan Carlos Caiza Rosero in a ceremony at City Hall. Csoma, a fluent speaker of the Korean language, has served as Budapest's ambassador to South Korea sin

July 21, 2022

S. Korea vows to actively promote global supply chain resilience

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun virtually participated in the Supply Chain Ministerial, a US-led ministerial-level meeting to discuss ways to build long-term supply chain reliance for the future, Seoul’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The Supply Chain Ministerial, hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, was attended by ministers from 18 countries, who together signed a joint statement that was

July 21, 2022

Nat’l security adviser meets with new US ambassador

National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han met with the new US ambassador to Seoul on Wednesday and expressed hope for further development of bilateral ties, the presidential office said. Kim told Ambassador Philip Goldberg he hopes the envoy’s arrival will serve as an opportunity to further accelerate the two countries’ efforts to realize the vision of a global comprehensive strategic alliance agreed by President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden during their summit in Seoul in

July 20, 2022

S. Korea vows to join efforts to build global health care system for future

South Korea will continue to contribute to global peace and prosperity by joining the international community in efforts to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Minister Park Jin said at a foreign ministerial meeting, according to the ministry Wednesday. Park virtually attended the COVID-19 Global Action Plan Foreign Ministerial Meeting, which was jointly hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Tuesday. Park was in Tokyo on his o

July 20, 2022

South Korea downgraded to Tier 2 in US human trafficking report

South Korea was downgraded in a US annual human trafficking report by a tier for the first time in 20 years. As the US State Department report pointed out, Korea did not “fully” meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Seoul said it would review its past year’s effort and work to provide explanations if necessary. Although Seoul authorities have made no official assessment of the downgrade, officials have reportedly hinted at insufficient communications

July 20, 2022

[Hwang’s China and the World] Changes in European security environment: A temporary shake or an overall paradigm shift?

The NATO summit at the end of June signaled a shift in global security. The summit identified Russia as a direct threat and China as a systemic challenge. The results of the NATO summit indicate where the United States’ policy objectives stand. The US’ new strategy in the Asia-Pacific region is the Indo-Pacific strategy, and its strategy in Europe is NATO’s eastward expansion. The US is aiming to build a connection between the Indo-Pacific and NATO. We can see that the US e

July 20, 2022

Yoon, Gabonese president hold summit talks

President Yoon Suk-yeol and visiting Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba held summit talks Wednesday, Yoon's spokesperson said. The summit came as South Korea and Gabon marked the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties, the presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun told reporters. (Yonhap)

July 20, 2022

Seoul reaches out to Japan, Yoon says he has ‘certainty’ for cooperation for better ties

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and discussed ways to improve the long-strained bilateral ties between the two countries in Tokyo on Tuesday. In his meeting with Kishida, Park delivered South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s message and Yoon’s determination to reset bilateral ties with Japan. “I relayed President Yoon’s message and suggested for the two leaders (Yoon and Kishida) to meet at a convenient time to re

July 19, 2022

Top Korea, Japan diplomats discuss bilateral ties, NK issues

South Korea and Japan appear to be making good on their respective leaders’ pledges to seek better relations, with Seoul’s foreign minister making the first official visit to the country in nearly five years. On Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi to discuss a series of contentious issues between the two countries, as well as North Korea-related issues It is Park’s first official trip after the inauguration of P

July 18, 2022

Yoon expected to discuss economic security with Janet Yellen on Tuesday

President Yoon Suk-yeol will meet with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Yongsan, Seoul, on Tuesday, and they are expected to discuss issues related to economic security, including supply chains and the establishment of economic partnerships between the two countries. “The economic situation between Korea and the US is very difficult, not only in Korea but also in the US and internationally. So we will discuss various pending methods to stabilize the situation,” the president

July 18, 2022

Indonesia president to visit S. Korea late this month

Indonesian President Joko Widodo plans to visit South Korea late this month for summit talks with President Yoon Suk-yeol, according to Yoon's office on Monday. South Korea and Indonesia have been in consultations about the summit's agenda and the itinerary of Widodo's planned visit to Seoul, according to the presidential office. Yoon and Widodo are expected to hold in-depth discussions about economic security, defense industry and other issues. Widodo, current chair of the G-20,

July 18, 2022

Foreign minister to hold first bilateral talk with Japan this week

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin will hold his first bilateral talk with his Japanese counterpart this week to discuss ways to improve the long-strained bilateral ties during his visit to Japan, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. It would be the foreign minister’s first official trip to Japan after the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in May. During the three-day trip from Monday to Wednesday, Park is expected to discuss a series of contentious issue

July 17, 2022

South Korean foreign minister to make 3-day trip to Japan next week

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin will embark on a three-day trip to Japan next week to discuss areas of bilateral relations and North Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. Park's trip from Monday to Wednesday will be the first by a foreign minister to the neighboring country under the new South Korean administration led by President Yoon Suk-yeol. The ministry said Park will "hold a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and discuss issues of mutual interes

July 15, 2022

N. Korea says Ukraine has 'no right' to criticize its recognition of separatist regions

North Korea said Friday that Ukraine has no right to take issue with its recognition of two breakaway regions in the war-torn country earlier this week, calling the measure a "legitimate exercise of sovereignty." On Wednesday, Ukraine announced its decision to sever diplomatic relations with North Korea for formally backing the independence of the pro-Moscow republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In response to a question by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) over t

July 15, 2022

[Newsmaker] Sharp increase in burials in Russian-held areas of Ukraine: NGO

KYIV, Ukraine - Satellite photos and on-the-ground images reveal a sharp increase in burials in Russian-held areas of Ukraine, according to a report released Friday. The non-government Centre for Information Resilience analysed images of burials in six areas -- two of them previously held by Russian forces and the rest still under Moscow's control in southern Ukraine. "Open source information can give unprecedented reach behind the frontlines of the war in Ukraine and into areas occupied by

July 15, 2022