Japan denies reports suspecting Korean link to war shrine blast

Japanese law enforcement officials have denied news reports that cast suspicion on a South Korean national for a recent explosion at a Tokyo war shrine, police said Thursday.  Japanese police have not yet identified the suspect who caused the blast at the Yasukuni Shrine on Nov. 23, and thus do not have a plan to collaborate with South Korean authorities, an official from the National Police Agency said, quoting a Japanese official.  There has been speculation from Japanese news media that a man

Dec. 3, 2015

U.S. bill calls for moratorium on refugee admissions from high-risk countries like Syria, North Korea

A U.S. senator has introduced a bill calling for a temporary moratorium on accepting refugees from dozens of "high-risk" countries that include Syria and North Korea.The bill, submitted by Sen. Rand Paul last month, is aimed mainly at preventing the entry of extremists into the U.S. under the refugee program. It came after revelations that one of the terrorists in last month's deadly attacks in Paris posed as a refugee to enter France.A total of 34 countries were classified as high-risk countrie

Dec. 3, 2015

Park arrives in Czech Republic for summits with regional leaders

President Park Geun-hye arrived in Prague Tuesday for a summit with regional leaders later this week after attending the U.N. climate change summit in France.Park is scheduled to meet with Czech President Milos Zeman on Wednesday to discuss how to boost bilateral relations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties.Park also plans to meet with Zeman and their counterparts from Hungary, Poland and Slovakia on Thursday. The four central European countries

Dec. 2, 2015

Korea warns Japan against revising history

South Korea warned Japan Tuesday that any attempt to revise history through a newly established panel will face greater backlash from the international community.Earlier this week, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party reportedly launched a panel aimed at reviewing the country's history in the period after the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895).Critics have raised concerns it could serve to justify Japan's wartime wrongdoings."Our government is well aware of such media reports and we are carefully

Dec. 1, 2015

U.S. congressmen pledge to help realize family reunions involving Korean-Americans

A group of U.S. congressmen pledged all-out efforts on Monday to help realize family reunions between Korean-Americans and their long-lost relatives in North Korea."This is a humanitarian issue that I believe has to be met with international attention," Rep. Robert Dold said during a forum on the issue held at a congressional building. "We're losing by the day family members that are no longer able to see their loved ones."Millions of Koreans remain separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.Since the

Dec. 1, 2015

Obama, Xi agree to work together for global climate deal

U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Monday to work together to help produce a global deal on cutting greenhouse gas emissions at a U.N. conference on climate change, the White House said.The two leaders reached the agreement when they met on the sidelines of the U.N. conference in Paris designed to build political momentum for negotiations on a new, legally binding deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It brought together leaders from more than 140 countries."The

Dec. 1, 2015

Trump criticizes Obama for focusing too much on climate change while ignoring North Korea

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump criticized President Barack Obama on Monday for putting too much focus on curbing climate change while ignoring more serious problems like North Korea.In an interview with MSNBC, Trump said it was "one of the dumbest statements I've ever heard in politics" for Obama to say that "our No. 1 problem is global warming."Obama was in Paris for a crucial U.N. conference aimed at working out a deal on curbing climate change."When we have large groups of

Dec. 1, 2015

Park asks Putin to play role in reviving nuclear talks

President Park Geun-hye asked her Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to play an active role to help revive meaningful talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.Russia has been involved in the long-stalled six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program in return for political concessions and economic aid. The nuclear talks -- which also involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China and Japan -- were last held in 2008.Park also asked Putin

Dec. 1, 2015

Park calls for efforts for launch of new deal on climate change

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has called for global efforts to launch a new deal on combating climate change, saying there is no time for hesitation as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has reached record levels."We must marshal the collective will and capacities of the entire world and make absolutely sure that this Climate Change Conference gives birth to a new climate regime," Park said Monday in a speech at the leaders' event of a crucial U.N. conference on

Dec. 1, 2015

Park visits site of deadly terror attack in Paris

President Park Geun-hye has visited the site of the deadly terror attack in Paris after attending the U.N. climate change summit, in a symbolic gesture that underscored South Korea's solidarity with France.Park laid white chrysanthemums in front of the Bataclan Theater and paid silent tribute to those who were killed in the attack on Nov. 13."I offer condolences to the victims of the terror attack, and we will always be with France," Park told French culture minister Fleur Pellerin at the site o

Dec. 1, 2015

U.S. diplomat handling missile defense to visit China

A senior U.S. diplomat handling missile defense issues is set to visit China this week for a regional security meeting and bilateral discussions, the State Department said, amid speculation his meetings with Chinese officials could include the THAAD missile defense system.Frank Rose, assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, will visit Beijing from Monday through Thursday to attend an ASEAN Regional Forum workshop on space security, the department said in a rele

Nov. 30, 2015

Korea bans travel to parts of Philippines

South Korea has imposed a travel ban on some areas of the Philippines following a series of violent crimes against its nationals there, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.  Starting next Tuesday, South Koreans will be banned from visiting or residing in four regions of the southern island of Mindanao -- Zamboanga, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, the ministry said in a statement.  The decision comes after a South Korean man in his 70s was found dead last month after being kidnapped by Muslim militan

Nov. 26, 2015

Ex-foreign minister questions Korea's efforts to improve ties with Japan

South Korea should reflect on whether it has done enough to improve its stormy ties with Japan, a former South Korean foreign minister said Thursday.  Yu Myung-hwan, who served as Seoul's top diplomat from 2008-2010 under the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, made the remark during a symposium on South Korea-Japan ties, which mark the 50th anniversary of normalization this year.  Relations between the two countries, however, have been strained due to disputes over issues stemming from Japan

Nov. 26, 2015

U.S. congressman urges Japan to resolve sex slave issue

A U.S. congressman urged Japan on Tuesday to resolve the grievances of Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II, saying the issue is "solely in the hands" of the Japanese government.  Rep. Mike Kelly made the remark during a lecture at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a private think tank in Seoul, where he spoke about the South Korea-U.S. alliance and other regional issues.  Kelly currently serves as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on

Nov. 24, 2015

Lawmakers from 5 countries launch anti-sexual slavery coalition

Lawmakers from South Korea, the United States and three other countries launched an anti-sexual slavery coalition Monday, calling on Japan to resolve the issue of its wartime sexual slavery so as to set an example for addressing similar problems around the world.  The International Parliamentary Coalition for Victims of Sexual Slavery was officially launched at a news conference at U.N. headquarters. Co-chairs of the group are Lee Jasmine from South Korea; Mike Honda from the U.S.; Yonah Martin

Nov. 24, 2015

China extends condolences over death of ex-president Kim

China on Monday expressed condolences over the death of former South Korean President Kim Young-sam, crediting him for making contributions to the development of Korea-China relations.    China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei, in a statement sent to Yonhap News Agency, said the Chinese government "extended condolences" over the death of Kim, who "made contributions to the development of China-Korea relations during his presidency."   Former President Kim, who died of a blood infection and

Nov. 23, 2015

Korea condemns Mali hotel attack

The Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned a terrorist attack that took place last week at a hotel in Mali, vowing to join global efforts to eradicate terrorism.  Armed assailants attacked a luxury hotel in the west African country's capital of Bamako on Friday, killing 19 people in a hostage crisis, a week after a series of terrorist attacks in Paris.  The ministry said the South Korean government cannot hide its shock and anger over the attack in Mali, expressing condolences to victims of the as

Nov. 23, 2015

Regional leaders condemn terrorist attacks; vow to counter terrorism

President Park Geun-hye and more than a dozen regional leaders on Sunday condemned a recent series of terrorist attacks in Paris and other areas as they pledged unshaken resolve to stand together in countering terrorism and violent extremism.  "We denounce terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including the spread of violent extremist ideologies and propaganda" according to a statement issued at the end of the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur.  The annual summit is

Nov. 23, 2015

Park returns home after three-nation swing for regional summits

President Park Geun-hye returned home Monday after a three-nation swing to attend a string of summits with regional leaders on how to deepen economic integration.  Still, the summits were partly overshadowed by the recent deadly terrorist attacks in Paris that killed more than 120 people.  Park and more than a dozen regional leaders condemned the series of attacks in Paris and other areas as was the case in the two other high-profile summits last week.  "We denounce terrorism and violent extremi

Nov. 23, 2015

Japanese books denying responsibility for wartime sexual slavery distributed to American scholars

Right-wing Japanese activists are believed to be distributing books denying Tokyo's responsibility for sexual slavery during World War II to American scholars and experts as part of a campaign to water down the atrocity, sources said Sunday.  Hundreds of copies of such books, including "History Wars" published by the Sankei Shimbun and a book authored by Oh Sun-hwa (O Sonfa), a Korean-born naturalized Japanese nationalist, have been sent to scholars, professors and experts in Washington and else

Nov. 23, 2015