Parliament denounces Abe for 'lack of repentance'

The National Assembly slammed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Tuesday for his failure to apologize for Japan's wartime sex slavery and other atrocities.Abe drew strong resentment from South Korea and world-renowned history scholars for his circumventing of the historical liability stemming from Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women during a U.S. Congress address last month.In the address, Abe sidestepped global calls for an apology for Japan's wartime atrocities including the sex

May 12, 2015

N. Korea's missile test to be on agenda for Yun, Kerry talks

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss North Korea's recent test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in their talks here next week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.Kerry is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday for a two-day visit ahead of South Korean President Park Geun-hye's trip to the U.S. in mid-June.On Monday, Yun and Kerry will hold talks on a wide range of issues, including preparations for Park's visit and North Ko

May 12, 2015

S. Korean envoy dismisses China's concern over U.S. missile defense

South Korean Ambassador to China Kim Jang-soo dismissed Beijing's concerns Tuesday over the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile-defense system in South Korea, saying that North Korea's nuclear and missile arsenals pose threats to both Seoul and Beijing. To better cope with the growing threats of North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities, both South Korean and U.S.officials have indicated the need for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery in South Korea. Arguing that th

May 12, 2015

S. Korea, Tanzania in talks to open embassy in Seoul

South Korea and Tanzania held talks Tuesday on opening a Tanzanian embassy in Seoul and other ways to enhance bilateral ties, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, but the African nation has yet to open an embassy in South Korea due to budgetary constraints, a ministry official said. The South Korean embassy in Tanzania was opened in 1992.Kwon Hee-seog, director-general of the ministry's Bureau for African and Middle Eastern Affairs, met

May 12, 2015

S. Korea, China, Japan hold talks for 3-way FTA

South Korea, Japan and China began a new round of negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement in Seoul on Tuesday in an effort to thrash out their remaining differences.The two-day meeting marks the seventh of its kind since the countries held the first round of negotiations in March 2013, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.But it is the first since the countries agreed to separate working-level talks from a head delegates' meeting, a move aimed at promoting in-depth d

May 12, 2015

Kerry to visit S. Korea next week

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will visit South Korea next week to discuss pending bilateral issues as well as President Park Geun-hye's trip to Washington, the State Department announced Monday.During the May 17-18 visit, Kerry will meet with President Park and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to "discuss a range of global, regional, and bilateral issues, as well as President Park's upcoming visit to the United States," the department said in a statement.Kerry's discussions in Seoul are expect

May 12, 2015

U.N. chief to visit S. Korea for education forum

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to South Korea next week to attend a global education forum, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.Ban, formerly South Korea's top diplomat, plans to participate in the World Education Forum to be held in Songdo, west of Seoul, from Tuesday through Friday, said the ministry.It would draw more than 2,000 officials and experts from UNESCO member states and other relevant international organizations, according to the ministry.During his five-day stay in hi

May 12, 2015

S. Korea denounces Japan for politicizing UNESCO

South Korea criticized Japan Friday for politicizing UNESCO through a campaign to win its recognition for several industrial facilities where many Koreans were coerced into slave labor during the colonial era.Japan has applied for the listing of a package of 23 coal mines, shipyards and other early industrial zones as world heritage sites. It includes seven facilities where nearly 60,000 Koreans were forced to work during World War II. Japan colonized Korea from 1910-45.The International Council

May 8, 2015

China opposes Japan's bid for colonial-era site as World Heritage

China opposes Japan's bid for world heritage of industrial sitesChina on Thursday voiced opposition to a bid by Japan to list some of its 19th century industrial complexes as UNESCO World Heritage sites, a move also criticized by South Korea because many Koreans were forced to work there. Japan is seeking to gain world heritage status for 23 industrial sites, where about one million Korean people were brought to such coal mines and shipyards. The Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony from 1910

May 7, 2015

S. Korean diplomacy at crossroads

Criticisms abound on the lack of South Korea's diplomacy as the United States and Japan hurry to enhance their bilateral alliance and Seoul shuns Tokyo over history disputes.South Korea has for decades maintained close three-way security ties not only with its ally, the U.S., but with Japan, South Korea's former colonizer, amid growing threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.Seoul's ties with Tokyo, however, have been soured in recent years as the Shinzo Abe government has refused to apologize fo

May 7, 2015

China emerges as S. Korea's No. 2 investment destination

China became South Korea's second-largest investment destination last year, relegating the European Union to the third spot, central bank data showed Thursday.South Korea's external investment, which includes stocks and bonds, reached $716.6 billion at the end of last year, up $95.5 billion from the previous year, according to the data compiled by the Bank of Korea.South Korean investment in the U.S. reached $173.6 billion at the end of last year, the largest among other regions with a 24.2 perc

May 7, 2015

S. Korea, U.S. begin Korean War remains excavation

South Korea and the United States launched a project Wednesday to dig up the remains of their soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.The allies kicked off the joint excavation for a three-day schedule in mountainous areas in the southern city of Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, where a division involving soldiers from the two nations launched a fierce battle in August 1950 against the invading North Korean forces, according to the Defense Ministry."Upon the tip-off by a ministry offic

May 6, 2015

S. Korea against Japan's UNESCO drive for slave labor sites

South Korea will continue efforts to thwart Japan's bid for the UNESCO listing of several wartime industrial facilities, where tens of thousands of Korean slave laborers toiled, officials here said Wednesday.A group of experts to review applications for world heritage sites has reportedly given the green light to Japan's attempt for the Paris-based organization's recognition of 23 coal mines, shipyards and other early industrial zones.Those include seven facilities where nearly 60,000 Koreans we

May 6, 2015

Int'l historians urge Japan to apologize for wartime sex slaves

A group of 187 internationally renowned history scholars urged Japan Tuesday to acknowledge and apologize for its wartime sex slavery, saying "denying or trivializing" it is "unacceptable."The joint appeal came a week after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe failed to offer a clear apology for the sexual slavery or other wartime atrocities when he delivered an unprecedented address at a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.It is unusual for such a large number of international historians to take c

May 6, 2015

Park says Abe under fire in U.S. for lack of history apology

President Park Geun-hye said Monday that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been under fire in the United States for his failure to properly apologize for Japan's wartime sex slavery.South Korea and Japan have long been at odds over their shared history, including the Japanese military's sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.Japan did not "face up to history," Park said in her first meeting with her top aides since she returned to work after a weeklong absence caused by fati

May 4, 2015

S. Korea could be tempted to go nuclear: U.S. scientist

A U.S. scientist says South Korea could be tempted to develop its own nuclear weapons to cope with a nuclear-armed North Korea or if Japan decides to go nuclear.Charles Ferguson, president of the Federation of American Scientists, made the claim in a report, saying external geopolitical and internal domestic political circumstances could lead to "trusted allies, such as South Korea or Japan" developing nuclear weapons."If the United States were perceived to not be able to reliably and credibly c

May 4, 2015

S. Korea agrees with China, Japan on monetary policies

South Korea Sunday agreed with China and Japan that they will cooperate closely to minimize the adverse effects of their governments' expansionary monetary policies.The monetary policy of each government should be decided in a prudent manner and shared by the governments in a transparent manner, said a statement released by South Korean Minister Choi Kyung-hwan and his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Lou Jiwei, and Taro Aso, after a trilateral meeting in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.They a

May 3, 2015

Canada eyes more nuclear cooperation with S.Korea: minister

Canada wants to step up cooperation with South Korea in the nuclear energy industry as a bilateral free trade deal and Seoul's revised nuclear agreement with the United States provide more room for advanced projects, a senior Canadian official said Sunday. Reza Moridi, head of Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation, said South Korea has made "landmark technological achievements" since importing four Candu reactors from Canada four decades ago and is getting ready to team up with Canadian

May 3, 2015

Seoul's entry to AIIB not to impact Korea-U.S. ties: U.S. envoy

South Korea's participation in a China-led regional bank will not affect the strong alliance between Seoul and Washington, the top U.S. envoy here said Thursday.  South Korea joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a founding member with 56 other economies. The regional bank is seen as a potential counterbalance to U.S.-led multilateral lenders such as the ADB and the World Bank.  "In terms of the AIIB, will it affect the relationship with the Republic of Korea? The answer is no," Mar

April 30, 2015

N. Korean army deserters kill 3 Chinese citizens: report

Three North Koreans believed to be army deserters killed three Chinese citizens in the border city of Helong last week, a Chinese media reported Wednesday.  The Beijing News, citing a statement issued by a verified Weibo account of the propaganda department of Helong, said a manhunt has been under way.   The incident took place on Friday just across the Tumen River dividing China and North Korea, according to the report. South Korean public broadcaster KBS reported the incident on Tuesday night.

April 29, 2015