Moon's special envoy departs for Russia

President Moon Jae-in's special envoy departed to Russia on Monday where he will seek to forge closer cooperation over North Korea and bilateral economic issues."I will do my efforts to deliver President Moon's visions for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issues and economic cooperation issues and to make a meaningful agreement," Rep. Song Young-gil of the ruling Democratic Party told reporters before his flight. President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy to Russia, Rep. Song Young-gil (cen

May 22, 2017

Duterte vows help to denuclearize N. Korea, curb its missile launches

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pledged to cooperate with China and other neighboring countries to help denuclearize North Korea and curb its missile launches during his meeting with President Moon Jae-in's special envoy on Monday.The meeting between Duterte and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon took place in Davao City, the Philippines, Park's first stop as Moon's special envoy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (Yonhap)During the meeting, Park conveyed a handwritten letter from Moon t

May 22, 2017

S. Korea to flexibly handle civilian inter-Korean exchanges

South Korea plans to resume humanitarian assistance to North Korea and civilian inter-Korean exchanges to an extent that the move would not compromise the international sanctions regime, a government official said Monday.The government said that it will sternly respond to North Korea's provocations but also does not believe that long-strained inter-Korean ties will help stability on the divided peninsula."The government plans to flexibly review (the resumption) of civilian inter-Korean exchanges

May 22, 2017

Korea welcomes Iran president's re-election, expects better ties

South Korea on Monday extended congratulations on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's re-election last week, expressing hopes for a boost for bilateral relations.Rouhani secured 57 percent of the vote in Iran's presidential election on Friday, winning a second term as president. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (EPA-Yonhap)South Korea "congratulates President Rouhani on his re-election," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement."Our government hopes Iran, on the opportunity of the late

May 22, 2017

Xi hopes to get ties with Korea back on normal track

BEIJING-- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that he hopes to get the ties with South Korea back on normal track, emphasizing the importance of the bilateral relations between the Asian neighbors. Xi made the remarks during his meeting with Lee Hae-chan, who was in Beijing as a special envoy that South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent to deliver his letter to the Chinese leader and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with South Korea's p

May 19, 2017

Korea's special presidential envoy meets with US congressional leaders

WASHINGTON -- A special envoy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a series of meetings with US congressional leaders on Thursday as he forged ahead with his mission to reaffirm and further strengthen the alliance between the two countries under the new government in Seoul.Special envoy Hong Seok-hyun arrived in Washington on Wednesday and paid a visit to President Donald Trump at the White House. During the meeting, Trump expressed hope for working closely together with Moon to strengthen

May 19, 2017

Abe vows to build future-oriented ties with Korea

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that South Korea is the "most important" country that shares strategic interests, adding he will move toward building future-oriented ties between the Asian neighbors.Abe made the remarks during a meeting with Moon Hee-sang, a special envoy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was sent to deliver his letter to Abe and discuss summit talks. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes.South Korean President Moon Jae-in's special envoy, Moon H

May 18, 2017

Moon's special envoy arrives in China for talks on summit, N. Korea

A special envoy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in China on Thursday for discussions on a summit between the countries' heads of state and ways to contain North Korea.Also high on the agenda for the special envoy, Lee Hae-chan, was a prolonged row between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of the US missile defense system THAAD in South Korea, officials from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae noted.President Moon Jae-in (left) shakes hands with his special envoy to China,

May 18, 2017

Korea's presidential envoy meets with Trump

WASHINGTON -- A special envoy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, an official said.Special envoy Hong Seok-hyun held the meeting with Trump at the White House for 10 minutes from 3:50 p.m. and handed him a letter from Moon, the official said. Also in attendance were National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, the official said. US special envoy Hong Seok-hyun (Yonhap)It was the first time Tru

May 18, 2017

Korea-Japan sex slavery deal comes under pressure for revision

The long-standing dispute over wartime sexual slavery has resurfaced to strain South Korea-Japan relations, as the government change in Seoul and a UN experts panel's recommendation lent momentum for redressing a 2015 deal aimed at resolving one of the trickiest issues between the two nations. President Moon Jae-in, who took office last Wednesday, called for the renegotiation of the much-criticized agreement during his campaign. In a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

May 17, 2017

S. Korea calls for reopening inter-Korean communication channel

South Korea's unification ministry on Wednesday expressed a need to reopen an inter-Korean communication hotline, which was severed early last year following North Korea's nuclear and missile tests.In February 2016, North Korea cut off two inter-Korean communication channels as it expelled remaining South Koreans from a joint industrial park in response to South Korea's closure of the Kaesong complex.The Ministry of Unification (Yonhap)One of them is a hotline at a liaison office located at the

May 17, 2017

Merry-go-round festivities of ASEAN cultures

The ASEAN-Korea Center has organized various cultural events throughout May and June, which have been designated as ASEAN Months to mark the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year. To uplift and strengthen bilateral relations between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea -- strategic partners since 2010 -- this year has been named the ASEAN-ROK Cultural Exchange Year. The intergovernmental organization will host academic lectures on the regional bloc’s diverse culture

May 16, 2017

Poland honors birth of modern Constitution

The Polish Embassy last week marked the birth of the country’s modern Constitution, the second of its kind in the world following the US Constitution of 1787.On every May 3 in Poland, people celebrate the creation of the supreme law in 1791, which has been credited with ushering in modern democracy and national development in the Central European country. Next year will be the centenary of Poland’s independence and in 2019, Poland and Korea will mark 30 years of diplomatic relations. “Our Polish

May 16, 2017

[Herald Interview] Norway shows way to thrive outside European Union

When Norway voted for the second time not to join the European Union through a referendum in 1994, the country had just brokered the Oslo peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians and hosted the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. Confidence was in the air, recalled Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Jan Grevstad. Norway, an affluent, benevolent and confident country always “on the doorstep” of the EU, but adroitly outside, had since moved on without regrets, the envoy said in an interview.“T

May 16, 2017

Chinese state councilor calls for efforts to recover ties with Korea under Moon admin.

BEIJING -- Chinese State Councilor for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi has called for joint efforts to repair South Korea-China relations under the new Moon Jae-in administration, a South Korean delegation said Tuesday. A South Korea delegation led by Rep. Park Byeong-seug of the ruling Democratic Party held talks with Yang on Monday evening on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which wrapped up its two-day run in Beijing the same day. Rep. Park Byeong-seug of th

May 16, 2017

Global ombudsman conference to be held in PyeongChang

The 2017 Global Ombudsman Conference will be held at the main convention center in Alpensia Resort in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, from Tuesday to Friday to map out development and the future of the ombudsmen alliance in Asia. This year’s four-day biannual event, co-hosted by South Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and the Gangwon Province Ombudsman, will be attended by 400 local and international guests, including leaders of the Asian Ombudsman Association and International

May 15, 2017

Pro-NK newspaper urges US to forge conditions for dialogue

A pro-North Korean newspaper in Tokyo said Monday the Trump administration should create a "proper situation" for dialogue first if it wants to avoid collision with the North and end the current deadlock. "The decades-long confrontation between the North and the United States would never be addressed for itself with just a recent remark by Trump that has hinted at the possibility of summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un," The Chosun Sinbo of the association of pro-Pyongyang residents

May 15, 2017