White House: THAAD deployment 'national security matter' for S. Korea, Japan

The deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system is a "national security matter" for South Korea, the White House said Tuesday, reaffirming it would go ahead as scheduled despite China's protest.   Earlier Tuesday, South Korea's Defense Ministry and US Forces Korea said they have brought two interceptor-missile launchers and other elements of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense into the US base in Osan, south of Seoul.The move marks the beginning of a deployment that China has vehemently op

March 8, 2017

Tillerson to visit Korea next week

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will visit South Korea next week in his first trip to the region that will also take him to Japan and China, the State Department announced Tuesday.Trillerson will be in Tokyo on March 15-17, Seoul on March 17-18, and Beijing on March 18, the department said. (Yonhap)"In each country, Secretary Tillerson will meet with senior officials to discuss bilateral and multilateral issues, including strategic coordination to address the advancing nuclear and missile th

March 8, 2017

China threatens more retaliation as Seoul, Washington start THAAD deployment

China on Tuesday threatened counteractions against South Korea and the US' deployment of the high-tech defense system THAAD which started this week. Earlier in the day, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense and the US Forces Korea said they have brought two interceptor-missile launchers and other elements of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense into the US base in Osan, south of Seoul. Parts of THAAD system arrive in Korea (Yonhap)"We solemnly object to South Korea and the US' deployment of

March 7, 2017

Trump agrees to work with S. Korea, Japan to show N. Korea 'very dire consequences'

US President Donald Trump agreed Monday to work with South Korea and Japan to show North Korea "very dire consequences" for its provocative actions, the White House said.Trump reached the agreement when he spoke separately by phone with South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a day after the North fired a barrage of four ballistic missiles. US President Donald Trump (Yonhap)"President Trump emphasized the United States' ironclad commitment to stand wi

March 7, 2017

S. Korea, Japan defense chiefs warn NK over missile provocation

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan vowed Tuesday to ensure North Korea "pays the price" for its provocations, one day after it test-fired four ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, the defense ministry said.South Korea's Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his counterpart Tomomi Inada held phone talks to discuss North Korea's latest missile launch, the ministry said. South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo talks to his counterpart Tomomi Inada. (Yonhap)They shared the view that North K

March 7, 2017

S. Korea, US, Japan request emergency meeting of UN Security Council over NK missile launches

South Korea, the United States and Japan requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss North Korea's latest missile launches, officials said Monday.The council is likely to hold a meeting on Wednesday after British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft returns from a trip, officials said.After the meeting, the council is expected to adopt a press statement condemning the launches just as it did after the North test-fired a newly developed intermediate-range ballistic missile last mon

March 7, 2017

Malaysia embraces automation, welcomes Korean expertise in manufacturing

KUALA LUMPUR -- In the age of automation, Malaysia is making a wholesale transformation of its industrial landscapes and boosting its global competitiveness, according to the country’s top investment officer. From semiconductors to oil and gas, food and beverages, the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia is incorporating the latest technologies in automation into the “smart manufacturing” processes, which cover a whole spectrum of industrial value chains. “Smart manufacturing is the way forw

March 6, 2017

Malaysia’s halal cosmetics vie to go global

KUALA LUMPUR -- Being a Muslim, Suraiya Hanafi prays twice during the workday, for which she has to cleanse her face of makeup. Suraiya is CEO of Tropika, a cosmetics firm in Malaysia that produces virgin coconut oil-based products for mothers and babies and which is striving to carve out a niche in the competitive global marketplace of beauty products. Malaysia is a country where over 60 percent of the population practices Islam. Islamic teachings and values can come to define many aspects of a

March 6, 2017

ASEAN abounds with treasures at golden jubilee

Recalling the tropical allures of Bali, an Indonesian island with turquoise blue sea, silken beaches, volcanic mountains and serene rice fields, Kim Young-sun describes his past ambassadorship with a whiff of nostalgia. “I never get bored visiting there,” he says, adding Bali -- also called the “Island of the Gods” -- provides an awe-inspiring mix of bodily and spiritual gratifications. “My other favorite destination is Lake Toba, the world’s largest volcanic lake, measuring 100 kilometers by 30

March 6, 2017

S. Korea to blast N. Korea for use of banned chemical at OPCW meeting

South Korea plans to bring up North Korea's recent use of the lethal VX nerve agent in the assassination of its leader's half brother in a bid to draw international attention to the North's chemical weapons threat during an international meeting this week, the foreign ministry said Monday.The foreign ministry's Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Choi Jong-moon plans to shed light on the case in his keynote speech to be delivered on Tuesday at an executive council session of the

March 6, 2017

Security advisers of S. Korea, US hold phone talks over NK missile

South Korea hastened coordination with the United States and Japan on Monday after the North fired four missiles toward the East Sea. Kim Kwan-jin, chief of South Korea's National Security Office, held a phone conversation with H.R. McMaster, Washington's national security adviser, to discuss a joint response to the North's latest provocation. (Yonhap)The top presidential security advisers agreed to enhance cooperation between the two allies to toughen sanctions and pressure on North Korea, Seou

March 6, 2017

Seoul likely to push diplomatic isolation of Pyongyang

South Korea is likely to intensify its push for the diplomatic isolation of North Korea by seeking suspension of its memberships at such global bodies as the UN, as condemnation grows over its continued missile provocations, government sources and experts said Monday.Earlier in the day, the North fired several ballistic missiles into the East Sea in an apparent protest against joint military drills ongoing between South Korea and the US This came after the North test-fired an intermediate-range

March 6, 2017

S. Korea condemns Pyongyang's missile provocations, warns of consequences

South Korea strongly condemned the North's latest missile provocation on Monday, calling it a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a grave threat both to the peninsula and the world. North Korea fired off several ballistic missiles toward the East Sea from near its northwestern Dongchang-ri missile site earlier in the day. They flew about 1,000 kilometers before falling in Japan's exclusive economic zone.The latest launch is timed with the ongoing joint military drills between

March 6, 2017

S. Korea condemns N. Korea's launch of 4 ballistic missiles

South Korea's unification ministry on Monday strongly condemned North Korea for launching four ballistic missiles, saying that the move constitutes a blatant violation of relevant UN Security Council's resolutions.North Korea fired off the ballistic missiles toward the East Sea from near its northwestern Dongchang-ri missile site earlier in the day. They flew about 1,000 kilometers before landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone. The Ministry of Unification said that the government strongly co

March 6, 2017

Foreign minister plans Southeast Asia tour following North Korean assassination in Malaysia

South Korea’s top diplomat Yun Byung-se is planning to visit Southeast Asian countries this month, a foreign ministry official said Sunday, as Seoul pushes to rally the region’s support for its efforts to put pressure on North Korea over its nuclear program as well as the recent assassination in Malaysia.“Foreign Minister Yun is reviewing plans to attend events to mark anniversaries of diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian countries,” the official said. If confirmed, the trip is likely to fa

March 5, 2017

[Herald Interview] ‘Public diplomacy essential for stronger Korea-US ties'

 Over the course of his US presidential campaign, Donald Trump spared no criticism against the country’s free trade pact with South Korea. Calling it a “disaster” and a “job killer,” the populist politician threatened to pull out of the treaty once he took office. 　But the US president was not the first to express such a negative view about the deal. Ever since negotiations kicked off in 2007, Trump-like rhetoric had resonated with South Koreans, particularly among liberal politicians and labor

March 5, 2017

S. Korean embassy launches task force to counter THAAD retaliation

South Korea‘s embassy in China said Saturday it has launched a special team to cope with Beijing’s latest economic retaliation against the country, which poses potential threats to its nationals.　The embassy said the team held its first meeting on Friday to share ideas on protecting South Koreans in China, including tourists and students, as well as companies. (Yonhap)　China has been expressing strong hostility toward South Korea‘s decision to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system in th

March 4, 2017

China vows to faithfully carry out sanctions on N. Korea, work on denuclearization

China promised to faithfully implement U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea and also renewed its commitment to working for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry here said Friday.   China made the promise in a telephone conversation between its top nuclear envoy Wu Dawei and his South Korean counterpart Kim Hong-kyun, according to the ministry.   During the telephone talks arranged at the request of China, both discussed North Korea and the threat po

March 3, 2017

Inhumane murder of leader‘s brother speaks of NK rights conditions: minister

The recent killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother with a toxic nerve agent constitutes a serious human rights violation, South Korea's unification minister said Friday."North Korea readily takes human lives in order to maintain power, and that's the reality of North Korea's human rights situation," Hong Yong-pyo told a forum in Seoul on the reclusive country's human rights conditions. (Yonhap)Kim Jong-nam, the first son of late former leader Kim Jong-il, died last month at an

March 3, 2017

S. Korea voices regrets over China‘s THAAD retaliation in tourism

The foreign ministry said Friday that it would be "most regrettable" if China is blocking its nationals from visiting South Korea as part of retaliatory actions against Seoul's move to host an advanced US antimissile system on its soil.On Thursday, media reports said that Beijing has ordered its local travel agencies to stop selling tour products for South Korea in what appears to be the latest action in a series of retaliations against the planned deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area D

March 3, 2017