A growing number of South Koreans living in Myanmar are being evacuated from the country amid a violent crackdown on anti-coup protests that has left hundreds dead. 　 According to the Korean Foreign Ministry on Monday, a total of 411 Korean nationals residing in the Southeast Asian country have returned home since the military seized control of the country Feb. 1. 　 Starting this month, the number of chartered flights between Yangon and Incheon has been increased to facilitate the swift retur

Foreign Affairs April 5, 2021

As high-level talks by top security officials in the US and China ended with putting North Korea’s denuclearization issue at the fore, all eyes are on what kind of changes it could bring on the Korean Peninsula under the Biden administration amid an intensifying US-China rivalry.  Experts say Seoul’s push for reviving the deadlocked nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang could gain momentum following the meetings, but as to whether the reclusive regime will respond and how South Kor

Foreign Affairs April 4, 2021

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Wednesday expressed hopes of meeting with his Japanese counterpart at an early date in an effort to repair bilateral ties that have long been strained over economic and historic disputes.   　 “Personally, I hope for the foreign ministerial talks between Korea and Japan to take place at an early date,” Chung told a press conference held at the Foreign Ministry, saying he was intent on meeting Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu M

Foreign Affairs March 31, 2021

The Korea International Cooperation Agency on Tuesday vowed to focus on digitization, expanding eco-friendly projects in its official development assistance programs, in line with the government’s push for green growth. 　 At the press conference marking KOICA’s 30th anniversary, Sohn Hyuk-sang, president of the state-run overseas aid agency, reflected on the past 30 years of aid history and pointed to three areas the agency would emphasize in order to become a leading global agency

Foreign Affairs March 30, 2021

North Korea on Monday denounced the United Nations for applying a “double standard” in criticizing Pyongyang’s recent missile test, accusing the international organization of infringing on the North’s sovereignty.   　 Jo Chol-su, director general of the department of international organizations within North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, issued a statement via the state-run Korea Central News Agency on Monday, after Pyongyang test-fired two short-range ballistic m

North Korea March 29, 2021

South Korea and Japan’s unresolved dispute over what to call a body of water between the two countries came to the fore again after the US military called it the “East Sea,” and then later corrected it to the “Sea of Japan.” On Thursday, the US Indo-Pacific Command, in confirming North Korea’s missiles test, said the launches were made into the “East Sea,” the name which Seoul prefers.  Tokyo immediately protested the reference, with its De

Foreign Affairs March 26, 2021

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday stressed efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and called for related countries to renounce the arms race amid a ramping up of tensions in the region, following Pyongyang’s launch of what appeared to be ballistic missiles.   　 Lavrov’s remark came after his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, just hours after North Korea had fired two short-range

Foreign Affairs March 25, 2021

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday condemning human rights violations in North Korea once again. South Korea decided not to co-sponsor it for the third year in a row. 　 The UN’s top human rights body passed the resolution by consensus for the 19th straight year during its 46th session in Geneva. 　 For the third consecutive year, South Korea opted out of co-sponsoring the bill, which denounces the regime’s human rights abuses, taking part in the

North Korea March 24, 2021

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook received their first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, in preparation to visit the United Kingdom for a Group of Seven summit in June. 　 Moon, 68, was administered the shot in his left arm at the Jongno-gu public health center near the presidential office, along with first lady Kim and nine Cheong Wa Dae aides, including national security adviser Suh Hoon, who are accompanying them to Britain in June. 　 Korea

Politics March 23, 2021

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged messages Monday in which Kim stressed unity and stronger cooperation against hostile forces, in what is seen as a move to bolster their traditional alliance in the face of intensifying tension between China and the US, as well as stalled nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. 　 The North’s state-run Korea Central News Agency on Tuesday reported on the exchange of messages between the heads of the two coun

North Korea March 23, 2021

For many South Koreans, coffee is the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Colombia.   　 As one of the largest coffee producers in the world, Colombia enjoys a presence in cafes here with fresh, high-quality coffee beans that feed this coffee-loving nation.   　 Along with coffee, there are many more areas where the two countries can share what they have to offer, said visiting high-ranking officials from Colombia last week. These include agriculture, trade, culture and

Foreign Affairs March 22, 2021

A senior US diplomat on Friday stressed South Korea’s “input” in Washington’s ongoing policy review on North Korea, reiterating the importance of close consultations and coordination between the allies in dealing with the reclusive regime.  The remarks were made by Sung Kim, acting US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, during his meeting with Noh Kyu-duk, South Korea’s top nuclear envoy, at the Foreign Ministry earlier in the day

North Korea March 19, 2021

South Korea and the US on Thursday stressed that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile issues are a “priority” for the alliance, while Washington renewed pressure on Beijing to use its influence to convince Pyongyang to denuclearize.   　 The two allies issued a joint statement detailing the pledge, after the “two-plus-two” talks at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul earlier in the day, which involved South Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and De

Foreign Affairs March 18, 2021

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with their respective counterparts in Seoul on Wednesday and reaffirmed their alliance as a bulwark against unprecedented challenges posed by Beijing and Pyongyang.  The pair arrived in Seoul after a two-day visit in Tokyo, in the first overseas trip by top members of President Joe Biden’s cabinet since his inauguration in January.  The high-profile trip in the region is seen as Washington&rsquo

Foreign Affairs March 17, 2021

Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful younger sister, slammed South Korea and the US for conducting joint military exercises and threatened to scrap an inter-Korean military pact Tuesday, a day before high-level US officials are to arrive in Seoul. 　 Kim, who has taken center stage in attacking Seoul and Washington in the past, also sent a direct message to the US for the first time since President Joe Biden took office in January. She warned the US against “causi

North Korea March 16, 2021