North Korea has continued to fire shells near the western maritime border area for the third consecutive day since Friday, despite South Korea's repeated calls for an immediate cessation of such military action defying the Sept. 19, 2018, inter-Korean military agreement. The North Korean military fired around 90 shells north of South Korea's front-line island of Yeonpyeongdo from around 4 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. local time, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We issue a grave warni

Defense Jan. 7, 2024

South Korea, the United States and Japan jointly condemned deeper military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait during the first Indo-Pacific Dialogue. The three governments held the inaugural trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue in Washington on Friday, following up on the agreement established during the Camp David summit in August last year. The leaders of South Korea, the US and Japan previously agreed to launch

Foreign Affairs Jan. 7, 2024

South Korea has decided to disband the sole government-run foundation tasked with handling matters concerning the now-shuttered Kaesong industrial park, once a pivotal inter-Korean cooperation project, amid simmering tensions between the two Koreas. The Unification Ministry issued a public announcement on Thursday regarding the dissolution of the Gaeseong Industrial District Foundation, which was first established in 2007 under the auspices of the ministry, announcing the decision nearly eight y

North Korea Jan. 4, 2024

A statement by the Unification Ministry on Thursday has raised concerns as it urged South Korean voters to remain vigilant against North Korea's attempts to interfere in the upcoming April legislative elections. This remark seems inappropriate for the ministry, the primary role of which is to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula, and is supposed to maintain political neutrality, according to political commentators here. Stressing that North Korea has consistently sought to interfere in So

North Korea Jan. 4, 2024

South Korea embarked on its two-year tenure as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council as 2024 commenced, aiming to foster unified action on crucial security matters, including North Korea's nuclear buildup, amid ongoing discord among the five veto-wielding permanent members. South Korea's Foreign Ministry has underscored the growing importance of its present seat on the UN Security Council, even though the country previously held the position during the periods of 1996-1997 a

Foreign Affairs Jan. 2, 2024

As the calendar flicks over into 2024, South Korea finds itself entangled in an intricate tapestry of mounting uncertainties. In charting its course forward, Korea will need to navigate rising diplomatic complexities and elevated security risks -- especially the possibility of inter-Korean clashes -- while protecting its economic security amid the strategic competition between the United States and China. The challenges stem from two pivotal factors, over 10 experts based in South Korea told The

Foreign Affairs Jan. 1, 2024

The South Korean government on Wednesday imposed sanctions on the head of North Korea's primary intelligence agency responsible for overseas operations, along with seven other North Koreans. The announcement on unilateral economic sanctions was in response to North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Dec. 18, contravening multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. A total of eight designated North Korea

North Korea Dec. 27, 2023

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Thursday issued a joint statement condemning North Korea's consecutive launches of short and long-range ballistic missiles, pledging concerted efforts to block the Kim Jong-un regime's channels for illicit revenue. The joint statement was issued in the days following the UN Security Council meeting Tuesday, which, unfortunately, failed to produce any tangible actions once again to address North Korea's launches in vi

Foreign Affairs Dec. 21, 2023

Cho Tae-yul, the nominee for South Korean foreign minister, told reporters on Wednesday he intends to foster an improvement in Korea-China relations in harmony with Seoul's alliance with Washington. "Given that the relations between Korea and China are no less important than the Korea-US alliance, I will strive to seek ways to maintain the bilateral ties harmoniously," Cho said to reporters during his first day of preparations for a parliamentary confirmation hearing. Cho said he

Foreign Affairs Dec. 20, 2023

The security battalion comprising South Korean and US guard forces responsible for securing the Joint Security Area has reinstated armaments in response to North Korean soldiers carrying firearms across the inter-Korean border, according to the United Nations Command. The two Koreas had withdrawn firearms from the JSA in the truce village of Panmunjom in late October 2018, around a month after signing the Inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement. The JSA is the sole location where soldiers

Defense Dec. 19, 2023

Two Chinese and four Russian military planes on Thursday entered South Korea's air defense zone without providing prior notice, prompting responsive measures by the South Korean military. The simultaneous intrusion marks the first occurrence of its kind since June this year. The six aircraft entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone, or KADIZ, off its east coast between 11:53 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. local time, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on the same day in a statement

Defense Dec. 14, 2023

North Korea may resort to military provocations and psychological warfare, and escalate tensions to influence crucial elections in South Korea and the United States next year, the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification said Wednesday in an annual report. The elections will be crucial factors in shaping North Korea's foreign policy approach and strategic decisions in the coming year, experts at the KINU said during a briefing on the forecast of the security landscape on t

North Korea Dec. 13, 2023

A delegation of representatives from eight NATO member countries is set to visit Seoul later this week, in a rare collective visit reflecting the transatlantic security alliance's heightened interest in the Indo-Pacific region amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The three-day visit from Wednesday to Friday aims to "engage in discussions on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and other pertinent issues," South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Monday. The participating

Foreign Affairs Dec. 11, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to embark on a state visit to the Netherlands on Monday, mainly to "forge a chip alliance" and level up the existing bilateral strategic partnership in diplomacy, defense and economic security, the South Korean presidential office said Sunday. The two countries are expected to strengthen cooperation in addressing a diverse set of challenges, including chip supply chain issues compounded by the intensifying US-China tech war. "To forge a chip alliance

Foreign Affairs Dec. 10, 2023

South Korean attorney Paek Kee-bong was elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court on Wednesday. He is the third Korean to be elected to the court. Paek will serve a nine-year term from 2024 to 2033 at the ICC headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Six new judges were elected, comprising one-third of the court's total of 18 judges, during the annual session of the Assembly of States Parties in New York. ICC judges play a

Foreign Affairs Dec. 7, 2023