The United States and its allied countries will ultimately develop an alternative mechanism to replace the soon-to-be-dissolved UN panel of experts tasked with monitoring sanctions on North Korea, said the US ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday in response to Russia's recent exercise of veto rights on the matter at the UN Security Council. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted that the initiative will proceed independently, regardless of the cooperation and agreement of C

Foreign Affairs April 17, 2024

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, on Tuesday delivered a concise yet stern message to China and Russia not to hide and reward North Korea's bad behavior. She also urged Pyongyang to "say yes" to Washington's repeated calls for dialogue without preconditions. "Hiding the truth does not change it. Rewarding bad behavior only encourages it," Thomas-Greenfield conveyed pointed admonition to China and Russia during her visit to

Foreign Affairs April 16, 2024

South Korea's Foreign Ministry lodged a strong protest Tuesday against Japan's renewed assertion of its unjust sovereignty claim over Dokdo, the easternmost sovereign islets of South Korea, in its annual report on diplomatic policy. A Japanese diplomat was also summoned by the Foreign Ministry less than two hours after the ministry's spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, issued a formal denunciation. "The government strongly protests against the Japanese government's repeated inclu

Foreign Affairs April 16, 2024

South Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a special travel advisory for Iran, effective as of Monday, in response to the escalating tensions in the Middle East. The special travel advisory is equivalent to a travel alert level 3 within the 4-stage travel alert system, or a red alert, which advises nationals to leave the designated area unless it's an emergency and to postpone or cancel planned trips to the area. While the previous level 3 alert for specific regions of Iran remains unchange

Foreign Affairs April 15, 2024

The South Korean government issued a statement Sunday denouncing Iran's direct drone and missile attack on Israeli territory late Saturday, urging all involved parties to exercise restraint. "The government strongly condemns Iran's massive attack on Israel that took place on April 13 local time," read the statement issued under the name of a spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. "The government is closely monitoring the situation with grave concerns and urges al

Foreign Affairs April 14, 2024

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's resounding victory in Wednesday's National Assembly election may leave President Yoon Suk Yeol confronted with a dilemma in the realm of foreign policy. In essence, the South Korean leader may find himself navigating a pressing need to prioritize foreign affairs, including his landmark rapprochement with Japan and trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan, amid the looming specter of a lame-duck period. However, this imperative could

Foreign Affairs April 11, 2024

China is delicately navigating a diplomatic tightrope on the Korean Peninsula by simultaneously reaching out to both South and North Korea, amid the growing alignment between Russia and North Korea, and alongside heightened cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan. China has swiftly advanced its diplomatic agenda on the peninsula by agreeing to hold a long-stalled trilateral summit involving South Korea and Japan next month, while also dispatching its No. 3 official to North Ko

Foreign Affairs April 10, 2024

China's top legislator and No. 3 official, Zhao Leji, is set to visit North Korea from Thursday to Saturday as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year, China's Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday. The delegation of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government, led by Zhao, will "make an official goodwill visit" to North Korea, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Mao Ning said. Mao explained that the invitatio

Foreign Affairs April 9, 2024

Pyongyang seems unprepared to address "outstanding issues of concern," including its missile and nuclear programs, as well as the abduction of Japanese nationals -- all of which are deemed important for the Japanese leader -- during talks with Tokyo, the Japanese ambassador to the United States said Monday. Ambassador Shigeo Yamada clarified Japan's motivation for advocating a summit between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as well as Kishida'

Foreign Affairs April 9, 2024

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, is scheduled to visit South Korea and Japan next week to discuss a wide range of issues, including Russia's recent exercise of its veto to extend the mandate of a panel of experts overseeing sanctions on North Korea, the US mission to the UN announced Monday. The visit to the US' key Asian treaty allies, scheduled for April 14-20, comes at a crucial juncture, underscoring the pressing need to bolster bilateral

Foreign Affairs April 9, 2024

South Korea, Japan and China are in the process of finalizing a date for a trilateral summit that has not taken place since December 2019, South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Monday. Cho confirmed this during his meeting with Secretary-General Lee Hee-sup of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, according to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry. The TCS is an international organization dedicated to fostering lasting peace, shared prosperity and cultural exchange among South Ko

Foreign Affairs April 8, 2024

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's steadfast pursuit of a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, despite Pyongyang's unequivocal public refusals to engage with Japan and address the abduction of Japanese citizens, is primarily intended to resonate with the domestic audience, experts in Seoul said Monday. Another objective for Japan could be preparing for the potential revival of a summit between the United States and North Korea if Donald Trump is elected president in the No

Foreign Affairs April 8, 2024

South Korea and Japan should work towards "normalizing bilateral defense relations through a first-ever joint security declaration" in light of the growing necessity to strengthen connections between their respective militaries, according to a report from a Washington-based think tank released Thursday. The report titled "The US-Japan Alliance in 2024: Toward an Integrated Alliance," sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), emphasized that the &

Foreign Affairs April 5, 2024

South Korea, Japan, and China are in discussions to finalize a date for a long-awaited trilateral summit in Seoul, which has been on hold since 2019, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Friday. "The three countries -- South Korea, Japan, and China -- have agreed to convene a summit at the earliest convenient time, and we have been in discussions with Japan and China to facilitate this," a Foreign Ministry official, who requested to remain anonymous, said. "We are currently d

Foreign Affairs April 5, 2024

South Korea is poised to chair a UN Security Council meeting on cybersecurity on Thursday to shed light on the repercussions of cyber threats and malicious cyber activities, including North Korea's sanctions-busting maneuvers in cyberspace, on international peace and security. The chairing of South Korea's first Arria-formula meeting — an informal gathering convened by a Security Council member or members — represents a significant milestone for Korea since assuming its pos

Foreign Affairs April 4, 2024