Indian Ambassador to South Korea Amit Kumar and The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young agreed to explore together opportunities for cooperation and to join efforts in raising awareness of India in South Korea and vice versa, in their meeting in Seoul on Friday. The Indian ambassador who was newly appointed in September also expressed a desire to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and South Korea, which celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. "I firmly believe that India, curren

Foreign Affairs Nov. 25, 2022

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, called South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol an “idiot,” and threatened to make Seoul its “target,” in a statement Thursday. Criticizing the Yoon Suk-yeol administration for its hostile North Korea policy aimed at deterring its nuclear program, Kim, the vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, said imposing sanctions against her regime is not the way for Seoul to ach

North Korea Nov. 24, 2022

Leaders of South Korea and Kenya on Wednesday agreed to expand economic exchanges in the areas of energy, defense and transport in the first bilateral summit that came in 32 years. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol requested Kenya's interest in having more Korean energy and defense companies work on state-led projects, while Kenyan President William Ruto asked for Korea's cooperation in the African country's interest in nuclear energy and smart transport systems, the presiden

Foreign Affairs Nov. 23, 2022

The young girl who was holding hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at a missile test site, in photos released by Pyongyang’s state media, is Ju-ae, Kim’s second daughter, South Korea’s spy agency confirmed Tuesday. On Friday, Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s state-run media released a slew of photos of the North Korean leader holding hands with a young girl wearing a white jacket and red shoes. The news agency said Kim inspected the launch of its new strat

Foreign Affairs Nov. 22, 2022

As the United Nations Security Council was to convene an open meeting on Monday to discuss countermeasures to North Korea’s latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, Pyongyang denounced the UN chief as “not impartial,” calling him a “puppet” of the United States. The Korean Central News Agency on Monday delivered a statement issued by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, where she denounced UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his condemnat

Foreign Affairs Nov. 21, 2022

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un revealed his daughter to the world for the first time on Saturday, in photos of him holding a young girl’s hand as he inspected the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Experts say the unexpected event manifests Kim’s confidence in his missile program, and that it could possibly signal the beginning of her training for leadership succession. The Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang’s state media, said on Saturday Kim observed the

Foreign Affairs Nov. 20, 2022

North Korea stole $620 million in cryptocurrency from hacking a game company in March, which was likely used to fund the launching of dozens of ballistic missiles it fired in the first half of this year, Seoul’s special envoy for North Korea said Thursday. Speaking at a symposium on North Korea’s cyber threats jointly held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US State Department for the first time, Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs

Foreign Affairs Nov. 17, 2022

South Korea and the United States vowed to strengthen cooperation to counter North Korean threats in cyberspace Wednesday, after news that the reclusive state reaped billions of dollars in cryptocurrency scams to fund its nuclear program. The two countries held a second working group meeting on North Korean cyber threats in Seoul, the Foreign Ministry said. Some 60 government officials and experts attended the meeting, with Director General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs Lee Tae-woo of Foreign

Foreign Affairs Nov. 16, 2022

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first in-person bilateral summit on Monday, where they each showed a desire to improve US-China ties that have hit rock bottom in recent years. While they continue to stand at odds on key issues, including Taiwan, experts assess that Monday's summit will positively improve bilateral ties and reduce tensions. On the eve of the Group 20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, Biden and Xi met for about three hours, according to officials.

Foreign Affairs Nov. 15, 2022

South Korea’s first diplomatic strategy for the Indo-Pacific region appears to show the intention to align with the United States in the US-China rivalry, experts based in Seoul said Monday. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday unveiled the country's first Indo-Pacific strategy for freedom, peace and prosperity for the region, at the biannual Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cambodia. There, Yoon highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and stability i

Foreign Affairs Nov. 14, 2022

South Korea is set to reveal its long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy this week, drawing attention to the course Seoul sees for itself as it navigates between the United States and China. At the biannual Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit slated for Friday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to present the country’s first diplomatic strategy for the Indo-Pacific. The presidential office said the strategy is the last piece of a puzzle to complete Yoon’s diplomat

Foreign Affairs Nov. 10, 2022

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will present the country’s Indo-Pacific strategy at the biannual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit slated for later this week, the presidential office said on Wednesday. In a press briefing, national security adviser Kim Sung-han said Yoon will participate in the summit with leaders of ASEAN countries on Friday in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. There, he will announce the country’s Indo-Pacific strategy and also the government’s new ASE

Foreign Affairs Nov. 9, 2022

North Korea denied accusation of supplying weapons or ammunition to Russia, saying that it also does not have such plans in the future, while accusing the US of attempting to tarnish its reputation. Pyongyang’s state-operated Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday revealed a statement issued by a vice director of the Military Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of National Defense to denounce the US for spreading “groundless” rumors to tarnish its reputation. "We regard such mo

Foreign Affairs Nov. 8, 2022

South Korea, the United States and Japan on Monday strongly condemned North Korea for launching an unprecedented number of ballistic missiles last week, and warned that such provocative actions would only further isolate the regime. In a trilateral talk over the phone, South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong spoke with his American and Japanese counterparts, Wendy Sherman and Takeo Mori, to discuss cooperation measures to handle North Korea’s missile threats, Seoul’s F

Foreign Affairs Nov. 7, 2022

North Korea’s ramped up missile provocations last week highlight the deepening divide between the West and Pyongyang's allies China and Russia, building more tension on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea launched an unprecedented number of missiles last week, prompting the United Nations Security Council to hold an emergency council session on Friday to discuss ways to handle the multiple sanctions violations by Pyongyang. The meeting, however, failed to draw a unified voice to hold

Foreign Affairs Nov. 6, 2022