South Korea’s National Security Council on Friday strongly condemned North Korea for carrying out a series of military provocations overnight, including an artillery drill in violation of an inter-Korean military agreement. Early on Friday, Pyongyang fired some 170 artillery shots into maritime “buffer zones” in the east and west coast. It also launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea. Prior to the launch of the ballistic missile and artillery shots, the

Foreign Affairs Oct. 14, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping appears set on course to take an unprecedented third term in office at the upcoming Communist Party Congress, and his reappointment would likely ramp up geopolitical pressure for Seoul, experts here said Thursday. The experts also forecast that Xi's hawkish stance toward the US will only intensify the already heightened tensions between the two countries. This in turn will place South Korea in a more difficult position as the two superpowers would likely raise

Foreign Affairs Oct. 13, 2022

South Korea was not reelected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday, conceding to Bangladesh and the Maldives, among others. It is the first time the country has been turned down membership since the council was established in 2006. At the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Korea received 123 votes, landing fifth among seven Asian countries running to be part of the UN organization for the 2023-25 term. Bangladesh secured the most votes with 160 in the A

Foreign Affairs Oct. 12, 2022

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday made official its stance against plans to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, while backing other parts of the government's reorganization strategy. Countering the government’s plan to abolish it, the Democratic Party said the ministry should be expanded, with a reorganization of the ministry's functions. Rep. Kim Sung-hwan, who chairs the party’s policy planning committee, made such remarks during a p

Politics Oct. 11, 2022

The United Nations kicked off an investigation into a Niuean vessel that appears to have been sold to North Korea after it passed by the South's Busan Port, according to local reports on Tuesday. Citing the biannual report released by the UN Panel of Experts on UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, Radio Free Asia reported that the UN is currently looking into a laden cargo ship, An Hai 6, that was spotted outside Nampo lock gate in North Korea around mid-June of this year.

Foreign Affairs Oct. 11, 2022

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to bolster nuclear weapons capabilities “with all possible means” as he led a weekslong military training of tactical nuclear weapon units, the country’s state media said Monday. Leading a “field inspection” of the military drill conducted from Sept. 25 to Sunday, Kim also said there is no need to speak with “enemies,” while blaming the United States and South Korea for raising military tension on the Korean Peninsu

Foreign Affairs Oct. 10, 2022

The recent trilateral naval drill among South Korea, US and Japan has become the center of a dispute, after the main opposition party leader denounced it as “pro-Japanese.” Criticizing the military drill involving Japan, which annexed Korea from 1910-1945, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, claimed the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration may one day let Japan's Self-Defense Forces enter the Korean Peninsula. "It feels like steppin

Foreign Affairs Oct. 10, 2022

North Korea is in its final stage in preparations for nuclear tests and has made progress in its missile programs by launching an unprecedented number of ballistic missiles this year, a United Nations Security Council panel said in its biannual report. Publishing the report assessing North Korea and sanctions implementation covering the past six months from late January, the UN Panel of Experts on UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea also said the North may also be using students

Foreign Affairs Oct. 9, 2022

The United Nations Security Council failed to reach a consensus on how to handle the series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea, as China and Russia backed Pyongyang's actions as reasonable. The 15-member council held a public meeting on Wednesday to discuss North Korea's consecutive ballistic missile launches that include an intermediate-range missile that flew over Japan to land in the Pacific. The United States accused China and Russia, two permanent members of the council

Foreign Affairs Oct. 6, 2022

South Korea’s first vice minister exchanged phone calls with his US and Japanese counterparts to strongly condemn the North’s recent launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile and agreed to meet for trilateral talks in Tokyo this month. According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the First Vice Minister Cho Hyun-dong held a trilateral talk with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo over the phone after Pyongyang

Foreign Affairs Oct. 5, 2022

The parliamentary inspection of the Foreign Ministry dragged on to Tuesday midnight as lawmakers across the aisle wrangled over whether President Yoon Suk-yeol’s overseas trip last month was a “diplomatic disaster” or not. From the start of the session on Tuesday, the lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea refused to proceed, demanding Foreign Minister Park Jin to leave the session, citing last week's passage of a no-confidence motion. Less than 40 minu

Foreign Affairs Oct. 5, 2022

The parliamentary inspection of the Foreign Ministry failed to proceed as it kicked off Tuesday, with the main opposition lawmaker demanding the minister leave the session, holding him to account for the president’s overseas trip it claims to have ended as a “diplomatic disaster.” The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has taken issue with President Yoon Suk-yeol's seven-day trip to the UK, US and Canada last month, assessing that the trip was a "diplomatic fiasco&q

Foreign Affairs Oct. 4, 2022

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on Friday refuted the main opposition party’s claim that the president’s overseas trip this month was a “diplomatic disaster,” and expressed disappointment after lawmakers passed a motion calling for his dismissal. At the same time, Park said he would "carefully" take in the criticisms and do his best to carry out his duty as foreign minister. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and others have taken issue with P

Foreign Affairs Sept. 30, 2022

Following North Korea’s latest missile launch on Thursday, the top nuclear envoys of South Korea, Japan and the United States again held bilateral talks over the phone to reaffirm their united efforts to counter Pyongyang’s military threats, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Friday. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the western inland town of Sunchon in South Pyongan Province toward the East Sea on Thursday, marking the third launch in less than a week. Imm

Foreign Affairs Sept. 30, 2022

South Korea, Japan and the US are tightening trilateral bonds as Pyongyang is ramping up military provocations. After North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday evening, Seoul’s top nuclear envoy immediately held talks over the phone separately with his US and Japanese counterparts to affirm bilateral and trilateral cooperation to counter the North’s nuclear threats. According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, Kim Gunn, Seoul's special re

Foreign Affairs Sept. 29, 2022