A visiting U.S. lawmaker has called the alliance between the United States and South Korea a "cornerstone" for regional peace and stability, expressing his conviction in its value and importance, the foreign ministry said Friday.Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is visiting South Korea, along with his colleagues Reps. Bill Flores and Ted Lieu. They met with Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam on Thursday in Seoul. "During the meeting, Rep. Royce said he has convictio

Foreign Affairs June 3, 2016

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and a French state school of landscape architecture have signed a memorandum of understanding  to set aside space for Korean vegetables in a French royal kitchen garden, officials here said Thursday.The move is part of bilateral efforts to bolster environmentally friendly agricultural cooperation on the occasion of the 130th anniversary this year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, the officials said.Under the MOU, the Seoul mu

Food June 2, 2016

More than a million people watched the behind-the-scenes footage of South Korean actor Park Hae-jin's appearance on a Chinese entertainment show, his publicist said Thursday.Park's every word and gesture was broadcast live on the Chinese social media website Weibo in the run-up to the pre-recorded session of "Jing's Talk Show" last Friday, HNS HQ said.The video racked up 1.34 million views as of Tuesday, with the episode to air on Chongqing TV on June 16.During the recording session, Park discus

June 2, 2016

South Korea's ruling party on Thursday urged the government to put a priority on improving the country's air quality rather than just pursuing a policy of bolstering energy efficiency."While the government has been promoting diesel automobiles for energy efficiency, it is important to note such cars are behind the air pollution issue," Rep. Chung Jin-suk, the floor leader, said during the meeting with government officials on fine-dust emissions.The party whip then expressed concerns over specula

Social Affairs June 2, 2016

A key Donald Trump ally, who oversees his foreign policy, displayed deeply negative views of the U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea, saying the deal ended up increasing Korean exports to the U.S. The remark by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) reinforces concern that Trump, if elected to the White House, could seek to overhaul the pact, which has been in effect since 2012 and is considered a symbol of the economic alliance between the two countries.In an interview with Politico published Tuesday

Foreign Affairs June 1, 2016

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew will visit South Korea on June 2-4 to discuss ways to strengthen economic and financial cooperation between the two countries, the finance ministry here said Wednesday.During his trip, Lew will meet with his South Korean counterpart Yoo Il-ho on Friday, some two months after their last meeting in Washington in April.It is the first time in nearly 10 years that a U.S. finance secretary has visited South Korea to hold a ministerial meeting since then-Secreta

Foreign Affairs June 1, 2016

Japan beat South Korea in terms of attracting foreigners in 2015 as more travelers were encouraged to visit the island for shopping amid a cheaper yen and eased tax rules, a report showed Tuesday.  The number of inbound tourists to South Korea had surpassed Japan's until 2014, but the trend reversed last year as Japan's tourism industry enjoyed a boom thanks to the cheaper local currency and a series of promotional efforts.In contrast, South Korea suffered a drop in inbound travelers in the wake

Travel May 31, 2016

South Korea will officially start work to implement a landmark agreement forged with Japan late last year to compensate South Korean women sexually enslaved by Japanese soldiers during World War II, the government said Monday.The government will launch a steering committee on Tuesday in the run-up to the official establishment next month of a foundation aimed at compensating the South Korean women who were forced to serve in frontline brothels for the imperialist Japanese army during the war.The

Foreign Affairs May 30, 2016

The chairman of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization arrived in South Korea on Monday for a four-day visit which includes a meeting with the chairman of South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff, the military said.Having arrived in Seoul in the morning, Chairman Petr Pavel, who is a Czech army general, will hold a meeting with JCS Chairman Lee Sun-jin later in the day to discuss military cooperation between South Korea and NATO, the JCS said in a press release.During his vis

Foreign Affairs May 30, 2016

The near-fatal knife attack he sustained during a lecture event in South Korea last year turned out to be a good opportunity to prove the robust nature of the bilateral alliance between Seoul and Washington, U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Mark Lippert said Monday.The U.S. envoy was attacked by a knife-wielding South Korean man in March 2015, which left him with deep gashes that required more than 80 stitches and six days of hospitalization. The 56-year-old assailant, Kim Ki-jong, is currently serving

Foreign Affairs May 30, 2016

South Korea and China have agreed to cooperate in infrastructure development in northeastern China, crucial for their policies of seeking closer economic ties between Asia and Europe, the finance ministry said Friday. At the 14th ministerial meeting held at a Seoul hotel, Strategy and Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho suggested the joint infrastructure development project, and his Chinese counterpart Xu Shaoshi accepted the offer, the ministry said in a statement. "The joint project is in line with the

Foreign Affairs May 27, 2016

The Korean-Malaysian community's long-cherished hope for a school exclusively for their children will be realized this year, organizers in charge of building the school said Friday. The Korean school, jointly funded by the Korean community in Malaysia and the Seoul Korean government, will open in Cyberjaya near the country's administrative capital of Putrajaya in September.The move comes five years after the community began a fundraising campaign to build a school in cooperation with the South K

Foreign Affairs May 27, 2016