Ahead of the upcoming South Korea-US summit, rumors are circulating that President Yoon Suk Yeol's chief security adviser may be replaced. The speculation comes in the wake of resignations of the secretaries of protocol and diplomacy, Kim Il-bum and Lee Moon-hee, respectively, whose sudden replacement has raised eyebrows. Lee had been preparing for President Yoon's state visit to the United States scheduled for the end of April, as well as his attendance at the G-7 summit in Hiroshima,

Politics March 29, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol has ordered a reevaluation of low birth rate policies and an inquiry into the reasons for their failure, expressing that he is determined to address the issue of South Korea's low fertility rate, which is currently the lowest in the world. “The low birth rate issue is an important national agenda, and the government and the private sector must work together to solve it,” Yoon said on Tuesday during his opening remarks at the first meeting of the Preside

Social Affairs March 28, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday that his administration will "fully expose" North Korea's human rights violations to the international community in its first human rights report on the reclusive regime to be released soon. Presiding over a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, Yoon said, “The reality of North Korean people's gruesome human rights violations must be fully exposed to the international community.” He did not elaborate on when the report will be pu

North Korea March 28, 2023

The presidential office said Thursday that the upcoming Summit for Democracy to be attended by South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol is not meant to exclude any particular country, when asked about China's potential opposition to Taiwan's participation in the meeting. A senior official told reporters that the selection of participating countries goes through a process in which the host country, the US, reviews various factors and finalizes them through discussions with the other co-host

Foreign Affairs March 23, 2023

South Korea has informed Japan of completely normalizing a military intelligence-sharing pact between the two countries, which had been operated conditionally since 2019, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. Seoul sent an official letter to the neighboring country on fully restoring the pact known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement, which follows a list of agreements unveiled after last week's bilateral summit held in Tokyo. The pact had been suspended in 2019 by the

Foreign Affairs March 21, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home with another diplomatic milestone under his belt, marking a thaw in strained bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan on Friday. Now he faces other problems regarding historic disputes with the neighboring country and a divided public. The latest diplomatic development between South Korea and Japan came after an announcement from Seoul two weeks ago that it would launch a local foundation to pay the victims of Japan's forced labor during its

Foreign Affairs March 19, 2023

First lady Kim Keon Hee on Friday met renowned architect Tadao Ando, with whom she had worked before her husband's presidency, in Tokyo. During their meeting, Kim asked the Japanese architect to consider a collaboration with Korean architecture, such as building an art museum in Korea, stressing the need to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. Responding to her suggestion, Ando said Korea has "many characterful buildings" and that he hopes to see Korea and Japan b

Foreign Affairs March 17, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday met former Japanese political leaders to discuss ways to promote cooperation and exchanges in various fields between South Korea and Japan, before he wrapped up a two-day working trip to the neighboring country. At the meeting, Yoon said his trip to Japan was intended to normalize bilateral relations, stressing that he and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, have reaffirmed their shared commitment to open a new era of ties. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yo

Politics March 17, 2023

During a business roundtable in Tokyo on Friday, President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed his commitment to provide full support for cooperation between South Korea and Japan, in order to facilitate free exchange and foster innovative business opportunities between the two nations. The meeting was held a day after President Yoon and his counterpart Fumio Kishida agreed to enhance economic cooperation between their respective nations. Noting that he met with Kishida to cooperate to normalize the bilatera

Politics March 17, 2023

First lady Kim Keon Hee made wagashi, Japanese sweets, with Japanese first lady Yuko Kishida as she visited the prime minister’s residence during President Yoon Suk Yeol's working trip to Tokyo. This was the first meeting between the two in four months since the G-20 summit held in November in Indonesia. Kim learned how to make Japanese sweets under the guidance of a Japanese artisan and drank matcha tea, according to the Korean presidential office in a written statement. The two firs

Foreign Affairs March 17, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had a sukiyaki dinner together at a restaurant in Ginza, downtown Tokyo, following their summit meeting on Thursday. According to a written briefing by presidential spokesman Lee Do-woon, President Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrived at Yoshizawa, which is famous for its sukiyaki, at around 7:40 pm. Prime Minister Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida had already arrived and came out to greet the South Korean president and his

Foreign Affairs March 16, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to open up a new era of Korea-Japan ties during their summit in Tokyo on Thursday, stressing the need to bolster security and economic cooperation for future generations and to deter evolving threats from North Korea. Yoon said the summit, the first in 12 years, signified a fresh start of bilateral ties, calling Japan a partner with common values and goals. The two leaders also agreed to resume “shuttle diplomacy&rd

Foreign Affairs March 16, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the importance of solidarity and cooperation with Japan during his meeting with Korean compatriots in Tokyo, his first official event there prior to a summit with his Japanese counterpart on Thursday. “Japan is a partner who we cooperate with together in security, economy and the global agenda.” he said during the luncheon meeting with about 80 Koreans. “However, over the past few years, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in all

Foreign Affairs March 16, 2023

South Korea will build the world's largest high-tech chip cluster in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, with Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chip maker taking the lead in the 300 trillion won ($230 billion) project. The plan, unveiled during a presidential meeting with Cabinet members on the economy held on Wednesday, is aimed at boosting the nation's competitiveness in the chip industry, particularly in the non-memory chip technology sector such as system chips. It is s

Politics March 15, 2023

Leaders representing Korean businesses will accompany President Yoon Suk Yeol on his visit to Japan on Thursday, as they expect to restore frayed trade ties with Tokyo which Seoul sees as disadvantageous for its export-driven, high tech-focused economy. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun and Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin are among the chiefs in the business delegation, according to Yoon's senior economic secretar

Foreign Affairs March 15, 2023