President Yoon Suk-yeol said it is necessary for Korea’s future energy sources to be a “rational” mix of nuclear power, renewable energy and natural gas to achieve carbon neutrality amid global supply chain instability and rising energy prices. Yoon attended the 28th World Gas Conference held at Exco in Daegu on Tuesday, his first public attendance at an international event since taking office. The World Gas Conference is the world’s largest international event in the

Politics May 24, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol promised to build a reciprocal supply chain for semiconductors and batteries in the Indo-Pacific region and share experiences and cooperate in all fields covered by the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework at the first IPEF summit on Monday. The US-led economic alliance was launched on Monday, with South Korea joining as an initial member. This is a follow-up to the Korea-US summit on Saturday, with the presidents of both countries pledging close cooperation through the ec

Foreign Affairs May 23, 2022

US President Joe Biden concluded his trip to South Korea after visiting a joint airspace control center on Sunday before leaving for Japan. During his three-day stay here, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to military and economic alliances and agreed to step up deterrence against North Korea. Before ending his trip, Biden visited the Korean Air and Space Operations Center at the US Air Force Base in Osan, where the two nations’ militaries work to direct and control aerospace o

Foreign Affairs May 22, 2022

The leaders of South Korea and the US have agreed to develop the Korea-US relationship into a global comprehensive strategic alliance, reaffirmed the shared goal of complete denuclearization of North Korea, and formalized Korea’s participation in the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework during their first summit in Seoul on Saturday. At a joint press conference after the summit that lasted more than 100 minutes, President Yoon Suk-yeol said, “At the summit, the two of us shared

Foreign Affairs May 21, 2022

South Korea and the US will expand mutual investment and cooperate to stabilize the supply chain in strategic industries such as semiconductor and batteries, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said during a summit with US President Joe Biden on Saturday. “Currently, we are living in an era of economic security where the economy is security and security is the economy,” Yoon said. “Changes in the international trade order and disruptions in supply chains directly impact peo

Foreign Affairs May 21, 2022

A 90-minute summit between the US and South Korea began as US President Joe Biden arrived at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul around 1:30 pm on Saturday. When the vehicle arrived in front of the main gate of the presidential office building, President Yoon Suk-yeol greeted Biden in person. The two leaders shook hands at the entrance and entered the building side by side. The Korea-US summit was held on the fifth floor of the presidential office, and included a talk with a small n

Foreign Affairs May 21, 2022

US President Joe Biden will arrive in South Korea on Friday afternoon to begin his three-day visit focused on strengthening the Korea-US alliance. After President Biden arrives at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, he will move to the Pyeongtaek campus of Samsung Electronics to tour the world’s largest semiconductor production base. President Yoon Suk-yeol will accompany him and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong will guide them through the facility. It is the

Foreign Affairs May 20, 2022

South Korea will expand its military and economic alliance with the US to include technology at the upcoming summit this weekend, seeking to join a US-led new coalition that will set new trade and supply chain rules, a senior security official said Wednesday. 　 US President Joe Biden will arrive in Korea on Friday afternoon and visit Samsung Electronics’ chip facilities in Pyeongtaek. The next day, he will hold a summit with President Yoon Suk-yeol and attend an official banquet along wi

Foreign Affairs May 18, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday paid tribute to protesters of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising, an unusual move for a conservative president that some say is aimed at dispelling concerns of his bloc’s negligence of the Jeolla provinces and to strengthen the message of national unity. “The spirit of May is the restoration of universal values and constitutional spirit of liberal democracy. That spirit belongs to all of us and is a valuable asset of the Republic of Korea,” Y

Politics May 18, 2022

Henk Ovink, a flood expert and special envoy from the Netherlands to the United Nations, says investment in water projects must be scaled up, as population growth and economic development adds to water-related challenges. “No matter where in the world, water is life -- it helps build a better future and inform sustainable actions, and it helps bring us together,” Ovink said in a written interview with The Korea Herald. Ovink said three water-related challenges - scarcity, pollu

Social Affairs May 18, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Han Dong-hoon as justice minister alongside former lawmaker Kim Hyun-sook as gender equality minister on Tuesday, forging ahead despite fierce resistance from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The approval provoked an immediate backlash from opposition parties, heralding a bumpy road for the approval of Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo, which requires a vote in the plenary session of the National Assembly. Shortly after the announcement, t

Politics May 17, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized Monday the need for bipartisan cooperation on passing a supplementary budget to compensate for pandemic losses and to expand economic and security ties with major countries. In his first speech as the president at the National Assembly, Yoon focused on “bipartisan cooperation” and expressed his strong willingness to resolve pending issues with the support of lawmakers. After the speech, Yoon walked around the plenary session, shaking hands with o

Politics May 16, 2022

South Korea will dispatch a delegation to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to express in-person condolences on the death of the country’s President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the presidential office said Sunday. Sheikh Khalifa, who took over as the UAE president in 2004, succeeding his father, died on Friday aged 73. The delegation consists of Yoon’s chief of staff Chang Je-won, Korean Ambassador to the UAE Lee Seok-gu and Foreign Ministry senior officials. “

Politics May 15, 2022

North Korea will likely top the agenda for President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden at the summit meeting in Seoul, but forming economic alliances and ties to contain China will also be high on the list for the US. The Yoon administration will face difficult choices as the US and China seeking to involve Korea, a strong player in strategic industries such as chips and batteries, in their supply chains. 　 The Korea-US summit is a key diplomatic event for President Yoon, who has em

Politics May 12, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday raised concerns about rising inflation and economic difficulties in his first meeting with senior aides, telling them to keep a close eye on economic indicators and find measures to combat inflation. “The economy is challenging right now. The biggest problem is the price,” Yoon said at the meeting in the morning. His remarks come as Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho on the same day outlined price stability as a top priority policy task. In rec

Politics May 11, 2022