ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee were again spotted with dogs during their trip to Central Asian countries, highlighting the president and his spouse's love for pets. On Wednesday evening, Yoon and Kim encountered three dogs raised by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as the couple made their way into a special exhibition and stage performances at the Kalibek Kuanyshbaev Kazakh Musical and Drama Theater in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Sout

Politics June 13, 2024

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to meet Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev Friday in the final leg of his Central Asia trip. Yoon last met Mirziyoyev in September last year on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in the United States. Yoon is expected to work to ensure the stable supply of critical minerals from Uzbekistan, open ways for South Korean construction firms to join more Uzbek projects, and boost bilateral cooperation in the fields of health care

Politics June 13, 2024

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- The presidential office on Wednesday revealed plans to add nonstop flights between South Korea's port city of Incheon and cities of Kazakhstan, namely the capital city of Astana and its most populous city, Almaty. Park Chun-sup, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, told reporters in a briefing that South Korean budget carrier T'way Air is poised to start operating direct flights between Incheon and Astana soon, two or three times a week. Also, anoth

Politics June 12, 2024

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Kazakh counterpart President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev agreed Wednesday to strengthen bilateral cooperation in critical minerals exploration and development. The presidential office said this would bolster the bilateral strategic partnership between the two nations, with his state visit to Kazakhstan marking the first by a South Korean leader in five years. During the summit of Yoon and Tokayev in Astana, the capital city of Kazakh

Politics June 12, 2024

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- First lady Kim Keon Hee has embraced the diplomatic spotlight during President Yoon Suk Yeol's Central Asian trip, amid political pressure to investigate allegations she violated Korea's antigraft law. As Yoon and Kim are halfway through a trip involving state visits to three countries -- Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan -- Kim has expanded her public role as the first lady in a series of engagements highlighting cultural exchanges. According to Yoon's

Politics June 12, 2024

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday called for speedier economic cooperation with Turkmenistan, as South Korean companies were working to secure up to $6 billion in construction bids in the Central Asian country's rich gas sector. Speaking at a business forum to mark the South Korean leader's state visit to Turkmenistan, Yoon said the two countries have many opportunities for collaboration, stressing Turkmenistan's status as the world's fourth-largest

Politics June 11, 2024

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan -- The leaders of South Korea and Turkmenistan on Monday agreed to deepen the "mutually beneficial partnership" of the two countries, which could allow more South Korean companies to join the Central Asian country's construction and infrastructure projects. At a summit held in the capital of Turkmenistan, President Yoon Suk Yeol and his counterpart Serdar Berdymukhamedov also agreed to diversify bilateral cooperation through eight documents signed to boost b

Politics June 10, 2024

Opposition party lawmakers on Friday played down a controversy that has recently resurfaced over ruling party claims surrounding former first lady Kim Jung-sook's official visit to India in November 2018, of her allegedly "extravagant" airline meals, visit to the Taj Mahal and eligibility to represent the South Korean delegation at the time. The lawmakers added that those stirring up such "unfounded and malicious distortions," including the ruling People Power Party'

Politics June 7, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol is to embark on a state visit to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week, as he seeks to cement Seoul's business ties with Central Asia, according to the presidential office. Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee are scheduled to travel for the visit from Monday to Saturday. Seoul will work to integrate South Korea's innovation prowess with Central Asian countries' potential for economic development, based on strong trust and solidarity, Kim Tae-hyo, f

Politics June 7, 2024

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- The leaders of South Korea and African countries agreed to launch a multilateral dialogue for critical minerals to ensure their stable supply and promote technology cooperation at a summit held in Seoul to redefine diplomatic and economic ties between Asia's fourth-largest economy and the continent on Tuesday. At the first-ever summit hosted by the Korean government with African countries to strengthen mutual trust and solidarity, Seoul vowed to provide up to $10 bil

Politics June 4, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol said in an opening speech of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Tuesday that the event marks a new era of ties between Asia's fourth-largest economy and the African continent. "Today's Summit will herald an important milestone of the new era of ties between South Korea and Africa," Yoon told delegations of 48 African countries in the largest multilateral summit hosted by the Yoon administration. "We hope we can briskly start our grand journey to achieve the futur

Politics June 4, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that South Korea will be Africa's "true friend" for the continent's common goal of achieving economic growth, given that South Korea, which was once one of the world's poorest countries, achieved its own economic breakthrough and prosperity in a dramatic fashion. At a welcoming dinner held Monday in Seoul on the eve of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit, Yoon brought up "ubuntu," a term referring to the essence of humanity used amo

Politics June 3, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday held two rounds of bilateral talks with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, respectively, on the sidelines of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit scheduled for later this week in Seoul. Seoul described the meetings as a stepping-stone for Asia's fourth-largest economy to weather the transnational crises through increased strategic cooperation with the African continent. The Korean president and Hassan held a summit-level

Politics June 2, 2024

The Constitutional Court of Korea has dismissed a constitutional petition by the bereaved families of April 2014 Sewol ferry disaster that the South Korean government had neglected its duty to rescue passengers from the capsized vessel. A 5-4 court ruling on Thursday dismissed the claim of state negligence filed in December 2014 and January 2015 for not meeting the relevant legal requirements, ending 10 years of legal actions by the victims' bereaved families. The petition stated that South

Politics June 2, 2024

North Korea sent another batch of balloons carrying filth and propaganda to South Korea over the weekend, prompting a stern reaction from the South Korean government, which vowed Sunday to take “unendurable” action. “Dispatching of trash balloons and jamming GPS are despicable and irrational acts of provocation that could not have been imagined by a normal country,” National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin said after presiding over a National Security Council meeting called

Politics June 2, 2024