South Korea has been roiled by a controversy over whether it should join a new foreign policy initiative of the US, apparently aimed at reining in the influence of China, as it seeks to strike a diplomatic balance between the two superpowers. The “Indo-Pacific” initiative, which originated with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, envisions the US working with Japan and other maritime democracies -- Australia and India -- to contain a rising China. South Korea was dragged into the matter when US

Foreign Affairs Nov. 10, 2017

US President Donald Trump’s lengthy speech about North Korea at the South Korean parliament appears to be laying the ideological cornerstone for his administration’s approach to the communist regime, analysts here said Thursday. Despite the outspoken leader’s notably measured tone, what he said did not signal a change to the Trump administration’s existing approach toward the North, the experts added, suggesting Washington will not shift from its insistence on the North’s denuclearization as a p

North Korea Nov. 9, 2017

US President Donald Trump’s first state visit to South Korea has drawn an unexpected level of attention from Japan, with the country accusing Seoul of inviting a “comfort woman” to its dinner banquet with Trump and serving shrimp caught near a disputed island.Lee Yong-soo, the 88-year-old woman who was coerced into working as a sex slave for the Japan military during World War II, was invited to the state banquet attended by Trump and South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday.Trump was even

Foreign Affairs Nov. 8, 2017

JOINT SECURITY AREA -- Since the Ronald Reagan administration, almost every US president who visited South Korea has gone to the Demilitarized Zone, the heavily fortified border dividing the two Koreas, to get a firsthand look at the division and lingering tension of the unfinished Korean War. 　Wearing bomber-style jackets, visiting commanders have often gazed through binoculars toward the barren strip of the northern land. There, they could visualize what it would be like if another war breaks

Defense Nov. 8, 2017

Prior to Donald Trump’s first state visit to South Korea on Tuesday, concern was rampant here that the US president might make harsh remarks toward North Korea -- right at the doorstep of the rogue regime -- and escalate military tensions on the Korean Peninsula once again. 　But there were no threats of “totally destroying” North Korea with “fire and fury” during his first day in South Korea -- nor did the president use the derogatory nickname “Little Rocket Man” to mock North Korean leader Kim

Defense Nov. 7, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday welcomed the visiting US President Donald Trump at a main garrison for US troops stationed here, a surprise move intended to showcase the robust alliance amid North Korea’s persistent nuclear and missile threats. The leaders met at Camp Humphreys, a newly expanded US Army base located in the rural area of Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, about 70 kilometer south of Seoul. The military compound is the first stop on Trump’s two-day visit to South Korea.

Defense Nov. 7, 2017

In an unannounced move, South Korea President Moon Jae-in greeted the visiting US President Donald Trump at a US military base in Pyeongtaek, 65 kilometers south of Seoul, the first stop on Trump’s two-day itinerary here, Moon’s office said Tuesday.The leaders met at Camp Humphreys, a newly expanded US Army garrison located in the rural area of Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. (AP-Yonhap)Trump landed at Osan Air Base in S. Korea at 12:18 p.m., beginning his first visit here as president.  A gestur

Politics Nov. 7, 2017

　With US President Donald Trump in Japan and soon to arrive here with the North Korean nuclear and missile threat high on his agenda, it may be of US interest to keep the two -- arguably the US’ closest regional allies -- unified in resolving the standoff with North Korea. 　But for President Moon Jae-in, fresh off from a “let’s patch up” deal with China and now bent on performing a balancing act between two great powers, that is not a simple matter.　　Washington has long stressed the need for enh

Foreign Affairs Nov. 5, 2017

   South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday there was no secret agreement with Beijing over a US missile shield deployment, denying claims Seoul made security concessions to restore economic ties with China. 　The ministry’s spokesperson Noh Kyu-duk said Seoul did not make any backroom deals with Beijing ahead of Tuesday’s South Korea-China joint statement. In the statement, the two sides vowed to repair their knotty relationship following Seoul’s decision to deploy the US’ Terminal High Alti

Foreign Affairs Nov. 2, 2017

　Poolus, a ride-sharing app developed by a South Korean startup, has lured 22 billion won ($19.6 million) in its first funding round, the company said Monday.　A group of big-name investors has participated in the funding, including a joint fund launched by the South Korean portal giant Naver and Mirae Asset, as well as SK Corp., the holding company of SK Group. Other investors included Yellowdog, a venture capital firm for startups and Collaborative Fund, a US investment fund that has invested i

Technology Oct. 31, 2017

 　After months of a diplomatic spat, South Korea and China are finally in a mood to patch things up. But their detente cleverly circumvents the main point of their contention -- THAAD -- leaving many to wonder what will happen to the US missile defense system in South Korea that China has so strongly opposed. 　　Seoul and Beijing said Tuesday they agreed to talk through military channels about the disputed deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system here. 　While ther

Defense Oct. 31, 2017

An opposition lawmaker said Monday he has proposed a bill to the National Assembly aiming to have the Korea-US Combined Forces Command undergo parliamentary audit, criticizing the bilateral organization for failing to share critical information with the legislative body in Seoul. Rep. Kim Joong-ro of the People’s Party said the legislative proposal was submitted on Friday to mandate the CFC commander -- assumed by a US four-star general -- testify before South Korean legislators about security a

Defense Oct. 30, 2017

South Korea and the United States’ defense chiefs on Saturday pledged they would never tolerate a nuclear-armed North Korea, warning that any provocations would be met with “massive and overwhelming” retaliation. 　During their annual Security Consultative Meeting in Seoul, Defense Minister Song Young-moo and his US counterpart Jim Mattis reiterated their commitment to a diplomatic approach to the North, but stressed military options were on the table and they will carry weight in finding a diplo

Defense Oct. 28, 2017

The South Korean and US defense chiefs on Friday expressed their commitment to a diplomatic solution to resolving the nuclear standoff with North Korea, saying their goal is to achieve the complete nuclear disarmament of the North, not to pursue another war on the Korean Peninsula. During their visit to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas, Defense Minister Song Young-moo and his US counterpart James Mattis urged North Korea to suspend reckless provocations and immediately return t

North Korea Oct. 27, 2017

The South Korean and US defense chiefs on Friday expressed their commitment to a diplomatic solution to resolving the nuclear standoff with North Korea, saying their goal is to achieve the complete nuclear disarmament of the North, not to pursue another war on the Korean Peninsula. During their visit to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas, Defense Minister Song Young-moo and his US counterpart James Mattis urged North Korea to suspend reckless provocations and immediately return t

Defense Oct. 27, 2017