Kamala Harris, trailblazer eying America's last glass ceiling

WASHINGTON (AFP) - For years Kamala Harris faced criticism that she was not up to the job of being a heartbeat away from the US presidency. Now, she finds herself feted by Democrats as their best hope to stop Donald Trump's comeback. Despite blazing a trail as the first woman, Black and South Asian vice president in the nation's history, the 59-year-old Democrat long struggled with approval ratings as bad or worse than President Joe Biden's. The last 12 months, however, have revea

July 22, 2024

Biden drops out of presidential race, endorses Harris as successor

US President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race Sunday as his poor debate performance last month exacerbated concerns about his old age and touched off unrelenting calls to end his reelection campaign. Biden, 81, made the announcement, bowing to mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers, donors and voters. He officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic Party's nominee to take on former President Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 general election. It is u

July 22, 2024

More restaurants allowed to hire foreign kitchen assistants

In addition to Korean restaurants, Chinese, Japanese and Western restaurants will also be able to hire foreign workers from China and 15 Southeast Asian and Central Asian countries as kitchen assistants under the Employment Permit System. The government has finalized its plans to ease requirements for a pilot program that aims to include the restaurant industry in the EPS system. Initially, the project was to allow only Korean restaurants, and restaurants with fewer than five employees had to ha

July 19, 2024

Major US carriers including American, UAL ground flights citing comms issue

Major US carriers including American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines issued ground stops on Friday morning citing communication issues, less than an hour after Microsoft resolved its cloud services outage that impacted several low-cost carriers. It was not immediately clear whether the call to keep flights from taking off were related to the earlier Microsoft cloud outage. Apart from American and Delta, UAL and Allegiant Air too grounded flights. The FAA did not immediately respond

July 19, 2024

S. Korea, Canada agree to enhance regional security, economic cooperation

Top diplomats of South Korea and Canada held talks Thursday to discuss ways to expand cooperation in regional security, the economy, technology and other areas, Seoul's foreign ministry said. During the meeting, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, adopted an "action plan" to further develop the comprehensive partnership in broad areas encompassing security, the economy, supply chains, technology, health and climate change. Cho and Joly vowed to

July 18, 2024

Detained ship carrying 4,500-ton of N.Korean coal: Seoul

South Korean authorities have concluded that a detained cargo ship was carrying 4,500 tons of North Korean-produced anthracite coal in breach of UN sanctions, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul announced on Thursday. The unflagged cargo ship DE YI has been docked in South Korean waters since March 30 for investigation, following intelligence obtained by the South Korean government implicating the vessel in actions contravening UN Security Council resolutions. "Our government has decided to take

July 18, 2024

US lawmaker says Republicans are united, have 'high expectations' for Trump's victory

A Korean American congresswoman on Wednesday highlighted Republicans' "high expectations" for former President Donald Trump's victory in the November general election as she touched on the atmosphere of an ongoing GOP national convention in Wisconsin. In a phone interview with Yonhap News Agency, Rep. Michelle Park Steel (R-CA) noted a palpable sense of unity among party members at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump was formally nominated as the GOP

July 18, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kazakh uranium giant seeks ‘permanent partnership’ with S. Korea

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Kazatomprom, the world's largest uranium miner, aims to establish a "permanent partnership" with South Korea to ensure a stable uranium supply amid growing demand, CEO Meirzhan Yussupov said in an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald. The company sees "significant potential" in expanding its cooperation into emerging fields, including the development of critical mineral resources, he added. "Successful and mutually beneficial cooperation b

July 17, 2024

Ex-CIA official indicted on suspicion of working with S. Korean spy agency

Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA official and renowned expert on Korean Peninsula issues, has been indicted on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for the South Korean government since at least 2013 and receiving bribes that included luxury handbags and financial support. Terry "advocated ROK policy positions, including published articles and during media appearances, disclosed nonpublic US government information to ROK intelligence officers, and facilitated access for ROK government offic

July 17, 2024

S. Korea taking administrative steps against Saudi airline over flight suspension

The government is taking administrative action against Saudi Arabian airline Saudia for suspending its direct flights to South Korea without permission from aviation authorities, according to officials Wednesday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued a prior notice of administrative measure to Saudia on Monday. Saudia has been asked to submit their reasons for the suspension and their future plans by July 30. The ministry will convene an administrative review committee to dis

July 17, 2024

Ex-Trump official voices hope for S. Korea to make 'big' contribution for defense

A former US national security advisor said Tuesday he is looking forward to a "big" contribution by South Korea in reference to ongoing negotiations between Seoul and Washington over the cost sharing for stationing the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea. Robert O'Brien, who served as national security advisor for then President Donald Trump from 2019-2021, made the remarks as the allies have been engaging in negotiations over a new cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreeme

July 17, 2024

FM Cho expresses hope for cooperation between S. Korea's new space agency, NASA

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with Pamela Melroy, the deputy chief of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, on Tuesday to discuss space cooperation between the two countries, according to the foreign ministry. During the meeting in Seoul, Cho expressed hope for active cooperation between the national space agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration, or KASA, and NASA. KASA was launched in Sacheon, approximately 300 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 27. "Space cooperation

July 16, 2024

[Herald Interview] Seoul, Manila must expand economic, maritime partnership: ex-FM

South Korea and the Philippines have enjoyed vibrant cultural exchanges over the years. But now is the time for both countries to expand economic and maritime cooperation, according to a former foreign minister of the Southeast Asian country. "You cannot imagine how many Korean restaurants there are in the Philippines -- on every street corner," said Delia Domingo Albert, the first woman to serve as secretary of foreign affairs in the Philippines, in 2003 and 2004. Not only Korean rest

July 16, 2024

Trump picks Ohio Sen. Vance as vice presidential running mate

Former President Donald Trump on Monday announced Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his vice presidential running mate, as the Republican Party kicked off a national convention to officially crown Trump as the GOP nominee for the November general election. Trump made the announcement on the 39-year-old critic-turned-supporter in a social media post as GOP delegates and others gathered at the four-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the largest city in the battleground state of Wisconsin. V

July 16, 2024

Trump formally nominated as 2024 Republican presidential nominee

The Republican Party formally nominated former President Donald Trump as the GOP standard-bearer for the Nov. 5 general election on Monday, as a weekend assassination attempt against him has brought more voter attention to his campaign and further cemented his support base. GOP delegates crowned Trump as the presidential nominee for a third time in a roll call vote as the Republican Party Convention kicked off its four-day run in Milwaukee in the battleground state of Wisconsin, two days after h

July 16, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korea- Africa Summit sets pathway for future together: Tanzanian President

Tanzania's 1st female president urges cooperation for green growth, women's health, Korean investment The 2024 Korea-Africa Summit held in June in Seoul was a historic event that would set the stage for stronger bilateral cooperation and bridge the geographical gap in the future, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said in an interview with The Korea Herald. In a written interview conducted after her trip to Seoul, Hassan, Tanzania‘s first female president said South Korea an

July 15, 2024

Ruling party hails Seoul-Washington nuclear deterrence pact as 'strong deterrent'

The ruling People Power Party on Saturday lauded the joint nuclear deterrence guidelines signed by Seoul and Washington, describing them as a potent deterrent against North Korea's provocations. "Mutual trust between South Korea and the United States, restored under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, has become a strong deterrent against the North Korean regime's reckless provocations," the PPP's spokesperson Ho Jun-seok said. On Thursday (US time) in Washington, DC, th

July 13, 2024

FM Cho meets Blinken to discuss alliance, joint response to N. Korea-Russia cooperation

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul has met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit and discussed the two nations' alliance and ways to jointly deal with growing cooperation between North Korea and Russia, Cho's office said Friday. Cho and Blinken held talks in Washington on Thursday (US time) to discuss the latest outcome of the summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden, and ways to enhance bilate

July 13, 2024

Yoon returns home from US trip focused on security

President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home Friday from his five-day trip to the United States that was focused on bolstering security against rising threats posed by deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia. Yoon attended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday as South Korea was invited to the summit for the third consecutive year as one of four Indo-Pacific partners alongside Japan, Australia and New Zealand. During the main session and

July 12, 2024

Defense chief vows to strengthen solidarity with France

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik vowed Friday to strengthen solidarity with France and other countries that share common values at an event commemorating France's national day, his office said. Shin made the pledge during the Bastille Day ceremony organized by the French Embassy in Seoul and the French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Sebitseom artificial islands on the Han River in Seoul, according to the ministry. This year's Bastille Day falls on Sunday. "The Repub

July 12, 2024