S. Korea-US alliance will 'incessantly' strengthen regardless of who wins US election: Seoul envoy

South Korea's top envoy to the United States expressed confidence Tuesday that the alliance between Seoul and Washington will strengthen "incessantly" through the allies' "institutionalized" cooperation irrespective of who wins the White House in November. Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong made the remarks as US President Joe Biden is set to face former President Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election amid speculation that Trump's return to the top office could potentially bring a foreig

May 15, 2024

[News Analysis] Is momentum building to ease South Korea-China strain?

A four-hour meeting Monday between the top diplomats of South Korea and China has ignited new momentum in kickstarting strained high-level dialogue, essential for laying the groundwork to create a conducive environment for the resumption of long-stalled cooperation and exchanges at all levels. Experts noted that the development is especially significant as it sets the stage for a mood of cooperation and dialogue, paving the way for the upcoming long-awaited trilateral summit with Japan, the firs

May 14, 2024

Kazakhstan needs drones with Korean expertise: vice minister

Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Azamat Beispekov showed keenness to integrate Korean expertise into his country's drone industry during an interview with The Korea Herald on May 9. “Cooperation with Korea in the field of drones is very important,” said Beispekov, highlighting the technology’s role in shaping Kazakhstan’s future in oil and gas, agriculture, and road safety. A reciprocal arrangement in drone production has the potential t

May 14, 2024

[Bridge to Africa] Korean NGO vows $10m medical donation to Sudan

Global Life Sharing, a Korean non-governmental organization, has decided to support Sudan's humanitarian efforts by pledging to donate essential medicines and relief supplies worth $10 million for the next five years, Sudan Embassy in Seoul said Friday. During a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony, Sudanese ambassador to Korea Amira Agarib expressed her gratitude to the NGO and reaffirmed the African country's commitment to deepen its partnership with the organization for urge

May 14, 2024

Cuban diplomat visits Seoul for talks on opening embassy

South Korea and Cuba have officially kicked off discussions on opening a Cuban diplomatic mission in Seoul, the foreign ministry said Monday. Mario Alzugaray Rodriguez, deputy head of mission of the Embassy of Cuba in China, arrived in Seoul the previous day to discuss with officials at the ministry the process and support needed in opening the diplomatic mission. "The two countries will continue to communicate and cooperate to ensure the process of opening the embassies runs smoothly,"

May 13, 2024

Wang voices hope to develop bilateral ties with S. Korea 'without interference'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed hope Monday that bilateral relations with South Korea will develop further "without interference," saying the current difficulties in the ties do not serve the common interest of the two countries. Wang made the remarks at the beginning of talks with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, in Beijing, apparently referring to the incidents that sent the bilateral ties to a low point, such as the comments by President Yoon Suk Yeol about main

May 13, 2024

In Beijing, S. Korean top diplomat aims to jumpstart ties with China

South Korea's top diplomat said Monday that he would use his first trip to China as a first step toward fostering enhanced bilateral relations between Seoul and Beijing and as a pivotal opportunity to invigorate strategic communications. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul embarked on a two-day journey to Beijing, which included his first in-person meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday afternoon, amid a period of strained bilateral ties. The foreign ministerial meeting convened at

May 13, 2024

ASEAN-Korea center holds roundtable on trade, investments

The ASEAN-Korea Center (AKC) and the Korea Institute of International Economic Policy (KIEP) convened the fourth edition of the Trade and Investment Roundtable on Wednesday to bolster economic collaboration between the ASEAN region and Korea. Themed "ASEAN-Korea Cooperation for Next Decade to Come," the roundtable focused on supply chain resilience and digital transformation in ASEAN and Korea. In his opening remarks, Kim Jae-shin, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, emphasize

May 11, 2024

Gov't to make efforts to ensure S. Korean firms do not face 'unfair treatment' overseas: FM

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Friday that the government will actively make efforts to help South Korean firms not receive "unfair treatment" in overseas markets. He made the remark during his meeting with Science Minister Lee Jong-ho as the foreign and science ministries newly created a consultative body to promptly discuss and share relevant policies in the artificial intelligence and digital sectors. The meeting was held ahead of the upcoming AI summit, which Seoul is set to co-

May 10, 2024

Travel fair showcases global tourism in Seoul

Seoul International Travel Fair kicked off Thursday at COEX, Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, to show the tourism potential of countries, cities, and provinces around the globe. Organizers and participants of the event said the exhibition was held to address the need to diversify tourist demographics beyond their traditional strongholds, noting the growing interest from travelers. Hafsa H. Mbamba, CEO of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism said the Tanzania has pristine beaches with mountaineering

May 10, 2024

Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, China discuss Korean Peninsula issues in Tokyo

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and China discussed issues related to the Korean Peninsula on the margins of a multilateral security dialogue in Japan earlier this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. The talks between Lee Jun-il, director general for North Korean nuclear affairs, and Liu Xiaoming, China's special representative on Korean Peninsula affairs, took place Thursday in Tokyo on the sidelines of the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue, an annual public-private se

May 10, 2024

Top S. Korean envoy to Russia attends Putin's inauguration ceremony: Seoul official

South Korean Ambassador to Russia Lee Do-hoon attended the inauguration ceremony of its leader Vladimir Putin, who began his fifth term as president on Tuesday (local time), Seoul officials said. Lee's attendance at the event held at the Kremlin came in contrast to counterparts from South Korea's ally, the United States, and many Western countries that boycotted the event over its war in Ukraine. European Union nations were also divided over sending delegations to the inauguration, a

May 7, 2024

S. Korean envoy to Russia attends Putin’s inauguration

South Korea's Ambassador to Russia Lee Do-hoon on Tuesday attended the swearing-in ceremony of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his fifth term, while the United States and most European Union countries boycotted the ceremony at the Kremlin. Lim Soo-suk, the spokesperson for Seoul's Foreign Ministry said that South Korea's decision was based on "conducting a comprehensive review of all matters" when asked about sending a government representative to the ceremony durin

May 7, 2024

S. Korea, China in final stage of talks on FM Cho's visit to Beijing

BEIJING -- South Korea and China are in the final stage of talks to set up a visit to Beijing by Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul that will make him the first South Korean foreign minister to visit the Chinese capital in more than six years, an official said Monday. The senior official at South Korea's Embassy in Beijing made the remark to South Korean correspondents, noting that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi invited Cho to visit China when they held phone talks in February. "The two co

May 6, 2024

S. Korea to participate in US-led cyber exercise this week

South Korea's Cyber Operations Command will participate in a US-led multinational cyber exercise this week to strengthen its capabilities to counter malicious cyber activities, Seoul's defense ministry said Sunday, amid growing security threats from North Korea. Nine personnel from the South's military will join the Cyber Flag exercise to be held from Sunday through Saturday (local time) in the US state of Virginia, according to the defense ministry. The online exercise is designe

May 5, 2024

S. Korea, China, Japan in talks to hold trilateral summit May 26-27: official

South Korea is in final consultations with China and Japan to hold a long-stalled trilateral summit of their leaders on May 26 and 27, according to the foreign ministry on Saturday. "South Korea, Japan and China agreed to hold the summit at the earliest date convenient for all sides," an official at the ministry said. "We have been in consultations with Japan and China as the current chair country." Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang are expect

May 4, 2024

Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks

A South Korean reported to have been missing for over two weeks while traveling in Paris was found alive and unharmed, ministry officials said Saturday. The South Korean Embassy in France said they were able to identify the whereabouts of the missing 30-year-old male, identified only as Kim. He is reportedly safe, the embassy said, though it did not provide further details as per the family's request. Kim flew into France from India around April 17 but disappeared on April 19, a day after m

May 4, 2024

S. Korea, US share need for joint response to China's solar panel excess capacity

Senior diplomats from South Korea and the United States discussed the need for a joint response to potential ramifications from overcapacity in China's solar industry during their talks on energy security in Houston, Texas this week, a Seoul official said Friday. South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Kim Hee-sang made the remarks as he and US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt led the 10th Energy Security Dialogue on Tues

May 4, 2024

Lawmakers express woes over Japan's actions against Naver

Lawmakers denounced Japan's actions against South Korea's top internet portal operator as "excessive," saying they potentially throw cold water on the improving bilateral relations, and urged Japan on Friday to quickly and wisely resolve a simmering row over Japan's demand for South Korea's internet platform operator to reduce its presence in Japan's most popular mobile messenger app. Tokyo demanded LY Corp., the operator of Line, the most widely used messenger

May 3, 2024

S. Korea, Japan, China agree to create new financing facility against regional crises

South Korea, China and Japan agreed Friday to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, by launching a new financing facility program meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis, Seoul's finance ministry said. The agreement was made during a trilateral meeting of South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, Japan's Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and China's Finance Minister Liu Kun held

May 3, 2024