S. Korean, Japanese vice ministers pledge close cooperation on Putin-Kim treaty

South Korean and Japanese vice foreign ministers on Friday pledged close cooperation to address the Russia-North Korea treaty aimed at enhancing military cooperation, while also agreeing to strengthen coordination on Indo-Pacific regional and global issues, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun met with his Japanese counterpart Masataka Okano in Tokyo for the 14th Korea-Japan Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue, the first such meeting

June 28, 2024

'South Korea,' 'Samsung,' 'Kim Jong-un' pepper Biden-Trump debate

US President Joe Biden and former US President Donald Trump, in their first televised debate on Thursday night, exchanged barbs on a number of topics, among them South Korea, Samsung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During the highly anticipated faceoff, Biden invoked “South Korea” while locking horns over defense policy with Trump, to underscore the United States' role as a military supporter and its success in rallying international aid: “I’ve got 50 other nati

June 28, 2024

Top US envoy in Seoul calls for int'l cooperation against cybersecurity threats

The US ambassador to South Korea stressed Thursday the importance of international cooperation in building resilience against cybersecurity threats, including those posed by North Korea. Amb. Philip Goldberg made the remarks during a forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a think tank based in Seoul. "The ever growing scope of cybersecurity means that no country can get far on its own. This is why the United States has bilateral and multilateral engagements with key allies

June 27, 2024

Top Seoul envoy raises alarm on Putin-Kim treaty in Moscow

South Korean Ambassador to Russia Lee Do-hoon voiced alarm over increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia during his meeting with Andrey Rudenko, the Russian deputy foreign minister in charge of the Asia-Pacific region, on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Thursday. The meeting, which Seoul described as an opportunity to hear Russia's stance on the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" signed by President Vladimir Putin and North Korean lead

June 27, 2024

US will oppose potential N. Korean worker dispatch to occupied Ukrainian territory: State Dept.

The United States will oppose any cooperation between Russia and North Korea on Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine's territory, a State Department official said Wednesday, amid speculation that North Korean workers could potentially be sent there for reconstruction work. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson, made the remarks as concerns have arisen that a recent security treaty between Russia and the North would likely bolster their military cooperation to the extent that Pyongyang could even com

June 27, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan voice concerns over 'weaponization' of economic dependencies

Top industry officials of South Korea, the United States and Japan expressed concerns Wednesday over the "weaponization" of economic dependencies on certain supply sources for strategic goods as they held their first trilateral meeting on economic security in Washington. South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Japanese Industry Minister Ken Saito issued a joint statement following the Commerce and Industry Ministerial Meeting, which undersco

June 27, 2024

US expert raises possibility of S. Korea's nuclearization in case of Trump's reelection

The "entire" Korean Peninsula could go nuclear if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House, strikes an inadequate nuclear deal with North Korea and pulls out American troops from South Korea, a prominent US expert said Wednesday. Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the prediction in an article in Foreign Affairs magazine, noting the hope that "reasonable" lawmakers at the Capito

June 27, 2024

US condemns N. Korea's missile launch, calls for return to dialogue

The United States on Tuesday condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch this week as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and renewed calls for the recalcitrant regime to return to dialogue. The South Korean military said that the North fired an unspecified ballistic missile from a site in or around Pyongyang on Wednesday morning, but its launch is presumed to have failed. The launch appears to have involved a hypersonic missile, according to a source. "The United State

June 26, 2024

Seven former US representatives visit DMZ to commemorate Korean War anniversary

Seven former US representatives visited the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone bisecting the two Koreas on Tuesday to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War. The delegation, part of the United States Association of Former Members of Congress, included Dennis A. Ross, Betsy Markey and Greg Walden, who were accompanied by their spouses. Walden, whose father-in-law served as a UN soldier in the Korean War, noted that the visit held special significance for him. The

June 25, 2024

S. Korea, US hold new round of talks on defense cost sharing

South Korea and the United States held a new round of negotiations Tuesday on sharing the cost for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry officials said. The three-day talks in Seoul came about two weeks after South Korea's chief negotiator Lee Tae-woo and his U.S. counterpart, Linda Specht, held the third round of negotiations on the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) in Washington. Tuesday's talks lasted for about seven hours until 5 p.m. "

June 25, 2024

[Herald Interview] S. Korea-ASEAN poised for new heights on 35th anniversary: ASEAN chief

South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are poised to elevate their relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," marking the highest level that ASEAN's dialogue partners can forge, aiming to cover the most extensive possible range of sectors, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said in his interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul. "This year is a very important year in the context that we are commemorating and celebrating the 35th anniversary

June 25, 2024

Experts from Central Asia, S. Korea talk rare minerals

Experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and South Korea discussed the region's mineral resources at the 2024 Korea-Central Asia Next-Generation Dialogue on Monday. The "Korea-Central Asia Next-Generation Dialogue" is part of an annual initiative under the Korea Foundation launched in 2017 to enhance cooperation by inviting emerging leaders from Central Asia to Korea. This year, the dialogue focused on global supply chain cooperation, with "co

June 25, 2024

[Hello India] India marks International Day of Yoga

The Indian Embassy in Seoul celebrated the 10th International Day of Yoga on Saturday. The United Nations General Assembly designated June 21 as the International Day of Yoga through resolution 69/131, with the support of 175 member states in 2014. This year’s theme, "Yoga for Self and Society," underscored the dual benefits of yoga for individual well-being and community harmony. "Yoga, ancient Indian heritage, has transcended geographical, cultural and temporal boundaries,

June 25, 2024

S. Korea, US sign MOU on diplomatic intelligence cooperation

South Korea and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperating in the exchange of diplomatic intelligence analyses, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Park Jang-ho, director general for diplomatic intelligence at South Korea's foreign ministry, signed the MOU with Brett Holmgren, US assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, in Washington on Monday. The signing came as the allies have been working to establish a framework for collaborat

June 25, 2024

Campbell stresses Washington Declaration as deterrence tool amid security concerns over Putin-Kim summit

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Monday highlighted deterrence steps of last year's summit declaration between South Korea and the United States as tools to harness amid resurgent calls for the allies to craft stronger defense measures following last week's summit between Russia and North Korea. After Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty in a show of their deeper military ties i

June 25, 2024

Philippines recalls shared values with Korea

The Philippines recalled shared values with South Korea, marking 126 years of independence and 75 years of diplomatic ties with Seoul on June 11. Philippine Independence Day, which falls on June 12, commemorates the declaration of independence from Spain in 1898. The country was a Spanish colony from 1571 until 1898. The Philippines is considered Asia’s first constitutional republic, according to Philippines Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega while paying tribute to the sac

June 24, 2024

Head of state diplomatic think tank named new ambassador to Japan: sources

A South Korean scholar, well known for his expertise in relations with Japan, has been tapped to be the new ambassador to the neighboring country, government sources with knowledge of the matter said Monday. Park Cheol-hee, chief of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, the think tank under the foreign ministry, has been nominated as the new ambassador, and Seoul has asked for Tokyo's consent, known as an "agrement," the sources said. Park would replace the incumbent ambassador,

June 24, 2024

S. Korea running out of red lines on Russia-N. Korea cooperation

South Korean national security adviser Chang Ho-jin issued another stark warning Sunday, clarifying that South Korea will have no red lines left to uphold if Russia supplies "high-precision weapons" to North Korea, at a time when Seoul and Moscow are walking a tightrope in their relations. "Russia's recent actions have been gradually approaching a red line, which is why we've issued the warning," Chang said Sunday during an interview with state broadcaster KBS, with

June 23, 2024

US expert calls for S. Korea's inclusion into G7, touts its 'trustworthiness'

A prominent US expert has made an emphatic call for the Group of Seven to consider its membership expansion to include South Korea, touting the Asian democracy's "trustworthiness," performance and potential role to add diversity to the club of the world's leading industrialized nations. Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the case, stressing the need for G7 leaders to pursue "serious" reforms t

June 23, 2024

Row brews over Italian city's plan to modify inscription on 'comfort women' statue

A potential row is brewing in Italy over erecting a girl statue symbolizing the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, after a city chief signaled a possible modification to the structure to add Japan's position on the issue. A South Korean civic group announced earlier this week that the statue will be erected in Stintino, a city on the Italian island of Sardinia, on Saturday (local time), and an official unveiling ceremony will take place on the same day. That would be the first

June 22, 2024