Most Popular
-
1
Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
-
2
New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
-
3
Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
-
4
Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
-
5
[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
-
6
Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
-
7
Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
-
8
[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
-
9
Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
-
10
NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
-
S. Korea, Turkey reach de facto free trade agreement for service, investment
South Korea and Turkey have reached a de facto agreement for free trade in the investment and service sectors, the trade ministry here said Monday.The agreement, once implemented, will complement a free trade pact for products between the countries that went into effect in May 2013, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA) in the investment and service sectors were resumed in August 2013 after a 17-month suspension due to what minist
July 7, 2014
-
Security breached at foreign embassies
The security of two foreign diplomatic missions and an ambassador’s residence in Seoul was breached in June by individuals that witnesses described as mentally disturbed.In the three unrelated diplomatic incidents, a person who was described as “disturbed” attempted to barge into the diplomatic premises. In all three cases, the security present were overwhelmed and the local police had to be called in to reestablish security and to remove them from the premises.In one case, at a European diploma
July 6, 2014
-
‘Regional powwow indicates improving Korea-Cuba relations’
Two multilateral meetups here between high-level diplomats and other government officials from South Korea, Latin America and the Caribbean signals the government’s efforts to improve long-dormant diplomatic relations with Cuba, according to diplomatic sources.The participation of Cuba’s deputy foreign minister in those talks adds to a unique opportunity to further improve ties between Seoul and Havana, said Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzales, who heads the regional delegation that inc
July 6, 2014
-
Georgia, Ukraine celebrate EU association agreements
Envoys from Georgia and Ukraine celebrated historic association agreements between their countries and the European Union in a reception here in Seoul on Wednesday.Georgian Ambassador Nikoloz Apkhazava and Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Marmazov hosted a reception that featured Georgian and Ukrainian wine and spirits for government officials and dozens of foreign envoys, including the European Union Ambassador Tomasz Kozlowski, and many other envoys representing EU countries.Georgia’s association ag
July 6, 2014
-
Xi offers Park to jointly celebrate Korean peninsula's liberation
Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered South Korean President Park Geun-hye to "jointly hold memorial activities" next year to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's colonial rule as well as the end of World War II, according to China's foreign ministry on Friday. The proposal, which would mark a significant effort for China to join with South Korea in criticism of Japan, was made during summit talks between Park and Xi in Seoul on Thursday, the Chinese min
July 4, 2014
-
Chinese first lady engages in 'culture diplomacy'
The Chinese president's state visit to South Korea has drawn sharp attention not only for its political implications but also for the cultural exchange led by first lady Peng Liyuan.While her husband, Xi Jinping, held summit talks Thursday with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Peng toured Changdeok Palace, which dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), and expressed her interest in Korean culture. (Yonhap)Dressed elegantly in a long white jacket and white skirt, with a touch of green a
July 4, 2014
-
Kimchi exports to China may get long-awaited boost from bilateral summit meeting
Exports of kimchi to China may finally get a boost following the bilateral summit meeting between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.At talks held Thursday, the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation and exchanges in the food sector as well as review various regulatory standards that Seoul has argued effectively made it impossible to export kimchi to China.Kimchi is a salted, spicy fermented side dish made with either pickled cabbage, cucumber or radish
July 4, 2014
-
Leaders send message to North Korea
The leaders of South Korea and China raised pressure on North Korea to renounce its nuclear ambitions on Thursday, saying they were “adamantly” against the development of nuclear weapons on the peninsula.In a joint statement issued after the summit between Presidents Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping in Seoul, the two sides also stated the need to create conditions for the resumption of the six-party denuclearization talks. The talks involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia have be
July 3, 2014
-
Park-Xi summit draws regional powers’ attention
The summit between the leaders of South Korea and China took the international spotlight Thursday as it proceeded amid growing volatility in a Northeast Asian security landscape beset by geostrategic rivalries and territorial antagonism. The fluid security environment has posed a tough foreign policy challenge to Seoul, which has been striving to deepen its long-standing security alliance with the U.S., strategic partnership with China and practical cooperation with Japan.“Given the volatile pol
July 3, 2014
-
Chinese leader Xi arrives in S. Korea for summit with Park
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in South Korea on Thursday for talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, officials said, amid fresh tensions over a series of missile and rocket launches by North Korea. Xi and his wife were greeted by South Korean officials at an airport just south of Seoul before heading to their hotel.(Yonhap)Park and Xi were to hold a summit meeting later in the day -- the fifth since they took office in 2013 -- to discuss how to further deepen their relations and
July 3, 2014
-
Beijing eyes closer ties with Seoul, increased clout
China is working to strengthen its strategic partnership with South Korea as it seeks to shape a new security architecture and financial institution in the region, and deepen trade relations with Asian nations in apparent efforts to undercut U.S. influence and raise its regional clout.Chinese President Xi Jinping is to arrive in Seoul for a two-day state visit, during which he and President Park Geun-hye are to discuss ways to deepen cooperation in areas including security, trade and business.Ex
July 2, 2014
-
East Sea naming law takes effect in Virginia
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) ― A new law went into effect in the U.S. state of Virginia Tuesday, requiring local school textbooks to use the South Korean name “East Sea” alongside the more commonly used Japanese name “Sea of Japan” for the body of water between the two countries.The landmark legislation passed through the Virginia House of Delegates in February, despite strenuous Japanese government lobbying against it, and Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed it into law in April. Virginia is the first U.S. stat
July 2, 2014
-
Chinese leader set to visit S. Korea amid regional tensions
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit South Korea this week for talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, an official said Wednesday, amid regional tensions over North Korea's nuclear weapons program and Japan's growing nationalism.Xi is scheduled to hold summit talks with Park on Thursday that are expected to focus on how to further boost their relations and how to deal with North Korea's nuclear weapons program as well as the Japanese leader's nationalistic policies.South Korea has ex
July 2, 2014
-
Korea, China to announce stepped up cooperation
South Korea and China are likely to adopt an annex to a joint presidential statement after their leaders’ summit in Seoul on Thursday to underscore their efforts to strengthen cooperation in various fields including trade and business, sources said Tuesday.Accompanied by a large economic delegation, Chinese President Xi Jinping is to arrive in Seoul for a two-day state visit on Thursday. He will have a summit with President Park Geun-hye to discuss North Korea’s nuclear threat and other bilatera
July 1, 2014
-
Japan ends pacifist security policy
Japan approved its right to fight in overseas wars on Tuesday, overturning its strictly defensive postwar security policy and defying public protests and international concerns over its unabated revisionist push. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe convened an impromptu cabinet meeting to lift the longstanding ban on exercising collective self-defense by reinterpreting its Constitution’s war-renouncing Article 9, which barred Tokyo from waging war and possessing war-related materials. With the decision, J
July 1, 2014
-
‘Social media reshaping political debate’
One of the key forces challenging political orthodoxy and debate in Asia in the coming years is likely to be social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and their regional counterparts, according to the latest issue of Global Asia, a Seoul-based quarterly journal. “What we uncovered in our assessment of social media in this region, ‘Digital Dynamite: The Power of Social Media to Transform Asia for Better and Worse,’ is that the rapidly accelerating rate of smartphone usage and Internet penet
July 1, 2014
-
S. Korea reaffirms stance on Japan's collective self-defense
South Korea reaffirmed its stance Tuesday that Japan should seek explicit consent from Seoul if Tokyo exercises the right to "collective self-defense" in cases of emergency situations related to security on the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to reinterpret its war-renouncing Constitution that has banned Japan from exercising what is called the right to collective self-defense, a major shift in Japan's postwar security policy. The right would allow Tokyo t
July 1, 2014
-
Japan set for shift in postwar security policy
Japan is poised to set its plan in motion to allow its military to help defend other countries, which will herald a major shift in the country’s defense-oriented postwar security policy amid rising concerns over its creeping assertiveness in the region. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to convene a cabinet meeting Tuesday to approve Tokyo’s right to exercise collective self-defense by reinterpreting the war-renouncing Article 9 of its Constitution. The change will allow Japan’s Self-Defense
June 30, 2014
-
Park-Xi summit to focus on North Korean nukes, FTA
The leaders of South Korea and China are expected to underscore their opposition to North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and their push to expedite bilateral free trade negotiations during a summit in Seoul later this week, government sources said Monday.After the summit on Thursday, Presidents Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping are to issue a joint statement, which observers presume will include their resolve to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, but may fall short of singling out the North for d
June 30, 2014
-
Seoul to publish sex slavery white paper by July 2015
South Korea is seeking to publish a white paper to shed light on Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women by July 2015 in a bid to protest against Japan’s review of its 1993 key apology of such atrocities, officials said Monday.The move comes as Japan has recently said that Seoul and Tokyo officials coordinated the wording of the so-called Kono Statement that apologized for coercing women into sexual servitude for its frontline troops during World War II.The Ministry of Gender Equality
June 30, 2014