South Korea and the United States are “indispensable partners” that share such universal values as freedom and human rights -- the commitment central to their economic solidarity, Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon said Tuesday ahead of marking the allies’ 70 years of security ties in October. Lee and his US counterpart, Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environme...

China said Tuesday that it would stop issuing short-term visas for Koreans, including those traveling to the country for business purposes and tourism, in retaliation against the Korean government’s tightened COVID-19 restrictions against passengers from the neighboring country. The Chinese Embassy in Seoul said it was suspending the issuance of short-term visas to China for Korean nationals sta...

WASHINGTON -- The United States is prepared to work with South Korea and other countries to address their concerns over the US Inflation Reduction Act, a state department spokesperson said Monday. Ned Price also highlighted the need to keep offshore investment between South Korea and the US robust. "Just as we have said with our European allies, this is a consequential piece of legislation. It'...

The South Korean science ministry on Monday warned that a retired U.S. satellite could possible fall on the Korean Peninsula and its vicinities later this day. Launched in 1984, the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite is falling to Earth after completing its decadeslong mission to study how the Earth absorbed and radiated energy from the sun. The Ministry of Science and ICT said the ERBS is foreca...

Webtoon on sex slaves, forced laborers may draw international attention on wartime abuses, Seo says

Close cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the United States is crucial in dealing with a range of challenges facing the allies in the Indo-Pacific, including the security threat posed by North Korea, a state department spokesperson said Friday. Ned Price said ways to enhance the trilateral cooperation will also be a major topic for US-Japan discussions next week. US President Joe Biden i...

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger stressed solid cooperation between South Korea and the US for the denuclearization of North Korea in a luncheon held with Chung Mong-joon, honorary chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in New York on Thursday (local time), according to the organization on Friday. During the meeting, the two exchanged views on the recent international situ...

Jose Fernandez, the US under secretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, plans to visit South Korea next week for consultations on a range of bilateral economic issues, according to diplomatic sources Friday. According to the sources, Seoul and Washington are in consultations on details related to Fernandez's trip, probably including a meeting with Lee Do-hoon, Seoul's se...

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to work closely with South Korea to monitor threats posed by North Korea, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday, after a group of North Korean drones infiltrated South Korea before returning home. Defense Department spokesperson Brig. Ge. Pat Ryder also highlighted that the US maintains "intelligence capabilities" in the region. "We certainly have been ...

Expert suggests S. Korea find leverage for new approach to forced labor settlement

The Chinese Embassy in Seoul lodged a diplomatic protest over the South Korean parliamentary delegation’s visit to Taiwan in December, calling it a “serious violation” of the two countries’ bilateral relations. “We urge Korea to adhere to the ‘One China’ policy and the spirit of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China and refrain from engaging in any ‘official exchanges...

Together, the two mayors visited major facilities throughout the city, such as museums, educational districts, and the Madrona Marsh Preserve, known to be one of the last vernal freshwater marshes in Los Angeles County. Torrance, located in the southern region of Los Angeles, is known for its leading public schools, aerospace industry, and advanced medical system. “Hwaseong and Torrance have ma...

WASHINGTON -- The United States is concerned about North Korea's disregard of a tension-reduction agreement it signed with South Korea in 2018, a state department official said Wednesday. "We are concerned about the DPRK's apparent disregard of the 2018 comprehensive military agreement, and we call on it to end its irresponsible and escalatory behavior," department press secretary Ned Price said...

WASHINGTON -- The United States will continue to enhance its joint defense readiness with South Korea and Japan by conducting additional joint military exercises against growing North Korean threats, a White House official said Wednesday. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, also highlighted that the US has devoted additional intelligence gathering and ...

WASHINGTON-- Negotiations alone will not rid North Korea of its nuclear ambition, former US ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris argued Tuesday, insisting that US policy of using negotiations to remove North Korea's nuclear weapons is no longer useful. The former US ambassador stressed the need to combine dialogue with strong sanctions and deterrence to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong-un...