Biden picks top Asia aide as nominee for deputy secretary of state

US President Joe Biden chose his top Asia aide as the nominee for deputy secretary of state, the White House said Wednesday, as Washington maintains its strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific despite growing tensions in the Middle East and Russia's war in Ukraine. The White House said Biden expressed his intent to designate Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, for the State Department's No. 2 post that has been left vacant since former Deputy

Nov. 2, 2023

FM Park, Blinken to meet in Seoul next week

Foreign Minister Park Jin will discuss North Korea’s nuclear threats and other key issues with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the US diplomat’s two-day trip to South Korea from Nov. 8, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Wednesday. The visit, the first in two and a half years, comes as South Korea doubles down on the importance of the US nuclear umbrella to prevent a North Korean strike. The two allies agreed on giving Seoul a bigger say in how Washington deliv

Nov. 1, 2023

US lawmaker submits bill requiring Pentagon report on allies' defense contribution

A US Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill requiring the Pentagon to annually submit to Congress a report on contributions that South Korea and other allies make to "common defense" efforts, his office said Tuesday. Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) submitted to the House the Allied Burden Sharing Report Act, which calls for the report on contributions by South Korea, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, Arab Gulf allies and all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Or

Nov. 1, 2023

S. Korea requests EU review ban on dangerous chemical, non-tariff barriers

South Korea's industry ministry said Tuesday it has requested that the European Union "prudently review" its ban on the use of dangerous chemicals known as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other non-tariff barriers that may hinder free trade. Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun met Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis of the European Commission in Seoul to discuss pending bilateral trade issues, including Europe's new carbon border tax, according to the Ministry of Trade

Oct. 31, 2023

Turkey looks to build closer ties with Korea as it celebrates its centenary

Commemorating the Republic of Turkey's 100th anniversary Monday, Turkey's ambassador said the nation is looking to foster closer ties with South Korea. "Our horizons and dreams are very big, but what Turkey and Korea have done and can do together encourages us and motivates us to work harder," said Turkish Ambassador to Korea Murat Tamer at a reception held in Seoul, citing South Korea as one of the world's most modern, democratic and liberal nations, with one of the t

Oct. 31, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan hold first trilateral working-level talks on humanitarian aid

South Korea, the United States and Japan have held their first trilateral working-level talks on ways to bolster cooperation in humanitarian aid policies, in a follow-up to the summit of the three countries' leaders in August, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. The two-day policy dialogue that ended Monday in Honolulu, Hawaii, was led by Won Do-yeon, director general for development cooperation; Michele Sumilas, assistant to the administrator of the bureau for planning, learning an

Oct. 31, 2023

US stresses opposition to any arms provision to Hamas amid claimed use of N.Korean weapons

The United States opposes any country supplying Hamas with anything that the militant group can use for "terrorist activities," the State Department said Monday, amid a report that Hamas has been using North Korean weapons in its war against Israel. Last week, the Voice of America cited Israeli Ambassador to South Korea Akiva Tor as saying that Israeli authorities know that North Korean-made weapons are in use by Hamas. "Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization and we oppose anyon

Oct. 31, 2023

FM holds back-to-back phone talks with Israel, other Middle East counterparts

Foreign Minister Park Jin has spoken by phone with his counterparts from Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan and discussed the escalating conflict between the Jewish state and the Islamic militant Hamas group, his office said Monday. In the phone talks, Park expressed deep concerns over the expanding ground offensive in the Gaza Strip and the increasing death toll that has topped 9,400 from the fighting. Speaking to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Park condemned Hamas' indiscrim

Oct. 30, 2023

Biden stresses need to 'responsibly' manage US-China rivalry, cooperate to tackle global challenges

President Joe Biden highlighted the need for the United States and China to "responsibly" manage their competition and cooperate to tackle global challenges during his talks with the top Chinese diplomat in Washington on Friday, the White House said. Biden met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as Washington seeks Beijing's cooperation in preventing the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group from spreading across the Middle East and in addressing other global challen

Oct. 28, 2023

N. Korean FM slams trilateral statement on arms transfer to Russia

North Korea's top diplomat on Saturday criticized a trilateral statement released by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo earlier this week condemning the reclusive regime's arms transfer to Russia, calling it a "groundless criticism and defamation." North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui issued the statement via Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, saying that others have "no right to interfere in the issues belonging to the national sovereignty of states.&q

Oct. 28, 2023

Italian president to pay state visit to S. Korea next month

Italian President Sergio Mattarella will pay a state visit to South Korea next month and hold a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon's office said Friday. Mattarella will visit South Korea from Nov. 7-9 at Yoon's invitation. During the summit, the two leaders will discuss ways for the two countries to cooperate in various sectors, including the economy, space, science and technology, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, the presidential office said. (Yonhap)

Oct. 27, 2023

Top US, Chinese diplomats hold talks over bilateral ties, Middle East tensions

The top diplomats of the United States and China met in Washington on Thursday to discuss cooperation over escalating tensions in the Middle East and Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as bilateral ties marred by the two major powers' competition on security, technology and other fronts. The talks between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi came amid speculation that Washington and Beijing are working out details for an expected summit between President

Oct. 27, 2023

US House to adopt resolution for ‘Kimchi Day’

The US House of Representatives will adopt a resolution in early December to recognize Kimchi Day, honoring the Korean dish of fermented vegetables. According to the Museum of Korean American Heritage in New York, the adoption will take place on Dec. 6 after the House Oversight and Accountability Committee puts the resolution on the floor, which Rep. Young Kim (R-California) proposed with bipartisan backing. The resolution did not pass last year. The adoption this time, an official at the museum

Oct. 26, 2023

South Korea, Qatar agree to elevate ties, forge $4.6b industry partnership

DOHA, Qatar -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani agreed on Wednesday to upgrade bilateral ties by forging a comprehensive strategic partnership ahead of the two countries’ 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year. Under the agreement, the two countries will expand communication channels in the fields of diplomacy and security, as well as bilateral cooperation in the defense industry. The leaders, during their summit held

Oct. 25, 2023

[Top Envoy] S. Korea is done with ‘strategic ambiguity,’ ex-envoy says

The Korea Herald publishes a series of interviews with South Korea’s former and current top diplomats who have played a central role in shaping the country’s foreign policies to confront the complexities of an increasingly contested international order while managing its historical relationships with allies and neighbors, for lasting peace beyond the Korean Peninsula. This is the third installment. -- Ed Heightening threats from North Korea to use its nuclear weapons against South Ko

Oct. 25, 2023

Blinken warns of 'swift, decisive' response in case of Iranian attack on US troops amid Middle East conflict

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Tuesday that America will respond "swiftly and decisively" in the event of Iranian or proxy group attacks on American personnel in the Middle East. Blinken made the remarks at a UN Security Council ministerial meeting in New York as US and coalition forces were attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three times in Syria between Oct. 17 and Tuesday, according to the Pentagon. The US has not yet obtained any intelligence indicating Ira

Oct. 25, 2023

Korea, Saudi Arabia agree to expand partnership for global stability, economy

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Leaders of South Korea and Saudi Arabia agreed to enhance their strategic partnership in a wide range of areas to boost economic ties and affirmed their opposition to any kind of attacks targeting civilians in the Israel-Palestine conflict in the first joint declaration adopted in more than four decades. According to the declaration released on the final day of President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to Saudi Arabia, the two sides agreed to actively explore ways

Oct. 24, 2023

US says it is 'not blind' to Iran's 'destabilizing' behavior

The United States warned Iran Monday that it is not "blind" to the Islamic republic's continued support for the Hamas militant group that launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel this month. John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, made the remarks amid lingering concerns that renewed friction between Washington and Tehran could reduce room for Seoul, a key ally of the US, to engage with Iran for economic cooperation. Washington has be

Oct. 24, 2023

Touting historic ties with Saudi Arabia, Yoon calls for new partnership for growth

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea and Saudi Arabia could contribute to sustainable global growth by forging a future-oriented partnership that encompasses the fields of energy, digital technology, biology and space, underscoring a history of cooperation between the two countries. On his third day of a state visit to Saudi Arabia, Yoon stressed the importance of the special partnership between the two countries that began in the 1970s, serving as the foundation fo

Oct. 24, 2023

Yoon’s trip offers momentum for economic growth: experts

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s six-day trip to the Middle East, largely meant to expand economic ties, offers fresh momentum for South Korean companies to ride out global headwinds in the long-run, experts said Monday. The state visit to Saudi Arabia has already led to a signing of deals including memorandums of understanding worth $15.6 billion in total, over areas ranging from food to oil to energy, according to Yoon’s office. He returns home Thursday after a one-day tour to Qatar the p

Oct. 23, 2023