South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol formalized the country’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a US-led regional initiative, during his first summit with US President Joe Biden. As the two leaders have announced plans to elevate their strategic cooperation in economic and security areas, experts here say the South Korean administration is making an official shift in policy b...

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke with US President Joe Biden, who is in Seoul for a summit, Moon’s close aide said on Saturday. According to Rep. Youn Kun-young of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, Moon and Biden held a phone conversation lasting about 10 minutes from 6:52 p.m. on Saturday, and exchanged friendly messages. Youn said that Biden referred to Moon as a “...

US President Joe Biden said there is room for improvement for Seoul and Tokyo’s strained relationship, and stressed on the importance of building strong ties in the wake of growing competition between democracies and autocracies, Saturday. Speaking at a press conference following the first summit talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, Biden said he spoke about Korea’s relation...

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his US counterpart Joe Biden agreed Saturday to launch a new communication channel between their offices for “frequent” communication of the two countries to strengthen bilateral cooperation on economic security. Recognizing how the future of the alliance between the two countries will be defined by their common efforts to address the challenges ahead, th...

In the past decades, global warming has gained much awareness, prompting the international society to look for solutions, but rising sea levels, one of the consequences, has often been overlooked, renowned photojournalist Kadir van Lohuizen said. People should understand the seriousness of rising sea levels around the world and act fast, as it could bring “the biggest displacement of mankind in ...

South Korea will join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a US-led economic initiative, as a founding member, the presidential office said Wednesday. The decision appears likely to put further pressure on Seoul to choose a side in the US-China rivalry, with Beijing already expressing opposition to South Korea’s entry. President Yoon Suk-yeol will be participating in the launching ceremony of th...

North Korea appears to be preparing for a possible intercontinental ballistic missile test within the next 48 to 96 hours in time for US President Joe Biden’s visit to Seoul and Tokyo this weekend, CNN reported Wednesday. An official familiar with the matter told CNN that a government assessment shows that “things we have noticed in the past for a launch are the things we are noticing now.” Whi...

North Korea criticized South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol as a person who likes to “show off,” and said Yoon is rehashing an old-school North Korea policy, Tuesday. Uriminjokkiri, one of the North’s propaganda websites, called Yoon a “manspreading ship owner” who solely pursues his own authority and pleasure, and bothers his subordinates by ordering the relocation of the presidential office an...

US President Joe Biden’s plans to meet former South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his visit to Seoul this weekend, have raised eyebrows, as Moon no longer holds office. The schedule has prompted observers to speculate on the purpose of the meeting, with the possibility that Seoul and Washington are considering asking Moon to serve as an intermediary to North Korea among the most widely hel...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reprimanded officials for failing to deliver medicine in time, and ordered the mobilization of the military to stabilize the supply in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, North Korea’s state media reported Monday. Raising concerns over the virus spread, Kim also strongly criticized law enforcement officials for failing to prevent people from hoarding and illegally ...

North Korea appears to be ready to conduct a nuclear test, and may conduct further missiles tests beforehand, South Korea’s presidential office said Friday. The government is also trying to figure out the reason for Pyongyang’s movements, a presidential official told reporters. If conducted, it will be Pyongyang’s seventh nuclear test. “North Korea has already staged six nuclear tests, and we a...

The reclusive regime officially confirmed of the COVID-19 outbreak for the first time on Thursday. The state media also said Kim has strongly criticized the situation. “The simultaneous spread of fever with the capital area as a center shows that there is a vulnerable point in the epidemic prevention system,” Kim was quoted as saying in the English report. “It is very important for all provinc...

By Jo He-rim ( herim@heraldcorp.com )

Unification Minister nominee Kwon Young-se said he would consider visiting Pyongyang as a special envoy when he steps into office, during a parliamentary confirmation hearing on Thursday. “I will consider the situation with North Korea and consult with our foreign policy and national defense team and openly consider the possibility,” he said in response to a question from Rep. Lee Tae-kyu of the...

North Korea officially confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak for the first time in a state media report on Thursday. Calling the situation the “biggest emergency,” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered a de-facto lockdown to prevent further spread of the disease. According to the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang has detected cases of the stealth omicron variant, the highly transmissible offshoot ...