North Korea launched two ballistic missiles Monday, with the South Korean military presuming that at least one of them could be the KN-23 short-range ballistic missile supplied to Russia for use against Ukraine on the battlefield. The missile launches notably coincided with a key party meeting, presided over by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un since Friday, where crucial domestic and foreign policies are being deliberated, around a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin's rare visit to

North Korea July 1, 2024

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

Foreign Affairs June 28, 2024

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

Foreign Affairs June 27, 2024

Testimonies from North Korean defectors have revealed that the Kim Jong-un regime has conducted public executions of individuals caught distributing South Korean TV series, movies or K-pop music under a 2020 law, South Korea's Unification Ministry said Thursday. According to the 2024 North Korean Human Rights Report released by the ministry in Seoul, testimonies suggested an "increase in public executions based on violations of the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture.&quo

North Korea June 27, 2024

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

Foreign Affairs June 25, 2024

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

Foreign Affairs June 23, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a new partnership deal that resurrected a mutual defense commitment in case either country is attacked in a summit held under the wary eyes of the international community on Wednesday. "The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today provides, among other things, for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement," Putin was quoted as saying by state news agency T

North Korea June 19, 2024

South Korea and China held a high-level diplomatic and security dialogue on Tuesday in Seoul, elevating the talks from the director-general to the vice-ministerial level based on an agreement between their leaders, reflecting an atmosphere of thawing ties. The "Korea-China Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue" commenced at 3 p.m. for the first time since 2015 at a critical juncture, coinciding with the first day of Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to Pyongyang, his

Foreign Affairs June 18, 2024

The leaders of Russia and North Korea are set to sign a "treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership" that could elevate the bilateral ties to a new level possibly in the fields of military, technology and economy upon President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea for the first time in 24 years on Wednesday. The Russian president signed a presidential decree to "accept the proposal" of the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on signing a comprehensive strategic partnership

North Korea June 18, 2024

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will chair an open debate at the UN Security Council on Thursday to underscore the significant impacts of cyber threats on international peace and security, including North Korea’s cryptocurrency theft that endangers the nonproliferation regime, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul announced Monday. South Korea will host an open debate to be broadcast live, allowing all UN members to participate, as the "signature event" of its presidency at the

Foreign Affairs June 17, 2024

South Korea and China are set to hold a high-level diplomatic and security dialogue on Tuesday in Seoul, elevating the talks from the director-general level for the first time in nine years, the South Korean Foreign Ministry announced Monday. "The upcoming 'Korea-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue' will be held following the agreement between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang to actively operate communication channels in the diplomatic and security fields be

Foreign Affairs June 17, 2024

ASTANA, Kazakhstan/SEOUL -- The South Korean presidential office said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, widely interpreted by observers as a key moment to bolster military and security cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and other shifting geopolitical dynamics. "President Putin's visit to North Korea will take place in a few days," a senior South Korean presidential official confirmed t

Foreign Affairs June 13, 2024

South Korea and Cuba held their first high-level talks in Seoul since the establishment of diplomatic ties in February, with a focus on expanding cooperation across various fields, including the economy, regional and global matters, and the opening of embassies, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. South Korea’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won met with Carlos Miguel Pereira, Director-General of the General Division of Bilateral Affairs at the Cuban Foreign Mini

Foreign Affairs June 12, 2024

South Korea has the potential to serve as a "catalyst" in unlocking Africa's mining potential by strengthening the continent's capacity to add value to critical resources that have remained underdeveloped, despite the intricate challenges at play, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki said in his interview with The Korea Herald on Friday. Afwerki sees Korea's expertise, industrial prowess and technology as beacons of hope in translating Africa's longstanding ambitions t

Foreign Affairs June 10, 2024

North Korea launched more balloons, presumed to be filled with trash by the South Korean military, toward South Korea on Sunday night, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul announced. The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued a public safety alert around 10:15 p.m. local time, stating that North Korea's trash-carrying balloons had entered the air above Seoul. The balloon launch, marking the fourth such batch since May 28, took place after the South Korean military resumed broadcasting loudspeakers o

North Korea June 9, 2024