BUSAN -- Forty-five South Korean companies exhibited and demonstrated their new technologies related to the “fourth industrial revolution,” from green cars to smart factory solutions, in a bid to create more business opportunities in the fast-growing ASEAN markets. Officials from the government, companies and their potential partners and clients gathered at Bexco for the ASEAN-ROK Innovation Showcase 2019, which was held on the sidelines of the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, in

Industry Nov. 25, 2019

South Korea expects to take a leap in its relations with Southeast Asian countries by revisiting the achievements of the past 30 years and developing a new vision for the future. During the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan, Korea and the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states will adopt a joint vision statement on coexistence and prosperity. The statement will suggest directions for cooperation in different fields, such as the development of strategic partnerships between

Foreign Affairs Nov. 24, 2019

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun said Wednesday that the US will continue its efforts to hold denuclearization talks with the North until the matter is resolved, dismissing the year-end deadline set by the regime. “We do not have a year-end deadline. ... That’s an artificial deadline set by the North Koreans, and unfortunately it’s a deadline that they’ve set upon themselves,” Biegun said before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee durin

North Korea Nov. 21, 2019

US Ambassador Harry Harris and his negotiation team for a defense cost-sharing deal have come under fire for what lawmakers here called “diplomatic discourtesy” as they continue to demand that South Korea pay more for the upkeep of US troops stationed here. The US team, led by James DeHart of the State Department, left the negotiation table earlier than planned Tuesday, the second day of talks in Seoul with the South Korean delegation for the 11th Special Measures Agreement, the two

Foreign Affairs Nov. 20, 2019

Three ships carrying 16 crew members, including two South Koreans, were seized by Houthi rebels off the southern coast of Yemen, according to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. Houthi rebels told the government that they will release the boats if they are found to be Korean ships after legal procedures are carried out, a ministry official said. A tugboat and a drilling rig that belong to the Korean firm Woongjin Development Co. as well as a Saudi Arabian-flagged tugboat were seized by the rebels M

Foreign Affairs Nov. 19, 2019

Differences between South Korea and the United States over how much Seoul should pay for the upkeep of the 28,500 US troops stationed here have come to the fore, with the two sides cutting short their meeting Tuesday. “There was a considerable difference between proposals of the US and the South in principle,” Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea’s top negotiator, said at a regular briefing. The US negotiation team, led by James DeHart of the State Department, left the negotiating table e

Defense Nov. 19, 2019

The United States has stepped up efforts to keep up momentum for dialogue with North Korea, urging the North’s leader to take swift action to forge a denuclearization agreement and accepting the regime’s demand to postpone the US joint military exercise with South Korea. “I am the only one who can get you where you have to be,” US President Donald Trump told North Korean leader Kim Jong-un via a tweet Sunday. “You should act quickly, get the deal done. See you soon!

North Korea Nov. 18, 2019

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday that South Korea should pay more for the defense the US provides as it is a wealthy country, amid ongoing talks on a bilateral military cost-sharing deal. Esper traveled to Seoul to hold an annual Security Consultative Meeting with South Korea’s Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo. “South Korea is a wealthy country and could and should pay more to help offset the cost of defense,” Esper said in a press conference following the meeting.

Defense Nov. 15, 2019

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul met with Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun on Thursday to discuss the controversy surrounding the plans to dismantle its facilities at the Kumgangsan tourist resort in North Korea. The ministry has held a series of talks with Hyundai Asan -- the inter-Korean business unit of Hyundai Group, which holds a 50-year license to operate a tour program to the scenic Kumgangsan -- since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last month ordered the removal of

North Korea Nov. 14, 2019

The Unification Ministry on Monday denied that two North Koreans were returned to the North unlawfully, saying they were not entitled to protection due to the serious nature of their crimes. “The two North Koreans are not subjected to protection under the North Korean Refugees Protection and Settlement Support Act, as they are ‘nonpolitical’ serious criminals and their acceptance as refugees could pose a danger to the lives and safety of citizens here,” Lee Sang-min, the

North Korea Nov. 11, 2019

President Moon Jae-in’s top security adviser reaffirmed Sunday that South Korea’s bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan could be renewed, as the expiration date draws near.Chung Eui-yong, chief of Cheong Wa Dae’s National Security Office, laid the blame on Japan for the strained relations, which have sunk to their lowest point in decades. “The government is willing to rethink an extension of the GSOMIA if South Korea-Japan relations normalize,&rdquo

Foreign Affairs Nov. 10, 2019

The Korea Senior Star Association, a civic group for senior citizens, hosted a fashion show Saturday to promote the beauty of the Korean traditional costume, hanbok, and break down the barriers that divide generations.Around 1,000 people attended the event, titled “Our Beautiful Costume Hanbok That Moves Forward Into the Future,” held at Namsangol Hanok Village, a collection of five Korean traditional houses at the foot of Namsan’s north side. “We hope this event hel

Culture Nov. 10, 2019

Two North Koreans who entered South Korean waters on a fishing boat were repatriated, as they allegedly killed 16 fellow crew members on their boat, the Unification Ministry said Thursday. The government returned the fishermen, who were in their 20s, through the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom after they confessed to mutiny during an investigation conducted by South Korean authorities.  The two men were caught south of the Northern Limit Line, a de facto maritime border off South K

North Korea Nov. 7, 2019

The South Korean government has proposed sending a delegation to inspect the facilities it funded at North Korea’s Kumgangsan, in its second attempt to engage the regime in dialogue after demolition plans were announced. The Unification Ministry said Wednesday it sent a letter to North Korea on Tuesday, notifying that it will send a delegation comprising government officials and businesspeople for the inspection of South Korean facilities that had been used for now-suspended tours to the m

North Korea Nov. 6, 2019

South Korea and the US held a joint public-private economic forum to discuss ways to strengthen their economic ties and enhance cooperation on issues of common interest, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The fourth Republic of Korea-United States Senior Economic Dialogue was held in Seoul on Wednesday to take stock of the progress and explore avenues of further cooperation between the two countries, particularly in line with Seoul’s New Southern Policy and Washington’s Indo-Pacifi

Foreign Affairs Nov. 6, 2019