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Senators who value S. Korea-US alliance lead foreign relations, armed services committees
Prominent US politicians, known to value the South Korea-US alliance, have been named to chair the Senate committees on foreign relations and armed services that have a substantial influence over America's foreign and security policy. Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) have taken the helm of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Armed Services Committee, respectively, in the 119th Congress that kicked off last week, according to reports and other sources. The GOP has a
Jan. 8, 2025 -
Outgoing top US envoy stresses continued push for NK denuclearization
Outgoing US Ambassador Philip Goldberg said Tuesday that denuclearizing North Korea should remain a principle to continue pushing for, despite the challenges posed by the North's evolving nuclear and weapons development. Goldberg made the remark as he was leaving his post in Seoul after a 2 1/2-year term, and less than two weeks before the second Donald Trump administration takes office Jan. 20. "I believe that denuclearization is an important principle to follow and to continue pressing," he to
Jan. 7, 2025 -
Korean American lawmaker stresses need to keep S. Korea-US alliance strong amid political turmoil in Seoul
A Korean American lawmaker underscored the need Monday to keep the South Korea-US alliance strong amid the political turmoil in Seoul, as she described the bilateral partnership as "vital" for security in the Indo-Pacific. Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) made the remarks in an opinion piece carried by The Hill, a US news outlet, as South Korea is undergoing a period of political uncertainty following President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt and subsequent impeachment last month. "The US-Repub
Jan. 7, 2025 -
Congress formally certifies Trump's election victory amid tight security
A joint session of US Congress formally certified President-elect Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential vote on Monday, in a legal process ahead of his inauguration as the United States' 47th president two weeks later. Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in the Nov. 5 showdown, presided over the session as the president of the Senate, and announced the results of the Electoral College vote count. The president-elect won 312 votes versus Harris' 226. "This announcement of th
Jan. 7, 2025 -
FM Cho pays tribute to late US President Jimmy Carter
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul has visited the US Embassy in Seoul to pay tribute to late former US President Jimmy Carter, who passed away earlier this week, Cho's office said Friday. Cho visited the memorial space at the embassy Thursday and paid his respects to the late president, the foreign ministry said in a brief message to media. "My deepest condolences to the Carter family and the American people on the passing of former President Jimmy Carter," Cho's message in the condolence book showed
Jan. 3, 2025 -
119th US Congress set to begin this week with Republicans taking thin majority in House, Senate
A new US Congress will open this week with the Republican Party taking a narrow majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate amid expectations over its role in an American system of checks and balances during the administration of incoming President Donald Trump. The 119th Congress is set to meet Friday with the Republican Party controlling 53 of 100 seats in the Senate and 219 of 435 seats in the House as a result of the November election. The fragile majority in both chambers h
Jan. 3, 2025 -
Crypto mogul Kwon could face 130 yrs in prison if convicted of all charges: Justice Dept.
South Korean crypto mogul Kwon Do-hyeong could face up to 130 years in prison if he is convicted of all fraud and other charges, the US Justice Department said Thursday, as he made his initial appearance in a New York court and pleaded not guilty to those charges. Kwon, 33, entered the plea in a Manhattan federal court, the Associated Press and Reuters reported, as the co-founder of Terraform Labs has been facing allegations that he engaged in schemes to deceive investors to fraudulently inflate
Jan. 3, 2025 -
Shattered dreams of Thai victims of Jeju Air crash
The two Thai nationals who tragically lost their lives in a tragic plane crash on Sunday were a promising college student and a proud mother of two. The victims, identified as Sirinthorn Ja-ue, a 22-year-old from Chiang Rai's Mae Suai district, and Boonchuay Duangmanee, a 45-year-old from Udon Thani province, were among the 181 passengers aboard the ill-fated flight. Ja-ue was traveling to South Korea to celebrate the New Year with her mother, who had married a Korean man. It was to be her secon
Jan. 1, 2025 -
FM extends condolences to plane crash victims, including 2 Thai nationals
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul extended his condolences Monday to the victims of the deadly plane crash at Muan International Airport and their families, including two Thai victims. "The tragic plane crash at Muan International Airport has left us in utter shock and profound sadness," Cho wrote on the social media platform X. "Our hearts are torn apart by the loss of so many precious lives, including those of the two Thai nationals who had been on board," he said. "Our heartfelt thoughts and condo
Dec. 30, 2024 -
US transportation authorities to assist S. Korea's probe into Jeju Air crash
Transportation safety authorities of the United States plan to help their South Korean counterparts with a probe into the cause of a deadly Jeju Air plane crash that claimed 179 lives, according to a US official Monday. The accident took place early Sunday, when Jeju Air flight 7C2216 veered off the runway while belly-landing and collided with a fence at the Muan International Airport in Muan County, about 290 kilometers southwest of Seoul. The crash of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft killed 179 peo
Dec. 30, 2024 -
Biden says he is 'deeply saddened' by loss of life in Jeju Air crash, vows to provide necessary aid
US President Joe Biden said Sunday that he and first lady Jill Biden are "deeply saddened" to learn of the loss of life in a deadly plane crash in South Korea, while pledging to provide any necessary assistance. Biden issued a statement after the Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people belly-landed and exploded at an airport in the country's southwestern county of Muan on Sunday morning, killing 179 with two others having been rescued. "Jill and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life that
Dec. 30, 2024 -
Embassies express grief over Muan plane crash
A passenger plane is engulfed in flames after crashing at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province on Sunday, resulting in at least 179 fatalities as of now. (Yonhap)
Dec. 29, 2024 -
New Chinese envoy calls for stronger cooperation via APEC hosting
The new Chinese Ambassador to South Korea on Friday called for enhanced cooperation between the two countries by taking the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit as an opportunity. South Korea will host the event in 2025 and China in 2026. "I hope both nations will support each other in successfully hosting the APEC meetings, aim to protect the international free trade system, and create favorable conditions for the mutual development of our countries and for international solidarity and coop
Dec. 27, 2024 -
S. Korea, Bahrain sign bilateral investment protection treaty
South Korea and Bahrain have signed a bilateral investment treaty on cementing the legal grounds for mutual investment and economic cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. The treaty was signed between South Korean Ambassador to Bahrain Koo Heon-sang and Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's minister of finance and national economy, in the Arab state's capital of Manama on Thursday, the ministry said in a release. The treaty, known as the Investment Promotion and Protection
Dec. 27, 2024 -
Ex-head of financial regulator named envoy for intl. finance cooperation
A former head of South Korea's financial regulator has been appointed as the country's representative tasked with promoting its economic and financial standing, the foreign ministry said Friday. Choi Jong-ku, a veteran technocrat and a former chairman of the Financial Services Commission, will serve as the ambassador-at-large for international finance cooperation for a one-year term, the ministry said in a release. Choi will work to "safeguard South Korea's external creditworthiness and accurate
Dec. 27, 2024