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Seoul, Hanoi agree to close ranks over US tariffs
The top diplomats of South Korea and Vietnam agreed to closely coordinate in response to the looming "reciprocal" tariffs announced by the US and to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership across a broader array of sectors, including infrastructure, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Wednesday. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, in Hanoi on Tuesday for their second foreign ministerial meeting, following the first held in Seoul
April 16, 2025 -
Syria seeks to emulate S. Korea's rise from war
Syria is looking to learn from South Korea’s postwar recovery experience and is calling for private sector involvement in its wide-ranging reconstruction efforts, according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry. "We conveyed that Korea is indeed a crucial partner, given our own experience in rebuilding the country surmounting difficult times — and the Syrian side affirmed it in their own words," a senior Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity during a closed-door briefing Tuesday, after
April 15, 2025 -
Trump says he's looking to help some auto companies amid tariff concerns
US President Donald Trump said Monday that he is looking at "something" to help some automotive companies, as he was addressing a question over the possibility of tariff exemptions for certain product categories. The president made the remarks during a press availability, while meeting El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele at the White House. His administration's 25 percent tariffs on imported cars went into effect earlier this month. "We are looking at something to help some of the car companies
April 15, 2025 -
US begins national security probes into semiconductor, pharmaceutical imports
The United States has begun investigations into imports of semiconductors and pharmaceuticals to examine their impact on America's national security, Commerce Department notices showed Monday, as President Donald Trump is looking to impose new tariffs on those products. According to the notices posted on the Federal Register, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick initiated the probes on April 1 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as South Korea and other US trading partners are kee
April 15, 2025 -
S. Korea, Uzbekistan sign MOU on public procurement cooperation
South Korea's Public Procurement Service (PPS) and Uzbekistan's Ministry of Economy and Finance held a bilateral meeting on cooperation in public procurement and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the Central Asian country last week, the PPS said Monday. The meeting between PPS Administrator Lim Ki-keun and Uzbekistan's Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Gulnora Rakhimova took place in Tashkent last Friday, the PPS said. Under the MOU signed by Lim and Rakhimova, the two organizat
April 14, 2025 -
US shows willingness to handle tariff talks smoothly with S. Korea: trade minister
The US has expressed a willingness to handle the tariff negotiations with South Korea and Japan as smoothly as possible, Seoul's Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Friday, describing the US' openness as a key outcome of his visit to Washington. "We held various discussions aimed at ensuring smooth trade relations with the Trump administration," Cheong told reporters at Incheon International Airport upon returning from his two-day visit to Washington. Cheong's trip marked the first of its kind by
April 11, 2025 -
South Korea forges ties with Syria in secret visit by top diplomat to Damascus
South Korea and Syria formally established diplomatic relations on Thursday during Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul’s secret, whirlwind diplomatic trip to Damascus, marking a diplomatic landmark as Seoul forges ties with the last remaining UN member state apart from North Korea. Cho, the first South Korean foreign minister to visit Syria, signed the joint statement with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani on Thursday to formally establish ties during their meeting, according to the Foreign Mini
April 11, 2025 -
S. Korean unification minister discusses bilateral ties with senior Japanese officials
South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho met with senior Japanese officials in Tokyo on Thursday and stressed the importance of bolstering bilateral cooperation, according to a foreign media report. Kim is in Japan for a three-day visit through Friday, which aims at enhancing two-way cooperation on inter-Korean unification issues and the North Korea policy under Japan's Shigeru Ishiba administration, his office said. During his meeting with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi
April 10, 2025 -
Seoul blacklists Chinese ship operators, Russian firm over N. Korean iron ore smuggling
South Korea's government has decided to impose unilateral sanctions on a non-flagged vessel seized in its waters for illegally transporting North Korean-produced iron ore, as well as on the Chinese nationals operating the ship and a Russian firm that ordered the cargo. These sanctions came about 10 months after the South Korean government intercepted and inspected a ship last June as it transited through its territorial waters en route to China’s Jingjiang Port, a senior Foreign Ministry officia
April 10, 2025 -
S. Korea's acting president holds 1st phone talks with Trump
Acting President Han Duck-soo spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, his office said, marking their first talks since South Korea was thrust into political turmoil triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle. The 28-minute phone talks came four days after South Korea's Constitutional Court removed Yoon from office over his short-lived martial law imposition in December. The phone talks also marked the first conversation between Seoul and Washington at the
April 8, 2025 -
Seoul slams Japan’s repeated Dokdo claim in Diplomatic Bluebook as ‘provocation’
The South Korean government on Tuesday lodged a strong protest against Japan’s recurring sovereignty claim over the Dokdo islets in its annual diplomatic policy publication, denouncing the move as a "provocation." South Korea's Foreign Ministry also summoned Taisuke Mibae, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Tuesday morning. The commentary by the Foreign Ministry in Seoul was issued shortly after the Diplomatic Bluebook 2025, an annual report on Japan’s foreign policy and a
April 8, 2025 -
Russian envoy says next Russia-US contact could be 'next week'
MOSCOW (AFP) -- A senior Russian official involved in negotiations with Washington said on Sunday that Russia and the United States could reach out to each other again as early as next week. Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin's international economy envoy, told Channel One television in an interview that the next contact between the two sides could happen "already next week", the TASS news agency reported. Dmitriev, who is the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, visited Washington last week -- the
April 6, 2025 -
Pope makes surprise appearance at St. Peter’s Square, 2 weeks after leaving hospital
Pope Francis made a surprise entrance to St. Peter’s Square during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick and health workers on Sunday, marking his first public appearance at the Vatican since his release from the hospital two weeks ago. The pontiff waved at the crowd that stood and applauded as he was rolled unannounced to the front of the altar in the square. “Good Sunday to everyone,’’ Francis said, speaking into a microphone, which he tapped to make sure it was working on a second attempt. “Tha
April 6, 2025 -
Summit diplomacy back on horizon
Seoul informs foreign envoys that new president will be chosen within 60 days of court ruling The Constitutional Court’s unanimous decision to eject President Yoon Suk Yeol has begun to clear a monthslong fog of uncertainty for foreign countries over how and when South Korea’s political leadership vacuum would end. The political instability and leadership vacuum triggered by Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3 dragged on for four months, at a time when amid sharp US policy shift
April 5, 2025 -
U.S. reaffirms commitment to working with acting President Han, looks forward to future of 'close cooperation': State Dept.
The United States reaffirmed its commitment Friday to working with South Korea's acting President Han Duck-soo for stability in the bilateral alliance until a successor to ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol is picked, the State Department said, underscoring its "ironclad" security commitment to the Asian ally. The Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment of Yoon on Friday (Korea time), unseating him from office over his short-lived martial law imposition in December and setting the st
April 4, 2025