South Korea evacuated its nationals from strife-torn Sudan and transported them to Saudi Arabia before heading home, the presidential office in Seoul said Monday evening. The group of 26 Koreans on board a KC-330 multi-role tanker aircraft is set to arrive at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday afternoon, said Lim Jong-deuk, the second deputy director of the National Securi...

Agenda to focus on level of bilateral agreement on extended deterrence

South Korea on Monday put Japan back on its "white list" of trusted trading partners, three years after the removal, in a move to improve their bilateral economic and diplomatic relationship, the industry ministry said. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy issued a revision to its public notice on exports and imports of strategic items in the day that calls for restoring Japan's fast-track...

China has continued to pounce on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s remarks on the Taiwan issue, raising tensions between the two countries, especially in the run-up to the South Korea-US summit where the leaders will discuss the alliance’s role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region as one of the key agenda topics. China’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday belatedly unveiled...

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's new ambassador to the United States Cho Hyun-dong met the US State Department's point man on East Asia on Friday to discuss preparations for the upcoming Seoul-Washington summit and other pending issues. During his meeting with Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Cho stressed that he will do his utmost to make the summi...

Four crew members from a Russian fishing boat were found dead after a vessel caught fire off the southeastern coast near Ulsan on Friday morning, while the other 21 were rescued, the Russian Embassy in Seoul and South Korea’s Coast Guard said Friday. All 25 crew members were Russian nationals, and two crew members who were rescued have reportedly sustained minor burns. Russia’s Ambassador to So...

Chinese Foreign Minister said Friday Taiwan belongs to China, vowing to fight off anyone threatening to dispute the fact, a day after South Korea summoned China’s top envoy in Seoul for Beijing’s open criticism of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s remarks on Taiwan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday it will not allow others to “meddle in conversations involving the Taiwan issue,” in response to...

South Korea on Friday expressed regret over mass visits by Japanese lawmakers to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a move Seoul sees as an attempt to whitewash Tokyo’s wartime wrongs since the shrine honors 14 World War II leaders convicted as war criminals. Earlier in the same day, some 90 lawmakers from several political parties paid their respects, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ...

ULSAN -- A Russian fishing boat carrying 25 people caught fire off the southeastern coastal city of Ulsan early Friday, leaving four of them missing, Coast Guard officials said. The 769-ton vessel was carrying 100 tons of seafood in waters off Ulsan, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, toward Russia when the fire broke out at 12:43 a.m., the officials said. All crew members were Russian. A...

WASHINGTON -- The United States takes its defense commitment to South Korea "very, very seriously," a White House official said Thursday, following Russia's threat to arm North Korea if South Korea sends lethal assistance to Ukraine. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said the US is grateful for the support South Korea has already provided to Ukraine....

The foreign ministry strongly denounced China for committing a "serious diplomatic discourtesy" Thursday after a Chinese official branded President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent comments on Taiwan as a verbal meddling by others. The ministry issued the statement after the Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said earlier in the day Beijing would not allow others to meddle by word, in r...

President Yoon Suk Yeol will make a five-day state visit to the United States from April 24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden. During the visit, the two leaders are expected to strengthen their joint defense posture, discuss details of extended deterrence and further enhance economic and security cooperation. President Yoon's trip marks the first visit of a Korean president to the Unit...

"Bullock carts are very common," he said, adding that animals are widely used in the North Korean countryside, along with bicycles as the most common form of transportation. The UK has not had an ambassador to North Korea since Crooks left Pyongyang in 2021. The meeting was attended by 80 forum officials, including former high-ranking officials and ministers, businessmen, representatives of saf...

Former US adviser says missile launches seek to test new technology, exercising capability

South Korea will conduct a special inspection into the marking of country of origin for imported seafood products on concerns over Japan's planned release of contaminated water from its crippled nuclear power plant, the oceans ministry said Wednesday. The two-month intensive inspection in cooperation with the Coast Guard will begin next month to check if importers, distributors and retailers pro...