US brushes aside concerns about potential impact of Middle East conflict on Korean Peninsula security

A White House official dismissed concerns Thursday that the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group could negatively affect the United States' security commitments to South Korea and other allies. Since the eruption of the conflict sparked by Hamas' surprise attack last week, questions have lingered over whether Washington can simultaneously address multiple crises, including one in Ukraine. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, gave

Oct. 13, 2023

Blinken, Austin reaffirm support for Israel, condemn Hamas brutality

Top US officials on Thursday reiterated America's "rock-solid" support for Israel and denounced the brutality of Hamas "terrorists," as the fighting sparked by the Palestinian militant group's surprise attack last week has left at least 27 US citizens dead. In a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the United States' solidarity with Israel and its commitment to the vision of a

Oct. 13, 2023

S. Korea to send US$1 mln in aid to quake-hit Afghanistan

South Korea will send US$1 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan after a devastating earthquake in a northwestern province last week killed more than 2,000 people, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. The emergency aid will be delivered via the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the ministry said. As of Monday, 2,445 people had died and 9,240 had been injured, as the 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Herat on Saturday, according to data from the Intern

Oct. 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Estonian leader highlights shared values, historical struggles as basis for stronger ties

Estonia and South Korea have more in common than one might realize. From historic struggles to defend their freedom to the goal of building a digitally advanced democracy, their similarities and shared values work to unite the two nations on both security and the economy, Estonian President Alar Karis, told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul. “More than ever, the security in the Euro-Atlantic area and the security in the Pacific region around Korea are interconnected. We understan

Oct. 12, 2023

UAE President's Seoul visit postponed amid Middle East tensions

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's scheduled visit to South Korea this month has been postponed, according to the Korean presidential office on Thursday. Yoon's office confirmed to The Korea Herald that due to an “unexpected situation” in the region, the two nations have “mutually agreed” to postpone the UAE president's visit to Korea. The rising conflict between the Palestini

Oct. 12, 2023

PM makes official visit to Denmark to promote Expo bid

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo made an official visit to Denmark as part of his four-nation European trip to promote South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern city of Busan, his office said Thursday. Han arrived in Copenhagen on Tuesday for the second leg of his tour, engaging in meetings with prominent figures, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Queen Margrethe II, the office said. Han is the first South Korean prime minister to visit Denmark in a decade

Oct. 12, 2023

Pentagon chief stresses US ability to tackle 'crises in multiple theaters'

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin highlighted America's ability to address "crises in multiple theaters" simultaneously on Wednesday, apparently dismissing concerns that the renewed Israel-Hamas conflict would affect its security commitments to Ukraine and other partners. Austin made the remarks on the margins of a defense ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, as Washington announced an additional security aid package, valued at up to $200 million,

Oct. 12, 2023

FM holds talks with top officials of S. American nations, Caribbean states

Foreign Minister Park Jin held back-to-back talks with top officials of South American countries and Caribbean states in Seoul on Wednesday and discussed bilateral relations and cooperation, the foreign ministry said. In the meeting with his Ecuadorian counterpart, Gustavo Manrique, the two ministers welcomed that the two countries have reached their strategic economic cooperation agreement, equivalent to a free trade agreement, saying it will open a new chapter for two-way trade cooperation. Th

Oct. 11, 2023

USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to arrive in Busan this week

The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier will arrive at a key South Korean naval base later this week, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday, in a major show of force against North Korean threats. Carrier Strike Group 5, which includes the aircraft carrier, the Aegis-equipped USS Shoup destroyer and other warships, will enter the naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Thursday for a five-day visit, according to the ministry. The USS Ronald Reagan last visit

Oct. 10, 2023

218 Koreans head home from Israel: Foreign Ministry

A total of 218 South Korean nationals in Israel headed home on Tuesday after Hamas’ attack Saturday, with 191 of them on a Korean Air flight and the rest on the move by foot to nearby Jordan. Another 30 South Koreans will follow suit Thursday when they take a Turkish Airlines flight bound for Korea, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Tuesday, adding that it is reaching out to the remaining 230 so that they may safely leave the country. A total of 1,050 South Korean nationals are in Israel,

Oct. 10, 2023

[Photo News] Day of German Unity

(From left) Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) Chairwoman Julia Braune, German Ambassador-designate to South Korea Georg Schmidt, South Korean Land Minister Won Hee-ryong, Baden-Württemberg (a German state) Minister for Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection Peter Hauk pose for a photo celebrating the Day of German Unity at Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on Wednesday. (German Embassy in Seoul)

Oct. 10, 2023

Israel strikes and seals off Gaza after incursion by Hamas, which vows to execute hostages

JERUSALEM — Israel increased airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and sealed it off from food, fuel and other supplies Monday in retaliation for a bloody incursion by Hamas militants, as the war's death toll rose to nearly 1,600 on both sides. Hamas also escalated the conflict, pledging to kill captured Israelis if attacks targeted civilians without warnings. In the war's third day, Israel was still finding bodies from Hamas' stunning weekend attack into southern Israeli towns. Resc

Oct. 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] Foreign Minister Park Jin reaffirms confidence in Indo-Pacific strategy

Long before he became foreign minister, Park Jin had set his sights in high school on practicing medicine, just like his father. That was, until a news article changed course for him. “So my father, who used to read English newspapers every day, handed me this report and the words he underlined were: the US-China detente,” the foreign minister said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. Park, 67, was referring to a Korea Herald article of former US President Richard Nixon&rsquo

Oct. 10, 2023

[Photo News] Housing solutions in Asia-Pacific

Luis Noda, Asia-Pacific vice president of Habitat for Humanity International, speaks at a press conference at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Friday. Noda urged stakeholders to take sustainable approaches to adequate housing in informal settlements. The conference was held ahead of the ninth Asia-Pacific Housing Forum 2023, to be held in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, from Oct. 26 to 27.

Oct. 10, 2023

Indian Embassy holds Sarang festival to promote cultural exchange

The Indian Embassy in Seoul is celebrating the ninth edition of the Sarang festival, a cultural event aimed at fostering people-to-people connections through cultural exchanges between India and Korea. The word "sarang" holds significant meaning for both Koreans and Indians. In Korean, "sarang" means "love," while for Indians, it represents diversity and symbolizes the vibrant colors of India. This year's Sarang festival, which kicked off Friday, has been exp

Oct. 10, 2023

UAM, robotics crucial for Denmark, Korea: Odense mayor

The head of Denmark's city of Odense urged stronger cooperation with Korea in urban air mobility, artificial intelligence and robotics in an interview with The Korea Herald last week. Mayor Peter Rahbaek Juel was in Korea to attend the 12th biennial World Cities Summit Mayors Forum in Seoul and to step up cooperation in the new transportation method. Odense, Denmark's third-largest city, is making efforts to create an operational environment for urban air mobility and infrastructure li

Oct. 10, 2023

US eases export controls on chip equipment for Samsung, SK factories in China

The United States has decided to allow exports of its semiconductor manufacturing equipment to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix factories in China without a separate approval process, the presidential office said Monday, a much-needed relief to the Korean chipmakers. The US government has designated Samsung Electronics and SK hynix's chip factories in China as "verified end users (VEU)," which would reduce the licensing burden on them by allowing U.S. exporters to ship designated items

Oct. 9, 2023

S. Korea issues special travel advisory on Israel; no reported harm to S. Koreans

South Korea on Sunday issued a special travel advisory on Israel and urged South Korean nationals to leave via a third country, if possible, amid security concerns in the wake of the Hamas militant group's rocket attack, the foreign ministry said. The militant Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip in Palestine, launched rocket attacks on central and southern areas of Israel during a major Jewish holiday Saturday and Israel staged retaliatory air strikes against it, leaving hundreds of people kill

Oct. 8, 2023

Seoul condemns Hamas’ attack on Israel

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said Sunday that no Korean injuries or deaths have been reported so far from the fighting in Israel that erupted Saturday. There are currently 570 Korean residents in Israel -- 290 in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, 210 in central areas including Tel Aviv and 70 in other regions. There are also thought to be some 360 Korean tourists in the country, according to the ministry. The ministry advised Korean residents and travelers to evacuate to a third country if

Oct. 8, 2023

S. Korea expects to expand exchanges with Japan amid thaw: FM official

South Korea is expecting fresh consultations with Japan “at many levels,” a senior Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said Friday following their high-level talks the previous day that took place after a nine-year hiatus. First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin and his Japanese counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano, met in Seoul to reaffirm their commitment to curbing the growing threat from North Korea’s nuclear weapons development -- the highest priority among th

Oct. 6, 2023