Japan’s decision to recommend a disused gold and silver mine as a UNESCO World Heritage site has drawn backlash in South Korea, with observers accusing Tokyo of trying to distort history by nominating the mine, which was the site of forced labor in the early 20th century. 　 Located on Sado Island in Niigata prefecture, the mine highlights outstanding mining technology development before and after the industrialization, becoming one of the world’s largest sources of gold in the 17th

Foreign Affairs Feb. 21, 2022

Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on North Korea’s human rights situation, met with senior officials in Seoul on Wednesday and discussed human rights concerns in the reclusive nation. 　 Quintana arrived here on Tuesday for a nine-day stay, during which he will meet South Korean government officials, lawmakers as well as civic groups and North Korean defectors. 　 The purpose of his visit is to collect data necessary for writing a report on the findings of right abuses in the

North Korea Feb. 16, 2022

The US said it is up to the South Korean government to decide on providing military support to Ukraine amid heightened threat of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. 　 “That is a question for the South Korean government to answer,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday (US time), when asked about what kind of military support Washington wants from Seoul as an ally in the face of Russian threats. 　 Should Seoul want to assist Kyiv in a tangible way, Ukraine would welc

Foreign Affairs Feb. 15, 2022

Top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the US and Japan urged North Korea to cease activities that escalate tension and return to dialogue and diplomacy at the earliest, following the regime’s recent flurry of missile tests.  The call was made at the three-way session between South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, and his American and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, in Honolulu, Hawaii on Thursday (local time). Both bilateral and tril

Foreign Affairs Feb. 11, 2022

South Korea’s top nuclear envoy stressed that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is at a pivotal moment following North Korea’s recent series of missile tests, calling for the need of engagement with the reclusive regime.  “I believe we are at a very pivotal moment that will decide if we will return to the period of cold winter or a season of warm atmosphere as it is here,” South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk told reporters upon arriving at Honol

North Korea Feb. 10, 2022

 The top US diplomat to South Korea released a photo donning hanbok and backing its origin as Korean on Tuesday, in an apparent response to the controversy sparked by China’s alleged cultural appropriation over the traditional Korean attire during the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics.   　 Christopher Del Corso, charge d’affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Seoul, posted two pictures of himself wearing hanbok while touring historic places on his Twitter on Tuesda

Foreign Affairs Feb. 9, 2022

North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament gathered for two days earlier this week to discuss cabinet work and government budgets, with leader Kim Jong-un absent at the key gathering. 　 The sixth session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly was held in Pyongyang on Sunday and Monday, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday. 　 There was no separate message toward Washington or Seoul amid heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula, unlike last September when

North Korea Feb. 8, 2022

Top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the US and Japan will hold a trilateral meeting this week in Hawaii to discuss ways to restart the stalled talks and rid the North of its nuclear weapons, amid escalating tension after the regime’s back-to-back missile launches. 　 South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will meet with his American and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakos

Foreign Affairs Feb. 7, 2022

North Korea continued to expand its nuclear and missile programs last year despite international sanctions, while the regime relied on cryptocurrency heists as its key revenue source, according to a news report Sunday. 　 A United Nations panel of experts monitoring sanctions on Pyongyang said the regime “continued to develop its capability for production of nuclear fissile materials,” despite no reported nuclear tests or launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles last year, in

North Korea Feb. 6, 2022

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Thursday expressed deep disappointment and protested against Japan’s recent decision to seek a UNESCO World Heritage List designation for the gold mine on the island of Sado, which is associated with the wartime abuse of Korean laborers, in his first phone call with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi.  Their conversation came just days after the Japanese government on Tuesday decided to go ahead with the listing of the Sado min

Foreign Affairs Feb. 3, 2022

The South Korean government is seeking to establish a new office in a city along the China-North Korea border to facilitate inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, amid signs that the North may relax its pandemic border closure soon. 　 The South-North Korea Exchanges and Cooperation Support Association, which is run by the Unification Ministry, plans to open its first overseas bureau in a Chinese city near the border with North Korea, the ministry said Thursday. 　 “There are many private

North Korea Feb. 3, 2022

After more than a year wait, the Joe Biden administration has decided on a new US ambassador to South Korea, according to sources here. It will nominate Philip Goldberg, a career diplomat currently serving as US Ambassador to Colombia, to lead the US mission in Seoul at a critical moment on the Korean Peninsula. Observers are trying to determine what Washington’s selection would mean for the future of the 70-year alliance and its approaches to nuclear-armed North Korea, as well as how it

Foreign Affairs Jan. 31, 2022

North Korea on Friday confirmed it had test-fired an upgraded long-range cruise missile and a tactical guided missile this week, as its leader Kim Jong-un inspected a munitions factory for the first time in years.  The official Korean Central News Agency said it “conducted the test-firing for updating long-range cruise missile system and the test-fire for confirming the power of conventional warhead for surface-to-surface tactical guided missile” respectively on Tuesday and T

North Korea Jan. 28, 2022

South Korean government advised its nationals residing in 15 regions in Ukraine to leave amid heightened fears of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. 　 The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday additionally placed 12 provinces located in the eastern and northern regions of Ukraine, including capital Kyiv, Rivne, Sumy and Odessa, under the elevated travel alert, advising South Korean nationals to swiftly exit the region. 　 Fifteen out of Ukraine’s 25 provinces are now under a Level 3 travel ad

Foreign Affairs Jan. 26, 2022

The US’ push to impose UN sanctions on five North Koreans responsible for the regime’s recent missile launches could be delayed for at least six months, after China and Russia blocked the move. 　 Norway, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in January, confirmed that China and Russia have put a hold on a US initiative to impose additional UN sanctions on the regime, according to a Voice of America report Tuesday. It added that the block period can last up

North Korea Jan. 25, 2022