The top diplomats of South Korea and Mauritius agreed Tuesday to bolster cooperation across various sectors, encompassing infrastructure, tourism, and maritime security, during their bilateral meeting in Seoul, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with Mauritian Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin during his visit to South Korea to attend the third Summit for Democracy hosted by the Yoon Suk Yeol government in Seoul. Both sides "exchanged view

Foreign Affairs March 19, 2024

South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday dismissed China's criticism of Seoul hosting the Summit for Democracy and airing the Taiwan digital minister's virtual speech, clarifying that the summit is not aimed at singling out specific countries. "The Summit for Democracy is convened to contribute to the promotion of democracy and human rights, but it is not aimed at targeting any specific countries," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said during a regular briefing

Foreign Affairs March 19, 2024

South Korea, the United States and Japan, in their role as members of the United Nations Security Council on Monday, collectively condemned North Korea for its illicit nuclear proliferation and Russia for its alarming threats to use nuclear weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine. During a ministerial meeting on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation at the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked, "We meet at a time when geopolitical tensions and mistrust have es

Foreign Affairs March 19, 2024

The third Summit for Democracy kicked off on Monday in Seoul, underscoring the urgency of addressing digital technology threats, particularly the proliferation of disinformation fueled by artificial intelligence, which poses a challenge to the foundations of democracy. President Yoon Suk Yeol shed light on the paradoxical nature of digital technologies, highlighting their simultaneous provision of "convenience" and their instigation of a "crisis of democracy" in his welcoming

Foreign Affairs March 18, 2024

South Korea is set to launch the three-day Summit for Democracy on Monday, with a focus on fostering democracy for future generations, particularly in this pivotal year of elections -- a fundamental pillar of democracy. South Korea is the first country outside of the United States to host the Summit for Democracy singlehandedly. Pioneered by the Biden administration, the international gathering brings together governments and nongovernment stakeholders from around the world with the goal of adva

Foreign Affairs March 17, 2024

The South Korean government will host the third Summit for Democracy next week, becoming the first foreign country to lead the US key initiative aimed at rejuvenating democracy and defending against authoritarianism. The three-day summit, themed "Democracy for Future Generations," is set to commence on Monday, with a ministerial conference and multistakeholder roundtable discussion on "Artificial Intelligence, Digital Technology and Democracy," the South Korean presidential o

Foreign Affairs March 15, 2024

The US intelligence community currently assesses that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is unlikely to escalate tensions into a full-scale war on the Korean Peninsula, even as concerns persist over the potential for his closer alignment with the Russian president to embolden his aggressive actions. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines provided the assessment during Tuesday's House Intelligence Committee hearing while noting that Kim's recent rhetoric and actions have been incre

North Korea March 13, 2024

A South Korean citizen who Russian authorities claim has been detained on charges of espionage since earlier this year is a Christian missionary focused on aiding North Korean people in Russia's Far East region, according to sources on Tuesday. The South Korean individual, first reported by Russia's state-run media outlet TASS as Baek Won-soon and later corrected as Baek Kwang-soon, had been actively involved in missionary efforts for North Koreans in Vladivostok, according to database

Foreign Affairs March 12, 2024

North Korea attempted to disrupt the reception of Global Positioning System signals on the front-line islands of South Korea in the West Sea for three consecutive days from Tuesday, coinciding with annual combined military drills between Seoul and Washington, the South Korean military confirmed on Friday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected signals sent from North Korea, which were assessed as attempts to interfere with the reception of GPS signals on the Five West Sea Islands mult

North Korea March 8, 2024

South Korea's Unification Ministry on Friday revealed its plans to craft a fresh unification vision, with the ultimate aim of guaranteeing the freedom rights of every North Korean citizen on a unified Korean Peninsula. The initiative is set as the ministry's primary goal for the year and marks the first revision of South Korea's official unification formula in 30 years since 1994. Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said that he presented plans to formulate a unification vision groun

North Korea March 8, 2024

South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Thursday unveiled plans to restructure the office responsible for negotiations on North Korean nuclear issues and the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, amid escalating North Korean nuclear threats and a prolonged absence of nuclear talks. The Foreign Ministry announced its decision to rebrand the Office of Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, tentatively renaming it the Office of Diplomatic Strategy and Intelligence in Korean.

Foreign Affairs March 7, 2024

South Korea and India, in a joint commission convened for the first time since 2018, concurred on further bolstering defense ties, defense industrial cooperation and working toward upgrading their bilateral free trade agreement, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held the 10th South Korea-India Joint Commission Meeting on Wednesday at the premises of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul

Foreign Affairs March 6, 2024

South Korea and the United States on Tuesday appointed veteran diplomats as their chief delegates for upcoming negotiations on the next defense-cost sharing agreement, clearly signaling an early initiation of the talks. The move stands out as it precedes the expiration of the current agreement by almost two years, scheduled to end in 2025, and gains significance in light of the looming US presidential election. Lee Tae-woo, a seasoned diplomat with a career at the Foreign Ministry since 1996, br

Foreign Affairs March 5, 2024

The UK Embassy in Seoul launched its first-ever "Green Week" event Monday, covering a range of environmental topics to enhance Korean-UK cooperation in combating the climate crisis, according to the embassy. The inaugural event, which ends Friday, comes on the heels of the Downing Street Accord signed by the leaders of South Korea and the UK last November. The agreement underscores the commitment of both countries to collaborate in accelerating the green transition and combating climat

Foreign Affairs March 5, 2024

Members of the US-led Minerals Security Partnership agreed to establish a forum to promote effective cooperation on critical mineral supplies with non-member countries that are significant producers of minerals, South Korea's Foreign Ministry announced Monday. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun participated in the Representatives Meeting of the MSP chaired by US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose Fernandez in Toronto on Sunday. During the meet

Foreign Affairs March 4, 2024