ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- President Yoon Suk Yeol received the highest level of courtesy during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he was invited for the first state visit by a Korean leader. Before the summit with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan for closer economic cooperation, Yoon was received in a large-scale official welcoming ceremony Sunday morning, the second day of his visit to the nation. At the beginning of the ceremony, seven UAE fighter jets

Foreign Affairs Jan. 15, 2023

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates has decided to invest $30 billion (37 trillion won) in South Korea at a summit held between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday, during which the leaders agreed on stronger strategic cooperation, the South Korean presidential office said. “We decided to make the investment with confidence in the Republic of Korea that keeps its promises under all circumstances,

Foreign Affairs Jan. 15, 2023

Despite opposition pressure for first lady Kim Keon Hee to keep to a more supporting role, eyes are on whether she would continue to strike out on her own when she accompanies Yoon Suk Yeol on his first presidential trip this year Saturday. She and Yoon will go on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates and attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, for six days. “There is a high possibility that Kim will take an independent step (as she did in Cambodia) during the tri

Politics Jan. 12, 2023

First lady Kim Keon Hee visited community centers and a local market in Daegu on Wednesday, expanding her public service activities ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the United Arab Emirates and Korea's Lunar New Year holiday next week, according to the presidential office. She visited Seongseo Social Welfare Center in Daegu and served meals with college student volunteers of the Korea Saemaul Undong Center, the office said. The trip was planned at the invitation of the

Politics Jan. 11, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol will make a state visit to the United Arab Emirates as his first overseas trip this year and will attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, putting an emphasis on economic diplomacy and all-out efforts to attract the 2030 Expo. “President Yoon will make a state visit to the UAE at the invitation of President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan during Jan. 14-17, and he will attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland during Jan. 18-19

Foreign Affairs Jan. 10, 2023

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger stressed solid cooperation between South Korea and the US for the denuclearization of North Korea in a luncheon held with Chung Mong-joon, honorary chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in New York on Thursday (local time), according to the organization on Friday. During the meeting, the two exchanged views on the recent international situation and issues on the Korean Peninsula. Kissinger said that South Korea and the US must deal with

Foreign Affairs Jan. 6, 2023

President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered the nation's spy chief to consider suspending an inter-Korean military agreement signed in 2018 to reduce military tensions if North Korea commits provocations again. The commander in chief also instructed the military to establish a joint drone unit capable of mass-producing small, undetectable drones, the presidential office said Wednesday. Yoon's instructions came after he was briefed about the response strategy to North Korea’s drones by the

Defense Jan. 4, 2023

Na Kyung-won, a four-term lawmaker and the chief of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, said young Koreans are reluctant to get married and have children because their lives are “very difficult” with “no expectation that their lives will be any better and happier.” Young Koreans living in a highly competitive society have low expectations for their futures, with the thought that they might not live happier lives than their parents. This

Politics Jan. 3, 2023

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday has vowed to “correct the evils that hinder the growth and development of the economy” while putting immediate livelihood issues at the forefront. At a meeting with key figures from government, politics and religion on Monday morning to exchange New Year’s greetings, Yoon said, “If we are easily defeated by the resistance of those with vested interests, our sustainable prosperity will be difficult.” Although the president did not

Politics Jan. 2, 2023

President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered South Korean military to protect the peace on the peninsula by preparing overwhelming war capabilities, during a visit to a defense development agency on Thursday in the wake of Pyongyang's airspace invasion. “If we are to achieve peace, we must prepare for war with overwhelming superiority,” Yoon said. “We must clearly realize that a disguised peace cannot protect (our) security, and its foundation will collapse.” Reiterating his

Defense Dec. 29, 2022

A special delegation led by the ruling People Power Party’s interim chief, Chung Jin-suk, will attend the inauguration ceremony of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Jan. 1, the presidential office said Wednesday. Chung will deliver a letter from President Yoon Suk-yeol expressing his expectation to “work closely with the new Brazilian government to further deepen and develop the comprehensive cooperative partnership” between the two countries. Elected for the thi

Politics Dec. 28, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday granted special pardons to 1,373 people ahead of the upcoming New Year, including former President Lee Myung-bak and several key political aides to both of his conservative and liberal predecessors, calling the decision an opportunity to "clear up the past” and "unite" the power of the nation. Among the list, former South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyung-soo was included but without reinstatement. A reinstatement would allow him to wo

Politics Dec. 27, 2022

North Korea on Friday rejected accusations by Japan and the US that it transported munitions to Russia by rail. “The DPRK remains unchanged in its principled stand on the issue of arms transaction between the DPRK and Russia which has never happened,” the nation’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said in an English-language statement citing a Foreign Ministry spokesperson. The statement came after the Tokyo Shimbun reported the previous day that the North transported artill

North Korea Dec. 23, 2022

First lady Kim Keon-hee on Wednesday reunited with the 14-year-old boy with heart disease she met in Cambodia during President Yoon Suk-yeol’s visit to Southeast Asia, despite some criticism from the opposition party. Kim met with Aok Rotha, a Cambodian boy recovering from heart surgery at Asan Medical Center in Seoul on Wednesday afternoon, according to Lee Jae-myoung, vice spokesperson of the presidential office, in a written statement the same day. “I am so happy to see Rotha reco

Politics Dec. 22, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol is considering reshuffling in January his first Cabinet for the second year of his term, according to multiple senior officials, with the ministers of industry, culture and interior specifically mentioned. The presidential office recently completed a performance evaluation of all ministers and vice ministers. Some ministries, including industry and culture, received relatively low scores in their evaluations, local media reported. A senior presidential official confirme

Politics Dec. 20, 2022