WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- US President Joe Biden said Friday his country will provide full COVID-19 vaccinations for all 550,000 South Korean troops and enter a partnership with Seoul on global vaccine supply. Biden made the announcement at a joint press conference with President Moon Jae-in at the White House following their summit talks. "There are 550,000 Korean soldiers, sailors, airmen who work in close contact with the American forces in Korea," the US president said. "We'll pr

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his American counterpart, Joe Biden, agreed Friday on the importance of a stronger alliance between the nations, in their first-ever summit at the White House. Moon said he and Biden has confirmed a "joint commitment" to the strengthening of the alliance and peace on the Korean Peninsula. He was speaking at the outset of an expanded summit session following one-one-one talks and a follow-up meeting joined by a few key aides.

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- In a noticeable shift since his last meeting with a foreign leader, US President Joe Biden did not wear a mask during his first face-to-face with President Moon Jae-in in Washington on Friday. Moon is only the second foreign leader to visit Biden at the White House since the US president took office in January. The first leader was Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga last month. Whereas in meeting Suga on April 16, Biden wore a double mask as an extra precaution against

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a White House Medal of Honor ceremony Friday to honor a Korean War veteran. Moon was invited by President Joe Biden to the event held in advance of their first summit talks. Biden presented Ralph Puckett Jr., a 94-year-old retired Army colonel, with the Medal of Honor, the most prestigious military distinction, for his acts of "conspicuous gallantry" during the 1950-53 Korean War. Biden's decision to honor him in perso

WASHINGTON/SEOUL  -- The upcoming summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Joe Biden in Washington is expected to cover the topic of abolishing the guideline on Seoul's missile use, officials said Thursday. A senior Cheong Wa Dae official accompanying Moon on his US trip told pool reporters that Seoul's diplomatic and security officials have had the "will and idea of resolving the issue of abolishing the missile guideline" before the end of the pre

Both the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and President Moon Jae-in saw their approval ratings rebound this week, an opinion poll showed Friday. According to the poll by Gallup Korea, conducted from Tuesday-Thursday on 1,001 people age 18 or over, the approval rating for the DP stood at 32 percent, up 4 percentage points from a week earlier. The main opposition People Power Party, meanwhile, saw its approval rating edge down by 1 percentage point to 26 percent, while 30 percent of the total respon

WASHINGTON/SEOUL-- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold one-on-one talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday (local time), as the allies have a range of pending issues to coordinate, especially on North Korea, COVID-19 vaccines and global supply chain resilience. It will mark their first face-to-face summit, though they already had a phone conversation and a virtual meeting. The summit's outcome is expected to heavily affect the overall Seoul-Washington relationship

The ruling Democratic Party's (DP) push for the sweeping revision of its real estate policy has hit a snag due to strong opposition from its hard-line members who are against "cutting taxes for the rich." The party's new leadership led by Rep. Song Young-gil has set out this week to alter the policy widely blamed for its crushing defeat in the latest local elections seen as a key barometer of public sentiment ahead of the presidential election next year. DP's newly refurbished specia

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday in his first official activity of a five-day trip to the United States, according to Cheong Wa Dae. He arrived in Washington D.C. on Wednesday afternoon for summit talks with President Joe Biden on such issues as North Korea, COVID-19 vaccines and bilateral economic cooperation. Moon is scheduled to pay tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, located on t

US Forces Korea commander nominee Gen. Paul LaCamera said he will advocate for inclusion of the USFK in contingency plans in the Indo-Pacific region, if it is confirmed he will take up the post. “Given the global role of the US military and, increasingly, the international reach of the South Korean military, opportunities are emerging for (Korea-US) alliance cooperation beyond the Korean Peninsula,” LaCamera said in his answers to advanced policy questions ahead of his confirmation

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in the United States on Wednesday for summit talks with President Joe Biden on COVID-19 vaccine cooperation, North Korea, alliance issues and bilateral economic partnerships. He is scheduled to hold the session at the White House on Friday afternoon (local time). It will mark their first face-to-face meeting. The two plan to announce the results of their talks in an ensuing joint press conference. The summit is expected to set the

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the Buddhist community for its decision to call off an annual lotus lantern festival as a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic as he issued a message marking the Buddha's Birthday holiday. "Last year's listing of Yeondeunghoe as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage marked a big joyous occasion. It's natural wanting to celebrate the feat, but the Buddhist community decided to cancel this year's lantern festival and hold an on

President Moon Jae-in is heading to Washington on Wednesday ahead of his first summit with President Joe Biden on Friday, marking his first overseas trip since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be his fifth visit to the US as president. The overall itinerary and the size of the delegation have been reduced due to heightened quarantine measures, but his five-day US trip still has a packed agenda. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Moon plans to kick off his official schedule Thursday b

GWANGJU -- South Korea marked the 41st anniversary of the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju on Tuesday, as the historic incident drew fresh attention amid Myanmar citizens' struggle against the military junta. About 200 people were killed and thousands injured in the southwestern city from May 18-27, 1980, as the military brutally cracked down on protestors who rose up against the ruling junta led by Chun Doo-hwan. In a commemorative social media message, President Moon Jae-in expressed s

President Moon Jae-in commemorated the anniversary of a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju on Tuesday with a call for finding the truth behind the bloody crackdown by soldiers and recovery of victims' honor. Thanks to "courageous" testimonies by some of those involved, "We are coming close to the truth of Gwangju," Moon wrote on his Facebook and Twitter accounts in commemoration of the May 18 Democratization Movement. In Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of Seoul, at that t