WASHINGTON-- The United States is right in pursuing a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula but needs to consider changing methods to achieve its objective, US experts said Tuesday. They argued the US could, or should, consider removing sanctions on the impoverished North to induce dialogue. "Let me start with US policy objective. I've given that an A minus," Robert Gallucci said in a webinar, titled "A Mid-Term Report Card for Biden's North Korea Policy.&q

Iran repeated its demand that South Korea make up for remarks that President Yoon Suk Yeol made during his mid-January trip to the United Arab Emirates, where he referred to Iran as “the enemy” of Abu Dhabi, Tehran’s state-run news outlet IRNA said Monday, quoting Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman. At a regular briefing, spokesman Nasser Kanaani called Yoon’s comments unprofessional and suggested the diplomatic row would not be forgotten unless Korea makes up for th

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Monday called on the United Nations Security Council to hold North Korea to account for its recent missile provocations but to no avail due to opposition from two veto-wielding members of the council -- China and Russia. The US' call came in the first UNSC meeting of the year to be held on North Korea. "The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the DPRK's February 18 and February 19 launches of three ballistic missiles," US

Oyun-Erdene calls for visa reciprocity, vows support for undocumented Mongolian residents in Korea

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met with his Japanese counterpart, urging Tokyo to make a “political decision” over wartime forced labor to mend ties soured by the long-running historical dispute, officials said Sunday. Park held a talk with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday. In the 35-minute meeting, Korea’s top diplomat called for Tokyo to decide on restitutions for Koreans forced to wo

MUNICH -- South Korea's top diplomat met with his Japanese counterpart and called for Tokyo to make a "political decision" to resolve the issue of how to compensate Korean victims of wartime forced labor under 2018 rulings by Seoul's Supreme Court. Foreign Minister Park Jin had the one-on-one talks with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, in Munich on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Following the 35-minute meeting, Park told reporters tha

A second South Korean relief team has arrived in southeastern Turkey on Friday to replace the first team which has assisted the aid and rescue efforts in region for over a week. The second team arrived at Adana Airport around 6 a.m. on Friday, having departed from Incheon Airport on Thursday night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. While the first relief team consisted mostly of rescue workers from the military and South Korean National Fire Agency, the second team is made up of 21 publ

The top diplomats of South Korea and the Netherlands had their inaugural "strategic dialogue" on bilateral cooperation in a follow-up to a summit deal in November last year, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. Foreign Minister Park Jin had the meeting with his Dutch counterpart, Wopke Hoekstra, in The Hague on Thursday. They discussed such issues as promoting the strategic partnership of the two nations and strengthening cooperation in the fields of semiconductors and nuclear pl

The ASEAN-Korea Center kicked off its annual council meeting in Seoul to review programs hosted in the fiscal year 2022 and discuss the budget for this year. Held after 3 years due to the pandemic, the offline meeting was attended by high level officials from governments, academia and the media of 10 ASEAN member countries. According to the AKC, the annual meeting is significant for ASEAN countries and Korea to bolster international cooperation efforts in the post-COVID era. The center will

The ASEAN-Korea Center kicked off its annual council meeting in Seoul to review programs hosted in the fiscal year 2022 and discuss the budget for this year. Held after 3 years due to the pandemic, the offline meeting was attended by high level officials from governments, academia and the media of 10 ASEAN member countries. According to the AKC, the annual meeting is significant for ASEAN countries and Korea to bolster international cooperation efforts in the post-COVID era. The center will pl

The South Korean government will provide $1 million of humanitarian aid to Syria, a country gravely affected by the Feb. 6 earthquake. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to offer humanitarian aid to Syria, which has no diplomatic relations with South Korea, via the United Nations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a regular press briefing on Thursday. Alongside Turkey, Syria’s northwest was hit hard by the 7.8 magnitude quake and subsequent aftershocks. Rescue efforts

The New Zealand Embassy in Seoul commemorated Waitangi Day at the ambassador’s residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Waitangi Day is celebrated as New Zealand's national day to commemorate the first signing of New Zealand's founding document, known as the Treaty of Waitangi, signed between the British Crown and about 540 Maori rangatira on Feb. 6, 1840. The commemoration was followed by a reception to bid farewell to friends in Seoul for New Zealand ambassador to Korea Phillip Turner.

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's First Industry Vice Minister Jang Young-jin arrived in the United States on Wednesday for talks on a wide range of issues that he said require close cooperation between the allies. Jang said topics of discussion with his US counterparts will include the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as the US import quota on South Korean steel products. "While negotiating these issues, we will also be discussing technology cooperation," he told reporters shortly afte

WASHINGTON -- The United States considers and is dealing with North Korea issues with the same level of urgency as all other challenges facing the country and its allies, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. The spokesperson, Ned Price, insisted the US simply did not have the "luxury of being able to prioritize" the challenges. "All of these issues are important," Price told a daily press briefing. "All of these same issues are made of the same plot. All of th

Helping rebuild Turkey following last week’s earthquakes that killed at least 35,000 people is the new priority for South Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, moving away from the role of first responders to helping Ankara set “long-term recovery goals.” Seoul is to field a second rescue team Thursday night. “It’s all about reconstruction now, rather than rescue,” a senior ministry official told reporters following a multiagency meeting chaired by Forei