An annual international peace forum kicked off in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, on Tuesday for a three-day run to discuss peace, inter-Korean relations and ways that the upcoming Winter Youth Olympics in 2024 could serve as an opportunity for peace on the divided Korean Peninsula. 　 Under the slogan of “Peace, Here and Now!,” the PyeongChang Peace Forum brings together global leaders, scholars and experts in the city of PyeongChang, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 2018. The ev

The top diplomats of South Korea and India have met in France to discuss regional issues and ways to expand cooperation and exchanges in various areas, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong sat down with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Paris on Monday (local time) on the eve of the Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum 2022. They were invited to the France-hosted forum, along with over 50 foreign ministers from the European Union and the Indo-Pacific r

A social security agreement between South Korea and New Zealand will go into effect next month, allowing their nationals to use their employment and residences in both countries to qualify for pension benefits, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The two sides signed the accord in October 2019 for those who are not eligible for the pension plan in each nation due to their shorter-than-required periods of coverage. Koreans have to make payments to the national pension scheme for at least 10 yea

Seoul needs to gear up for a ‘lobbying war’ against the listing at UNESCO

The top diplomats of South Korea and Armenia exchanged congratulatory messages on Monday to mark the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan exchanged the letters and welcomed the development of bilateral relations in political, cultural and economic fields over the past three decades, according to the ministry. They also expressed hope that the two sides will continue to wo

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will head to France later Monday to participate in a forum designed to promote cooperation among countries from the Indo-Pacific region. The Indo Pacific Ministerial Forum 2022 will be hosted by France, the current chair of the Council of the European Union. It has invited ministers and other senior representatives from 56 nations for the forum slated for Tuesday (local time) to address challenges in security, economy, health and climate change in the

South Korea is thinking seriously about sharing its liquefied natural gas (LNG) inventories with Europe amid looming supply disruptions sparked by the Ukraine crisis, officials said Sunday. "The government is seriously contemplating supporting Europe should the situation aggravate in Ukraine and create difficulties in the supply of natural gas," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity. Observers have been expressing concerns over a possible disruption in the supply o

WASHINGTON -- Former US Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert will begin working for Samsung Electronics America next month, the company said Wednesday. Lippert will head the company's Washington office as executive vice president and head of North America public affairs, starting from March 1. "Mark brings decades of public policy experience to Samsung Electronics America, as well as a deep understanding of how geopolitics impacts business in the US," K.S. Choi, president and chief e

Discourse with foreign policy experts

South Korea and Iran have held working-level consultations to discuss ways to resolve yearslong disputes over Tehran's assets frozen here under US sanctions, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. Iranian bankers and officials from the state-run oil company and the petroleum ministry are in the nation to meet with South Korean government and company officials to talk about pending economic issues as multilateral talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal enter the final stretch. Bilateral rela

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States are reviewing steps to induce North Korea back to dialogue, South Korean Ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck said Tuesday. Lee, however, noted the North continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures. "We are deeply concerned about North Korea firing a series of missiles at the start of the year, and are urging North Korea to refrain from taking additional actions that escalate tension and return to dialogue and diplomacy," th

The South Korean government plans to call formally on the New York City authorities to step up actions to counter a surge in crimes there against Asians in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials here said Tuesday. Chung Byung-hwa, South Korea's consul general in New York, will meet with Edward Mermelstein, New York City's commissioner for international affairs, on Friday to convey concerns over unprovoked attacks on Koreans and those of Korean descent. "(Chung) will deliver the Korea

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

A US diplomat on Tuesday did not rule out the possibility of the economic and security fallout from a conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Asian countries like South Korea. Speaking during a virtual forum, Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, said the world is "so intertwined" when asked if there could be a role for Seoul to play in defusing the standoff over Ukraine. "It is also important that the countries of Asia make it clear to Europe that

South Korea plans to mobilize all policy means to minimize the economic fallout of the Ukraine crisis and reduce market volatility amid growing tensions between the United States and Russia over the region, a senior government official said Tuesday. The government plans to implement contingency measures if Russia invades Ukraine and the US and its allies' move to impose strong sanctions heightens economic uncertainty, according to First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon. "The government pl