Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, held phone talks on Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties, trade and the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign ministry said. During their first talks since the Israeli minister took office in June, Chung called for Lapid to maintain close communication to enhance relations between the two countries, the ministry said. The two ministers agreed to continue cooperation in their response to the pandemic, as Chung noted the two countr

Japan’s No. 2 diplomat in South Korea has returned home after causing a stir with remarks disparaging President Moon Jae-in’s efforts to improve relations between the bickering neighbors, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. Hirohisa Soma, deputy chief of mission at the embassy, has been criticized both in Seoul and Tokyo after telling a Korean reporter last month that Moon’s reconciliatory efforts were unrequited, likening the overtures to “masturbat

WASHINGTON -- The United States will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea despite the latter's apparent ambition to become a nuclear state, a ranking US intelligence official said Tuesday. Sydney Seiler, national intelligence officer for North Korea at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, argued the North's true intention, at least for the time being, may be to be accepted as a nuclear state. "We have made clear in all of our negotiations -- what it is we expect from t

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Tuesday requested the 10-member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations play a “constructive role” in resolving the issues on the Korean Peninsula. 　 Chung made the call during the South Korea-ASEAN meeting held virtually in the morning, where he discussed various issues, including responses to the pandemic and regional issues, as well as the inter-Korean relations.  　 During the meeting, Chung explained the recent

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun will visit Iran to attend the presidential inauguration of Ebrahim Raisi and for talks with his counterpart later this week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. On Thursday, Choi is set to attend the inauguration ceremony for Raisi, the former chief justice who won the presidential election in June to succeed Hassan Rouhani. During his stay in Tehran, Choi will also meet his counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to discuss bilateral relations and other issues, th

South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, held phone talks with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, on Monday to discuss cooperation to foster lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said. The talks came after last week's restoration of inter-Korean communication lines raised hopes for the resumption of nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang, though Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned Sunday the planned summertime military drills betw

South Korea and Singapore held defense strategy talks in Seoul on Monday and agreed to expand their defense exchanges and cooperation, the defense ministry said. During the meeting, Deputy Defense Minister Kim Man-ki and his Singaporean counterpart Teo Eng Dih agreed to boost exchanges in the fields of defense technology, humanitarian activities and cyber security, according to the ministry. Monday's meeting marked the first time in eight years for the strategy talks between the two countries

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will attend a series of virtual talks led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week, with all eyes on whether North Korea will attend one of the meetings. 　 Chung plans to take part in four virtual meetings from Tuesday through Friday, including the South Korea-ASEAN meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three meeting that also involves China and Japan, the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

South Korea and the United States have not yet decided when and how to conduct an annual summertime exercise, the defense ministry said Monday, after North Korea warned the drills will cloud the future of inter-Korean ties. On Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North's leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement saying that the combined exercise could undermine efforts to improve inter-Korean relations at "such a crucial time" after the long-severed cross-border communication

SEOUL/TOKYO -- A senior Japanese Embassy diplomat in Seoul has been recalled home after causing a stir with remarks disparaging South Korean President Moon Jae-in's efforts to improve relations between the two countries, a Japanese paper reported Sunday. Hirohisa Soma, deputy chief of mission at the embassy, has been criticized both in Seoul and Tokyo after telling a South Korean reporter during a lunch meeting last month that Moon's efforts to improve ties with Tokyo were tantamount to "m

Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon has announced South Korea's plan to offer more than $15 million to a global fund for quality education for children from 2021-25, the foreign ministry said Friday. Choi made the announcement Thursday during his video-linked participation in the Global Education Summit co-hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The summit served as an opportunity for leaders around the world to make five-year pledges to sup

WASHINGTON -- South Korea is one of the important partners of the United States in addressing the root causes of people from Central American nations fleeing their countries, US Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday. While the United States seeks to mitigate massive migration from Central America to the United States, Harris noted the US "cannot do this work alone." "Our strategy is far-reaching — and focuses on our partnerships with other governments, international i

South Korea and the US will work together to seek the return of about one-quarter of the US military’s Yongsan Garrison site in central Seoul by next year, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.  The tentative timeline was announced by the allies following a teleconference between Ko Yun-ju, the ministry’s director-general for North American affairs, and Lt. Gen. Scott L. Pleus, US Forces Korea deputy commander. The two are the representatives of the joint committee of the Status

This week's restoration of inter-Korean communication lines underscores the commitments by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to restore mutual trust and improve bilateral ties, Seoul's top diplomat said Wednesday. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong made the remarks, after the two Koreas reactivated communication lines on Tuesday, 13 months after North Korea severed them in anger over activists having sent anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border into the North. The react