WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States will work together to expand cooperation in strengthening their supply chains for critical products, such as semiconductors, First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun said Wednesday. Choi said he and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman also agreed on the need to engage with North Korea to advance the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, as the two sides discussed follow-up measures to the outcome of last month's summit between Presi

WASHINGTON -- The United States seeks to engage with North Korea diplomatically to make progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday. Ned Price also said the newly appointed special US representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, will continue to work toward that end. "So the policy that we have spoken to calls for what we have deemed a calibrated, practical approach, that explores diplomacy, that is predicated on diplomacy with th

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong expressed hope Wednesday that relations bewteen the United States and China will develop in a "stable" manner during phone talks with his Chinese counterpart, stressing the importance of cooperation in tackling global challenges. The phone talks between Chung and Wang Yi came as President Moon Jae-in prepares to attend the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit in Britain, where US President Joe Biden is expected to rally major democracies against an asser

Moon, Biden, Suga weigh pros and cons of trilateral meeting at G-7

A large-scale maritime defense exhibition kicked off in South Korea on Wednesday, featuring advanced defense systems from major global firms, the Navy said. The biennial International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX) 2021 is scheduled to run through Saturday in the southern city of Busan. The Navy organized the event along with the Busan city government and the Korea International Trade Association. This year's event brought together around 110 major maritime defense companies from

South Korea is open to a three-way dialogue with the United States and Japan, but no official meeting has been scheduled for their leaders taking part in the Group of Seven (G7) summit this week, a senior South Korean diplomat said Tuesday. South Korea's vice foreign minister, Choi Jong-kun, also said his country will actively seek dialogue opportunities with the leaders of the United States and Japan at the upcoming G7 summit in Britain. "We are open, and plan to actively push for a Sout

The United States on Tuesday lowered its travel advisory for South Korea to the lowest level, which advises people visiting the Asian country to exercise normal precaution. The State Department said the latest update reflected a low level of COVID-19 infections in South Korea. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 1 Travel Health Notice for South Korea due to COVID-19, indicating a low level of COVID-19 in the country," it said. The US had maintain

Slovenia is set to establish an embassy in Seoul this year, and Tuesday its visiting top diplomat asked for South Korea’s cooperation ahead of its opening. 　 Slovenian Foreign Minister Anze Logar, at the start of bilateral talks with Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, stressed that one of the reasons he visited was to prepare to open the embassy. 　 “In order to organize everything that is corresponding to the opening of this embassy, I look forward to your help in that sense,

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged Monday to work with both South Korea and North Korea to help realize long-awaited reunions of Korean Americans with their loved ones in the North, calling it a "heart wrenching" issue. The top US diplomat also said he is "deeply sensitive" to the issue. "This is just heart wrenching, knowing that people have been not only separated but don't even know the fate of their loved ones," Blinken said in a

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden currently does not have a trilateral summit planned with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, but such a meeting could be possible as he will join a small group of global leaders in Britain, Biden's top security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Monday. The remarks came as Biden is set to head for Britain on Wednesday for the Group of 7 (G7) summit in Cornwall. South Korea is not a G7 member but is invited to this year's meeting as a guest, along with Aus

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun will visit Washington later this week for talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues between the two countries, the foreign ministry said Monday. Choi and Sherman are set to meet on Wednesday (US time) for their first in-person talks since the latter assumed office in April. The two sides plan to discuss follow-up measures to last month's summit between Presidents Moon Jae-in and Joe Biden, w

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Friday met with three visiting US senators and discussed bilateral and alliance issues, the foreign ministry said. During the meeting at Chung's official residence, the senators -- Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Dan Sullivan (R-AL) -- said that last month's summit between President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden demonstrated the alliance and global cooperation partnership between the two countries, according to the ministry. They als

The Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea and the Korea Nonferrous Metal Association on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to support its member companies on exploring new business opportunities. The signing ceremony was attended by some 60 industry people, including Park Jin-kyu, vice minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Sachin Satpute, head of the chamber, and Lee Je-joong, chairman of the association. “The Make in India Initiative is a great opportunity f

WASHINGTON -- The United States plans to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to countries in need, including South Korea, President Joe Biden said Thursday. The United States earlier pledged to provide up to 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including 20 million doses that have already been approved for use in the United States. The other 60 million doses are from AstraZeneca, yet to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. "As the United States continues our efforts to get every el

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday welcomed South Korea's commitment to playing a role in an upcoming summit of global leaders on COVID-19, climate change and other pending issues, Cheong Wa Dae said.    He delivered the message to President Moon Jae-in during their half-hour phone conversation, according to Moon's spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.    Johnson is scheduled to host the Group of Seven summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, on June 11-13. Taking part will be