US Ambassador to Seoul Harry Harris on Wednesday shared a list of books on his desk, some related to North Korea, for South Korea's Month of Reading in a tweet that hinted at his interest in the reclusive country. The ambassador's list of seven books included four North Korea-related ones, including "Bridging the Divide," a book about South Korean President Moon Jae-in's efforts to engage with North Korea and foster lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. "For ROK's Month of Re

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha was set to attend a series of annual meetings led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations beginning Wednesday to discuss responses to the novel coronavirus and other regional issues.  This year’s sessions, held virtually due to the pandemic, arrive at a time when Washington and Beijing are competing for influence in the region, intensifying their rivalry.  The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to top the agenda at this year’

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Tuesday that a growing Sino-US rivalry makes South Korea's diplomatic endeavor to firm up relations with the major powers a "very tough task." Kang delivered a speech on Seoul's response to the "challenging global context," its handling of the new coronavirus and the erosion of multilateralism, as a special speaker for a gathering of Romanian diplomats via video links. "We are firmly committed to safeguarding and strengthening our s

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun will meet with US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in Washington on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, the regional situation and other issues, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.  “During the talks, the two sides are planning to have comprehensive consultations on the overall South Korea-US relations, regional situation and issues of mutual interest,” Kim In-chul, the ministry’s spokesperson, said in a regular brief

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun met with the Chinese and Japanese ambassadors on Monday, amid the intensifying Sino-US rivalry and a looming leadership change in Japan. Since taking office last month, Choi has held and planned online and offline meetings with his foreign counterparts and ambassadors from major countries as part of efforts to ensure their support for Seoul's policy agenda, including its push for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. He first met with US Ambassador Ha

The World Trade Organization is kicking off the selection process for its new director general this week, with South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee vying with seven other candidates for the job.   　 The selection process starts on Monday by Geneva time, where representatives from 164 members states are to voice their preference among the eight candidates to the selection committee, made up of David Walker, WTO General Council chair, Dacio Castillo, chair of the Dispute Settlement Bo

South Korea and the United States are in talks to arrange a visit to Washington by Seoul's new First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun for talks with his US counterpart, a foreign ministry official said Sunday. The visit, which could reportedly take place this week, would come as Seoul and Washington seek to address an array of pending issues, such as deadlocked defense cost-sharing negotiations and coordination on North Korea-related issues. Should Choi meet Deputy Secretary of State Steph

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha called for the need to allow essential trips by businesspeople, while countries maintain quarantine measures on COVID-19 outbreak, during a Group of 20 nations’ ministerial forum, her office said Friday.  Kang attended the special video session of G-20 on Thursday evening, which came ahead of the regular G-20 ministers’ meeting slated for November, where the members discussed global cooperation in the battle against the novel corona

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump again blasted his Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden for supporting the Korea-US free trade agreement (FTA) in its original form, arguing the initial pact only caused losses for the United States. "Joe Biden supported NAFTA, China's entry into the world trade. He supported the Korean deal. The Korean deal was so bad. It was so bad. This was a deal ... done by crooked Hillary Clinton. This was a deal that was going to produce 250,000 jobs,"

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will attend a series of annual meetings with her counterparts from Southeast Asian and other countries next week via video links to discuss responses to the new coronavirus and regional issues, her office said Thursday. From Wednesday through Saturday, Kang will join the virtual meetings involving the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit session. Vietnam planned to host the gat

SINGAPOREAN ENVOY’S VISIT -- Herald Corp. CEO and Publisher Kwon Chung-won (left) greets Eric Teo, ambassador of Singapore to South Korea, during a courtesy visit to the Herald Corp. headquarters in central Seoul on Thursday. 

South Korea and Singapore agreed Wednesday to introduce a "fast-track" entry program this week for essential trips by businesspeople and others in exception to coronavirus entry restrictions, the foreign ministry said. During telephone talks, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, reached the agreement on the streamlined entry procedures set to take effect on Friday. "The agreement with Singapore, the logistical and financial hub, i

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that South Korea and other US allies will join US efforts to tackle what he called economic and political aggression from China. "I think you are seeing the entire world begin to unite around the central understanding that the Chinese Communist Party simply is going to refuse to compete in a fair, reciprocal, transparent way," the top US diplomat said in an interview with US cable network Fox Business News. "So whethe

Unification Minister Lee In-young called Tuesday for Japan's support in improving inter-Korean relations, saying it will be "very beneficial for Japan as well." Lee made the remark during his first meeting with Japanese Ambassador Koji Tomita after his inauguration in July, stressing the need for the two countries to maintain cooperation in the wake of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent decision to step down. "Prime Minister Abe has announced his decision to step dow

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and its Unification Ministry on Tuesday announced budget hikes of 3.6 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, for next year. 　 The Foreign Ministry said it is requesting 2.84 trillion won ($2.4 billion) for next year, an increase of 3.6 percent from 2.74 trillion won this year, with a focus on reinforcing virtual diplomacy amid the COVID-19 pandemic and bolstering cooperation with the US and China, as the rivalry between the two superpowers is expected to in