Suh Hoon, the newly appointed top security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, had a phone conversation Wednesday with his Japanese counterpart on relations between the two sides and regional security, Cheong Wa Dae said. Shigeru Kitamura, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's national security adviser, made a call to Suh, director of national security at the presidential office, for a congratulatory message on his inauguration. Suh began work earlier this week, having served as chief of the

   Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke by phone with her Qatari counterpart Wednesday and discussed joint efforts for economic cooperation and coronavirus responses, her office said. In the phone conversation with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, deputy prime minister cum foreign minister, Kang hailed the 23.6 trillion won ($19.2 billion) deal inked last month between Qatar’s state oil company and South Korean shipbuilders on the reservation of construction capacity for liqu

US President Donald Trump has said that he is open to holding another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, despite Pyongyang's repeated claims that it has no intention to hold talks with the US, according to news reports. "I understand they want to meet and we would certainly do that," Trump said in an interview with Gray Television's Greta Van Susteren on Tuesday (Washington time), according to Voice of America and other news reports. "I would do it if I thought it wa

US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said Wednesday that Washington "strongly" supports inter-Korean cooperation, calling it an "important component" in creating a more stable environment on the Korean Peninsula. Biegun, who doubles as Washington's top nuclear envoy, made the remarks as South Korea has been seeking US cooperation in its push for cross-border cooperation projects stalled by international sanctions. "The United States strongly supports inter-Kor

US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun held back-to-back talks with senior Seoul officials Wednesday to explore ways to revive stalled nuclear talks with North Korea, despite Pyongyang's repeated rejections of dialogue with Washington. Biegun began his three-day trip here Tuesday, apparently to renew the US' commitment to diplomacy with the communist state and forestall escalation of tensions caused by its recent demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office, warnings of now-suspended mili

South Korea decided Tuesday to provide $4 million in humanitarian aid to 14 countries suffering from food crises due to desert locusts, the foreign ministry said. The assistance will be provided to Yemen, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya and other Southwest Asian and African countries via the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to the ministry. In East Africa alone, more than 25 million people are estimated to be in a food crisis. Of the total, 11 mi

The recent announcement that foreign students taking online classes in the US should leave the country is creating confusion and turmoil among South Korean students at colleges and universities there. Many of them are now being forced to head back to Korea or shift to in-person classes, taking the risk of contracting the new coronavirus, if they want to maintain their visa status. The latest announcement from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement applies to F-1 and M-1 non-immigrant visa h

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with a deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan in Seoul on Monday and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, her office said. Sardor Umurzakov, Uzbekistan's deputy prime minister for investment and foreign economic relations, is the first senior foreign government official to visit South Korea since the coronavirus outbreak began. "We have created a very special strategic partnership and even under the difficult circumstances of the coronavirus

South Korea was to hold a ceremony Monday to express thanks to countries that fought during the 1950-53 Korean War in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict, the veterans affairs ministry said. During the event, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun was to deliver plaques of appreciation to ambassadors of 22 countries that fought alongside South Korea in the three-year war, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Around 1.95 million foreign warriors

  South Korean President Moon Jae-in, having reshuffled his top security team with figures known to be for engagement with North Korea, is widely expected to push to make a breakthrough in stalled relations with North Korea. 　 On Friday, Moon tapped Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, as his national security adviser, and nominated Park Jie-won, a former lawmaker and special envoy to North Korea, to succeed Suh as the spy chief. Lee In-young, a four-term lawmaker from

OSAN -- An annual memorial ceremony was held Sunday to honor the American soldiers killed in the UN forces' first ground battle during the 1950-53 Korean War, followed by the opening of a new peace park in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the war. The 540-strong US special force, known as the Task Force Smith, fought some 5,000 North Korean forces in the Battle of Osan on July 5, 1950. It was the US' first ground battle under the UN flag against the North, in which mor

The foreign ministry has fully activated a public-private task force set up to explore South Korea's security and economic strategies in the face of a growing rivalry between the United States and China, officials said Sunday. The task force, comprising government officials, people from academia and corporate sectors, was established in December last year, but its operation has been limited due to the coronavirus pandemic, with members discussing issues via email without in-person meetings. N

South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Lee Do-hoon met separately with the top Chinese and Russian envoys to Seoul on Friday and discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The meetings took place as Lee reported to work for the first time since his release from mandatory two-week self-isolation after returning from a trip to Washington, where he held talks with his counterpart, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun. Lee first met with Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming, who was seen ar

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Thursday said the government is making an all-out effort to resume stalled dialogues with North Korea, amid recent heightened tensions between the two Koreas.  “For the time being, North Korea has stopped taking additional measures that could worsen the situation in the Korean Peninsula. The ministry will remain vigilant and focus on managing the situation to prevent deterioration, and make all-out diplomatic efforts for the North to return to the

BRUSSELS/SEOUL -- The European Union (EU) has approved a guideline recommending its member states reopen their borders to 14 countries, including South Korea, after restricting all non-essential entries from outside the bloc over coronavirus fears. The European Council representing 27 member states adopted the non-binding recommendation on Tuesday (Belgium time), taking effect the next day, according to the council. Each member state will have the final say on to what extent the restriction