Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week in San Francisco

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States will hold talks in San Francisco next week to discuss peace efforts with North Korea, tensions in the Middle East and the bilateral alliance, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her US counterpart Mike Pompeo were set to meet Tuesday, the ministry said, as Seoul and Washington face a set of tricky issues, including tense defense cost-sharing negotiations. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is a

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States have made progress in their negotiations on sharing the costs for the stationing of American troops on the peninsula, a senior US official said Wednesday, with the two sides expected to resume talks as early as next week.Washington initially demanded a fivefold increase in Seoul's annual contribution to the upkeep of the 28,500 troops to nearly $5 billion. After strong resistance from Seoul, the allies have reportedly reached a compromise of sorts

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha instructed the ministry and ambassadors to Middle Eastern countries Wednesday to take active measures to ensure the safety of South Koreans in the region amid sharply rising tensions in the wake of Iran's missile attacks on American forces in Iraq.Fear of a full-blown war is rising in the region as Iran fired over a dozen ballistic missiles against at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US-led coalition personnel early Wednesday in retaliation for last week's U

Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that it is willing to work with Japan to find a solution to the issue of compensation for victims of wartime forced labor, after Korean and Japanese lawyers proposed establishing a consultative body to support victims. 　“The government is open to discussing various reasonable solutions on the issue of forced labor, while respecting the decision of the judiciary, and considering the rights of victims and the bilateral relationship bet

South Korea has been closely watching developments in the Middle East after Iran launched strikes on US troops in Iraq, while preparing for measures to ensure the safety of its troops and citizens in the region, officials said Wednesday.Early Wednesday, Iran fired missiles targeting two Iraqi bases that house US troops in retaliation for the US airstrike last week that killed a top Iranian general.“We have been exchanging related information with the US defense department,” a Ministr

US ambassador to South Korea said Tuesday that he hopes Seoul sends forces to the Strait of Hormuz, where tensions have escalated since the US killing of a top Iranian commander last week.“I would hope that Korea will send forces out there,” Amb. Harry Harris said in an interview with broadcaster KBS, adding that South Korea gets so much of its energy from the Middle East.More than 70 percent of South Korea’s crude oil imports are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.Qassem Sol

South Korea has become a co-chair of the board of a NATO-run international fund to help bolster Afghan security forces, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.South Korea started its one-year term on Monday on the board of the Afghan National Army Trust Fund, according to the ministry. The board monitors and reviews the fund's cost effectiveness, financial integrity and accountability. A co-chair convenes an annual plenary session of the board in the second quarter, together with the se

WASHINGTON -- President Moon Jae-in's top security adviser plans to visit Washington this week for three-way consultations with Japan following renewed threats from North Korea, diplomatic sources said Monday.Chung Eui-yong, director of Cheong Wa Dae's national security office, is scheduled to arrived in the US capital Tuesday and meet the following day with his American and Japanese counterparts -- Robert O'Brien and Shigeru Kitamura, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity

WASHINGTON -- South Korean Ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck asked US President Donald Trump on Monday to continue to show leadership on the North Korean nuclear issue and Trump said in response that he would do so, his embassy said.Lee made the request during a White House ceremony to present his credentials to Trump, the embassy said in a press release. Lee was among six new ambassadors to present credentials, including those from East Timor, Thailand and Austria. "Ambassador

Experts mixed on further actions of North, but agree on dilution in US attention on Korean Peninsula

South Korea vowed Monday to work closely with the international community to swiftly respond to any contingencies related to the safety of its people in the Middle East amid simmering tensions between the United States and Iran.  Fears have grown over imminent military conflicts between the US and Iran after top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike last week. Iran has warned of severe revenge for the attack, and even pledged to abandon the 2015 nu

Seoul officials said Sunday they were cautiously watching escalating tensions between the US and Iran and staying vigilant about the possible repercussions here. 　　The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a task force to evaluate the current situation in the Middle East and to discuss measures to protect Koreans living in the area, the officials said. 　On Friday, the US confirmed that President Donald Trump had ordered the airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani -- the head of Iran’s el

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States agree on the need to strengthen strategic cooperation as they jointly deal with issues on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, a Seoul official said Friday.Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn was in Washington to meet with his counterpart, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell, after the former took office last month. He told reporters following the meeting that the two sides held in-depth discussions on

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Thursday expressed hopes for a "big" step in the new year toward establishing "genuine" peace on the Korean Peninsula, despite growing skepticism over the stalemated nuclear talks with North Korea.Kang made the remarks during her ministry's kick-off meeting for 2020, pointing to the continued momentum for dialogue with Pyongyang as a result of "perseverance" despite diplomatic challenges from home and abroad."This year's task