NEW YORK -- South Korea's new ambassador to the United Nations vowed Tuesday to focus his efforts on establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula through the global body.Amb. Cho Hyun held a meeting with reporters at the South Korean mission to the UN, saying the multinational organization can play an important role in realizing President Moon Jae-in's vision for a Korean Peninsula peace process. "My priority is what role I will play at the UN to put in place the Korean Peninsula peace proces

TOKYO (Reuters) -- The South Korean and Japanese governments are studying plans for a joint economic programme involving companies from both countries that aims to ease strains over the issue of forced Korean labour in World War Two, Kyodo news reported on Monday.However, the Japanese government will not provide any money to the programme, in line with its position that claims overforced labour were settled in a 1965 treaty, Kyodo said, citing unnamed sources. Japanese foreign ministry spok

South Korea's National Assembly on Monday ratified the free trade agreement between Seoul and London in a move to brace for Britain's exit from the European Union.The agreement will go into effect automatically in case of a no-deal Brexit, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.If Britain and the European Union reach an agreement on a Brexit deal, the FTA will be implemented after the transition period. The trade deal centers on maintaining benefits enjoyed by the two countries

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's new ambassador to the United States, Lee Soo-hyuck, on Friday vowed to beef up the alliance between Seoul and Washington, saying their relationship must be future-oriented to achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. "The South Korea-United States alliance is the basic axis of our foreign relations," Lee said in his inauguration ceremony at the South Korean Embassy in Washington D.C. "The alliance should satisfy today's mutual

South Korea and Japan could sit down for a second round of talks next month in a move to work out their differences over Tokyo's export restrictions, a top official has said.Sung Yun-mo, minister of trade, industry and energy, made the comments in a recent brief comment to Yonhap News Agency on Thursday. Sung did not provide a specific time frame. The talks are part of a dispute settlement process under rules of the World Trade Organization.Earlier this month, the two neighbors failed to reach a

South Korea's new ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck arrived in Washington on Thursday, his office said, as the allies face a series of difficult issues, including North Korea and defense cost-sharing.His inauguration ceremony will be held at the South Korean Embassy in Washington on Friday, and Lee is soon expected to present his credentials to US President Donald Trump, according to the embassy.He was named the top envoy to the US by President Moon Jae-in in August and was formally

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met in Tokyo on Thursday and agreed that the deterioration of bilateral relations cannot be allowed to continue.“I interpret (the situation) as being that the sporadic, undisclosed talks between the two sides are becoming official,” Lee was quoted as saying by a local news agency after the meeting. “I have hopes that (the talks) can speed up a little.” Earlier in the day, Cho Sei-young, the first vice

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called for stronger cooperation between Korea and Spain, saying that Korea hopes to emulate Spain as a bridge that connects the ocean to the continent. Speaking at the Korea-Spain business forum held in Seoul on the occasion of a state visit by Spain’s King Philip VI, Moon highlighted similarities between the two countries and the opportunity for cooperation.  “As Korea and Spain are the gate and hub where a continent and an ocean meet, there ar

In their rare prime ministerial talks Thursday, South Korea and Japan agreed to commence diplomatic efforts in earnest for an early resolution to their frayed ties highlighted by a monthslong trade spat.Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon also handed over President Moon Jae-in's personal letter to Japan's leader, Shinzo Abe, in which he expressed hope to address pending issues with no further delay."The two prime ministers shared the view that South Korea and Japan, as important neighboring countrie

South Korea and 10 Southeast Asian nations on Wednesday began a two-day meeting to promote exchanges in culture, arts and tourism. Culture ministers and senior officials from South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations attended the event in the southwestern city of Gwangju.It came one month before a leaders' summit to be held Nov.25-26 in the southeastern port city of Busan to mark the 30th anniversary of establishing a dialogue partnership between the two sides. "Through thi

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said on Wednesday that he expects to promote dialogue with Tokyo through his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday.Lee arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday for a three-day trip to attend the Japanese emperor’s enthronement ceremony and mend ties between Korea and Japan which have dipped to their lowest level in years over wartime history and trade restrictions. “The goal is to create an atmosphere to promote dialogue as much as possible. &helli

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon kicked off a three-day visit to Japan in the hope that a meeting with his Japanese counterpart will pave the way for improvements in the two countries’ strained relations. Before heading to Tokyo, Lee said he hoped South Korea and Japan would foster harmonious and mature relations despite difficulties, speaking with Japanese Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, who saw Lee off at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. “I don’t expect that this visit w

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon left for Japan on Tuesday to attend the Japanese emperor's enthronement ceremony amid frayed ties between South Korea and Japan over the issue of Tokyo's wartime forced labor.Lee embarked on a three-day trip to Tokyo, whose itinerary includes a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday.In his official first schedule, Lee will attend Emperor Naruhito's enthronement event set for 1 p.m. at the palace. A banquet dinner is also scheduled for later in the

South Korea‘s foreign ministry said Monday it has sent a draft of a letter that will be sent to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the presidential office for review ahead of Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s planned visit to Tokyo this week.Lee will visit Japan from Tuesday to Thursday to attend the Japanese emperor‘s enthronement event amid frayed ties between South Korea and Japan over the issue of Tokyo’s wartime forced labor. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who declin

Rep. Park Joo-sun of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to intensify diplomatic efforts to push for the disclosure of US government documents related to the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju. During a parliamentary audit of the Foreign Ministry at the National Assembly, Park stressed the need for the systematic collection of records for a thorough investigation into remaining questions about the Gwangju Democratic Uprising.