US National Security Advisor John Bolton urged South Korea to ramp up its share of costs for stationing American troops here during his visit to Seoul last month, revealing his country’s spending records, according to the Dong-a Ilbo on Friday.When Bolton met South Korean National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong on July 28, he showed a statement with details of the US spending for stationing 28,500 soldiers here, including training fees and wages for overseas dispatch of military f

A senior US official said Wednesday that South Korea and Japan should do some “soul-searching” about the political decisions that have damaged their ties, and called for calm words from its leaders.Marc Knapper, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, told a US think tank that it was critical to ensure “productive and constructive relationships” between the US allies in the face of “shared challenges posed by North Korea, Russia and China.” &ldqu

Discussions are underway for a foreign ministers’ meeting later this month in Beijing, where South Korea, China and Japan can discuss issues concerning Northeast Asia ahead of a trilateral summit expected to take place before the end of the year. “The three countries are in talks (for) a foreign ministers’ meeting,” Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, adding that details, including the date of the meeting, have not been confirmed. Earlier in the day, Japan

South Korea, China and Japan are in talks about holding a meeting of their foreign ministers this month ahead of their possible trilateral summit in China later this year, a Seoul official said Wednesday.Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Wang Yi and Taro Kono, are expected to meet in China on Aug. 21 to discuss joint efforts for North Korea's denuclearization.The broadcaster also said that talks have been under way t

South Korea is sending text message advisories to its nationals visiting Japan to avoid places where anti-South Korea protests may take place amid rising diplomatic tensions, the foreign ministry said Monday. “We have been keeping close tabs on any moves, given that there could be anti-Korea rallies by ultra-right groups in Japan,” a ministry official said. “We will consider taking follow-up measures, such as putting up a post on the ministry‘s consular website or sending

South Korea is trying to set a schedule for a yearly trilateral summit with Japan and China, Cheong Wa Dae confirmed Monday amid a deepening confrontation between Seoul and Tokyo.The latest summit was held in Tokyo in May last year among President Moon Jae-in, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.The 2019 summit has not been held yet, for which China is supposed to serve as the rotating chair. Arrangements are reportedly being made to open the summit in Beijing in De

Korea is gearing up to fire back at Japan after the neighboring country removed its fast-track export status, while seeking ways to mitigate the economic impact of the trading restrictions as the two Asian countries’ bilateral relations sink to a recent rock bottom. The government plans to announce measures to strengthen the competitiveness of the materials and parts industries this week that will come under tighter rules for export approval, following the Tokyo’s cabinet’s dec

Japan continues efforts to prevent showing of sex slave statues

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper will visit South Korea this week for talks with his South Korean counterpart, the South Korean defense ministry said Sunday.The trip comes as North Korea continues its military provocations against South Korea's joint military exercises with the United States and as Washington reportedly wants Seoul to increase its contribution to the cost of stationing 28,500 American troops in its Asian ally's territory.During his stay in Seoul, Esper will meet with South Korean

A statue of a girl representing victims of Japan's World War II-era sexual slavery, which has been on display at an international arts festival in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, was ordered by Japanese officials to be removed, the festival's organizers said Saturday.The statue, which symbolizes Korean women who were forced to serve as sexual slaves for front-line Japanese soldiers during the war, was created by a South Korean artist and has been on display at the Aichi Triennale international

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Saturday that Japan's recent export restrictions, including its removal of South Korea from a list of trusted trade partners, could pose a "serious threat" to regional prosperity.Kang made the remarks during a meeting with her counterparts from five countries around the Mekong River -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam -- on the last day of her four-day trip to Bangkok for multilateral talks involving the Association of Southeast Asian N

      US President Donald Trump downplayed on Friday North Korea's missile tests, saying that while they may violate a UN resolution, Kim Jong Un will not want to "disappoint" him because he has "too much to lose."   Underlining his intense personal support for the North Korean leader, Trump fired off three tweets brushing aside the short-range missile launches.   "There may be a United Nations violation, but Chairman Kim

Cheong Wa Dae confirmed Friday that it would review whether to continue exchanging military information with Japan, a key element in tripartite security cooperation with the United States.Kim Hyun-chong, the deputy national security advisor, said the reconsideration could be part of "comprehensive countermeasures" against Tokyo for its decision to remove Seoul from the "whitelist" of more than two dozen nations that enjoy minimized procedures when importing Japanese goods. Ja

Unofficial edited translation provided by Cheong Wa Dae 　This Cabinet meeting has been urgently convened to respond to the diplomatic and economic emergency situation.The Japanese government has decided to remove South Korea from its whitelist of trading partners. This is a very reckless decision that rebuffs the diplomatic efforts to resolve the problem and further exacerbates the situation. I express profound regret.Ultimately, the Japan dismissed Korea’s proposal to put our heads togeth

President Moon Jae-in on Friday warned that Seoul will “resolutely take corresponding measures” against Japan’s move to remove South Korea from its list of trusted trade partners. Earlier in the day, the Japanese government decided to remove Korea from the whitelist of countries that receive preferential treatment in importing materials and goods from Japan. “(I) express deep regret at the reckless decision that makes the situation worse, while refusing diplomatic ef