The foreign ministers of South Korea and Russia held talks in Moscow on Monday over issues related to North Korea and bilateral relations, officials said.During the meeting, foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, shared their assessments of the recent situation on the peninsula and discussed ways to boost cooperation for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and lasting peace, according to the officials."We agreed that now is a very criti

Seoul finds itself pressured by both US and China on Chinese 5G equipment

Following an eight-day tour of Finland, Norway and Sweden, President Moon Jae-in returned to South Korea on Sunday, where a pile of tough tasks remains unresolved.The keywords of his discussions during the state visits were peace, innovation and inclusive growth.Moon secured firmer support for the Korea peace process from the Nordic nations and paved the way for stronger partnerships during the fourth industrial revolution and discovery of the next economic growth engines, according to his offic

STOCKHOLM, (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's state visit to Sweden is expected to serve as a chance for the two countries to deepen cooperative ties, King Carl XVI Gustaf said Friday. The king greeted Moon at the Royal Palace in Stockholm in a grand welcoming ceremony. Moon rode through the streets in a horse-drawn carriage to reach the palace in accordance with Sweden's tradition and protocol for state guests. Moon then inspected honor guards.Briefly speaking to media later, the

Senior diplomats of South Korea and the United States held phone talks on Friday to discuss ways to build a lasting peace on the peninsula and other issues of mutual concern, Seoul's foreign ministry said.In the morning, Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young and US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan had their first phone conversation since Cho took office last month.They shared the understanding that US President Donald Trump's visit to Seoul, slated for late this month, will serve as a cruci

SSTOCKHOLM, (Yonhap) -- triving to jump-start the slow-going Korea peace process, South Korean President Moon Jae-in called overtly for North Korea's substantive denuclearization on Friday.Addressing the Parliament House in the Swedish capital, he pressed Pyongyang to continue dialogue, either bilateral or multilateral, until it wins the trust of the international community."Peace can be realized only through peaceful means, which is dialogue. It is dialogue, not nuclear arms, that will kee

A cargo ship owned by South Korean shipping firm Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. rescued all 23 crew members of the Norwegian tanker Front Altair, which was on fire in the Gulf of Oman, the Korean company said Thursday. The Hyundai Merchant cargo ship, the Hyundai Dubai, received a distress call from the Norwegian tanker around 6:40 a.m. earlier in the day (local time) and approached the Front Altair. All crew members of the Front Altair safely abandoned the tanker and were picked up by the 30,

The government will discuss national security concerns over the use of Huawei Technologies’ equipment with related countries if necessary, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday as US ambassador to Korea stepped up calls to boycott the Chinese telecom giant.  “Regarding Huawai’s equipment issue, the government will be seeking a way that would respect corporate autonomy and wouldn’t impact the security of military communications,” a ministry official told

South Korean President Moon Jae-in flew into Oslo on Tuesday for a state visit to Norway aimed at boosting bilateral ties in new energy, maritime affairs and the Arctic.Moon is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the University of Oslo on his nuclear-free Korea and peace vision on Wednesday, the highlight of his three-day trip here.Many South Koreans remember Oslo as the venue for late President Kim Dae-jung's Nobel lecture in 2000.The following day, Moon will have a summit with Prime Minis

President Moon Jae-in on Monday held a summit with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, where they agreed to engage in bilateral cooperation on energy and industrial innovation. The two countries also agreed to boost cooperation on policies related to gender equality and quality of life.  Moon is currently in Finland on a state visit, the first stop in his three-nation tour of northern Europe. From Finland, Moon will move on to Norway and Sweden. According to Seoul’s presidential office,

South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, on Sunday, the first leg of his eight-day tour of Northern Europe aimed at deepening partnerships on peace, innovative and inclusive growth.Moon's aides said that Finland, Norway and Sweden are South Korea's important partners in efforts to bring lasting peace to the peninsula and foster new economic growth engines.The president's regional tour is "expected to become an opportunity to reaffirm cooperation with t

South Korean President Moon Jae-in departed Sunday for an eight-day trip to Finland, Norway and Sweden, where he will seek to deepen partnerships on peace, innovative and inclusive growth.Moon’s aides said that the three countries are South Korea’s important partners in efforts to bring lasting peace to the peninsula and foster new economic growth engines. The president’s regional tour is “expected to become an opportunity to reaffirm cooperation with the Nordic nations i

A former ambassador to Vietnam was dismissed from his post for violating the anti-graft law and other irregularities, the Foreign Ministry said Friday. Former Ambassador to Vietnam Kim Do-hyun received flight tickets and accommodation from a Vietnamese company when he attended an opening event for a golf course in Vietnam with his family in October. He is also suspected of verbally abusing his officials.  The irregularities were found when the Foreign Ministry conducted an inspection of the

South Korea's ambassador to Vietnam, Kim Do-hyun, has been dismissed for a breach of anti-graft legislation and other irregularities, an informed source here said Thursday.When Kim and his family attended an opening ceremony of a golf course in Vietnam last October, they reportedly received funding for a hotel stay and airline tickets.The strict "Kim Young-ran Act" took effect in South Korea in 2016 as part of the country's efforts to wipe out corruption among civil servants and others

The South Korean presidential office on Thursday denied reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping has confirmed plans to visit Seoul before the G-20 summit. A Cheong Wa Dae official was quoted as saying by local media that related reports could not be confirmed and plans for Xi’s visit to Seoul had not been finalized.  Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denied the report, but said the two countries are working closely on a matter regarding a “high-level exchange,&rdq