The Korea Herald

South Korea, US push to hold working-level video talks

Jan 15, 2019

The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that South Korean and US officials are poised to hold working-level talks via video conferencing. “South Korea and the US are closely coordinating for the next working group video conference,” Noh Kyu-duk, the ministry’s spokesman, told a regular press briefing.Officials will discuss matters relating to North Korea and its nuclear program, although the schedule remains under discussion, he said. Lee Dong-yeol, director-general for the Korean Peninsula Peace regi
[Newsmaker] No breakthrough from Korea-Japan military talks over radar tussle

Jan 15, 2019

Despite having held military talks, South Korea and Japan failed to narrow differences Monday in stand-offs over a recent radar incident, an informed source said.General-grade representatives from the two sides met in Singapore in a bid to resolve "mutual misunderstandings" over a dispute regarding Seoul's use of military radar for humanitarian search operations last month, according to Seoul's defense ministry. (Yonhap)It marked the first face-to-face contact between officials from the two nati
Korea voices 'deep regrets' over Tokyo official's criticism of Moon amid forced labor dispute

Jan 11, 2019

South Korea's foreign ministry on Friday expressed "deep regrets" over a senior Japanese official's criticism of President Moon Jae-in's remarks this week regarding an escalating diplomatic dispute over Japan's wartime forced labor.Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahisa Sato has blasted Moon on Twitter for having said that the Tokyo government, as well as Seoul, should respect a court decision in Korea over the issue, and that it cannot do anything to intervene in the judicial proce
PM calls for efforts to build future-oriented relations with Japan

Jan 10, 2019

South Korea's prime minister on Thursday called for government efforts to build a future-oriented relationship with Japan, separately from the task of addressing bilateral historical issues.Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said in a government meeting that history cannot be neglected, but it is not desirable to neglect preparations for the future due to history.(Yonhap)"Historical liabilities between South Korea and Japan should be resolved. At the same time, we should make efforts and pool our wisdom
S. Korea, Sweden discuss N. Korea issue

Jan 9, 2019

South Korea's special representative for regional peace and security met Wednesday with the Swedish government's envoy to the peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said.Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met Kent Härstedt, who is here on a two-day trip that started Tuesday. Lee Do-hoon (Yonhap)"(They) exchanged opinions on cooperation between the two nations related to the Korean Peninsula issue and issues of mutu
Seoul mayor rejects China's allegation over source of fine dust

Jan 7, 2019

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Monday rebutted the Chinese government's recent allegation that China has nothing to do with hazardous fine dust over the Korean Peninsula.Park said in a radio interview that he has research papers from municipal and state labs that conclude around 50 to 60 percent of fine dust over South Korea is from China."The matter should be approached by environmental experts or from the scientific perspective," the mayor told an MBC Radio talk show. (Yonhap)"Researchers at the
Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan agree to pursue future-oriented ties amid radar spat

Jan 4, 2019

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan agreed to pursue the "future-oriented" development of bilateral relations during their phone conversation Friday, Seoul's foreign ministry said amid an escalating spat involving military radar.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, discussed growing tensions over the row and South Korea's Supreme Court rulings last year in favor of South Koreans forced into hard labor by Japanese firms during Tokyo's 1910-45 colonial ru
Korea continues to demand Japan's apology over radar row

Jan 2, 2019

Seoul's defense ministry on Wednesday continued to express regrets over Tokyo's claim that a South Korean naval destroyer targeted a Japanese warplane with fire-control radar last month, and urged Japan to make an apology for making threatening moves against the vessel. The statement came as Japan released a 13-minute-long video clip showing the operation of its patrol aircraft to back up its claim that the South Korean destroyer targeted the warplane with the radar last month.
NK leader talks of denuclearization, economic development in New Year address

Jan 1, 2019

Kim warns of seeking ‘different path’ if US pressure persists
Wang Yi voices support for progress in inter-Korean ties, calls

Dec 30, 2018

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed his support for the recent progress in inter-Korean relations, and urged North Korea and the United States to swiftly enforce the agreement reached at the June summit."China has supported denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, establishment of a peace regime on it and resolving issues through talks consistently and made the efforts for more than 20 years,"Wang was quoted as saying by his office during an interview with local media Saturday.He sai
US suggests one-year defense cost-sharing agreement with S. Korea

Dec 30, 2018

Defense cost-sharing negotiations between Seoul and Washington appear likely to remain tense following an unexpected suggestion from the US that the two sides sign a one-year agreement. In their latest round of talks earlier this month, the US negotiators suggested signing a defense cost-sharing deal that would remain valid for only a year, a diplomatic source said Friday, as Washington seeks a new approach to sharing defense costs with its allies. Seoul is said to have rejected the idea. The US
2018 opened era of detente on Korean Peninsula

Dec 30, 2018

North Korea has conducted no nuclear or missile tests in 2018, sat down for three inter-Korean summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and a first-ever summit with US President Donald Trump
Moon sends message of condolence to Indonesia over tsunami casualties

Dec 24, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Monday sent a message of condolence to his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo over the deadly tsunami that hit coastal areas of Indonesia around the Sunda Strait over the weekend. (Yonhap)Foreign media reports said that the tsunami on Saturday night left at least 280 people dead and more than 1,000 injured."There is no other way to express deep sorrow over the fact that the tsunami around the Sunda Strait led to the deaths of many Indonesians," Moon said in the message."
Korea, Japan seek to mend ties over forced labor ruling, naval operation

Dec 24, 2018

Officials from South Korea and Japan held meetings Monday amid deteriorating relations over recent rulings that ordered Japanese firms to compensate South Koreans forced into labor during Japan’s occupation of the peninsula. 　Kim Yong-kil, director-general for Northeast Asian affairs at Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, met with Japanese counterpart Kenji Kanasugi in Seoul to discuss the ruling in favor of South Korean victims, as well as a South Korean destroyer’s naval operation in the East Sea. 　Last
Cheong Wa Dae forecasts N.K. leader’s visit to Seoul may materialize in near future

Dec 21, 2018

South Korea’s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday that the much anticipated trip to Seoul by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may materialize in the near future, though it will be difficult to occur this year.Seoul has been pushing for Kim’s unprecedented trip in the hopes that it will help further improve cross-border ties and give an impetus to the ongoing diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea and establish a lasting peace regime on the peninsula.During the third summit betwe