WASHINGTON-- A resolution has been proposed in the US House of Representatives calling for the return of a US Navy ship seized by North Korea 55 years ago, a summary of the resolution showed Monday. The resolution, introduced last week by Rep. Steube Gregory, calls for the return of USS Pueblo while denouncing North Korea's seizure of the ship and its crew on Jan. 23, 1968. The House "maintains North Korea's seizure of the vessel USS Pueblo and its detention of the crew were in

WASHINGTON-- The United States and South Korea regularly discuss ways to address threats posed by North Korea, including its support for Russia's war against Ukraine, a state department spokesperson said Monday. State Department Press Secretary Ned Price also said the US will continue to use all available means to hold accountable those that support Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. "It's fair to say that of course, we have the closest of relations with our South Korean alli

After roughly a four-year struggle, South Korea and Japan are nearing a compromise on making amends to Koreans forced into labor by Japanese companies during World War II. The dispute -- which Seoul’s top court said in October 2018 was Tokyo’s fault -- strained bilateral ties as Japan refused to honor the ruling and pay damages to the victims. Tokyo claims a 1965 treaty that normalized relations with Seoul following its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula already settled the issue.

The South Korean foreign ministry said Monday that no Korean injuries or deaths have been reported from the deadly mass shooting in California that claimed 10 lives. "No Korean damage has been reported to the Korean Embassy or local Korean communities so far," the ministry said. "We will make constant efforts to keep close tabs on the incident in cooperation with the Los Angeles authorities." A gunman killed 10 people and injured 10 more in a shooting Saturday night (U.S.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned a senior Japanese diplomat on Friday over Japan’s repeated attempt to recognize gold and silver mines on the island of Sado, where Koreans were forced to work during World War II, as a World Heritage site. “The Korean government regrets that the Japanese government resubmitted the nomination of ‘Sado Island Gold Mines,’ for the inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List,” Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said in

A publisher of a leading academic journal has rejected a request to retract a controversial paper, which claimed that “comfort women” were voluntary prostitutes, although historians have agreed that suggested evidence does not overturn historical consensus that Korean women were forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military. Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese legal studies at Harvard Law School, claimed that Korean women and Japanese brothels “included inde

DAVOS, Switzerland -- President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up his eight-day visit to the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland by seeking to boost the economy by drawing massive investments and encouraging global entrepreneurs to invest in Korea. His foreign policy moves, however, have been tainted by a diplomatic spat with Iran after calling the country "the UAE's enemy." Iran went further and raised issue with its frozen funds in Seoul as well as Yoon's recent remarks on nucl

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the Iranian ambassador in Seoul, a day after Tehran called in Seoul’s chief envoy there demanding a clarification on why President Yoon Suk Yeol called Iran “the enemy” of the United Arab Emirates during his trip there this week. In a rare tit-for-tat spat on the brink of a row, First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong told Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari that Yoon’s comments were meant to encourage Korean tr

Merck Life Science, Novartis reviewing $500m investment in Korea

This is the last installment of the three-part interview series exploring what experts believe should take place for S. Korea to better advance its interests, while resetting ties with Japan amid disputes. -- Ed. aaaaa It is in South Korea’s best interests to bring closure to the dispute with Japan over making amends to Koreans forced into labor by Japanese firms during World War II. Only then will Seoul be able to take advantage of all the help it needs from Tokyo as it combats regional c

ZURICH, Switzerland -- President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to debut at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, amid the notable absence of the leaders of the two largest economies, the US and China, against a backdrop of growing nationalism and deglobalization. While there are simmering questions over the forum’s validity in boosting globalization, experts say Davos is still a "good opportunity" for Asia’s fourth-largest economy to incre

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit South Korea in the near future, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder added the upcoming trip will reaffirm the US' commitment to working with its Asian ally. "Secretary Austin will travel to the Republic of Korea and the Philippines to meet with senior government and military leaders in both countries as the United States and these two critical allies continue to bolster our defense partnerships,"

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Touting himself as the “salesman of South Korea,” President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up his four-day state visit to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, sending home $30 billion of business agreements with the lucrative economy, before heading to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to talk international affairs. The presidential office viewed Yoon’s visit to the UAE as “the first step toward the first year of the new Middle East bo

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday downplayed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s remarks made a day earlier during his state visit to the United Arab Emirates, in which he said that Iran was the UAE’s “enemy,” and compared their relationship to inter-Korean hostilities. Yoon was offering a word of encouragement to the soldiers while visiting a Korean special forces unit stationed in Abu Dhabi to train local troops, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said at bri

South Korea’s state-run foundation established to help Koreans forced into labor by Japanese companies during World War II is preparing to reach out to Korean companies as early as next week to compensate the victims, sources said Tuesday, as part of a compromise deal Seoul believes will help settle the longtime historical dispute with Tokyo. Last week, the Korean government essentially endorsed a plan to have the Korean government or companies compensate the victims while awaiting Japan&r