Seoul's top diplomat conveyed to his Washington counterpart concerns over a new US law excluding electric vehicles built outside North America from tax breaks during their recent phone conversation, a diplomatic source said Sunday. Per the source, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin broached the topic in his call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last Friday. The $430 billion bill, called the Inflation Reduction Act, was signed into law by US President Joe Biden last Tuesday. It ca

BULLA HAGAR, Kenya -- The United States is stepping up to buy about 150,000 metric tons of grain from Ukraine in the next few weeks for an upcoming shipment of food aid from ports no longer blockaded by war, the World Food Program chief has told The Associated Press. The final destinations for the grain are not confirmed and discussions continue, David Beasley said. But the planned shipment, one of several the UN agency that fights hunger is pursuing, is more than six times the amount of grain t

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon will visit the U.N. headquarters this week to offer briefings on the government's policy on North Korea, including President Yoon Suk-yeol's "audacious plan" calling for denuclearization in exchange for economic aid, the ministry said Sunday. Lee will visit New York from Sunday to Thursday for meetings with Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed; Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu;

South Korea plans to take part in US-led negotiations over the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in a way that maximizes national interests, the finance minister said Friday. Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said as a ministerial meeting of the IPEF, the new economic framework launched by US President Joe Biden in May, will be held from Sept. 8-9, its official negotiations will start in earnest. He said from the rule-setting stage, there is a need to reflect his country's stance and buil

The United States sees the need to take "incremental steps" with North Korea to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, a state department spokesperson said Thursday, in apparent support of South Korea's offer to help the impoverished North when and if Pyongyang takes denuclearization steps. Department Press Secretary Ned Price also said "practical steps" may be taken to denuclearize the peninsula. "We believe that there are practical steps that can be taken t

South Korea has conveyed its concerns over a new US law that provides tax incentives for electric vehicles manufactured in North America only, a foreign ministry official said Thursday. "As revisions to the electric vehicle subsidies, included in the Inflation Reduction Act, are subject to violation of not only the South Korea-US Free Trade Agreement but also the World Trade Organization rules, we have reviewed (the issue) and expressed our concerns to the US through various channels,"

WASHINGTON -- Republican scion Liz Cheney's primary defeat to a hardline Trumpist rival underlines the dramatic shift the party has undergone under the former president as he pulls it away from mainstream conservatism towards the politics of personality. The congresswoman's loss to Harriet Hageman on Tuesday -- ending her hopes of seeking a fourth term in her safe Wyoming seat -- was a definitive rebuke for her opposition to Donald Trump. Cheney's voting record aligned with Trump's positions 93

WASHINGTON -- The United States will continue to maintain strong sanctions against North Korea until the recalcitrant country changes its behavior and engages in dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. Department Press Secretary Ned Price made the remarks after North Korea fired two cruise missiles, marking its 19th show of force this year and first since June. "We will continue to maintain those sanctions until and unless the underlying conduct, the underlying activity ch

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban on Monday marked a year since they seized the Afghan capital in a rapid takeover that triggered a hasty escape of the nation's Western-backed leaders, sent the economy into a tailspin and fundamentally transformed the country. Bearded Taliban fighters, some hoisting rifles or the white banners of their movement, staged victory parades on foot, bicycles and motorcycles in the streets of Kabul. One group marched past the former US Embassy, chanting "Long

The United States strongly supports South Korea's efforts to restart dialogue with North Korea and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, a state department spokesperson said Monday. Department Press Secretary Ned Price also said the U.S. will continue to closely work with Seoul to that end. "We strongly support the ROK's aim to open a path for serious and sustained diplomacy with Pyongyang," Price said in a press briefing, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Repub

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the importance of the US-South Korea alliance on Monday, while congratulating the Asian ally on its national day. "On behalf of the United States of America, I send my kindest regards and congratulations to the Republic of Korea and the South Korean people as you celebrate your National Day," the top US diplomat said in a released statement. South Korea observes Aug. 15 as Liberation Day, marking its freedom from Japanese c

WASHINGTON -- Nearly nine out of every 10 South Koreans hold a favorable view of the United States, the second highest rating among 17 countries surveyed, a poll showed Monday. It also showed more than 80 percent of South Koreans think the US is a reliable partner. In the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based nonprofit think tank, 89 percent of South Koreans surveyed said they hold a favorable view toward the US, the second highest rating after Poland with 91 percent. The

By Ma Young-sam There is a region which has been overshadowed by great powers. Similar to a hospital’s emergency room, which people usually do not give attention to during normal daily life, but rush into in the case of health emergencies. This is the Arab region, a place where US President Joe Biden hurried to visit in the face of super economic inflation as an aftermath to the Ukraine crisis. The Arab world still holds immense influence over the world economy as a fundamental oil reso

By Hwang Jae-ho The international economy and industrial world are entering a revolution. The competition between nations and between corporations is escalating over industrial and technological competitiveness, and technological hegemony has emerged as the determinant factor in reorganizing the international order and maintaining the world great power’s status. The United States is continuing its strong stance on China policy, even after the Biden administration took over, and China is

UN fully supports S.Korea’s every effort to resume dialogue with N. Korea, says Guterres