UN-HABITAT PARTNERS WITH OCEANIX -- The UN-Habitat Korean National Committee signed a memorandum of understanding with Oceanix, a New York-based “blue tech” company, at its Yeouido office in Seoul on Tuesday. This agreement was designed to realize the world‘s first sustainable sea city pilot model, “Oceanix Busan,” unveiled at the UN headquarters in New York on April 26 as a successful business at the international level. From left are UN-Habitat Korean National Co

Senior foreign affairs officials of South Korea and Ukraine met privately to discuss the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, officials said Tuesday. It is the first time that a high-level Ukrainian official made a public visit to Korea since the Russian invasion in February. Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon met with Ukraine’s Vice Foreign Minister Dmytro Senik on Tuesday and exchanged views on the recent situation in Ukraine, support for the country, economic cooperation between the tw

Senior government officials of South Korea and the United States had talks here Tuesday on North Korea and pending alliance issues, two weeks after their presidents agreed during a Seoul summit to upgrade Seoul-Washington ties to a "Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance." The meeting between Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman came a couple of days after the North fired eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea. It m

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to remain concerned that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future, a state department spokesperson said Monday. Ned Price, however, said the US also remains prepared for such a contingency. "So we remain concerned that the DPRK could seek a seventh nuclear test in the coming days," the department press secretary said when asked about US measures to deal with recent North Korean provocations. "It's a concern we have wa

WASHINGTON -- The United States does not and will not link its humanitarian assistance for North Korea to progress in denuclearization talks with the impoverished country, a senior US diplomat said Monday, urging Pyongyang to engage in dialogue and also accept US or international assistance for dealing with COVID-19. Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, also reiterated that the US remains open to dialogue. "We are also gravely concerned by the

Former USTR negotiator says countries should reduce dependence on China amid concerns on economic coercion

South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold a vice ministerial meeting in Seoul next week to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, and other regional and global issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. Wendy Sherman, deputy US state secretary, will make a three-day trip to South Korea beginning Monday, two weeks after US President Joe Biden's visit for a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, according to the ministry. Sherman will meet her South Korean

South Korea's foreign ministry has provided $3 million to the World Food Programme's emergency relief project toward Ukraine, the United Nations food agency said Friday. The WFP said about $2 million will be allocated for food and cash assistance, and logistics support for the recent UN Flash appeal for Ukraine, and $1 million will be channeled to the WFP's aid to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. "The support from the Korean Government and the people of Korea will enable us to reach the most

Henry Kissinger, a former US national security adviser, said South Korea and the US should work together to solve multiple challenges the world faces, in an international conference held in Seoul Friday. The Asan Institute for Policy Studies held the Asan Symposium “Celebrating Korea-US Relations: 140 Years and Beyond” to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the US. In the virtual congratulatory remarks, Kissinger said South Korea has built

30 percent of US military base in central Seoul has been retroceded to S. Korea

Three nations prepared to make short-, long-term adjustments to deal with NK provocations

President Yoon Suk-yeol said South Korea seeks to develop the relationship with the US into a comprehensive strategic alliance at the global level and to expand its role based on their strong alliance, in talks with US academic figures on Friday. His remarks reaffirm the agreement made in a summit with US President Joe Biden last month to upgrade the Korea-US alliance. At the meeting with former and current members of US academia groups in the presidential office, Yoon said, “We pl

Philip Goldberg has been formally sworn in as US ambassador to South Korea, the US Embassy in Seoul said Friday, as he plans to arrive here "later this summer." "Ambassador Goldberg brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to strengthen our growing global partnership," the embassy tweeted with a photo of Goldberg taking an oath at the State Department in Washington D.C. The department said in a media note Wednesday (US time) that Goldberg will arrive in South Korea later t

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan are set to hold a meeting in Seoul on Friday to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula amid reports that North Korea has completed preparations for another nuclear test. Kim Gunn, Seoul's new special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will have bilateral and trilateral meetings with his US counterpart, Sung Kim, and Japan's Takehiro Funakoshi at the foreign ministry headquart

South Korea and China held high-level phone talks Thursday, during which the two sides discussed bilateral ties and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the presidential office said. South Korea's National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han and Yang Jiechi, China's top diplomat, exchanged opinions on the bilateral relations under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which took office last month. They positively reviewed the brisk consultations at the high-level and agreed to expand "