WASHINGTON -- The United States is willing and prepared to talk with North Korea at anytime, US ambassador to the United Nations said Thursday, while also stressing that the option has always been on the table for Pyongyang. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, however, also stressed the need to respond to North Korea's recent missile tests that she said jeopardized peace and security in the East Asian region. "We have been clear from day one that we are willing to go to the negotiating table with th

WASHINGTON -- Sen. James Risch (R-ID) has called on the US government to enhance and improve its nuclear capabilities to provide added deterrence in support of US allies against threats posed by North Korea. The ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also highlighted the need for joint military readiness to deter any North Korean aggression. "Our priority needs to be on US and allied cooperation and military readiness through a strong tempo of training and exercises -- n

South Korea’s top nuclear envoy had back-to-back phone talks with his American and Chinese counterparts on Thursday, the foreign ministry said, amid rising tension over North Korea‘s apparent threat of nuclear and long-range weapons tests. Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, talked with his American counterpart, Sung Kim, in their latest emergency consultations, hours after the North hinted at restarting “all temporally-suspend

South Korea will temporarily expand visa issuance for foreign children staying illegally in the country to better guarantee their right to education, the justice ministry said Thursday. Until now, undocumented foreign children eligible for visas have been middle and high school students, as well as high school graduates, who have been living in South Korea for at least 15 years after being born here. But from next month to March 2025, foreign children who have been living here for at least six

WASHINGTON -- The United States strongly supports humanitarian assistance for the people of North Korea but UN Security Council sanctions must be fully implemented at the same time, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. The spokesperson also noted the North often diverts humanitarian aid. "We strongly support and encourage the efforts of US and international aid and health organizations in seeking to prevent and contain the spread of coronavirus in the DPRK and to provide other

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Gregory Meeks, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Wednesday expressed support for a South Korea-proposed declaration for the formal end to the Korean War while urging North Korea to return to dialogue. He, however, said the proposed end of war declaration should come as part of a more "comprehensive process and talks" to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. "I commend the Biden and Moon Administrations for taking steps to engage North Korea and urg

Senior diplomats of South Korea and the United States had a phone conversation Wednesday to discuss North Korea's recent missile tests and reaffirmed the bilateral alliance's efforts to tackle regional challenges, the foreign ministry said. Seoul's First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and his US counterpart Wendy Sherman talked over the phone after Pyongyang said it test-fired two tactical guided missiles Monday, the fourth show of force this month alone. "The vice ministers shared t

Former Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who is running to be the next director general of the International Labor Organization, will face a public hearing to present her candidacy and take questions from the organization’s governing body on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland. 　 The ILO on Wednesday said public dialogues with five candidates for its top job will be held on Thursday and Friday. A Foreign Ministry official said Kang’s meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. (Geneva time) on Thur

The US has called for a new UN Security Council meeting to discuss North Korea’s fourth missile launch this month, as Washington seeks to ratchet up pressure on the reclusive regime to curb its prohibited weapons program.   Closed-door consultations of the UN’s most powerful body are expected to take place on Thursday, at the request of the US, along with the UK, France, Albania, Ireland and Mexico, according to Agence France-Presse. 　 “We will continue to ramp up the pre

The top trade officials of South Korea and the United States on Wednesday agreed to strengthen their strategic partnership to actively respond to supply chain issues, new technologies and other major trade issues, Seoul's industry ministry said. South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai held a teleconference earlier in the day ahead of Yeo's planned visit to the US next week. During the talks, Tai stressed the importance of regional cooperation th

The United States takes very seriously the threat posed by North Korea's "improving" missile programs, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Tuesday. He, however, said the US is still assessing the nature North Korea's recent missile launches, apparently to learn their exact capabilities. "We will continue to take this threat and this improving program of Pyongyang's very, very seriously," he told a press briefing when asked about North's recent missile launches. North

Kazakhstani Damir Kusheyev, a former professional cyclist, has finished a 793.8-kilometer bicycle trip across Korea, which he embarked on to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Kazakhstan and to support Busan in its bid to host the World Expo 2030. Kusheyev began his trip at Haeundae Beach in Busan on Jan. 8. He cycled over nine days, passing through Samnangjin, Daegu, Mungyeong, Jeungpyeong, Daejeon and Jincheon, before arriving in Seoul. In Seoul, Kush

Seoul on Monday strongly protested against Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi’s remarks that renewed territorial claims over South Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo, demanding an immediate retraction.  South Korea’s reaction came after Hayashi reiterated Tokyo’s stance that Dokdo, which is known as Takeshima in Japan, is a territory inherent to Japan in view of historical facts and international law in his speech outlining the government’s foreign

South Korea on Monday denounced Japan's repeated sovereignty claim to the easternmost islets of Dokdo and urged the neighbor to face up to history in order to improve bilateral relations. The foreign ministry lodged a strong protest after Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi reiterated Tokyo's stance on the East Sea outcroppings in his parliamentary speech earlier in the day. "The Japanese government should stop its unreasonable claim to Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territo

The top trade officials of South Korea and Canada agreed Monday to strengthen cooperation on supply chains of key materials and other trade issues, Seoul's industry ministry said. Seoul's Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and his Canadian counterpart, Mary Ng, reached the consensus during a video conference earlier in the day, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. During the meeting, the two sides vowed to boost ties in supply chains of raw materials and major minerals by promoting