JEJU ISLAND -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that the increasing cooperation between the North Atlantic alliance and its Indo-Pacific partners including South Korea, sends a "powerful signal" against active attempts by countries including Russia to "rip up" the rules-based international order. "These ties matter today more than ever. We live in a dangerous world," Stoltenberg stated in a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the

Shin Won-sik, South Korea’s Minister of National Defense, will attend this year’s Asia Security Summit in Singapore — also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue — where he is scheduled to meet with his counterparts from the US, Japan and other key partner countries. The annual summit hosted by the UK think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies gathers leaders and experts in defense and diplomacy. Held since 2002, this year’s summit marks the 21st anniversary

President Yoon Suk Yeol will send former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong and ruling party lawmaker Kang Min-kuk as special envoys to the inauguration ceremony of incoming President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, Yoon's office said Thursday. Won and Kang of the People Power Party will attend the inauguration ceremony on Saturday and convey Yoon's congratulations to Bukele while also delivering a letter from Yoon expressing his wish to closely cooperate to further strengthen the friendly and c

President Yoon Suk Yeol and United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan adopted a joint statement Thursday, pledging to invest more in each other's countries and urging North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. The statement was adopted on the occasion of the Arab leader's state visit to Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday, during which the leaders held summit talks and the two countries signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement freeing up trade. In the statemen

South Africa intends to broaden its export horizons with South Korea to include value-added products, a strategic shift deemed by the country essential for enhancing the economic partnership between the two countries, the South African ambassador to South Korea said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Ambassador Zenani Mandela-Dlamini said the bilateral trade relationship spans a diverse range of products, from minerals and semi-finished goods to high-tech electronic products. South Africa fe

UAE reaffirms its commitment of investing $30b to S. Korea during Seoul summit

A US State Department spokesperson reiterated the need Tuesday for China to play a "productive" role in countering North Korea's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, after South Korea, China and Japan did not include the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a shared goal in their joint summit statement. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson, made the remarks during a press briefing in response to a question regarding the outcome of the rare trilateral summit that Sout

South Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday it has agreed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to expand cooperation in digital transition, clean energy and other areas. Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo met ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn in Seoul to discuss cooperation on areas of mutual interest, including trade, supply chains and development, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. During the meeting, Cheong noted that the Southeast Asian bloc stands as South

United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will make a state visit to South Korea on Tuesday to discuss ways to expand cooperation in energy, defense and other areas. Mohamed will visit South Korea for a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol and meetings with business leaders Tuesday and Wednesday. It marks the first state visit to the country by a UAE president. Four Air Force fighter jets will escort the UAE's presidential jet, and Yoon will host a welcome dinner. On Wednesd

The Turkmenistan Embassy in Seoul honored Magtymguly Fragi, a prominent Turkmen poet and philosopher, celebrating the 300th anniversary of his birth on May 14. Hosting a conference and exhibition, the embassy showcased Fragi‘s profound impact on Turkmen cultural heritage. Delivering remarks at the event, Turkmenistan Ambassador to Korea Begench Durdyyev heralded the poet and philosopher as a beacon of Turkmen literary tradition and philosophy, who shaped cultural discourse. Turkmenistan ha

The South Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday it revamped its units to bolster regional strategies and intelligence gathering, while downsizing the bureau handling North Korean nuclear issues, in a major shakeup amid the deadlock in nuclear talks with Pyongyang. In March, the ministry announced the reorganization plan centering on downsizing the bureau in charge of North Korean issues and revamping other units, citing the changing diplomatic and geopolitical landscape. Under the new structure,

Indonesian leader Joko Widodo has asked his administration to learn from the South Korean government's drive to bolster the creative economy as part of the Southeast Asian country's effort to pursue its future growth engine, according to an Indonesian Cabinet member. "President Joko Widodo has tasked us with emulating the Korean government's approach to bolster the creative industry," said Sandiaga Uno, Indonesian minister for tourism and creative economy in a recent int

The Azerbaijan Embassy said it hopes to join hands with South Korea on climate action while marking its Independence Day in Seoul on Wednesday. The annual event commemorates the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on May 28, 1918, which ended nearly two centuries of Iranian and Russian rule and marked the restoration of Azerbaijan's statehood. "It (Azerbaijan) was the first republic ever in the entire Muslim world. It granted its female citizens the right to vote, ahead

Tajikistan, with substantial support from South Korea, started its first solar panel production facility in the Danghara Free Economic Zone on Saturday, according to the Tajik Embassy in Seoul. The project spearheaded by the Korean company Global Solar Wafer, is set to unfold in four stages investing $2 billion and boosting local employment in Tajikistan, the embassy said. The facility is also expected to provide over 8,000 jobs, it added. In a move to woo foreign investment in the country, the

The Indian Embassy in Seoul will hold festivities across the country to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, slated for June 21. The International Day of Yoga was designated by the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 69/131 and received endorsement from a record 175 member states in 2014. Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the 10th International Day of Yoga on Thursday, Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar introduced yoga as an ancient heritage from India, that embodies th