US experts warn of “emerging gaps” between South Korea and the US in dealings with North Korea

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will arrive in South Korea on Sunday to discuss cooperation with South Korea over North Korea's nuclear disarmament, Seoul officials said.On Monday, Biegun is set to meet Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and his counterpart Lee Do-hoon separately for talks over a set of issues, including Washington's push for high-level and working-level denuclearization talks with North Korean officials.  Stephen Biegun (Yonhap)Observers said that Biegun c

South Korea and the United States will hold their annual defense ministers' talks in Washington, DC next week to discuss the fate of this year's combined air exercise, the transfer of wartime operational control and other issues, Seoul officials said Friday. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his US counterpart James Mattis will attend the 50th Security Consultative Meeting on Wednesday amid the allies' efforts to ensure cooperation over denuclearization and a lasting peace regime on the peni

Vice foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan discussed the issue of a Japanese-funded foundation for South Korean victims of Japanese wartime sex slavery at a meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, according to the Foreign Ministry. 　South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with his Japanese counterpart Takeo Akiba on Thursday on his two-day visit to Tokyo to exchange views on South Korea-Japan relations and their shared goal of the denuclearization of North Korea, the ministry said. 　The meeti

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Croatia held talks Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties and issues on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe, Seoul's foreign ministry said.The South's top diplomat, Kang Kyung-wha, and her Croatian counterpart, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, agreed to make efforts to boost investment and trade between the two nations, according to the foreign ministry.They also decided to seek cooperative projects in several areas, including science, technology, healthcare and tran

South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is visiting Japan on Wednesday and Thursday to meet his Japanese counterpart Takeo Akiba to discuss the controversial compensation fund Tokyo offered in 2015 for Korean victims of Japan’s wartime slavery, which the Korean victims have been refusing to accept, a government official said. 　　The 1 billion yen ($9 million) fund was provided by Tokyo as part of the controversial 2015 Seoul-Tokyo deal to settle the issue of “comfort women”-- South Korean vi

A war of nerves between Washington and Pyongyang over efforts to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons appears to be escalating, with North Korea yet to respond to a US proposal for high-level talks and the US delaying a second summit with the North.　High-level talks as well as working-level talks between the US and North Korea to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula have yet to be held, and the two sides have yet to confirm a date or venue for such talks, a senior South Korean

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha plans to hold talks with her Croatian counterpart in Seoul this week on improving ties between the two countries, Kang's ministry announced Tuesday.Marija Pejcinovic, Croatia's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, will begin her first official trip here later in the day. (Yonhap)The ministers are scheduled to meet each other Wednesday to discuss Croatia's plan to open its embassy in Seoul and direct flight services between Incheon and Zagreb, t

South Korea will push to expand the use of drones to monitor illegal fishing and marine littering in waters around the nation, the oceans ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said an internal venture team set a goal of utilizing 500 unmanned aerial vehicles by 2022 to effectively monitor offshore illegal activities. (Yonhap)The ministry said it will dispatch three drones to monitor illegal fishing activities next year on a trial basis before moving to develop unmanned aircr

COPENHAGEN -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed home Saturday, wrapping up a five-nation European tour that was apparently more successful than anticipated, heralding the possibility of a trip by Pope Francis to North Korea.In a meeting with the pope held in the Vatican on Thursday, President Moon delivered an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the pope to visit Pyongyang.The pope gave conditional but implicit agreement, saying he will be "available" for the trip."(I) wi

COPENHAGEN -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen agreed to further expand their countries' economic and trade relations Saturday, also pledging joint efforts to fight global protectionism.In a bilateral summit, the leaders noted the countries' strategic partnership has contributed to strengthening their cooperation in various sectors, ranging from energy and food and agriculture to life science and maritime affairs.They agreed to further expand the

COPENHAGEN -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark on Saturday and discussed ways to improve the countries' bilateral ties and economic cooperation.In the meeting held here, the South Korean leader and the Danish monarch expressed satisfaction over the steady development of the countries' cooperation over the past 60 years in various areas, including shipbuilding, shipping, energy and agriculture. (Yonhap)"President Moon and Queen Margrethe expressed hope tha

BRUSSELS -- President Moon Jae-in laid out his vision for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and beyond, centering on continental railway links and regional security dialogue, at a forum of Asian and European leaders in Brussels on Friday.    In his keynote address to the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit, the South Korean president also called for the leaders' support for peace on the Korean Peninsula, which is integral to building closer connections between the two continents, the presiden

BRUSSELS -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Brussels on Thursday for a two-day visit to attend a multilateral forum of Asian and European leaders. Moon is scheduled to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting on Friday and hold bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha later in the day. (Yonhap)Earlier Thursday, Moon wrapped up his three-day visit to Italy and the Vatican. He met Pope Francis and deliver

ROME -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed to Brussels on Thursday, wrapping up his three-day official visit to Italy and the Vatican. Moon is scheduled to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting summit and hold bilateral talks with the leaders of Germany, Thailand and Britain on Friday.  (Yonhap)Earlier in the day, Moon met Pope Francis and delivered an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the pope to visit Pyongyang. It is widely viewed as an attempt by the North to win a papal bl