A member of New Zealand’s new National Party-led government took her oath in English and then in Korean, the language of her native country. Melissa Lee, whose Korean name is Lee Ji-yun, was named the minister for economic development, ethnic communities, media and communications, making her the first person of Korean heritage to hold a ministerial position in New Zealand’s government. Lee alternated between English and Korean while reading the oath in the official ceremony Monday. L

A trilateral summit with Japan and China, which has been on hold since 2019, could take place early next year, a senior official from the South Korean president's office said Monday. The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China on Sunday reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to expedite efforts to hold a trilateral summit at the earliest convenient time. However, the three ministers did not specify a specific time frame for the summit following a ministerial meeting in Busan, which w

Touting 140 years of diplomatic ties, Schmidt says German interest in Korea still growing

The South Korean government awarded the former Hungarian ambassador to Seoul, Mozes Csoma, with the Gwanghwa Medal, in Budapest on Nov. 8, said Karoli Gaspar University in a press release on Friday. The award recognizes Csoma's contributions to diplomatic service and his role in fostering diplomatic ties between Hungary and South Korea. The Gwanghwa Medal, the highest level of the Order of Merit for diplomatic service, acknowledged his dedicated efforts in promoting friendship between the t

Seoul hosting 3-way summit within this year appears to be no longer feasible

S. Korean, Japanese foreign ministers discuss compensation for 'comfort women' ahead of 3-way talks

PARIS -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed Friday to strengthen cooperation on advanced technology and climate change issues, Yoon's office said. The two leaders reached the agreement during a breakfast and summit meeting at Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president, as Yoon was in Paris to campaign for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Yoon and Macron discussed their countries' business cooperation

The government will strengthen cooperation and information sharing with China to reduce fine dust pollution, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday. The plan, unveiled during a special committee meeting on the fine dust issue, is one of various measures the government plans to carry out to achieve its goal of reducing 108,000 tons of fine airborne particles. "We have set reducing fine dust as a major government project, and have focused pan-ministry capabilities on it. We will strengthen

President Yoon visits Paris, where final vote will take place next week

The top diplomats of South Korea, China and Japan will hold trilateral talks in the southeastern port city of Busan this weekend, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday, amid fresh tensions after North Korea's launch of a military spy satellite. Foreign Minister Park Jin will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on Sunday for broad discussions on ways to boost trilateral cooperation and other regional and global issues, Seoul's forei

When the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, I was overjoyed. Years of hard work, sleepless nights, and lengthy negotiations were finally behind us. Commitments to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius seemed to be a “reality." There was consensus for a multilateral, legally binding treaty, and my support as a legal adviser to the least developed countries on Paris Agreement negotiations was to benefit so many. Yet my joy was short-lived. Despite scientific knowledge of what

A South Korean appeals court found the Japanese government liable for damages to be paid to Korean women forced to work in wartime brothels during its 1910-45 occupation of the peninsula, reversing the previous ruling two years ago. A group of 21 plaintiffs -- “comfort women” or sex abuse victims who are still alive and their families -- filed the complaint in 2016. Dismissing the case in 2021, the court acknowledged Japan has state immunity from lawsuits in another country. The same

The German ambassador to Korea, Georg Schmidt, addressed the need to pursue a "de-risking" strategy to protect the economy in the face of global uncertainties, at the Global Biz Forum in Seoul on Wednesday. In his remarks, Schmidt recalled the perils of relying heavily on a single source, citing Germany's vulnerability caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, when gas supplies from Russia were disrupted. Germany swiftly adapted by diversifying its sources, constructing LNG terminals and

South Korea has been elected to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for a four-year term through 2027, officials here said Thursday, marking the country's fourth such election as a member of the committee. Seoul regained the membership at the 24th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage that opened at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Wednesday for a two-day run, according to the Cultural Heritag

LONDON -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that updating the South Korea-Britain free trade agreement will enable the two countries' businesses to lead the global market. Yoon made the remark during a business forum attended by CEOs and business representatives from both countries during his ongoing state visit to London, as the two sides signed a joint declaration announcing the launch of negotiations to revise the FTA, which went into effect in 2021. "Over the course of the neg