An Arabian Days and Nights event in Seoul is inviting Seoulites to take a seat at their 'majlis' and relax with some Arabic culture. Co-hosted by the Korea-Arab Society, the Embassy of Qatar, and Hyundai Department Store's Trade Center Store, Arabian Days and Nights showcases highlights of Arabic culture. Translating roughly as "sitting room" majlis are areas for entertaining guests and are included on UNESCO's intangible world heritage list. Mosque lamps and carpet

President Yoon Suk Yeol concluded his state visit to Vietnam, solidifying economic cooperation between the two nations and ushering in a new era of forward-looking collaboration. Accompanied by a 205-member business delegation, President Yoon observed the signing of 111 memoranda of understanding between business leaders of the two countries as well as trade consultations made for some 100 companies. Calling it a significant development in bilateral trade, Yoon's visit has set the stage for

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is on a state visit to Vietnam, attended a state dinner hosted by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong on Friday, expressing his hopes for stronger friendship and vowing to increase investment in the nation. "We must continue to increase investment and support for future generations of both countries for prosperity for the next 100 years,” Yoon said at the dinner held at the International Convention Center in Hanoi, on the second day of Yoon's three-day

The United States continues to urge China to use its influence over North Korea to stop the North's illegal weapons development programs, a White House official said Friday. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, also suggested that the North's weapons programs would eventually hurt China's own interests down the road. "We know that Beijing has influence in Pyongyang and we continue to urge them to use that influence. We continue to ur

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with his South Korean counterpart to explain the outcome of his recent trip to China, a state department spokesperson said Friday. Blinken also reaffirmed US commitment to the South Korea-US alliance in his call with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, according to department spokesperson Matthew Miller. "The secretary updated Foreign Minister Park on his discussions with PRC officials on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global iss

Yoon pledges to provide $4b in concessional loan to Vietnam

A senior Foreign Ministry official in Seoul warned South Koreans about the potential fallout from China’s latest anti-espionage law, which is set to take effect in July. “Those traveling or staying there should now take more precautions,” the official told a media briefing Thursday, referring to the fact that the law could catch Koreans off guard as new changes written into the law have widened Chinese authorities’ discretion over what constitutes espionage. Previously, t

South Korea and the United States set up a working group on cybersecurity, a follow-up on what the two allies agreed at the April summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US counterpart Joe Biden, Yoon’s office said in a statement Friday. At a three-day in-person meeting in Washington that ended Thursday, senior Korean and American officials responsible for cybersecurity established a senior steering group to start responding to threats in cyberspace, according to the statement. The

The recently signed Washington Declaration on US extended deterrence is a step in the right direction to address the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, a US lawmaker said Thursday. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) also insisted that the bilateral agreement between the allies is a step that will help enhance their joint deterrence while respecting the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. "Do I think the Washington Declaration aligns all concerns now, that do I think it is a step in the right direction? Ce

South Korea said Thursday it will provide an additional $130 million in aid to help Ukraine recover from Russia’s invasion, at a two-day annual conference that started a day ago in London for the second time. At the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which brought together officials from 61 countries and 33 international organizations and at least 400 companies, Bang Moon-kyu, minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said Seoul pledged a $30 million increase in its budgetary su

The International Civil Aviation Organization has unanimously adopted a resolution denouncing North Korea's missile provocations, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. The UN agency's governing body also urgently called on Pyongyang to comply strictly with the provisions of the 1944 Chicago Convention, which outlines the key principles for global aviation, at a session in Montreal, Canada, earlier this week. During the meeting, the ICAO voiced its concerns over the North's

South Korea intends to "actively" contribute to building deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, a presidential security official said Thursday, amid steady efforts by Seoul and Washington to broaden their security alliance beyond the Korean Peninsula. Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo made the remark, expressing confidence that following the allies' adoption of the Washington Declaration, South Korea will have a credible US nuclear deterrence against growing North Ko

South Korea and the United States said Wednesday the two allies will continue openly calling on China to back their efforts to denuclearize North Korea, following Washington’s briefing in Seoul about its latest talks with Beijing. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Monday to stabilize their relations to prevent further conflict, during Blinken’s two-day trip to Beijing that started a day earlier. Such a meeting last took place five years ago.

PARIS -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday proposed to create an organization under the United Nations to establish norms for digital order, highlighting the paradox wherein new digital technologies enhance people's lives with convenience while simultaneously posing threats to human freedom. At the Paris Digital Vision Forum held at Sorbonne University, Yoon proposed the idea dubbed the "Paris Initiative," stressing the significant role of digital technologies --

The United States' commitment to the defense and security of its allies remains strong and will not be shaken by military provocations staged by North Korea, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday. Sabrina Singh, deputy spokesperson for the Department of Defense, also reiterated that North Korea's missile launches, as well as claimed satellite launches, are in clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions when asked about Pyongyang's recent failed attempt to launch