A South Korean official on Wednesday was elected to serve as a member of the United Nations sea tribunal, marking Seoul's third consecutive time in winning a seat in the organization. Rhee Zha-hyoung, director-general for international legal affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, was voted as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for the 2023-2032 term, according to South Korea's permanent mission to the UN, gaining support from 144 among 164 voting member sta

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will raise concerns held by the United States over a number of issues involving China during his upcoming trip to Beijing, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. Matthew Miller made the remark when asked if the secretary would raise issues about China's interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming earlier caused an uproar in Seoul by saying those who bet on China's loss in its rivalry

South Korea's National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong speaks to reporters at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Wednesday after arriving in the Japanese capital to hold talks with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Japan's National Security Secretariat Secretary General Akiba Takeo on North Korea as well as key regional and international issues. (Yonhap)

Portugal celebrated National Day, remembering the country’s national icon and poet, Luis de Camoes, in Seoul, on Monday. Delivering remarks at the event, Portuguese Ambassador to Korea Susana Vaz Patto recalled Vasco da Gama’s exploration of the west coast of Africa and the discovery of a maritime route to India during the 15th and 16th centuries. Those were the days of pioneers that paved the way for globalization, she said. "Everywhere around the globe, there are features of P

Japan has to persuade South Koreans that the wastewater it will release this summer from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant is safe, South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min said in an interview with a Japanese outlet. In the interview with Jiji Press published Wednesday, the envoy said there are difficulties even if “such persuasion were to take place with scientific evidence presented” because the issue itself is a “highly sensitive matter concerning the health

South Korea and China have agreed to boost cooperation in curbing illegal fishing by Chinese boats in the East Sea, the oceans ministry said Wednesday. Under an agreement reached during a three-day working-level meeting last week, South Korea will swiftly inform China of suspected illegal fishing in the North Korean waters in the East Sea, and China must let South Korea know of the results of its investigation and follow-up measures, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. China has b

Beijing expresses regrets over Seoul’s stance, saying envoy was doing his job

South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy, Kim Gunn, and his US counterpart, Sung Kim, reaffirmed their commitment to respond sternly to North Korea’s aggression, including blocking illicit funds from bankrolling North Korea’s weapons programs. “We have agreed to step up our efforts to cut off funds to the North’s nuclear and missile programs,” Kim Gunn said of his meeting with the US special representative in Washington. The North is refusing to comply with internati

The Swedish Embassy highlighted the growing bilateral cooperation between the European country with Korea as it celebrated Sweden Day 2023 on Friday. Sweden Day, a national holiday, is observed on June 6. This year marks a double jubilee celebration for Sweden. It commemorates 500 years of independence since the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523 and the 50th year on the throne for Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden’s current and longest-reigning monarch. Delivering remarks at the event, Swedish Am

Philippines commemorated its 125th Independence Day in Seoul on Thursday. Under the theme of "Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan," meaning freedom, future, and history, Philippines Ambassador Dizon-De Vega remembered the sacrifice of freedom fighters and highlighted her country’s journey of navigating the complexities of the present and future. Vega also expressed appreciation for Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy and the Korea-ASEAN strategic initiative, considering them as valu

ASEAN could become next major EV supply chain hub through investment and tech sharing

South Korea is a sovereign nation that has the right to make its own foreign policy decisions, a ranking White House official said Monday. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, made the remark about the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, Xing Haiming, who argued that it would be wrong to bet on China's loss in its competition with the US, apparently accusing South Korea of siding with the US. Kirby noted that the Chinese diplomat may have been seeki

A tour bus fell off from a road near Hanoi in Vietnam on Sunday, leaving 22 South Korean nationals injured, the South Korean Embassy in Vietnam said. The bus carrying 30 passengers, including 22 Korean nationals, slipped from a road near Hanoi at around 11:30 a.m. while returning from a group tour to Xuan Son National Park, the embassy said. All of the Korean nationals suffered injuries, while three of them were seriously wounded, it noted. They were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. Viet

South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy, Kim Gunn, and his US counterpart, Sung Kim, will meet in Washington on Monday to review joint work on disarming North Korea, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said in a statement Friday, amid heightened inter-Korean tensions. Last week, Pyongyang failed to put into orbit what it claimed was a military reconnaissance satellite, a launch that some believe was actually meant to test a ballistic missile. United Nations Security Council resolutions ban the isolate

The top South Korean and American special operations commanders conducted a "friendship" parachute jump earlier this week, a U.S. military unit here said Thursday, as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance. In a Facebook post, the US Special Operations Command-Korea said that South Korea's Special Warfare Command Commander Lieut. Gen. Son Sik and SOCKOR Commander Major Gen. Michael E. Martin staged a high altitude low opening (HALO) freefall on Monday. It