WASHINGTON -- A nuclear test by North Korea would constitute a "grave escalatory action" that will be met by serious consequences, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the department, insisted the US has a "number of tools" to hold North Korea accountable for any future provocations. "A seventh nuclear test, should it happen, would constitute a grave escalatory action and seriously threaten regional stability, in

Seoul, Tokyo, Washington tighten bond as Pyongyang ramps up military provocation

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari expressed hopes for more trade and investment from Korea, stressing the Nigerian government’s recent policies to encourage foreign investment in an exclusive written interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul. "Our government has improved the ease of doing business in our country, and we have created a 'one stop shop' at the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission. We have also reinvigorated the commission with all the resources needed to attract FDI

South Korea and Hungary have agreed to push for the signing of a new framework meant to promote bilateral trade and investment, Seoul's trade ministry said Wednesday. The agreement was reached during a meeting between South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Monday. Ahn visited Budapest as the first stop of his weeklong three-nation trip to Europe as a special envoy of President Yoon Suk-yeol, according the Ministry of Trade, Industry and En

Senior diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan plan to hold consultations on Wednesday on regional and global security issues amid concerns over the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test. South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong is scheduled to engage in the trilateral session with his American and Japanese counterparts -- Wendy Sherman and Takeo Mori -- in Tokyo to discuss ways to deal with North Korea's evolving threats highlighted by a series of bal

From the stance of Korean diplomacy, relations with Japan are the primary dilemma. Although there may be some differences in degree compared to the US according to political orientation, an alliance has immutable value. It has an absolute influence on daily life in Korea. At the same time, though we may have a different perspective from China, we cannot neglect China’s influence on Korea’s economy and policies toward North Korea. The US and China are like two strong wings flanking K

First Vice Foreign Minister travels to Tokyo for bilateral, trilateral talks with his US, Japanese counterparts

NEW YORK -- Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo has been elected as the chairperson of a council of past UN General Assembly presidents, according to Seoul's permanent mission to the UN on Monday. Han was elected to lead the Council of Presidents of General Assembly for a three-year term at the group's annual meeting held in New York last Thursday, along with Jan Kavan, former Czech foreign minister, as vice chairperson. Han served as the president of the 56th UN General A

WASHINGTON -- North Korea is believed to be continuing preparations for a nuclear test while the US is set to face any threat posed by the recalcitrant country, a state department spokesperson said Monday. Department Press Secretary Ned Price said the US also remains open to engaging in dialogue with Pyongyang. "Our concern regarding the potential for another North Korean nuclear test, which would be its seventh, has been consistent for some time now. We assess that the DPRK is preparing it

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria is visiting Korea to attend the "World Bio Summit," which is co-organized by the Korean government and WHO (World Health Organization). Due to geographical distance, Nigeria is not well-known to the Korean public. However, Nigeria has the biggest economy in Africa; with the world’s 6th largest population of 220 million; and abundant natural resources. Nigeria plays the leading role in West Africa and the African Union. It is also an active

Foreign Ministry rejects local reports in Japan, says 'nothing has been decided' on how to handle court ruling on historic dispute

South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun will visit Hungary, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic this week to discuss ways to enhance economic cooperation and to drum up support for the country's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, his office said Monday. During a six-day trip from Monday, Ahn will meet with the Hungarian foreign minister to discuss bilateral economic issues and ask for the European nation's support for Korean firms operating there amid high energy prices, according the Min

South Korea and a group of Arab countries will hold another round of negotiations for their free trade deal next week, Seoul's trade ministry here said Sunday. South Korea and the Gulf Cooperation Council will begin the sixth round of official talks for a bilateral free trade agreement in Seoul on Monday for a five-day run, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The GCC involves six countries -- the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Vario

NEW YORK -- South Korea's top envoy at the United Nations appealed Thursday to the international community to pay more attention to the dire human rights conditions that female North Korean defectors endure in the North before escape. Addressing a UN Security Council (UNSC) session, Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook said it is "heartbreaking" to see that many North Korean women arrive in South Korea only after suffering from years of human rights violations in the North. "I would li

WASHINGTON -- The United States remains committed to the denuclearization of the "entire" Korean Peninsula, a defense department spokesperson said Thursday, indicating that the US is not considering deploying nuclear weapons to South Korea. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder also reiterated that the US extended deterrence provided to South Korea would be sufficient to defend the Asian ally and deter any potential aggression from North Korea. "We are still committed to denuclearization of the en