WASHINGTON -- The United States must not give anything to North Korea, including an end of war declaration, before Pyongyang returns to the dialogue table, former US ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said Tuesday. Harris noted prospects for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula are getting darker by the day, but insisted giving benefits in advance to the North would only lead to failure. "I'll simply say that the quest for dialogue with the North must never be made at

Discourse with international politics scholars

NK should also take corresponding measures if US takes forward-looking steps

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that North Korea's denuclearization should be the "end goal" of South Korea's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, in a message for Seoul's next administration set to be launched in May. Ban made the remarks in a New Year's message, as the incumbent Seoul government's efforts for cross-border rapprochement have remained stalled with little headway in the endeavors to denuclearize the North. "While tenaciously pushing to d

Seoul sees little chance of improving inter-Korean relations during Olympics

South Korea and the United States have "effectively" agreed on the draft text of the proposed declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's top diplomat said Wednesday amid their continued push to resume dialogue with North Korea. Chung Eui-yong made the remarks during a press conference, noting he and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the progress in the allies' consultations over the declaration when they met on the margins of a Group of Seven session

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to hope that North Korea will respond positively to its outreach for dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday. Ned Price also reiterated that the US remains ready and willing to meet with North Korea without any preconditions. "We have made clear through our public messaging and private messaging as well that we are ready, willing and able to engage in this diplomacy," Price said in a telephonic press briefing. "And we are

South Korea's overseas aid agency said Tuesday it has provided $24 million worth of support to help eight developing countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic this year. The support measures were meant to help the countries diagnose, treat and prevent COVID-19, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) said in a press release. The beneficiaries of the support program were Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Colombia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, the Philippines, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Jamaica.

South Korea will become the ninth-largest contributor to the United Nations' regular and peacekeeping budgets starting next year, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The UN General Assembly on Friday approved the budget obligations for 193 member states, setting South Korea's share at 2.57 percent of the total funding for the 2022-24 period. The ratio was up from 2.27 percent for the 2019-21 period, moving the country's rank up two notches from the current 11th place. The ministry said South K

A policy of “strategic ambiguity” has guided South Korea’s diplomacy over the years, with Seoul seeking to juggle relations with its security ally Washington and key trade partner Beijing. But this precarious balancing act may no longer be sustainable, according to a key foreign policy adviser to the main opposition People Power Party’s presidential nominee. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Korea University professor Kim Sung-han, who advises Yoon Suk-yeol, said

President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a US defense budget bill that calls on his administration to maintain the troop level of US Forces Korea (USFK) at the current level. The National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law, less than two weeks after the Senate approved it in a 89-10 vote. The House of Representatives had also approved the bill earlier this month. "On Monday, December 27, 2021, the President signed into law: S. 1605, the "National Defense Authorizatio

For years, South Korea, the US and the international community have tried to coax North Korea into giving up its nuclear and missile program. Despite a series of negotiations, headline-grabbing summits and carrot-and-stick tactics, the reclusive regime has not ceased from developing the weapons of mass destruction, but instead has been advancing them. What the years of failed negotiations have taught us is that the North’s nuclear issue is a complex conundrum that requires a multifaceted

Discourse with Kim Ki-jung, president of Institute for National Security Strategy

South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun had discussions with Iran's top envoy here on "pending" bilateral issues Friday, his ministry said. Choi met with Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari and reaffirmed that Seoul will continue diplomatic efforts for progress in negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, taking the importance of Seoul-Tehran ties into consideration, it added. They also agreed to maintain close communication to resolve "pending" bilateral issues. T

Resumption of strategic dialogue comes amid discussion on Xi-Moon summit