WASHINGTON -- North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs pose a threat to the US and its allies, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday. The remark comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed North Korea's enemy is not South Korea nor the US while calling for efforts to further advance the North's military capabilities. "The DPRK's WMD and ballistic missile programs constitute a threat to international peace and security and the global nonproliferation regime,"

WASHINGTON -- The top national security advisers of South Korea and the United States on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to engaging with North Korea, also vowing to work together in bringing the North back to the dialogue table. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also reaffirmed that the United States holds no hostile policy toward the North during a bilateral meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Suh Hoon, in Washington, according to the South Korean National Security Council

The first phone call between President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is being delayed, with Japanese media saying the new Japanese leader has little incentive to rush ahead of a major election later this month, his first test in domestic politics. According to Japan’s Nikkei business daily on Tuesday, Kishida’s office and Japan’s foreign ministry have agreed not to prioritize South Korea for the new prime minister’s first phone calls with foreign

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have held talks in Dubai to discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries, the foreign ministry said Monday. Sunday's talks between Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, came as Seoul seeks to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, which was elevated to a special strategic partnership in 2018. Chung expressed hope for the success of the UAE's "Projec

On Oct. 2, a massive oil spill of at least 570,000 liters occurred off the coast of Huntington Beach south of Los Angeles. The oil spill is believed to have originated from a damaged pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach, which is connected to an offshore oil platform known as Elly.  Many fish and birds, as well as local wetlands around the area, have been seriously affected.  The pipeline was reported to have stopped leaking Sunday, but oil remains in the waters off Huntington

Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that his government would strongly urge South Korea to take appropriate action to resolve the strained bilateral relations between the two countries, signaling that he will likely maintain the same hard-line stance toward Seoul as his predecessor Yoshihide Suga.  In his first policy speech since taking office Monday, Kishida briefly mentioned South Korea, saying Tokyo would maintain its “coherent stance” toward Seoul,

A powerful magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the Tokyo area on Thursday night, injuring more than 30 people, damaging underground water pipes and halting trains and subways. Traffic disruptions continued Friday morning, with local trains delayed and commuters overflowing from stations. The Meteorological Agency said the quake was centered in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo, at a depth of about 80 kilometers (48 miles). There was no danger of a tsunami. It caused buildings to sway and hangin

Diplomacy still preferred over military action in dealing with Pyongyang's nuclear issue

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this week for talks on bilateral relations and cooperation, his ministry said Thursday. Chung is scheduled to begin a four-day trip to the Middle Eastern nation Friday, during which he will hold talks with his UAE counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, it said. He also plans to pay a courtesy call on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Chung is expected to have discussions on efforts to boost two-way c

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and the US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, held phone talks Thursday to discuss cooperation over negotiations to restore the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, the foreign ministry said. Multilateral negotiations in Vienna to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program have remained stalled since June, though Iran has shown its readiness to return to dialogue soon. Choi reiterated South Korea's commit

A garden has been created in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, to honor Australian veterans who participated in the Battle of Gapyeong during the Korean War from April 22-25, 1951, and to pray for future peace. The creation of the garden on Thursday is in line with the opening of the Jaraseom Namdo flower garden, which has become a popular tourist attraction in Gapyeong.　 The Jaraseom Namdo flower became an attraction to experience the essence of autumn flowers for a month from Sept. 25 to Oct. 24.

The Danish Embassy, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center and Danish medical-tech firms on Thursday co-hosted the 2021 Health-Tech Workshop to boost cooperation on smart hospitals. According to the Danish Embassy, the workshop sought to enhance cooperation between Dongsan Medical Center, which will be upgraded into a smart hospital by 2025, and Danish companies specializing in health technology. The workshop presented Denmark’s Super Hospital project to transform 18 hospitals in the

GANDHI ANNIVERSARY – Surinder Bhagat, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Seoul delivers remarks on Gandhi’s thoughts and ideals in celebration of the 152nd anniversary his birth on Saturday. Gandhi was born on Oct. 2, 1869. (Embassy of India)

A potential South Korea-Japan summit may face further delays despite Monday’s election of Japan’s new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, amid protracted rows over wartime history and trade. President Moon Jae-in held no summit with Kishida’s predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, during his one-year tenure. The two governments had sought to arrange a meeting between Moon and Suga on the occasions of multilateral events, including the G-7 summit in June and the Tokyo Olympics in July, but re

The governments of Germany and Korea can set the right regulatory conditions and incentives to leverage the maximum amount of private investment into clean energy, German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel said at a Thursday webinar titled “KR-DE Road to 2050: Financing Clean Energy Transition.”  The event was co-hosted by the Embassy of Germany in Korea, Solutions for Our Climate, Climate Transparency and Rep. Lee So-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Accor