The Biden administration is using "toned-down" rhetoric against North Korea to help prevent any unnecessary escalation of tensions before its ongoing review of how to deal with the North concludes, a news report suggested Tuesday. Citing unidentified senior administration officials, NBC News reported that "senior officials" of the administration have agreed to use "toned-down" rhetoric when speaking publicly about North Korea. The report also said officials at the

South Korea and the United States are set to hold a "two plus two" meeting of foreign and defense ministers later this week, with a key focus on reinvigorating their alliance in the face of a recalcitrant North Korea and an assertive China. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook will join their US counterparts, Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, for the allies' first such gathering in five years on Thursday after they hold separate two-way meetings with their resp

WASHINGTON -- The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington will undergo an extensive renewal that will add a complete list of those killed in battles, including Korean augmentees to the US Army or KATUSA, the Korean Embassy here said Monday. The work to add a list of some 43,000 Korean War veterans killed in battle will begin on Tuesday. The $22 million project is expected to take 18 months, according to embassy officials. The newest addition to the memorial will have a list of some 36,000

WASHINGTON -- North Korea continues to remain unresponsive to US calls for dialogue, a White House spokesperson said Monday. Jen Psaki also said the US will continue its diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea while working closely with US allies in the region. "I can confirm that we have reached out. We obviously have a number of channels as we always have had that we can reach out through," Psaki told a press briefing. A senior US administration official earlier told Yonhap

WASHINGTON -- US alliances with South Korea and Japan are the key to addressing most pressing issues in the Indo-Pacific region that include China's aggression and North Korea's nuclear programs, top US officials said, calling the alliances force multipliers. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also said the US will continue to address such issues diplomatically but also maintain the world's most powerful military to support its efforts. "Our alliances

South Korea will host an annual forum on bilateral cooperation with Latin American countries in Seoul later this week with a focus on digital technologies, the foreign ministry said Monday. The Korea-LAC Digital Cooperation Forum is set to take place on Wednesday and Thursday, both online and offline, to discuss cooperation on 5G networks, digital governance, cybersecurity and other issues, the ministry said. LAC stands for Latin American and Caribbean countries. Through this forum, Seoul seek

The US stressed the importance of the trilateral relationship with South Korea and Japan, as well as between the two neighbors, as the country’s top diplomat embarked on a trip to East Asia amid the rising possibility that Washington could pressure the bickering allies to bury the hatchet and move forward.   　 The State Department released a statement titled “Reaffirming the Unbreakable US-Japan Alliance” on Sunday in the US, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secr

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to embark on a trip to Asia on Sunday to discuss major challenges in the region, including China and North Korea, with two key US allies there -- Japan and South Korea. The top US diplomat will first visit Tokyo where he will be joined by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for a Two-Plus-Two meeting with their Japanese counterparts. Austin left Saturday for a stop in Hawaii before his trip to Japan. Both Blinken and Austin will v

The top diplomats of South Korea and Australia had phone consultations Friday on a wide array of issues, including the political unrest in Myanmar and the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne agreed that the two sides will cooperate for the immediate release of detainees in Myanmar, a halt to the use of force against civilians and a peaceful resolution based on a legitimate and democratic

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss ways to jointly deal with China when he visits South Korea and Japan next week, the State Department spokesman said Thursday, calling it one of objectives of Blinken's upcoming trip. Ned Price said the secretary's trip will demonstrate the importance the US places on its alliances, as well as its efforts to reinvigorate them. "Of course, a coordinated approach to China is one of the elements that will be on the agenda in both

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has sent a "message of solace" to his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the massive earthquake on Japan's east coast, his ministry said Thursday. Chung delivered the message Wednesday, as Seoul seeks to mend ties with Tokyo, strained over colonial-era history and trade, amid Washington's calls for stronger trilateral cooperation with its Asian allies to confront shared challenges. "On the occasion

The United States will not release any of the Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks under the US sanctions until Tehran complies with the 2015 nuclear deal, raising concern that the standoff between Seoul and Tehran over the locked assets may be prolonged. 　 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the remark Wednesday (US time) at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, when he was asked about recent reports that Washington had agreed to release some of the Iranian money held in Kore

President to hold in-person talks with senior US officials next week, with Washington’s North Korea policy coming soon

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Thursday pledged continued efforts to create new opportunities to enhance inter-Korean ties on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the two Koreas' joint accession to the United Nations. Chung made the pledge during his phone talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as Seoul seeks to resume stalled dialogue with Pyongyang and advance its agenda for lasting peace on the divided Korean Peninsula. "Secretary General Guterres expressed invariable

The ministries of foreign affairs, land and environment, and two public institutes will sign a tentative deal this week on using homegrown green technologies for the renovation and construction of South Korea's overseas diplomatic missions, officials said Thursday. The ministries, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, and the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety are set to ink a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Friday on the "green smart" pr