South Korea remains committed to its push for the declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War and cross-border cooperation with North Korea despite last month's killing of a South Korean fisheries official, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. In a policy report for the parliamentary audit, the ministry stressed its steadfast focus on resuming dialogue with the North and laying the groundwork for lasting peace on the peninsula, while noting it had "sternly" dealt with the Se

South Korea and Japan have agreed to exempt South Korean business travelers from a two-week quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.  Taking effect Thursday, the eased entry barriers arrive about seven months after Tokyo slapped strict travel restrictions on Seoul, practically banning entry to people traveling from South Korea, in early March amid the coronavirus outbreak. The restrictions dealt a further blow to bilateral ties that were already fra

Nearly 3,400 hacking attempts were made targeting the Foreign Ministry and its affiliate organs to steal confidential diplomatic information this year, government data showed Tuesday.  According to data submitted by the ministry to Rep. Lee Tae-kyu of the minor opposition People’s Party for a parliamentary audit, 3,399 hacking attempts against the ministry and its overseas missions had been detected as of Aug. 31.  The largest portion of the IP addresses used for the attacks c

Japan has agreed to allow businesspeople from South Korea to enter the country without a 14-day coronavirus quarantine starting later this week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The special entry procedure, set to take effect Oct. 8, comes about seven months after Tokyo slapped entry restrictions on Seoul in early March to stem the spread of the COVID-19, further straining the bilateral relations already frayed over wartime history and trade. Fresh talks began in late July between the two

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will not visit South Korea this month due to conflicting schedules, a diplomatic source said Monday. According to the source, Seoul and Beijing have been in talks to have Wang travel to Seoul sometime next week, but the potential trip has been pushed back indefinitely. There was speculation that US State Secretary Mike Pompeo's cancellation of his visit to Seoul could have affected Wang's decision to put the Seoul trip on hold.    But the sourc

President Moon Jae-in requested Monday that Brazil throw its weight behind South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid to become the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Cheong Wa Dae said, in the latest diplomatic push in pursuit of the top post. Moon delivered the message during his 20-minute phone conversation with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. Moon took note of Brazil's contributions to the development of the WTO, as Robe

Defense Minister Suh Wook and US Ambassador Harry Harris agreed Monday to work together to strengthen the alliance between the two countries, calling it a "linchpin" of regional security, the defense ministry said. Their meeting marked the first time since Suh took office as defense minister about two weeks ago. "Minister Suh and Ambassador Harris agreed that the ironclad South Korea-US alliance is the linchpin of Northeast Asia's security, peace and prosperity and vowed to clo

HONGSEONG -- Illegal fishing by Chinese boats in South Korean waters has grown increasingly rampant, with reported cases more than doubling from 2017 to 2019, according to a lawmaker Monday. The number of cases of either arrest or expelling of Chinese fishing boats operating in South Korea's western waters reached 6,543 in 2019, according to Rep. Hong Moon-pyo of the main opposition People Power Party. The tally represents a 113 percent hike from the 3,074 in 2017. The lawmaker cited data sub

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has been hit by controversy over her husband’s recent trip to the US presumably to purchase a yacht, with political parties lambasting the excursion as “inappropriate,” saying it went against her own recommendation that people refrain from overseas travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.   　 Local broadcaster KBS on Saturday reported that Lee Yill-byung, a professor emeritus of computer science at Yonsei University, was spotted at Incheon Airpo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and asked for understanding of the postponement of his planned trip to Seoul originally set for this week, the foreign ministry said. Pompeo called off his visit to Seoul as he cut short his East Asia trip after US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 last week. "Secretary Pompeo explained that his visit to South Korea, planned for this week, has been delayed for the US si

The spouse of South Korea's top diplomat has traveled to the United States, presumably for a yacht tour, despite a government travel advisory asking people to avoid making overseas trips due to COVID-19 concerns, a broadcaster has reported. Public broadcaster KBS on Saturday reported that Lee Yill-byung, the husband of South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and professor emeritus of computer science at Yonsei University, departed for America via Incheon International Airport for personal

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled a planned visit to South Korea, the State Department announced Sunday, after President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19. The State Department released an update on Pompeo's planned Asia visit, which included a single travel itinerary to Tokyo from Sunday to Wednesday. The update did not include the previously announced trips to South Korea and Mongolia. The State Department earlier said the top US diplomat would visit South Korea for a two-

President Moon Jae-in is likely to meet the top diplomats of China and the United States when they visit Seoul in October, as he strives to prevent North Korea's fatal shooting against a South Korean government official from escalating tensions and undermining efforts to reactivate the Korea peace process. Moon is seeking ways to improve inter-Korean ties with a view of declaring a formal end to the Korean War and helping advance denuclearization talks. Seoul and Beijing are in "continued

President Moon Jae-in will have a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, Cheong Wa Dae said. During the phone talks scheduled for 6 p.m., the two leaders are expected to delve into their countries' collaboration in their COVID-19 response, the presidential office here said. Moon also plans to request Germany's support for South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid for the top post of the World Trade Organizatio

Korea plans to boost its support for developing countries as part of Seoul's contribution to the international fight against COVID-19, its prime minister said Tuesday. "The government will expand humanitarian support and official development assistance (ODA) efforts regarding COVID-19 prevention in developing countries," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in his pre-recorded speech to the virtual meeting of the United Nations' Initiative on Financing for Development in the Era of COV