South Korea respects the 1984 declaration between China and Britain ensuring Hong Kong's autonomy, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid concerns Beijing's contentious security legislation could erode the semiautonomous territory's civil liberties. Last week, China's parliament endorsed the legislation for Hong Kong, which critics say could serve as a legal framework to suppress subversion or dissent in the former British colony and tighten Beijing's grip on it. "Hong Kong is an import

Over 70 cases of damage to properties owned by South Koreans in the US have been reported due to violent protests convulsing across the country, fueled by the police-involved death of an African American man George Floyd, officials here said Tuesday. 　 The Foreign Ministry said a total of 79 stores operated by Koreans reported damage -- 50 cases in Philadelphia, 10 in Minneapolis, five in Raleigh, North Carolina, and four in Atlanta -- due to looting and vandalism. 　 No casualties from Korean

For his summit diplomacy, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, like many of his foreign counterparts, has relied on phone or video links since the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Talk of Moon resuming his formal overseas trips is back with US President Donald Trump's invitation to an expanded Group of 7 (G7) session that he hopes to host as early as September. Moon agreed to join the session, if organized, but the feasibility of Trump setting it up remains doubtful with no end to the COVID-19

South Korea is in talks with Kazakhstan to bring home the remains of one of the legendary Korean independent fighters, Hong Beom-do, this year, officials said Tuesday. Hong was general commander of the Korean independence army during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule and claimed victories in battles against Japanese forces in Manchuria, including the Battle of Fengwudong in 1920. He died in Kazakhstan in 1943 and is still buried there. In his address during the March 1 independent movement c

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday accepted US President Donald Trump's invitation to a G7 summit slated for later this year, reaffirming Seoul's commitment to playing a global role in the fields of quarantine and the economy, according to Cheong Wa Dae. In their 15-minute telephone conversation, Trump said G7's outdated system does not represent the current international security situation. He said the US, host of this year's G7 summit, is seeking to expand the f

The government has identified 26 cases of property damage at South Korean-owned stores across the United States due to violent protests that erupted over the death of a black man at the hands of police, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. No casualties have been reported from Korean communities in connection with the demonstrations, the ministry said, citing updates received from the South Korean consulates in the US. The protests, fueled by the killing in Minnesota of George Floyd by a p

South Korea was to send additional rotational peacekeeping troops to South Sudan on Monday, along with medical supplies to help the African country handle the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said. The first echelon of the 12th batch for Hanbit Unit was dispatched to the war-torn nation in May after months of delay due to the COVID-19 situation, and the remainder will head for the country on a chartered flight later in the day, according to the ministry. "The 12th batch has been ful

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that South Korea and other allies can be "good partners" in efforts to safeguard Western values from Chinese threats. His remarks on Sunday (US time) appear aimed at reinforcing Washington's call for other countries to join its China-bashing campaign, a day after US President Donald Trump said he plans to invite Seoul to a Group of Seven summit in September. "With respect to the Chinese Communist Party's military adva

Seoul says will discuss the matter with US; experts say invitation entails opportunity and risk

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he plans to invite South Korea to a Group of Seven summit in September. South Korea is not a member of the G7, which comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States, but the country has drawn widespread praise from around the world for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "We want Australia. We want India. We want South Korea. And what do we have? That's a nice group of countries right there,&q

Hungary awarded 38 South Korean divers and other rescue officials medals of merit for their efforts and service in search operations for Korean and other victims in last year's boat sinking in Budapest, its embassy in Seoul said Friday. A ceremony was held at the Hungarian Cultural Institute in central Seoul on Friday to present the medals of meritorious service to the rescue officials, the Hungarian embassy said, including Song Shun-keun, a former defense attache at the South Korean Embassy

The view that authoritarian states will do a better job of responding to the coronavirus than democracies has been proven wrong, said renowned US scholar Joseph Nye -- best known for pioneering the “soft power” theory -- pointing to South Korea as a positive example. “Authoritarian leaders have used COVID-19 as an excuse to deepen their power and control,” Nye said in an online forum broadcast live on YouTube on Wednesday, whereas in “notable democracies” su

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's alliance with the United States is more important than its strategic partnership with China, but antagonizing Beijing will start a new Cold War on the Korean Peninsula, a special security adviser to President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday. Speaking from Seoul, Moon Chung-in was addressing the dilemma Seoul faces in its diplomatic relations with Washington and Beijing, as tensions between the two have intensified amid the coronavirus pandemic. "South Korea is an

South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook and Queen Mathilde of Belgium held telephone talks on Wednesday and discussed ways to boost cooperation in tackling the new coronavirus, the presidential office said. During the 50-minute conversation, Mathilde praised South Korea's response to COVID-19 and expressed hope to adopt its contract tracing system in preparation for a possible second wave of the pandemic, according to a press release by Cheong Wa Dae. Kim, in response, briefed the queen on how

South Korea shared its experience and quarantine process in tackling the novel coronavirus pandemic with Latin American countries through an online seminar Wednesday. The Special Webinar on COVID-19 for Policy and Technology event, hosted by the International Quarantine Cooperation task force, comes as many countries in Central and South America have reported a large number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths. These countries have expressed interest in South Korea's handling of the virus outb