Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Monday called for a "mold-breaking" diplomatic strategy to navigate the convoluted global politics marked by growing uncertainty from an intensifying Sino-US rivalry.Kang made the call during the Strategic Coordination Meeting on Foreign Affairs, a gathering of government officials and scholars that was launched in July to discuss policy strategies amid tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade, maritime security and other issues.Stressing &q

South Korea's top national security officials agreed Thursday to step up efforts for closer relations between their country and two neighboring powers, China and Japan, as they reviewed the results of President Moon Jae-in's summit talks in China earlier this week.Moon made a two-day visit there for a string of summits with the leaders of China and Japan, including trilateral talks.On Monday, he held bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where they agreed on the need for maintain

CHENGDU (AFP) -- China made overtures on trade to Japan and South Korea and offered support for an infrastructure initiative as it hosted the leaders of its two neighbours this week amid strained ties with the US.Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that Beijing was willing to strengthen economic cooperation with Japan in third-country markets.At the meeting on the sidelines of a trilateral summit in the southwestern city of Chengdu, Li a

Chinese President Xi Jinping is "almost certain" to visit South Korea in the first half of next year, a presidential official said Wednesday.President Moon Jae-in invited Xi to visit the South in the near future when they held summit talks in Beijing on Monday. Xi said in response that he will positively consider a visit, according to officials. "You can take it as almost certain that Xi will visit South Korea in the first half of next year, though final coordination is necessary

South Korea and Japan have revived top-level dialogue, but it will take a while for the squabbling neighbors to make substantive progress toward resolving the core issues, experts said Wednesday.  South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a summit, their first formal talks in 15 months, on the sidelines of the South Korea-China-Japan trilateral summit in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.   No breakthroughs were made, but the two ag

South Korea’s Constitutional Court is to rule Friday on the constitutionality of the controversial 2015 agreement between Korea and Japan regarding Korean women who were forced to work in Japan’s military brothels during World War II. The now-botched deal, which was meant to “finally and irreversibly” resolve the issue, is one of several reasons behind the two neighbors’ soured relations, with Seoul declaring it critically flawed and Tokyo blaming Seoul for bre

Korea, China and Japan pledge cooperation in resolving NK issues

CHENGDU -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will have his first summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in more than a year Tuesday over trade and historical affairs that have impaired relations between the neighboring countries.They are on a visit to Chengdu, a southwestern Chinese city, for a tripartite meeting to be hosted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the same day. Moon and Abe plan to attend a "business summit," along with Li, and have an official group summit in

CHENGDU/ BEIJING -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a unified message to North Korea and the United States on Monday that they should maintain the momentum of nuclear talks.Moon and Xi had their summit talks in Beijing as Moon made an stopover of several hours there en route to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, for an annual group meeting with the leaders of China and Japan.It came amid indications of possible preparations by Pyongyang for resuming high-profile

Moon to meet Japanese PM on sidelines of trilateral meeting

As a trade row between South Korea and Japan has continued for months, their tourist exchanges have taken a steep dive, hammering one of the most lucrative tourist routes in Asia. The number of Korean travelers visiting Japan nose-dived to some 205,000 in November, registering a dramatic fall of 65.1 percent in comparison with the same month last year, according to data by the Japan National Tourism Organization, provided by the Korea Tourism Organization. The Korean inflow into Japan in Novembe

South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed to China on Monday for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking to strengthen partnerships on the Korea peace process and address various other issues.Moon is due in Beijing for a summit with Xi on his way to the southwestern city of Chengdu to participate in an annual trilateral summit among the three Northeast Asian countries.It would be their first talks in half a year following the previous session held

South Korea's foreign ministry on Friday welcomed the Senate confirmation of the top US envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, as deputy secretary of state, voicing hope for his role in solidifying the alliance with Seoul and peace efforts with Pyongyang.On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Biegun in a 90-3 vote. He is expected to remain the top negotiator in nuclear talks with Pyongyang even if officially appointed as the State Department's No. 2 official. "We expect that Special Representati

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold one-one-one talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in China next week, Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday, saying their meeting is "of great significance."Their Christmas Eve meeting in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, will be first official summit in 15 months between the leaders amid soured Seoul-Tokyo ties over a trade fight stemming from a historical issue.They plan to "exchange opinions on pending issues" related to bilateral rel

The United States Senate on Thursday confirmed Stephen Biegun, Washington's top envoy for North Korea talks, as deputy secretary of state.Biegun's confirmation by a 90-3 vote came as the special representative has been in Beijing to meet with Chinese officials over North Korea.He has repeatedly expressed his intent to remain the lead negotiator for dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program even if appointed as the No. 2 official at the Department of State. Korea watchers have been divide