First-ever Korea-Africa summit will show whether Korea can fulfill its vision to become 'global pivotal state,' says ex-envoy

Herald Media Group will co-host "Africa Day 2024 Korea" on Thursday in collaboration with the African Group of Ambassadors representing 20 African countries, under the slogan "When African Possibilities Meet Korean Capabilities." The main aim of the event is to show how South Korea and Africa can chart a path forward in their economic partnership, and pave the way for the successful hosting of the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit on June 4 and 5. The event at the Convention Cen

South Korea's industry ministry said Wednesday it has shared ideas with Indonesia on expanding bilateral cooperation in the development of a stable supply chain for key minerals. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with Airlangga Hartarto, the coordinating minister for economic affairs of Indonesia, in Seoul to discuss ways to broaden the economic partnership, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. During the meeting, South Korea and Indonesia agreed to expand ties, includi

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul called Wednesday for concerted efforts for a "coherent" international governance framework to ensure the responsible and inclusive use of artificial intelligence amid complex ethical and economic challenges. Cho made the call during a forum held in the follow-up to Tuesday's AI Summit, pointing out that the emergence of AI has created unique challenges that policymakers are "ill-equipped to tackle alone." "Generative AI transcends nation

A global summit hosted by South Korea and Britain adopted a declaration Tuesday on promoting safe, innovative and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) to address challenges and opportunities associated with the fast-evolving technology. The so-called "Seoul Declaration" was adopted during a virtual leaders' session of the AI Seoul Summit, hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The two-day event follows the inaugural global AI safety summit held in B

The South Korean government expressed condolences on Monday over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the other passengers involved in a helicopter crash. "The government expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families and the people of Iran for the loss of the Iranian president and his entourage in the helicopter crash that occurred on May 19," read a statement issued under the name of South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson. "(The gov

By Special Representative for Indo-Pacific Chung Kee-yong The Indian and Pacific Oceans meet in a vast region near Australia, not with a sharp boundary but with their waters gradually merging over thousands of kilometers. Due to its larger size and proximity to the Arctic, the Pacific Ocean is typically cooler than the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean, in turn, boasts slightly higher salinity levels, likely a result of both higher evaporation rates and limited freshwater influx. This expansive Ind

A global summit on artificial intelligence to be co-hosted by South Korea and Britain this week will present global AI governance principles to foster innovation, safety and inclusivity, the two nations' leaders said Monday. In a joint opinion article, President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the upcoming AI Seoul Summit aims to build on the conversation from the first AI Safety Summit held in England last November to address risks and triumphs of the fast-evolvin

WASHINGTON -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may not be "eager" to engage with former US President Donald Trump if he wins the White House in the Nov. 5 election, a US expert has said, noting Pyongyang has already been "burnt" by Trump. Ralph Cossa, president emeritus at the Pacific Forum, made the forecast in a recent piece for The National Interest, an international affairs magazine, suspecting Pyongyang will be more interested in "what kind of damage a second Trump a

Officials of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration expressed expectations for greater space cooperation with South Korea on Thursday, as the two countries are widening the scope of their alliance beyond its longstanding security focus. Mark Clampin, NASA's astrophysics division director, and John Wisniewski, a NASA scientist for the SPHEREx, a future space observatory, attended an event on bilateral space cooperation at the South Korean Embassy in Washington. The event took p

S. Korea, Zimbabwe set to sign Trade and Investment Framework during first Korea-Africa summit in June

South Korea's top envoy to the United States expressed confidence Tuesday that the alliance between Seoul and Washington will strengthen "incessantly" through the allies' "institutionalized" cooperation irrespective of who wins the White House in November. Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong made the remarks as US President Joe Biden is set to face former President Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election amid speculation that Trump's return to the top office could potentially bring a foreig

At 1st meeting in 7 years, top envoys underscore cooperation, but acknowledge challenges

Azamat Beispekov proposes enhanced cooperation with S. Korea to make the Central Asian country a drone hub

Global Life Sharing, a Korean non-governmental organization, has decided to support Sudan's humanitarian efforts by pledging to donate essential medicines and relief supplies worth $10 million for the next five years, Sudan Embassy in Seoul said Friday. During a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony, Sudanese ambassador to Korea Amira Agarib expressed her gratitude to the NGO and reaffirmed the African country's commitment to deepen its partnership with the organization for urge