The third ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit is being held from Monday to Wednesday this week in Busan. The summit of national leaders of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations and South Korea celebrates the 30th anniversary of a partnership between the ASEAN bloc and Korea. Korea is the first dialogue partner of ASEAN to hold a special summit three times. It is a chance for leaders to review the past achievements of the ASEAN-Korea partnership and to envision the future of the bilateral re

Korea seeks to strengthen ties with ASEAN through commemorative summit

South Korea expects to take a leap in its relations with Southeast Asian countries by revisiting the achievements of the past 30 years and developing a new vision for the future. During the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan, Korea and the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states will adopt a joint vision statement on coexistence and prosperity. The statement will suggest directions for cooperation in different fields, such as the development of strategic partnerships between

Hopes are rising that Seoul and Tokyo could be heading toward resolving their ongoing spat, with the two sides agreeing to arrange a bilateral summit. The agreement was reached at the meeting between Seoul’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers meeting in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday. According to the two countries’ foreign ministries, they will work together to arrange a summit between

BUSAN -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has been canceled as the latter decided to skip a regional meeting scheduled for this week in the southern South Korean city of Busan, the presidential office said Sunday."Due to Cambodian PM Hun Sen's absence at the Korea-ASEAN special summit, the summit meeting between South Korea and Cambodia has been canceled," presidential spokesperson Ko Min-jung said in a text message sent to the media.The

SEOUL/NAGOYA -- South Korea and Japan agreed Saturday to coordinate efforts to enable a summit between President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the margins of their planned trilateral summit with China next month, Seoul's top diplomat said.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the remarks after talks with her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, during the foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 countries in Nagoya, Japan, a day after Seoul suspended the expiry of a bilat

South Korea and Singapore reached a summit deal Saturday to strengthen partnerships in various fields, including smart cities and arms development, on the basis of their traditional cooperation.President Moon Jae-in greeted Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Cheong Wa Dae here, who made his first official visit here in six years.With the summit, Moon kicked off a hectic round of his summit diplomacy on Southeast Asian nations, the highlight of which is the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Comm

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan were set to hold bilateral talks on the margins of the foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 countries in Nagoya on Saturday, a day after Seoul suspended the expiry of a bilateral military information-sharing pact.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will meet her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, a source said, apparently to discuss Seoul's decision on the postponement of the termination of the General Security of Military Information Agreem

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Friday the “groundwork” has been laid for South Korea to persuade Japan to withdraw its trade curbs against Seoul, after the two agreed on measures that delayed the final decision on the ongoing row over a military intelligence-sharing pact.Speaking to reporters just before departing to Nagoya, Japan to attend a foreign ministerial meeting of Group of 20 nations, Kang also said Seoul’s position has not changed much. “

Seoul and Tokyo have agreed to hold talks on thorny issues, staving off the end of the General Security of Military Information Agreement. “Our government, under the condition that the effect of GSOMIA can be ended at any time, decided to halt the effect of the announcement of the end of its validity on Aug. 23, and the Japanese government expressed its understanding,” said Kim You-geun, deputy director of the National Security Office. He said the two governments have agreed to

Top South Korean officials on Thursday continued reviewing Korea-Japan issues, with the looming expiration of the military intelligence sharing agreement with Japan. On Thursday, the National Security Council was convened, raising speculations that Seoul’s decision on the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Japan was likely to have topped the agenda.  GSOMIA is set to expire at midnight Friday following Seoul’s decision to forego the annual renewal in respons

WASHINGTON -- US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun said Wednesday that South Korea is an important US ally but no country gets a "free ride" on shared defense burdens.Biegun, who has been nominated as deputy secretary of state, appeared to underscore Washington's position in ongoing negotiations with Seoul over sharing the costs for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea. The latest round of talks was cut short this week after Seoul apparently

As an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan is set to expire at midnight Friday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in underscored that Tokyo has given Seoul just cause to terminate the agreement. Speaking at a televised question-and-answer session Tuesday, Moon also said he would work until the last minute with Japan to avoid the termination of the 2016 General Security of Military Information Agreement -- but that Tokyo still has to act first to normalize trade.In August, Korea announced its decis

US Ambassador Harry Harris and his negotiation team for a defense cost-sharing deal have come under fire for what lawmakers here called “diplomatic discourtesy” as they continue to demand that South Korea pay more for the upkeep of US troops stationed here. The US team, led by James DeHart of the State Department, left the negotiation table earlier than planned Tuesday, the second day of talks in Seoul with the South Korean delegation for the 11th Special Measures Agreement, the two

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday his government will try "till the last moment" to avoid the termination of an accord with Japan on exchanging military information but he made clear that depends on Tokyo's stance on its export restriction against Seoul. Although the agreement, known as GSOMIA, is schedule to come to an end this weekend, South Korea will maintain partnerships with Japan on regional security, he added.US officials have voiced worries about potential negative impact on