Peace on Korean Peninsula, New Southern Policy to be raised at summits

‘Singapore plays leading role in uniting ASEAN’s support for special summit next year’

The US has told Japan it might resume large-scale joint military exercises with South Korea as early as next spring unless there is tangible progress on the denuclearization of North Korea, according to a Japanese news report Tuesday. 　 (Yonhap)The US has consulted with Japan about the plan a number of times since September, Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported, citing Japanese government sources. It floated the possibility of a resumption of two major South Korea-US exercises -- Key Resolve and F

President Moon Jae-in left for Singapore Tuesday for annual summits with Southeast Asian nations and their dialogue partners as he strives to bolster relations with the region and drum up international support for his initiative for peace with North Korea.During the three-day visit, Moon is scheduled to attend a trio of annual summits hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- a Korea-ASEAN summit, an ASEAN Plus Three summit also involving China and Japan and the broader East Asia S

South Korea's unification minister left for the United States on Tuesday for a five-day visit amid speculation over possible differences between the two allies over how to achieve North Korea's denuclearization.Minister Cho Myoung-gyon is likely to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials and experts to discuss issues of the North's denuclearization and inter-Korean relations, the ministry said. "This is a meaningful trip that comes at a very important time," Cho told reporters be

South Korea is in talks with the United States over its pursuit of developing solid-fuel space vehicles for non-military purposes, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.Last year, the allies agreed to eliminate restrictions on the payload weight of South Korea's ballistic missiles in response to a series of North Korean provocations at that time. South Korea is allowed to develop ballistic missiles with a range of up to 800 kilometers."Currently, consultations are under way between South Korea an

President Moon Jae-in is expected to use his upcoming trip to Singapore and Papua New Guinea to upgrade relations with Southeast Asian nations and drum up international support for his peace drive with North Korea.Moon is set to leave for Singapore on Tuesday for a three-day visit to attend a trio of annual summits hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- a Korea-ASEAN summit, an ASEAN plus three summit also involving China and Japan and the broader East Asia Summit.Moon plans to

A South Korean who has been held captive by an unidentified armed group in Libya since July remains healthy, an official from the Foreign Ministry said Monday, amid the government’s ongoing efforts to secure his release. “(The Libyan government) confirmed that the South Korea national had been safely held captive in the southern part of Libya,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The South Korean national and three Filipinos were abducted from their work site in Jabal Hasouna in western

Top officials of the United States and China met in Washington Friday to discuss their bilateral relationship and efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons.　In a press conference following the talks, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he urged China‘s cooperation on sanctions enforcement to help achieve the denuclearization of North Korea. (AP-Yonhap)　“I expressed in our meeting today the importance of remaining united in pursuit of a final, fully-verified denuclearization of North

South Korea and China reached an agreement on their annual fisheries quota in each other's exclusive waters for next year, the Seoul government said Friday.The agreement was reached at the 18th round of bilateral talks held in the southeastern port city of Busan from Tuesday to Friday, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. (Yonhap)The pact allows each country to send up to 1,450 boats in the other's exclusive economic zone next year, cutting the total by 50 boats from 2018.The quota

WASHINGTON -- South Korean Ambassador to the United States Cho Yoon-je will receive an award from a US organization in recognition of his service to foreign affairs, the South Korean Embassy in Washington said Thursday.The World Affairs Council-Washington, DC, a nonprofit nonpartisan group, will bestow the Distinguished Diplomatic Service Award on Cho on Friday during its ongoing national conference in the US capital, the embassy said in a release. (Yonhap)The award has been given each year sinc

North Korea asked the US to delay a planned high-level meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart Kim Yong-chol in New York, citing a hectic schedule, South Korea’s top diplomat confirmed Thursday. 　The State Department said Wednesday that the meeting between Pompeo and Kim, which had been due to take place in New York on Thursday, would now take place at an unspecified later date when their respective schedules permit. South Korea and the US tried to play

The outcome of the US midterm elections is unlikely to change the course of Washington’s North Korea policy but could slow the pace of the Donald Trump administration’s diplomacy with North Korea, experts said Wednesday. The Democrats regained control of the US House of Representatives, where they will seek to keep Trump’s agenda in check, while the Republicans maintained their majority in the Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections. (Yonhap)The Democrats have traditionally advocated engagement wi

A top Cheong Wa Dae official on Wednesday criticized the Japanese government’s response to a recent South Korean court ruling, saying that actions taken by Tokyo officials are aggravating the situation.Since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Korean plaintiffs seeking compensation from Japan’s Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, which had forced them to work for the company during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Tokyo has vehemently criticized the ruling and is pressing Seoul to take action.  Japa

President Moon Jae-in will hold summit meetings with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to Singapore and Papua New Guinea, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.Seoul is also working on arranging meetings with US Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip. President Moon Jae-in. YonhapAccording to Cheong Wa Dae, a meeting with Pence is being arranged at the request of the US, while Seoul and Beijing are discussing