South Korea will hold a government-civilian meeting on Tuesday to discuss details of how to help Indonesia, which was recently hit by an earthquake and tsunami, an official here said.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier announced plans to provide Indonesia with $1 million in emergency cash aid, as the local island of Sulawesi was devastated by a 7.5-magnitude quake and ensuing tsunami last week. A motorbike passes the wreckage of a car following earthquakes and a tsunami in Palu, Central Sula

BERLIN -- The United States needs to take measures to build political trust with North Korea in return for the North's actions related to its denuclearization bid, a former South Korean foreign minister has said.Yoon Young-kwan, who served as foreign minister from 2003-2004, proposed that the US government invite an economic mission from North Korea and that the two countries establish liaison offices in each other's capitals.Yoon floated the proposal in a keynote speech to a peace forum organiz

South Korea, US still remain apart over defense costs sharing

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha called Monday for joint efforts with Japan to build a future-oriented relationship based on the "humble" recognition of the neighbors' shared history.Kang made the call during a seminar marking the 20th anniversary of the landmark declaration in 1998 by then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and then-Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on building a new partnership beyond the countries' historical enmity."Facing history with a humble attitude and

South Korea will provide $1 million in humanitarian assistance to Indonesia where a massive earthquake and tsunami have killed hundreds of people, the foreign ministry said Sunday.The assistance may be used to help meet the immediate needs of people affected by the disasters and support recovery works, the ministry said.  (AFP-Yonhap)Seoul is also considering the dispatch of South Korean relief workers to Indonesia, it said. "In consideration of the possibility that the scale of the damage could

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday sent a letter of condolence to Indonesia where a massive earthquake and tsunami killed more than 800 people. "I cannot suppress my sadness upon the news that the strong quake and tsunami in the Sulawesi region caused massive damage of human life and property," Moon said in the letter sent to Indonesian President Joko Widodo."On behalf of the South Korean government and people, I hope those who passed away in the disasters rest in peace and express my sincere condo

North Korea wants sanctions relief as corresponding measure, experts say

WASHINGTON -- South Korea remains committed to enforcing sanctions on North Korea to pressure the regime to give up its nuclear weapons program, Seoul's top diplomat said Thursday.Speaking to the United Nations Security Council in New York, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Seoul will also continue to improve relations with Pyongyang to ease tensions on the peninsula."We are committed to continuing to work with the international community to ensure that the council's sanctions ar

Moon Jae-in directly addressed the issue of Japan’s wartime use of “comfort women” at the United Nations General Assembly, as he hinted at the possibility of disbanding a Japanese-funded foundation created to help South Korean victims of Japanese military sex slavery during World War II.　South Korea has a “direct experience of suffering from the Japanese military’s mobilization of comfort women,” Moon said during his speech at the UN General Assembly, using a euphemism for the victims forced to

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has held bilateral talks with her Chinese and Japanese counterparts over Seoul's drive for inter-Korean rapprochement and peace, her office said Thursday.Kang held the separate meetings with Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Taro Kono, respectively, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday (local time).The talks followed the inter-Korean summit earlier this month where Pyongyang agreed to take additional

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in discussed a joint Korean bid for the 2032 Summer Games with the world's top Olympic official Wednesday, emphasizing the need for an early dialogue on the issue.Moon met with Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, prior to his keynote speech at the UN General Assembly.Their meeting came a week after Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to pursue a joint bid for the 203

HANOI -- South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon paid tribute to late Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi on Wednesday. Vietnam began a two-day national mourning that day for Quang, who died of illness Friday at age 61. "We Koreans will remember the deceased's extraordinary interest and friendship with Korea and will uphold his will with continuous efforts to advance the friendly relationship between the two countries," Lee said at the state funeral.   (Yonhap)Lee held a meeting earlier

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Tuesday in New York for talks on ways to improve their countries' ties and enhance their joint efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons.The meeting came five days after Moon returned from his three-day trip to North Korea, where he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed their commitment to full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.Moon highlighted the importance of improved relations be

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has met with Ivanka Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump‘s daughter and a White House adviser, in New York and invited her to visit Seoul again, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Tuesday. 　Their meeting was held at the South Korean mission to the United Nations on Monday (New York time), to which Ivanka Trump paid a visit, the ministry said in Facebook and Twitter postings.　“Minister Kang expressed thanks (to Ivanka Trump) for coming to the PyeongChang Wint

Addressing a United Nations session as the first ever South Korean artists, the boy band BTS urged young people to find their own inner voice and see themselves through their own eyes by speaking about themselves.The septet was invited to give a short opening speech at an event during the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday (New York time) to launch UNICEF's new partnership "Generation Unlimited."K-pop band BTS speaks during a meeting focused on youth issues at the Unit