North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho encountered his American counterpart Mike Pompeo in Singapore on Friday at the opening of the ASEAN Regional Forum.They shook hands with each other and exchanged words, as Pompeo approached Ri first with a smile. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho (R) meets with his American counterpart Mike Pompeo at the opening of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Singapore on Aug. 4, 2018. (Yonhap)The annual ARF is the sole regional forum in which the North's top diplo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday called on Russia, China and other countries to strictly enforce international sanctions on North Korea, saying Washington would take any violations “very seriously.” 　Speaking on the sidelines of an annual ASEAN Regional Forum in Singapore, Pompeo told reporters that the US had credible reports that Russia was violating UN sanctions by allowing joint ventures with North Korean companies and issuing new permits for North Korean guest workers. 　“We exp

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her US counterpart Mike Pompeo vowed close coordination to resolve North Korea’s nuclear standoff during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Singapore on Saturday. 　Kang and Pompeo, both attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum that began Thursday, had the one-on-one meeting Saturday morning on the sidelines to exchange views on matters regarding North Korea and other areas of mutual conc

South Korea’s nuclear envoy and a senior US State Department official met on the sidelines of an annual regional forum in Singapore on Friday, as the countries’ top diplomats are set to hold a meeting the following day. Lee Do-hoon, South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy, and Sung Kim, US ambassador to the Philippines, met on the margins of the ASEAN Regional Forum. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha are scheduled to hold a meeting Saturday morning. Lee

North Korea has not yet responded to South Korea’s request for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of an annual regional security forum, as the North’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho arrived in Singapore earlier in the day. Ri Yong-ho (Yonhap)South Korea has sought to hold a foreign ministerial meeting with North Korea on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, which kicked off Thursday and brougt together key stakeholders in the Korean Peninsula’s denuclearizat

China’s top diplomat expressed support Thursday for the declaration of a formal end to the Korean War, saying such a declaration is in line with the trend of the time as nobody wants a repeat of the conflict on the peninsula.Foreign Minister Wang Yi described the two Koreas’ aspiration for the end-of-war declaration as “fully legitimate.”“So the issue, the declaration of the end of the war, is in keeping with the trend of our time and reflects the aspiration of people of all countries, including

An annual regional security forum kicked off in Singapore on Thursday, bringing together top diplomats from 26 countries and the European Union for talks on political and security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the meeting gathers foreign ministers from the two Koreas, the US, China, Japan and Russia -- key players in the Korean Peninsula’s denuclearization efforts -- amid growing concerns over little progress toward denuclearization.  (Y

Declaring a formal end to the Korean War now is the best option for the US to accelerate North Korea’s denuclearization process and avoid repeating the mistakes of its past administrations, according to a prominent North Korea expert. The US would benefit from declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- a political statement that is not legally binding -- as the declaration could prompt bolder action by the North to denuclearize, said Kim Yeon-chul, head of the state-run Korea Institute for Na

SINGAPORE -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha strived on Wednesday to publicize the government’s efforts to expand cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, as their annual high-level gathering is underway in Singapore.She had a series of bilateral talks with her Malaysian, Myanmar, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Brunei and Laotian counterparts on the sidelines of the annual ASEAN foreign ministerial sessions.Last year, the Moon Jae-in administration announced the “New Southern Policy” aim

SINGAPORE -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Wednesday her government will provide support for the recovery of a swathe of Laos devastated by a dam collapse and ensuing flash floods.She delivered the message in talks with her Laotian counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith here days ahead of the opening of the annual Mekong-South Korea foreign ministers meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum.(Yonhap)The latest disaster to affect the ASEAN member state was one of the main issues discussed

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held bilateral meetings with her counterparts from six Southeast Asian countries in Singapore on Tuesday to secure support for the government’s efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and to foster ties with the ASEAN bloc. Kang, who arrived in Singapore on Monday to attend a series of meetings on security in Asia, held bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos, promoted the government’s New Southern Po

SINGAPORE -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha arrived in Singapore on Tuesday for a series of bilateral and multilateral talks on North Korea and other regional issues.She's expected to hold talks with her North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong-ho.Speaking to reporters upon arriving at an airport here, the minister said no schedule has been set yet. (Yonhap)Her weeklong visit to Singapore will focus on Seoul's ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Korean peace proce

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is set to fly to Singapore on Tuesday to attend a series of major forums on regional security in Singapore, amid a flurry of diplomacy to denuclearize North Korea.Kang will attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, which kicked off Monday and brings together key stakeholders involved in negotiations over the North’s dismantling of nuclear arsenal, sparking speculations of a possible three-way meeting among Kang, her North Korean and US counterparts.  (Yonhap)

The South Korean government is considering offering more support to Laos in the aftermath of a dam collapse that has left at least 27 killed and 131 missing, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.  (Yonhap)The project was being conducted by a consortium involving Korean firms. “We are reviewing whether to send extra emergency relief and emergency personnel,” a Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity. “We will additionally review whether humanitarian aid will be extended to the next s

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will engage in a round of hectic bilateral and multilateral diplomacy in Singapore this week during a series of major forums on regional security and economic and cultural cooperation, her ministry said Monday.Kang and her counterparts from more than two dozen countries, including North Korea, will huddle together at the ASEAN Regional Forum on Saturday. ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.(Yonhap)It follows four other ASEAN-re