Seoul's top diplomat reaffirmed Wednesday a complete denuclearization of North Korea is a shared objective of South Korea and the United States, emphasizing that the allies are closely coordinating their strategies to achieve the goal.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told reporters that it will take time to verify the sincerity of the North's recently stated commitment to denuclearization, adding that it will become clear in the process of preparing talks with Pyongyang. Foreign Minister Kang Kyu

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet US President Donald Trump this month, and the Japanese foreign minister will reportedly visit South Korea next week, as Japan struggles to remain relevant in the upcoming inter-Korean and North Korea-US talks.  Abe will meet Trump from April 17-18 to discuss North Korea and trade ties at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida ahead of an inter-Korean summit scheduled for April 27 and planned talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before th

The acting US ambassador to South Korea said Monday a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program remains a "nonnegotiable" US goal in its upcoming talks with Pyongyang.During a forum in Seoul, Marc Knapper said the US is "hopeful but realistic" in its expectations for the upcoming summit between the leaders of the US and North Korea, citing more than two decades of failure in making the North give up its nuclear weapons."These are not sanctions for sanct

After US President Donald Trump’s abrupt remarks tying talks with North Korea to the recently finalized US-South Korea trade deal, Cheong Wa Dae said it will try to find out the “true intention” behind the remark. (Yonhap)While mentioning the Korea-US free trade agreement, Trump suddenly warned on Friday that he “may hold it up until after a deal is made with North Korea,” in an effort to gain more leverage in potential talks with the rogue nation. “You know why? Because it’s a very strong card.

South Korea’s Education Ministry on Friday strongly protested Tokyo’s decision to revise its high school curriculum guidelines to teach all Japanese students that the disputed islets of Dokdo belong to Japan.“The Korean government requests for an immediate removal of the new guidelines,” the Education Ministry said in a statement, adding Dokdo is South Korea’s inherent territory historically, geographically and in the eyes of international law.“We make it clear again that any provocation on this

Ranking officials from South Korea and China met in Seoul on Thursday to exchange views on how to rid North Korea of its nuclear ambitions, while the two Koreas set the date for what could be a historic meeting between their leaders. Chung Eui-yong (L), top security advisor to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, ushers Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi into the venue for their talks at a Seoul hotel on March 29, 2018. (Yonhap)Chung Eui-yong, chief security advisor to South Korean President Moo

Announcing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s surprise summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, the North’s Korea Central News Agency reported Wednesday that key issues, such as the improvement of strategic ties between the two nations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, were discussed. “The two great leaders of (North Korea) and China and respective parties exchanged in-depth opinions on important issues including the development of ties between China and North Korea and manage

South Korea repatriated the remains of 20 Chinese soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War on Wednesday in a humanitarian move that reflects Seoul's pursuit of forward-looking ties with the former foe.The two sides held a handover ceremony of the caskets, covered with the Chinese national flag, at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul."Historically, the repatriation of (soldiers') remains between the two parties involved in a battle is a humanitarian move and also carries a peace mes

South Korea‘s political parties showed mixed responses to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said it believes the summit “created an opportunity that would help find a peaceful resolution to the North’s nuclear issue through dialogue.”“The more North Korea comes out to the diplomatic stage, the easier it will be to solve problems of the Korean Peninsula,” the party’s spokesperson Kim Hyun said in a statement Wednesday.“

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi will visit Seoul on Thursday morning to brief South Korea on the results of talks between President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a Cheong Wa Dae official said.Yang is scheduled to meet with Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, and hold a dinner with him. Yang is also scheduled to pay a visit to President Moon Jae-in, senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said.Yang Jiechi (Yonhap)Yang is expected t

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday met with Korean soldiers stationed in the United Arab Emirates, and met with the ruler of Dubai, wrapping up his trip to the Middle Eastern state. Moon began his final day in the UAE with a visit to the Korean military unit, Akh. The unit has been stationed in the UAE since January 2011, tasked with aiding the training of UAE soldiers and protecting Koreans in the country in case of a military conflict. “The Akh unit is the pride of Korea’s armed forces, and the

 South Korean media outlets identified Kim Jong-un as part of a high-level North Korean delegation that left Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, citing intelligence sources. 　The news came as both Koreas and the US are gearing up for an inter-Korean summit in April and a possible US-North Korea summit in May. Japanese media had previously reported a “specific train” carrying an unidentified high-ranking North Korean official arriving in China on Monday. The same train left Beijing on Tuesday afternoon

A high-level North Korean official’s visit to China is likely a sign that the two communist states hope to improve ties and gain leverage in Pyongyang’s upcoming summits with Seoul and Washington, experts say.　News reports said Monday that a high-level Pyongyang official -- possibly North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- made an unannounced visit to Beijing by train. Whoever visited China, North Korea’s traditional ally and biggest trading partner, the visit marks a significant turning point in Chin

Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday slammed President Donald Trump's threat to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on fighting climate change, saying he will consider writing to the president as the new chairman of an international green growth organization based in Seoul."I have been voicing very strong concerns on various occasions, particularly when he announced that he would withdraw from the Paris Agreement," he said in a press conference marking his inauguration as

ABU DHABI -- South Korean firms may expect to cinch up to $25 billion in new energy development projects in the United Arab Emirates, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has told the visiting South Korean president, South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.The assurance was made in a bilateral summit Sunday between the UAE leader and President Moon Jae-in, according to Cheong Wa Dae officials.The amount was not offered in detailed projects, but in a sum, they said, addi