WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- A majority of Americans support using force against China to defend South Korea or other Asian allies in the event of a military conflict, a survey showed Tuesday.The Pew Research survey, conducted among 1,505 people Feb.16-March 15, found that 58 percent back the use of force against Beijing "if an Asian ally such as Japan, South Korea or the Philippines were to become embroiled in a military conflict with China."By party, nearly two-thirds of Republicans, or 65 percent,

The chief of the International Criminal Court said Tuesday the murder case of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother in Malaysia cannot be referred to the court immediately as both the countries are not state parties to its founding treaty.Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi made the remark during a press briefing at the Supreme Court in southern Seoul during her visit to attend the ICC's high-level regional seminar.Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi, president of the International Criminal Court, sp

South Korea is closely communicating with the United States on North Korea and other major issues ahead of the upcoming summit talks to be held between the US and China this week, the foreign ministry here said Tuesday.US President Donald Trump is to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in their first summit on Thursday and Friday (local time) in Florida. North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats are expected to be one of their major topics. (AP-Yonhap file photos)"We are having close

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday instructed its ambassador to South Korea to request that Seoul implement a landmark 2015 deal to resolve the long-running rift over Japan's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women, a Japanese broadcaster reported.Abe met with Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, who will return to Seoul later in the day after being recalled nearly three months ago in response to Korean civic groups erecting a statue of a girl symbolizing the sexual slavery victims in fron

South Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday dismissed the possibility that it would hold dialogue with North Korea on the occasion of sports events being held on both sides of the border.On Thursday, women ice hockey players from the two Koreas will square off in Gangneung, some 230 kilometers east of Seoul. A day later, their women's football teams will compete in a qualifying match in Pyongyang for the Asian Football Confederation Women's Asian Cup.North Korean players celebrate their goal a

South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday warned against North Korea's "reckless" nuclear ambitions, saying it could launch yet another nuclear test or strategic provocation in time for major political events this month.Hwang made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting amid reports that Pyongyang has been seen preparing for what could be its sixth nuclear test, which experts fear could bring it closer to its long-cherished goal of becoming a nuclear power. South Ko

The heads of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have sent a letter to North Korea, issuing a warning over the regime's use of a prohibited chemical weapon in the recent assassination of the North Korean leader's half brother, according to the foreign ministry here on Tuesday.The letter signed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu was sent to North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho on March 30 in link with the

LONDON (Yonhap) -- The mayors of Seoul and London formed a friendship city agreement on Monday aimed at strengthening cooperation in nine sectors including economic democratization, improved response to climate change and digital renovation.Park Won-soon and Sadiq Khan signed the agreement at City Hall in London after they agreed in Paris Wednesday to implement a Global Car Scoring System under which the cities will collect data on car emissions and publish them online as part of efforts to figh

WASHINGTON -- The US special envoy on North Korea issues will visit Moscow later this week for talks with his Russian counterpart, the State Department announced Monday. Amb. Joseph Yun, US special representative for North Korea policy (Yonhap)Amb. Joseph Yun, special representative for North Korea policy, will be traveling to Moscow on Tuesday to Thursday for talks with Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Igor Morgulov, the department said in a statement.Yun will also hold meetings with

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump should press China to sever financial links with North Korea when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping for their first summit talks later this week, a US expert said Monday.Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the suggestion in a newsletter previewing the summit, saying that putting enough pressure on North Korea should come first before any consideration of diplomacy. Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Cent

A British candidate running to become the next director-general of the World Health Organization said Monday that health and nutrition problems facing North Korean children are a major part of his focus and he will engage with the North Korean regime to tackle them if he wins the seat."My basic view on all countries is that you have to start with a conversation with leaders and they have to trust you if they are going to work with you. If the conversation leads to trust, then after trust comes t

Japan said Monday it plans to return its ambassador to South Korea to Seoul on Tuesday amid lingering tension over a statue representing Korean women forced into wartime sex slavery. But Japan’s Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the country was “at least at this point” not considering reopening negotiations on a currency swap deal intended to stabilize the Korean currency in the event of a financial crisis.Yasumasa Nagamine, the Japanese Ambassador to Korea (gettyimages)Yasumasa Nagamine was

The leading food and agricultural institutes of Denmark and Korea signed a cooperation agreement in late March to pave the way for joint programs in education and training, innovation and entrepreneurship.According to the Danish Embassy in Seoul, the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (EPIS) inked a memorandum of understanding with SEGES, a subgroup under the Danish Agricultural and Food Council.The two organizations will condu

Alfiana Raharjo dreams of teaching the Korean language to Southeast Asians vying for careers in Korea.As an Indonesian studying at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, she has acquired an acumen of Korea, which she believes will prove instrumental in bridging the two countries. Raharjo also wants to offer her perspectives on halal-oriented tourism here, as the country is belatedly beginning its charm offensive toward Muslim travelers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as part of its di

The Peruvian Embassy in Seoul has urged for solidarity and support in recovering from a natural disaster that has wrecked the country since mid-March. Massive floods and landslides caused by “El Nino Costero” have ravaged the South American country, destroying more than 100,000 homes, 200 bridges and countless roads. Over 90 people have died, 122,000 have lost their homes and 700,000 are adversely affected, according to the diplomatic mission. A woman and her baby stand on a flooded street in th