President Yoon Suk Yeol began his state visit to the Netherlands by meeting with a group of Korean residents and vowing to upgrade the two countries' relations to a "semiconductor alliance." As the first official schedule, Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee attended a welcoming ceremony hosted by Willem-Alexander, king of the Netherlands, held at Dam Square in Amsterdam on Tuesday (local time). Then, they were greeted by the Netherlands' palace and government officials at the R

South Korea's culture ministry will continue to work with the Vatican to utilize culture as a bridge for world peace and harmony, Seoul's culture minister has said, as the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Yu In-chon made the remarks during a Mass held in Rome on Monday to mark the anniversary. The Korean Catholic Church also held its side of the commemorative Mass the same day in Seoul. He attended the Rome Mass led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secr

The United States successfully conducted a test of an upgraded ground-based interceptor to shoot down an intermediate-range ballistic missile Monday, its military said, as it seeks to counter growing threats from North Korea, Iran and other potential adversaries. The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency led the test of the GBI designed to intercept a ballistic missile in a midcourse phase of flight. GBI is a key element of the United States' Ground-based Midcourse Defense system meant to

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea held a special Mass here Monday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and the Holy See. In a message sent to the Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in downtown Seoul, Pope Francis expressed hope that the two sides will continue to develop their friendly ties and work together for peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. The message was read by Monsignor Fernando Duarte Barros Reis, acting Apostolic Nuncio to K

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have exchanged congratulatory messages marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the foreign ministry said Monday. In the message marking their establishment of formal ties on Dec. 10, 1973, Yoon said the two countries have advanced their "special strategic partnership" in various areas, including the supply chain, arms industry, science and technology as well as c

A delegation of representatives from eight NATO member countries is set to visit Seoul later this week, in a rare collective visit reflecting the transatlantic security alliance's heightened interest in the Indo-Pacific region amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The three-day visit from Wednesday to Friday aims to "engage in discussions on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and other pertinent issues," South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Monday. The participating

North could accuse South of double standards over spy satellite, expert says

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel's army on Sunday dismissed outcry over footage showing scores of stripped Palestinians in Gaza, saying it was part of routine searches, while Hamas insisted the men were "unarmed civilians." Footage of the men stripped down to their underwear, with some of them appearing to hand over weapons, was aired by Israeli media on Thursday, reporting the alleged surrender of Hamas militants. Israel launched an intense military campaign targeting Hamas in the Gaza S

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to embark on a state visit to the Netherlands on Monday, mainly to "forge a chip alliance" and level up the existing bilateral strategic partnership in diplomacy, defense and economic security, the South Korean presidential office said Sunday. The two countries are expected to strengthen cooperation in addressing a diverse set of challenges, including chip supply chain issues compounded by the intensifying US-China tech war. "To forge a chip alliance

South Korea, the United States and Japan seek to demonstrate to China and others that being democratic and transparent is "the way for greater economic growth" as the three countries work to deepen cooperation in development projects amid rising global competition, a senior official at the US development agency has said. Michele Sumilas, assistant to the administrator of the bureau for planning, learning and resource management at the US Agency for International Development, stressed t

OPEC members are pushing against attempts to include language on "phasing out" fossil fuels in a UN Climate Change Conference, or COP 28, deal, highlighting the struggle over whether the summit can for the first time in 30 years address the future of oil and gas. Negotiators and observers at the annual U.N. climate talks, pursuing a deal to tackle the worst impacts of climate change, said several OPEC members appeared to have heeded calls by the oil producer group to veto any deal to p

The British Embassy and the British Association of Seoul (BASS) celebrated the annual Mince Pie Morning at the residence of British Ambassador Colin Crooks in Seoul on Thursday. The event featured traditional English mince pies — a sweet pastry filled with a delectable mixture of fruit, spices, and suet — marking the spirit of the holiday season in English-speaking traditions. “BASS is an important part of the vibrant expat community here in Seoul. It was, as always, a pleasure

The United States and Japan have agreed on the need to beef up deterrence amid an "increasingly challenging" security landscape marked by North Korea's repeated missile launches and its military cooperation with Russia, the State Department said Thursday. The two sides shared the need during their bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue that took place in Japan from Tuesday to Thursday (local time). Extended deterrence refers to the US commitment to using the full range of its mili

President Joe Biden's nominee for deputy secretary of state highlighted the need Thursday to focus "even more" on deterrence against growing North Korean threats, noting Pyongyang continues to perfect its long-range weapons capabilities while shunning dialogue. Kurt Campbell, currently the National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, made the remarks during a Senate confirmation hearing as he responded to a question of whether he has any "creative" ide

House and Senate negotiators released their compromise draft of an annual defense policy bill Thursday, which calls for maintaining 28,500 US troops in South Korea and deepening nuclear deterrence coordination between Seoul and Washington. They unveiled the final draft of the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2024 fiscal year. Congress passes the bill each year to set defense policy and funding priorities and give guidance on a range of key security matters. The NDAA draft includes a ca