Japan is evacuating 18 South Koreans from Israel using its military aircraft, a gesture of goodwill that appears to reciprocate Seoul’s rescue flight last week to bring back Japanese alongside its citizens. According to Kyodo News and the Japanese Defense Ministry, 18 Koreans and one family member of foreign nationality -- along with 60 Japanese and four family members of foreign nationality -- will land at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on early Saturday. The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said it ha

The United States will take "whatever steps" it can to hold to account those involved in arms transfers between North Korean and Russia, the State Department said Thursday, stressing it will "closely" monitor related developments. Matthew Miller, the department's spokesperson, made the remarks after the US government revealed last Friday that the North shipped 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks for use in Ukraine. "We have

China is estimated to have more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May, and the figure may swell to over 1,000 by 2030, according to an annual Pentagon report released Thursday. The US Department of Defense released the 2023 Report on the Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China, a document that has annually been submitted to Congress in line with the National Defense Authorization Act. The report predicts that over the next decade, China will continue

South Korea has proposed holding top-level diplomatic talks with Japan and China late next month, which Tokyo is positively considering, a Japanese media report said Thursday, in what could open the way for the first trilateral summit among their leaders in four years. "South Korea, as the rotating chair of the trilateral framework, has sounded them out about the three-way talks on around Nov. 26 in Busan, and Japan is positive about the plan," Japan's Kyodo News said in its Engli

President likely to announce humanitarian support for civilians suffering from Israel conflict

Japan is preparing to take home about 20 South Koreans, along with its own nationals, on a special flight from Israel, local media have reported, apparently returning the favor after Seoul brought back dozens of Japanese people from the war-torn region last week. Japan has offered to provide South Korea with a limited number of available seats for South Koreans as it is working to determine the demand for the emergency transport among its own people, Kyodo News has reported, citing government of

A US defense official on Wednesday voiced confidence over the strength of America's "extended deterrence" commitment to South Korea, saying, "We've never been in a better place." Richard Johnson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and countering weapons of mass destruction policy, made the remarks, highlighting the allies' efforts to reinforce the credibility of the United States' deterrence commitment to using the full range of its military

US President Joe Biden reiterated his backing for Israel and apparently accused a "terrorist group" of causing a recent deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza as he visited Tel Aviv on Wednesday to stress America's solidarity with Israel following the Hamas militant group's attack this month. Biden arrived in Tel Aviv Wednesday morning amid a spike in tensions over Tuesday's blast at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the Hamas-controlled enclave, which left hundreds of innocent civilians de

Foreign Minister Park Jin held talks with his Botswanan counterpart Wednesday on ways to boost bilateral relations and cooperation, including areas of trade and investment, the foreign ministry said. In his meeting with Lemogang Kwape, foreign minister of the southern African nation, in Seoul, Park noted Botswana is increasingly gaining attention among South Korean industries as a new market since the African Continental Free Trade Area came into effect. Park called for efforts to expand trade a

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Wednesday for a two-day visit, according to Russian media reports, as the two countries move to strengthen military ties after a recent bilateral summit. According to Sputnik and other Russian media outlets, Lavros arrived in Pyongyang for a two-day visit. He is expected to hold talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, during the trip. The two sides are expected to discuss issues including bilateral military and econo

South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed regret over Japanese leaders' visit to the Yasukuni shrine, which Seoul sees as a symbol of Japan's military aggression during its 1910-45 colonial rule on the Korean Peninsula. The government urged Japanese leaders to "squarely face history" to break with militarism, which would mark a crucial step to pursuing the advancement of Seoul-Tokyo ties in the face of growing geopolitical uncertainties surrounding North Korea. "The go

Moroccan Ambassador to Korea Chafik Rachadi exchanges greetings with the Moroccan national U-18 football team before a match against South Korea at Mokdong Stadium in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul on Thursday. The Moroccan team was in Seoul to take part in the 2023 U-18 Seoul EOU Cup, an international football championship in Korea. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Rachadi highlighted Morocco's success in sports, and mentioned Morocco's hosting of the 2030 World Cup, alongside Spain and Portugal,

Bilateral cooperation between Chile and South Korea is crucial, as they have a shared goal of boosting the global lithium value chain, Nicolas Grau, Chilean minister of economy, development and tourism, told The Korea Herald on Thursday. “Korea needs lithium, hydrogen and clean energy fuel, and Chile needs certainty of demand, knowledge and technology to develop new industry,” said Grau, noting the situation as a “win-win” for Chile and Korea. Grau was in Seoul from Oct.

High-level talks between South Korea and Australia planned for this week have been canceled due to the Australian foreign minister's need to respond to the Israel-Hamas war, a Seoul official said Tuesday. The two countries had scheduled to hold their so-called two-plus-two talks involving their foreign and defense ministers in Seoul on Thursday, but they have been canceled "due to circumstances on Australia's side," the government official said. Australian Foreign Minister Pe

A South Korean national kidnapped in the Philippines three weeks ago has been freed, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Tuesday. The ministry did not disclose the individual’s identity or why he had been abducted, only saying he is in good health. Local police said one of several suspects is in custody, without elaborating. “We had worked closely with authorities here and there for a safe return of our citizen,” the ministry added.