Kishida likely to discuss trilateral security cooperation with Yoon, but will face unfriendly public, experts say

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is set to represent South Korea at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III on Saturday as part of his weeklong trip to Europe, the prime minister's office said Tuesday. Han was invited to the coronation ceremony of Charles, which will take place at Westminster Abbey in London. At the age of 73, Charles will officially succeed his mother Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September. Han will depart Seoul on Thursday to embark on an 8-day trip to Europe,

WASHINGTON -- The United States steadfastly remains committed to engaging in dialogue with North Korea, a state department spokesperson said Monday, after Pyongyang denounced the agreement reached by the leaders of South Korea and the US on strengthening US extended deterrence commitment to South Korea. The North has argued the Washington Declaration issued last week by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden reflected the US' "heinous hostile policy" towar

President Yoon Suk Yeol will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida again during Kishida’s two-day trip to Seoul starting Sunday, diplomatic sources familiar with the matter said Monday. Japanese media outlets last week reported on a potential visit. What the two leaders will discuss at the summit, following their meeting in Tokyo in March, and whether they will add anything to a new nuclear accord reached between South Korea and the US last week remain uncertain, according to tho

South Korea's top diplomat will visit Malaysia this week to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties between the countries celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Look East Policy, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. Foreign Minister Park Jin plans to leave for Malaysia later in the day for a two-day trip to meet his Malaysian counterpart, Zambry bin Abd Kadir, and discuss ways to boost cooperation in various areas including supply chain, defense and infrastructure. During his trip,

President Yoon Suk Yeol has thanked US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for their "truly warmest welcome" during his state visit to Washington last week, lauding relations between the two countries as "a blood alliance." "Don't know how to thank @POTUS and @FLOTUS enough for their truly warmest welcome," Yoon tweeted Sunday, referring to the Bidens, adding that South Korea and the United States "are a blood alliance forged by the sacrifice of

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States have met in Seoul to discuss ways to cooperate on countering North Korea's evolving nuclear and military threats, the foreign ministry said Sunday. US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim held a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Kim Gunn, on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Asan Plenum 2023 conference, a security forum hosted by a local think tank. "The two sides shared their assessments of the current secur

US President Joe Biden tweeted that the alliance between the United States and South Korea is based on shared beliefs on "democracy, liberty, security, and above all -- freedom," as President Yoon Suk Yeol headed home after a state visit to the US "The United States and Republic of Korea alliance wasn't born out of shared borders, but shared beliefs: Democracy, liberty, security, and above all -- freedom," Biden wrote on Twitter, referring to South Korea's official name. Bide

Seoul and Tokyo are in talks to arrange Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to South Korea in the first half of May for summit talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol. Japanese media reported Saturday that the two countries are seeking to arrange Kishida's visit to Seoul and a summit with Yoon on May 7 and 8. South Korea's presidential office said Friday that no decision has been made yet on the reported plans of a summit between Yoon and Kishida in Seoul next month. "

BOSTON -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Friday that South Korea's new nuclear deterrence agreement with the United States should be understood as an "upgraded" version of the allies' 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty. Yoon made the remark during a discussion held at Harvard Kennedy School, referring to the Washington Declaration he adopted with US President Joe Biden at their summit in Washington on Wednesday. Under the deal, the allies agreed to share information on nuclear and stra

South Korea on Friday banned its citizens from traveling to Sudan due to concerns over the escalating military conflict in the country. The foreign ministry issued a Level 4 travel alert, the highest in the four-tier system, effective midnight, under which South Koreans who violate the travel ban without prior approval can face criminal punishment. "We decided there is a need to prohibit travel or stay in Sudan, considering the persisting political and security instability in Sudan, as casu

Japan began domestic procedures Friday to return South Korea to its "white list" of trusted trading partners, in a move to improve bilateral economic relationship, Seoul's industry ministry said, Japan began canvassing public opinion on redesignating South Korea as a "Group A," or white list nation, that would give Seoul preferential export treatment, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, citing a statement issued by the Japanese trade ministry. Tokyo downgrad

Uzbek leader stresses the country's efforts to join WTO and build more investment-friendly environment

WASHINGTON -- The agreement reached by the leaders of South Korea and the United States on strengthening US extended deterrence is not an agreement designed to enable sharing of nuclear weapons between the allies, a senior US official said Thursday. The official noted the agreement, dubbed the Washington Declaration, is designed to address North Korea's evolving threats and nuclear rhetoric, but is not "nuclear sharing." "So let me just be very direct. I don't think th

  WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III held a meeting at the Pentagon on Thursday to underscore their robust alliance and the unwavering commitment of the United States in supporting South Korea's defense against North Korea's provocative actions. On his final day in Washington D.C., President Yoon visited the Pentagon before heading to Boston. He is set to deliver a speech at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government on