The Korea Herald

Ministry says no reports of S. Korean casualties in Indonesia bomb attacks

May 13, 2018

The foreign ministry said Sunday that there are no reports yet of South Korean casualties in a series of deadly bomb attacks in Indonesia‘s second largest city, Surabaya.　“Since learning about the attacks, South Korea’s embassy in Indonesia has been contacting police authorities and hospitals to check if there has been any harm to our nationals,” a ministry official said on condition of anonymity. “As of now, there are no reports of any damage.”　The official added that the embassy has posted a n
Statue honoring Korean wartime sex slaves to be displayed at US Capitol

May 11, 2018

A statue honoring Korean women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II will be displayed at the Capitol Building in Washington next month, according to a New York-based Korean-American group.　“The upcoming exhibition of the statue will be a historic moment, just as the moment back in 2007 when the US House of Representatives approved a resolution urging Japan to apologize (to the survivors),” Kim Min-sun, head of the Korean American Association of Greater New Y
Iran says US 'unqualified' to play role in Korean detente

Apr 28, 2018

Iran on Saturday welcomed steps towards detente between North and South Korea but warned that the United States was unqualified to play a role since it did not "respect its commitments."The foreign ministry said the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the South's President Moon Jae-in was "a responsible and effective step towards regional and global stability."But ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the "historic new page for detente on the Korean peninsula" should be worked o
[2018 Inter-Korean summit] Major powers welcome Panmunjeom Declaration with caution

Apr 28, 2018

Regional powers welcomed Friday’s Panmunjeom Declaration, but advised caution. US President Donald Trump reacted quickly to the developments with tweets. 　“After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!” Trump wrote on Twitter, just over an hour after the declaration was announced on Friday. US President Donald Trump (Yonhap)　The US leader, who had given “his
Korean-Canadians respond to Toronto van attack

Apr 25, 2018

　South Korean-born musician Sarah Yunji Moon was at home playing her flute in Saskatoon, Canada, when she first heard the tragic news on Monday -- that at least 10 died after a man drove a van into pedestrians near Yonge and Finch area in Toronto, a district widely considered as a mini Koreatown. 　The principal flutist at the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra used to live there during her high school years, as well as from 2014 to early this year. The area is also where her mother and brother still r
CIA officials in Pyongyang for US-North Korea summit: report

Apr 24, 2018

US intelligence officials appear to be in Pyongyang negotiating preparations for the US-North Korea summit, according to a Japanese media report. Washington is currently arranging a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The meeting, if successfully arranged, is expected to take place by early June, about a month after the inter-Korean summit, which is set for Friday. According to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, a number of US officials who appear to be associated with the CIA have been in
No-go warning as Japan volcano erupts for first time in 250 years

Apr 19, 2018

TOKYO, (AFP) -- A volcano in southern Japan erupted for the first time in 250 years on Thursday, spewing steam and ash hundreds of metres into the air, as authorities warned locals not to approach the mountain.　“There is a possibility that (Mount Io) will become more active,” said Makoto Saito, an official from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), confirming the eruption.　In a televised press conference, he warned residents in the area to stay away from the mountain, part of the Mount Kirishim
Trade issues expose the limits of Trump-Abe ‘bromance’

Apr 19, 2018

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe courted the new American president with a golden driver not long after Donald Trump won the White House. He‘s met with the billionaire businessman more than any other world leader, and he is Trump’s second-most frequent caller.　Yet the “bromance” between Trump and Abe has its limits.　　Trump appeared to be successful Tuesday in reassuring Abe that he would take Japan‘s concerns to heart during his upcoming meeting with North Korea’s Kim
Trump leaves open possibility of bailing on meeting with Kim

Apr 19, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump said that although he‘s looking ahead optimistically to a historic summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un he could still pull out if he feels it’s “not going to be fruitful.”　　Trump said that CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Kim "got along really well" in their recent secret meeting, and he declared, "We‘ve never been in a position like this" to address worldwide concerns over North Korea’s nuclear weapons.　　But speaking alongside Japanese Prime
Locals call for stop to Korea’s ODA project in Philippines

Apr 15, 2018

For Remia Castor, a Filipina farmer living along the Jalaur, the river is not just a source of water. It is where she and her family have built their lives and culture for generations.　Today, the river is in crisis, she says, because of a dam construction project funded by the Korean government as part of its official development assistance in the Philippines.　“My ancestors have lived in this land and fought for it for several centuries, but it will be gone because of the project,” said the 49-y
China urges EU to ‘act together’ against US protectionism

Apr 6, 2018

BRUSSELS, April 6, 2018 (AFP) - China on Friday called on the European Union to take a joint stand against US protectionism as the tit-for-tat trade rift between Washington and Beijing threatened to entangle Europe.The call to Brussels came as US President Donald Trump warned that he could slap another $100 billion (86 billion euros) of extra tariffs on China‘s imports, fanning fresh fears of a global trade war.“China and the EU ... should take a clear stance against protectionism, jointly pres
China slaps retaliatory tariffs on 128 US products

Apr 2, 2018

BEIJING -- China on Monday imposed tariffs on 128 US imports worth $3 billion, including fruit and pork, retaliating for US duties on steel and aluminium that Beijing said “seriously infringed” Chinese interests.The move, which was decided by the customs tariff commission of the State Council, followed weeks of rhetoric that has raised fears of a trade war between the world‘s two biggest economies.The Trump administration had said its duties were aimed at steel and aluminium imports that it deem
IOC President Bach meets with N. Korean sports minister in Pyongyang

Mar 30, 2018

International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach met with the North Korean sports minister during his visit to Pyongyang on Friday, the North‘s state media reported.Earlier in the day, the IOC announced that its president was visiting North Korea for discussions on the country’s participation in future Olympic Games.“Minister of Physical Culture and Sports Kim Il-guk, who is chairman of the DPRK Olympic Committee, met and had a talk with the visiting delegation of the IOC led by President Thoma
South Korean President calls for China‘s cooperation to reduce fine dust

Mar 30, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Friday called for China’s cooperation to help reduce South Korea‘s worsening fine dust pollution, which he said the neighboring country is partly responsible for.Moon made the remark during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s envoy, State Councilor Yang Jiechi, who visited Seoul to relay the outcome of Xi‘s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday.“There is a domestic factor in South Korea’s fine dust, but China is also a factor. So there are moun
Leaders of two Koreas congratulate Xi on re-election

Mar 18, 2018

The leaders of South and North Korea sent congratulatory messages to Chinese leader Xi Jinping on his re-election as president, Xinhua News Agency reported.Xi, 64, was unanimously picked president Saturday at the ongoing session of the 13th National People's Congress. He was also elected chairman of the Central Military Commission. President Moon Jae-in said in his message Saturday that he wishes that under Xi's leadership, China realizes the Chinese dream as soon as possible and makes a greater