South Korea and Japan have agreed on the thorny issue on how to use the fund Tokyo will provide Seoul to compensate victims of sexual enslavement during the colonial occupation era, a Japanese media report said Friday.The two countries' foreign ministers will hold telephone talks later in the day to confirm the agreement and officially announce it, Kyodo News said.To put an end to the decades-old diplomatic row over the wartime atrocity committed during the colonial period (1910-45), the neighbo

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday the "critical security alliance" with South Korea is key to peace and stability in Northeast Asia, as he issued a congratulatory message ahead of South Korea's Liberation Day."Our bilateral partnership continues to thrive based on our shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Our enduring relationship brings opportunities and prosperity to our two countries, and our critical security alliance brings peace and stabilit

South Korea will confer a state medal on Japan's U.N. ambassador, Koro Bessho, for his contribution to relations between the two countries.South Korean Ambassador Oh Joon will award the Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit to the Japanese envoy in a ceremony at the South's mission to the U.N. in New York on Friday, the office said.The medal is the highest honor in the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit.Before taking office as U.N. ambassador in June, Bessho served as Japan's to

Fewer South Koreans said they think positively of Chinese President Xi Jinping this month compared to early July, a local public opinion poll showed Thursday. The result has been attributed to the growing diplomatic row between South Korea and China over the planned deployment of an advanced U.S. missile shield in the country. The survey conducted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies from Aug. 1-3 showed the Chinese president received 4.47 points on the 0-10 scale designed to gauge the favor

President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday stepped up her efforts to curb the continuing criticism of the planned deployment of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system to the peninsula, reiterating the crucial security issue must not be politicized."Fostering antagonism among citizens through criticism and conflict without (suggesting) any alternatives is like pushing the nation and the people to bear the fallouts of a crisis," Park said during her congratulatory remarks at the ruling Saenuri Party's natio

South Korea is making efforts to maintain its strong alliance with the United States no matter who becomes president in the upcoming election there, a senior foreign ministry official said Friday."It is important to keep good ties both with Democratic and Republican parties to advance South Korea-U.S. relations going forward," Kim Hyoung-zhin, a deputy foreign minister, said during a forum held in Seoul. "Whoever becomes president, we will push to further improve the strategic alliance between S

The U.S. State Department on Wednesday stressed the importance of handling historical issues in a way that "promotes healing and reconciliation" after Japan's new defense minister refused to rule out the possibility of paying respect at a Tokyo shrine honoring war criminals.Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said in her first press conference that whether to visit the Yasukuni Shrine is a "matter of the heart," leaving open the possibility of visiting the controversial shrine honoring Japan'

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Tuesday denounced the U.S. free trade pact with South Korea as a "disaster" and a "job killing" deal, reinforcing concern about possible negative effects his election could have on the landmark agreement.Trump made the remark during a campaign stop in Ashburn, Virginia, blaming free trade deals for job losses and other U.S. economic woes, and accusing his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, of backing such agreements."So listen, since 2000 the

South Korea will send its first contingent of officials to Rio de Janeiro to help run a temporary consulate office that will be tasked with providing better protection for its citizens and athletes, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.The team consisting of ministry officials and a doctor will leave for the Brazilian city later in the day, according to the ministry.They are an advance team that will help run a temporary consulate office which will operate around the clock from Thursday until Aug.