Korea has not detected any signs North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is preparing a visit to China, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, commenting on what would be his first foreign trip since taking power.On Monday, the Korean newspaper AsiaToday reported that the Swiss-educated North Korean leader is expected to make a state visit to China as early as July 27 and no later than Oct. 1. July 27 marks the day the Armistice Agreement was signed to end the 1950-53 Korean War in which China fought alongs

South Korea should keep pressing North Korea to make Pyongyang abandon its nuclear ambitions, the country's top diplomat said Tuesday, adding that the focus should be placed on enforcing tough sanctions on Pyongyang until it leads to results."Things have become graver than ever before since the (North's) fourth nuclear test," Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said during a parliamentary interpellation session. "We should be focused on sanctions in a way they can have more impact."North Korea conduct

Former United States servicemen who served in Korea will launch a fraternity group this year with a membership hovering at some 3.5 million veterans, local defense officials said Tuesday.Efforts are underway to establish the Korea Defense Veterans Association  sometime within this year under the sponsorship of diplomatic and defense authorities of both the U.S. and South Korea, an official source said. The KDVA, if established as planned, will help bring together U.S. Forces Korea veterans who w

Congress can block a future U.S. president from withdrawing troops from allies just as it did so when former President Jimmy Carter attempted to pull all U.S. forces out of Korea in the 1970s, a U.S. senator said.The remark by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) came as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has threatened to end U.S. troop presence in Korea and Japan unless the Asian allies agree to pay more for the upkeep of American forces stationed there."As a senator, I play an important role in

Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann will visit Korea next week for talks with President Park Geun-hye and other officials to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and other areas, the Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.Schneider-Ammann will arrive in Seoul on Wednesday next week for a two-day visit following his three-day visit to Singapore, the presidential office said. He will be the first Swiss president to visit the Asian country since the two countries opened diplomat

A senior South Korean foreign ministry official will leave for Britain to discuss its recent decision to leave the European Union with local officials and experts, a source here said Monday.Kim Hyoung-zhin, South Korea's deputy foreign minister, will hold talks with Hugo Swire, his British counterpart, on the Brexit decision in London on Monday (local time), according to the ministry. Last month, Britons held a referendum and voted to leave the EU. Following the so-called Brexit decision, global

The Korea America Friendship Society hosted a reception Thursday to celebrate the “robust” and “comprehensive” military alliance between Korea and the U.S. and honor charitable activities by American service personnel.The annual event -- “Korea America Friendship Night” -- gathered high-ranking military officials, armed forces members, diplomats and businessmen from both sides, as some 700 guests convened at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul. For their voluntary services in local communities, five

Korea on Wednesday condemned the terror attacks that happened in Turkey, vowing that it will keep working with the international community in eradicating terrorism.On Tuesday (local time) suicide bombers attacked Istanbul's Ataturk airport leaving more than 30 people dead and nearly 150 injured. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack."Our government cannot but express our shock and worry that a number of innocent people lost their lives to the terror attacks at Istanbul's Ataturk

The United States, Korea and Japan conducted their first joint missile-tracking exercise off Hawaii on Tuesday in an effort to better defend against threats from North Korea, officials said.The "Pacific Dragon" exercise came as the North has been carrying out a series of test firings of the Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile. Last week, Pyongyang claimed success in its sixth test of the missile believed to be capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam. It was the first set of anti-

South Korea on Tuesday welcomed China and Russia's resolve to oppose North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and implement U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang.Speaking at a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said Seoul "welcomes" the statement issued after Saturday's summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who expressed their opposition to the North's nuclear and missile strategy.The summit came days after Pyongyang claimed