US President Joe Biden said there is room for improvement for Seoul and Tokyo’s strained relationship, and stressed on the importance of building strong ties in the wake of growing competition between democracies and autocracies, Saturday. Speaking at a press conference following the first summit talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, Biden said he spoke about Korea’s relationship with Japan with Yoon in “generic terms,” and explained how he thinks

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his US counterpart Joe Biden agreed Saturday to launch a new communication channel between their offices for “frequent” communication of the two countries to strengthen bilateral cooperation on economic security. Recognizing how the future of the alliance between the two countries will be defined by their common efforts to address the challenges ahead, they also pledged to deepen and broaden cooperation on critical and emerging technologies

In the past decades, global warming has gained much awareness, prompting the international society to look for solutions, but rising sea levels, one of the consequences, has often been overlooked, renowned photojournalist Kadir van Lohuizen said. People should understand the seriousness of rising sea levels around the world and act fast, as it could bring “the biggest displacement of mankind in history,” van Lohuizen said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “(Rising sea l

South Korea will join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a US-led economic initiative, as a founding member, the presidential office said Wednesday. The decision appears likely to put further pressure on Seoul to choose a side in the US-China rivalry, with Beijing already expressing opposition to South Korea’s entry. President Yoon Suk-yeol will be participating in the launching ceremony of the initiative via video call, as the event is planned to take place in Tokyo on May 24, accord

North Korea appears to be preparing for a possible intercontinental ballistic missile test within the next 48 to 96 hours in time for US President Joe Biden’s visit to Seoul and Tokyo this weekend, CNN reported Wednesday. An official familiar with the matter told CNN that a government assessment shows that “things we have noticed in the past for a launch are the things we are noticing now.” While the official did not provide specific details on the latest satellite imagery

North Korea criticized South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol as a person who likes to “show off,” and said Yoon is rehashing an old-school North Korea policy, Tuesday. Uriminjokkiri, one of the North’s propaganda websites, called Yoon a “manspreading ship owner” who solely pursues his own authority and pleasure, and bothers his subordinates by ordering the relocation of the presidential office and the residence. The website also pointed how Yoon has “imper

US President Joe Biden’s plans to meet former South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his visit to Seoul this weekend, have raised eyebrows, as Moon no longer holds office. The schedule has prompted observers to speculate on the purpose of the meeting, with the possibility that Seoul and Washington are considering asking Moon to serve as an intermediary to North Korea among the most widely held expectations. Former Unification Minister Chung Se-hyun said Biden was meeting Moon for a

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reprimanded officials for failing to deliver medicine in time, and ordered the mobilization of the military to stabilize the supply in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, North Korea’s state media reported Monday. Raising concerns over the virus spread, Kim also strongly criticized law enforcement officials for failing to prevent people from hoarding and illegally distributing the medicines, the Korean Central News Agency said. “The fact that the m

North Korea appears to be ready to conduct a nuclear test, and may conduct further missiles tests beforehand, South Korea’s presidential office said Friday. The government is also trying to figure out the reason for Pyongyang’s movements, a presidential official told reporters. If conducted, it will be Pyongyang’s seventh nuclear test. “North Korea has already staged six nuclear tests, and we are trying to figure out why it needs an additional test, whether it is for

South Korea says it intends to provide COVID-19 vaccines and other medical supplies to North Korea, which is suffering from an “explosive” spread of the virus. The presidential office said Friday that President Yoon Suk-yeol had decided to provide the North with the supplies. However, Pyongyang has not indicated whether it will accept them. Previous offers of pandemic aid have been rebuffed.　 “President Yoon Suk-yeol will support North Korean people with COVID-19 vaccines a

Former President Moon Jae-in made his first social media posts since he moved to his hometown after his presidential term ended earlier in the week.  Moon revealed that he visited his parents’ graves and a temple near his house in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, via posts on his Facebook and Twitter late Thursday. “Coming out for first time after returning to my hometown. I paid respects at my father and mother’s graves, and also visited Tongdosa temple,” M

Unification Minister nominee Kwon Young-se said he would consider visiting Pyongyang as a special envoy when he steps into office, during a parliamentary confirmation hearing on Thursday. “I will consider the situation with North Korea and consult with our foreign policy and national defense team and openly consider the possibility,” he said in response to a question from Rep. Lee Tae-kyu of the ruling People Power Party. Kwon is a four-term lawmaker who is considered a close asso

North Korea officially confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak for the first time in a state media report on Thursday. Calling the situation the “biggest emergency,” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered a de-facto lockdown to prevent further spread of the disease. According to the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang has detected cases of the stealth omicron variant, the highly transmissible offshoot of the omicron virus. “The country’s biggest emergency has occurred with a

South Korea should sort out its priorities and pursue a strategic partnership with China on an equal standing while maintaining a strong alliance with the US, amid apparent efforts by Beijing and Washington to bolster ties with Seoul, experts said on Wednesday. To celebrate the inauguration of South Korea’s new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, China sent Vice President Wang Qishan, a close aide of its president, Xi Jinping, and the highest-level official to visit the country for such an event.

South Korea’s new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, begins his term with more difficult challenges on the diplomacy and security fronts amid the fast-changing world order and increasing North Korean threats. As a conservative, Yoon has presented a foreign policy that would reorient the country toward closer ties with the United States, and take a hard-line approach in dealing with North Korea and its missile provocations -- shifting the course from the one that his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-