By Kim Jae-shin Secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre Today marks the 57th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, celebrated as ASEAN Day. In the aftermath of World War II, the international political landscape became increasingly unpredictable with the tensions of the Cold War, a phenomenon that did not pass by the Southeast Asian region. In response, five countries -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand -- issued the ASEA

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The US is deploying additional military might in the Middle East as a defensive measure with a goal of deescalating tensions in the region, a White House official said on Sunday. Regional tensions have increased following the assassination on Wednesday of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tehran a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Both groups are back

Herald Corp., proudly presents the anticipated H.eco Forum 2024, slated to take place on May 22 at Seoul’s Some Sevit. The forum convenes under the theme “The Transition: Blue, Clean, and Green,” aiming to foster discussions on energy transition for sustainable growth. Maria Castillo Fernandez, ambassador of the EU to the Republic of Korea, will focus on the EU’s clean energy transition toward climate neutrality and global partnership. Nobuo Tanaka, executive director eme

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories (AFP) -- Israeli troops battled Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday after expanding their offensive deeper into the besieged territory, with warnings that an "even more hellish scenario" was unfolding for trapped civilians. Israel had initially focused its offensive on the north of the territory, but the army is now also dropping leaflets on parts of the south, telling Palestinian civilians there to flee to other areas. Israeli tank

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories -- Israel expanded its offensive against Hamas militants in besieged Gaza on Monday, as international concern deepened over the mounting civilian death toll in a war sparked by the Oct. 7 attacks. The return to open warfare after the truce between Israel and Hamas expired has had ripple effects around a region on the cusp of a wider conflagration. Since the expiry of the truce on Friday, fighting in Gaza has resumed between Hamas and advancing Israeli troops,

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Inflation is slowing steadily, but it’s too early to declare victory or to discuss when the Federal Reserve might cut interest rates, Chair Jerome Powell said. Speaking at Spelman College in Atlanta, Powell noted that consumer prices, excluding volatile food and energy costs, rose at just a 2.5 percent annual rate in the past six months. That’s not far above the Fed’s 2 percent inflation target. Still, more progress is needed, Powell said. He added, “It

GAZA/JERUSALEM -- Israel's military said it was ready to evacuate babies from Gaza's largest hospital Sunday, where Palestinian officials said two newborns died and dozens more were at risk after fuel ran out amid intense fighting in the area. As the humanitarian situation worsened, Gaza's border authority said the Rafah crossing into Egypt would reopen Sunday for foreign passport holders after closing Friday. Hamas said it had completely or partially destroyed more than 160 Israe

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip -- Israel said Wednesday that it will allow Egypt to deliver limited humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The first crack in a punishing 10-day siege on the territory came one day after a blast at a hospital killed hundreds and put immense strain on Gaza’s struggling medical system. The announcement to allow water, food and other supplies happened as fury over the blast at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Hospital spread across the Middle East, and as US President Joe Biden

By Kim Hae-yong, secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Center ​Every August 8th, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations celebrates ASEAN Day in commemoration of its founding in 1967. While the celebration lends ASEAN’s collective effort to consolidate the region’s unity, it is also an opportune time to reflect on how ASEAN and Korea have become indispensable partners. Amid the multifaceted challenges brought about by the regional dynamics, the significance of the ASEAN-Korea par

NURDAGI, Turkey -- Rescuers raced against time early Wednesday to pull survivors from the rubble before they succumbed to cold weather two days after an earthquake tore through southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria. The death toll climbed above 7,700 and was expected to rise further. The last two days have brought dramatic rescues, including small children emerging from mounds of debris more than 30 hours after Monday’s pre-dawn quake. But there was also widespread despair and gro

PHILADELPHIA -- US President Joe Biden, Democratic superstar Barack Obama and Republican firebrand Donald Trump all converged in Pennsylvania on Saturday to push their parties to the finishing line in a race Biden said marks a "defining" moment for US democracy. The battle of the serving and two former presidents marked the start of a final crescendo before Tuesday when Americans will decide who controls Congress during the last two years of Biden's first term. Polls put Republica

Delhi is now the fastest growing city in Asia, according to a new study from Oxford Economics. Indian cities are set to expand the most across the region, with growth speeding up from the past 5 years.Tianjin is forecast to clock the fastest growth in China, given that it has a large manufacturing base and one of the nation’s busiest ports. Ho Chi Minh was the only non-Indian city in the top five, reflecting the city’s success in establishing itself as a manufacturing center, as well as its stro

The strongest sanctions yet against North Korea could still prove no match for the communist country's relentless nuclear weapons ambitions.　While the United States hails a new package of UN penalties that could cut a third of North Korea’s exports, the sanctions themselves aren't the American objective. They’re only a tactic for getting Kim Jong-un's totalitarian government to end its missile advances and atomic weapons tests, and there is little evidence to suggest this newest round of economi