For a week from June 25, the anniversary of the Korean War, South Korea suffered from a wave of devastating cyber attacks on nearly 70 state agencies and news outlets. Websites and servers of the presidential office and other targets crashed in one of Korea’s largest ever cyber attacks. Seoul pinpointed North Korea as the likely mastermind, but Pyongyang flatly denied responsibility. Verbal accusations and warnings were all that South Koreans could do, as there are no international binding norms

Despite growing tension among Korea, China and Japan, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat could be the cornerstone of an East Asia community that will nurture greater political, economic and cultural exchanges, its new chief Shigeo Iwatani told The Korea Herald. The Seoul-based organization was launched in May 2011 to promote three-way dialogue, cooperative projects and joint researchs.But its role is seen confined this year in the face of territorial and historical tension. Neither a summit

Top diplomats from Seoul and Washington reaffirmed their goal of denuclearizing North Korea Friday amid reports that Pyongyang is reactivating its atomic weapons programs while offering to resume long-stalled disarmament-for-aid negotiations. South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to discuss bilateral ties, Pyongyang’s nuclear program, the Syrian crisis and other regional and global issues. They concurr

South Korea on Monday urged the North to change course and cooperate to hold the reunions of separated families that had been scheduled for this week but were abruptly called off by Pyongyang last weekend. The Unification Ministry also said the North’s decision effectively nullified Seoul’s proposal for talks on Oct. 2 on resuming tours to Mount Geumgangsan. “North Korea should come forward to accept the family reunions as quickly as possible so that the families’ pain and wounds are healed,” mi

The two Koreas are quickening preparations for the first reunions of separated families in three years by exchanging the lists of participants and readying venues and equipment. One hundred people from each side are scheduled to reunite with their loved ones at Mount Geumgangsan on Sept. 25-30. The finalists are to be announced Monday by the Red Cross. Nearly 100 South Korean engineers and workers are currently staying at the scenic mountain resort to carry out repairs and maintenance on facilit

The two Koreas agreed Wednesday to reopen their joint industrial park in Gaeseong next Monday, signing a package deal aimed at improving its operations and attracting overseas firms in the future. The agreement was reached after talks lasting 20 hours in the North’s border city that will end a five-month suspension of the last remaining symbol of cross-border cooperation.The delegates issued a five-point statement that outlines plans to set up the panel’s secretariat in Gaeseong this month and i

A senior U.S. official on Friday called on North Korea to take steps toward denuclearization before restarting the long-dormant six-party talks on its weapons program which is a “driver of instability” in the region. Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, downplayed the need for an informal meeting of officials and experts from the countries, which was recently proposed by China. “It is crystal clear in the joint statement of 2005 that the goal of the six

GAESEONG/SEOUL ― South Korea has decided to resume support for World Health Organization programs to help malnourished North Korean children in a fresh sign of warming cross-border relations. The Unification Ministry said Monday the government would finance half the $12.6 million project, which was launched in 2006 to help improve hospitals, train personnel and boost supplies of essential medicine in the North. Seoul contributed about $10 million annually to the program between 2006 and 2008 and