Buoyed by a recent election sweep, high-flying Japanese officials are again churning out inflammatory remarks and backing visits to a controversial war shrine, posing another stumbling block to defrosting relations between Seoul and Tokyo. At a lecture on Monday, Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Taro Aso called for a swift constitutional amendment, citing how the Nazis neutralized Germany’s Weimar Constitution in the 1930s. “It is a mistake to think that crying for a protection of the Constit

South Korea and the U.S. on Tuesday discussed ways to improve the implementation of sanctions aimed at impeding the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran. David Cohen, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the U.S. Treasury Department, met with Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun. He also visited Cho Tae-yong, the Foreign Ministry’s top nuclear negotiator and special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and Eun Sung-soo, deputy minister for inte

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se honored the 21 countries that fought in the Korean War at an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the armistice on Wednesday. “We will be ever together,” read the plaque of appreciation that Yun offered the ambassadors and other diplomats from the U.S., Turkey, Australia, the Philippines, Ethiopia and other nations that together sent 2 million troops, supplies and aid as part the U.N. forces.  “They sacrificed their youth to defend a country they never knew a

South Korea and the U.S. opened tough negotiations Wednesday over how to share costs for the upkeep of American troops here as Washington calls for Seoul to increase its financial support amid North Korean threats and U.S. budget cuts. It is the second round of high-level talks to renew the Special Measures Agreement on burden-sharing for the some 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea due to expire at the end of this year. The two-day meeting was led by Hwang Joon-kook, former minister at the South Ko

GAESEONG, North Korea ― The two Koreas failed again to agree on reopening their joint industrial park in Gaeseong during a third round of talks in the North Korean border city Monday. The two sides ended the meeting without a breakthrough, setting the next meeting for Wednesday.Seoul repeated its demand for a guarantee from Pyongyang against a future suspension before its normalization. The North called for its reopening without any preconditions but offered a revised draft agreement.“During the

The two Koreas waged a war of nerves over the weekend ahead of a third round of negotiations on Monday over the idle Gaeseong industrial park and future cross-border ties. North Korea on Saturday belatedly disclosed its telephone notice to the South three days ago in which it criticized the Seoul government’s refusal to hold separate talks over a joint tour program at Mount Geumgangsan. South Korea accepted Wednesday its reclusive neighbor’s dialogue offer on restarting reunions of separated fam

GAESEONG -- The two Koreas failed to narrow their differences over how to reopen the idle joint industrial zone during a second round of negotiations in Gaeseong on Wednesday.After walking down parallel lines throughout five sessions, they agreed to meet again in the border city on Monday, while plant managers continue to check and repair the facilities.Seoul’s chief delegate Suh Ho demanded Pyongyang display a “responsible stance” over the unilateral entry ban and consequent damage for the firm