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N. Korea, Russia reaffirm strong ties in foreign ministers' talks: reports
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Wonsan for the second round of strategic talks between the two countries, a day after Lavrov arrived in the city, where a tourist zone opened earlier this month, according to TASS. In opening remarks, Lavrov reaffirmed Choe's earlier description of their bilateral ties as an "invincible military brotherhood," citing North Korean troops who fought alongside Russian soldiers against Ukrainian forces in Russia
July 12, 2025 -
N. Korea, Russia reaffirm strong ties in foreign ministers' talks: reports
North Korea and Russia reaffirmed their strong ties Saturday during a meeting of their top diplomats in a coastal North Korean resort city, Russian news agencies reported. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Wonsan for the second round of strategic talks between the two countries, a day after Lavrov arrived in the city, where a tourist zone opened earlier this month, according to TASS. In opening remarks, Lavrov reaffirmed Choe's earlier desc
July 12, 2025 -
Lee says Xi to attend APEC summit, Trump undecided: journalist
Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit South Korea to attend the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, while US President Donald Trump remains undecided, a journalist said Saturday, citing his conversation with President Lee Jae Myung. Jeong Kyu-jae, a former editor-in-chief of the Korean Economic Daily, made the remarks in a video on his YouTube channel as he shared details of his luncheon meeting with Lee on Friday, including his possible attendance of an upcoming military pa
July 12, 2025 -
ASEAN, regional partners call for 'complete denuclearization' of Korean Peninsula
Southeast Asian countries and Indo-Pacific partners, including South Korea and the United States, have called for efforts to achieve the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, a joint statement showed Saturday, as they concluded this week's multilateral gathering led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The chair's statement from the ASEAN Regional Forum, released Friday, also underscored the need to resume dialogue among concerned parties for peace and stability, a call
July 12, 2025 -
At ASEAN meetings, S. Korea reaffirms alignment with US, Japan, pushes for NK dialogue
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo has wrapped up his visit to Malaysia after attending a series of multilateral meetings led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a venue marked by three-way talks with the United States and Japan, and calls for dialogue with North Korea. Park's three-day trip, which concluded Friday, also set the stage for Seoul to reaffirm its commitment to ASEAN diplomacy under the new government of President Lee Jae Myung and to demonstrate resilience in the
July 12, 2025 -
S. Korea, US open drive to ‘modernize’ alliance in full-fledged talks
South Korea and the United States held “full-fledged and focused” talks this week to discuss modernizing their alliance, with the aim of strengthening its capabilities and readiness posture amid an evolving regional security environment, the Foreign Ministry said Friday. The director-general-level consultations, held Thursday and Friday in Seoul, marked the first public working-level talks on the subject, bringing together key foreign affairs and defense officials from both sides. Kevin Kim, dep
July 11, 2025 -
Vice FM Park has brief exchanges with FMs of China, Japan at ASEAN meeting
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo had brief encounters with the top diplomats of China and Japan in Malaysia on Thursday, marking the first such in-person exchanges between senior diplomats of the three Asian neighbors since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government. Park was seen approaching Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, followed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, exchanging handshakes and brief greetings with both ministers ahead of a multilateral meeting involving the As
July 10, 2025 -
S. Korea proposes trade, security package deal in tariff talks with US
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Wednesday that South Korea has proposed a "package deal" encompassing economic and security considerations in bilateral tariff negotiations, while also suggesting an early summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters following a four-day visit to Washington, Wi said he held "in-depth" discussions on trade negotiations and broader alliance issues in meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other s
July 9, 2025 -
Existing S. Korea-US defense cost-sharing deal should be upheld: Seoul official
An official at Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the latest South Korea-US defense cost-sharing deal for the 2026-2030 period -- the Special Measures Agreement signed last year under then-US President Joe Biden -- should be upheld. The remark came as US President Donald Trump raised the pressure on South Korea, suggesting that Seoul should shoulder more of the costs of stationing US troops here, on Tuesday, local time. The day before, Trump said he would start imposing 25 percent tari
July 9, 2025 -
How Seoul’s call to hold Japan to account was silenced at UNESCO
South Korea’s bid to spotlight Japan’s longstanding failure to fulfill a promise to have its World Heritage sites address the country's historical subjection of Koreans to forced labor ended in defeat at a UNESCO vote on Monday — a stinging setback. The result exposed Seoul’s limited sway at UNESCO in highlighting the enduring scars of colonial history and its ongoing pursuit of historical justice. For the first time, South Korea and Japan confronted each other in a formal vote at the UNESCO Wor
July 8, 2025 -
Seoul fails to bring Japan’s forced labor issue to fore at UNESCO
South Korea has failed to place Japan’s failure to address colonial-era forced labor at UNESCO-listed Meiji Industrial Revolution sites on UNESCO’s official discussion agenda. The outcome was marked by tense negotiations with Tokyo and behind-the-scenes efforts to rally international support, particularly from the 21-member World Heritage Committee under UNESCO. South Korea initially proposed discussing the issue during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee held on Monday in Paris. Ja
July 7, 2025 -
Lee considers sending ex-interim leader of PPP as special envoy to US
President Lee Jae Myung is considering sending a former interim leader of the People Power Party (PPP), Kim Chong-in, as a special envoy to the United States, sources familiar with the matter said Monday. Democratic Party lawmakers Lee Un-ju and Kim Woo-young are also being considered for the planned delegation to the US, according to the sources. "Appointments related to the special envoy are still under discussions," a senior presidential official said, without elaborating on the final list an
July 7, 2025 -
10 other S. Koreans, family members evacuate Iran amid ceasefire with Israel
10 other South Koreans and their Iranian family members have evacuated Iran since Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire following an intense armed conflict, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. One South Korean and two Iranians departed Tehran between Wednesday and Thursday via a land route and safely arrived in Turkmenistan, the ministry said in a release. Separately, seven South Korean citizens flew out of the Islamic Republic, transiting through Oman and Dubai, and arrived home on Fri
July 4, 2025 -
Lee discusses deepening of partnership in phone talks with NATO chief
President Lee Jae Myung held his first phone talks with Mark Rutte, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, on Thursday and discussed ways to deepen Seoul's partnership with the transnational military alliance, Lee's office said. The phone talks between Lee and Rutte came amid a recent agreement between Seoul and NATO to establish a working-level consultative body on defense industry cooperation. (Yonhap)
July 3, 2025 -
Rubio scraps plan for 1st trip to Korea in early July: Seoul
Top US diplomat Marco Rubio has called off what would have been his first visit to Seoul since taking office, which had been scheduled for early July, according to Seoul. Rubio, who serves both as US Secretary of State and acting White House National Security Advisor, had originally planned to travel to South Korea in the second week of July, prior to the ASEAN-related foreign ministers’ meetings set for July 10–11 in Malaysia. Rubio had planned to travel to South Korea after a stop in Japan, ac
July 3, 2025