Top presidential aide meets Canadian defense procurement chief amid push for submarine projectPresidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Friday he met with Canada's defense procurement chief in Seoul as the Korean government steps up efforts to win Ottawa's lucrative submarine project. The meeting between Kang and Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, Stephen Fuhr, took place at Cheong Wa Dae. It came about a week after their earlier talks in Canada last month, when Kang visited the country as a special envoy tasked with promoting Korea's defense exports. "Canada's submarine project is a challenging task for us as it requires overcoming the high entry barrier of an advanced country's defense market," Kang wrote on his Facebook account, referring to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, estimated to be worth 60 trillion won ($41 billion). A consortium of Korea's Hanwha Ocean Co. and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. has been shortlisted as one of the final two contenders, alongside Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. "Though the situation is challenging, the government and companies will unite as 'one team' and do our utmost until the very end," he added. KangFeb 6, 2026By Yonhap
China's top envoy says issue of disputed steel structures in West Sea making positive progressChina's top envoy to South Korea said Wednesday the issue of removing disputed steel structures built in the overlapping waters of the West Sea is making progress in a positive direction. Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing made the remark at an event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul to commemorate the upcoming Lunar New Year, after China's foreign ministry announced last month that work was under way to remove one of the three steel structures in the sea zone where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap. It is making progress in a positive direction, Dai told reporters. Dai pointed to two rounds of summits between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jiping, including the latest in Beijing, where they discussed the maritime issue. The ambassador added that the countries are stepping up working-level exchanges and need to follow through on what their leaders agreed on. China built two semisubmersible buoys in 2018 and 2024, and a fixed steel platform in 2022 in the Provisional Maritime Zone. The issue has been a source of tension in bilateral relations, as Seoul haFeb 4, 2026By Yonhap
Korean gov't says Trump's tariff threat not linked to CoupangThe Korean government sees U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to raise tariffs on Korean goods as being unrelated to the controversy over Korean authorities’ investigation into Coupang or proposed online platform regulations. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in a parliamentary session on Wednesday, “Based on our contacts with the U.S. Department of State following the announcement, we have concluded that it has no direct connection to Coupang or the online platform bill.” His comments follow speculation that Trump’s sudden tariff hike threat announced on social media on Monday (local time) was linked to Korea’s push to penalize Coupang over the U.S.-listed company’s massive customer data leak or its move to regulate online platform companies, which the U.S. says could potentially result in unfair treatment for American firms. The minister also implied the Korean government is still grappling to understand why Trump threatened to raise the tariffs from 15 percent to 25 percent. “It is difficult to pinpoint any specific and reasonably presumed special motive … I think thaJan 28, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
China begins relocating some West Sea structuresChina said Tuesday that it was relocating maritime structures it had installed in overlapping waters of the West Sea between China and Korea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul welcomed the move as a “meaningful step forward.” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a press briefing that “a Chinese company is currently carrying out work related to moving a management platform.” Guo added that the move is “an arrangement autonomously adjusted by the company in line with its own operational and development needs.” China installed the Shenlan 1 and 2 structures in 2018 and 2024, respectively, in the Provisional Measures Zone of the West Sea, where the exclusive economic zones of Korea and China overlap. In 2022, it dispatched an oil drilling ship to manage these facilities. President Lee Jae Myung said on Jan. 7 that the Chinese side had expressed its intention to withdraw some facilities related to the West Sea structures, which have become a source of tension between Korea and China. His comments came two days after his summit with Chinese President XiJan 27, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Korean Americans live in ‘constant fear’ of Trump immigration policies, activist says“Even though the U.S. government says it distinguishes between lawful and unlawful immigrants, and between those with and without criminal records, that line is not enforced in reality,” said Kim Dong-seok, head of the nonprofit Korean American Grassroots Conference, in an interview at Hankook Ilbo headquarters on Jan. 8. “People are being rounded up indiscriminately. For the past year, we have lived under constant fear.” Kim is widely regarded as one of the most politically connected Korean American figures in Washington. Yet even for him, the first year of Donald Trump’s return to power was marked by what he described as “pure fear.” How did President Trump manage to push through policies to this extent? Kim said the political conditions surrounding him have fundamentally shifted. “During his first term, anti-immigration policies were largely justified on national security grounds. But his inner circle was unprepared, and at times restrained him from carrying out policies that went too far,” explained Kim. “This time, however, Trump returned to office with Project 2Jan 20, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korea, US discuss cooperation in space commerceSenior officials of Seoul and Washington met in Seoul on Monday to discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation between Korean and U.S. space companies, the foreign ministry said. Park Jong-han, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, and Taylor Jordan, director of the Office of Space Commerce at the U.S. Department of Commerce, took part in the talks, according to the ministry. In the meeting, Park stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation in establishing a trustworthy supply chain and for joint entries into overseas markets amid a rapidly expanding global space economy.Jan 19, 2026By Yonhap
Lee urges mutually beneficial ties in meeting with Japan's ex-PM AsoPresident Lee Jae Myung said Friday that Seoul and Tokyo have to seek mutually beneficial relations by improving bilateral ties. In a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Lee said South Korea and Japan are neighbors using a front yard together. "It is desirable to find out as many areas as possible where the two countries cooperate, so as to create a mutually beneficial relationship" Lee said. Lee's meeting with the former Japanese prime minister came as he took a trip to Japan earlier this week for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on ways to broaden and deepen bilateral cooperation amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo. The president met Takaichi in her hometown of Nara, marking his second visit to Japan and his fifth summit with a Japanese prime minister since taking office in June last year. It was their second summit following their first meeting in South Korea's Gyeongju in late October. During Tuesday's talks, the two leaders agreed to advance "future-oriented cooperation" through reciprocal leader-level visits, dubbed "shuttle diplomacy." Lee saidJan 16, 2026By Yonhap
The curse of sanctioned oil: Why turmoil in Iran and Venezuela hurts ChinaThe capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the deadly nationwide protests in Iran are separate events unfolding on different continents. However, political unrest simultaneously battering the two oil-rich nations could converge to become a defining moment with far-reaching consequences for global geopolitics and trade. Following Maduro’s extradition to New York to face criminal charges, including narco-terrorism, U.S. President Donald Trump made clear that Washington intends to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry. On Friday, he said the United States would invest at least $100 billion to rebuild the country’s battered energy sector. “The U.S. said narco-terrorism was the primary reason behind its operation to arrest Maduro. But it is fair to say that the real motive stems from Washington’s plan to control Venezuela’s oil industry,” said Choo Jae-woo, a professor at Kyung Hee University. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 303 billion barrels, followed by Saudi Arabia with 267 billion and Iran with 209 billion. In the waJan 16, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung
China signals end to hallyu ban as K-pop prepares for returnFor nearly a decade, Korea’s entertainment industry has faced a long, dark tunnel when it comes to China. Now, however, a faint light appears to be emerging at the far end. China’s long-standing restrictions on Korean pop culture — commonly referred to as the hallyu or Korean wave, ban— are showing signs of gradually easing. At Chinese music retailers, K-pop albums have returned to store shelves and are once again displayed prominently. On Chinese streaming platforms, a local remake of the Korean drama “My Mister” has been unveiled. The shift in atmosphere is even fueling cautious optimism about the possibility of a government-level K-pop concert backed by the Korean government in China — something that had previously failed to materialize. The Hallyu ban effectively took hold in 2016, following Korea’s deployment of the U.S.-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, which Beijing viewed as a threat to its security interests. Although the Chinese government never formally announced the measure, it functioned as a sweeping, unofficial banJan 15, 2026By Hankookilbo
Lee, Takaichi play drums together after summit in Japan's NaraPresident Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played drums together and exchanged drumsticks after their summit in Japan on Tuesday, Cheong Wa Dae said. The two leaders shared the lighthearted moment after their talks in Nara, Takaichi's hometown and constituency, marking the first time in 15 years that a Korean president has visited a Japanese city outside Tokyo for a bilateral summit. During the informal talks, the leaders sat at a drum set made by Japanese manufacturer Pearl and performed "Golden" from the Netflix series "KPop Demon Hunters" as well as K-pop group BTS' hit song "Dynamite" together, presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-joon said in a written briefing. After the performance, Lee told Takaichi, "I fulfilled a lifelong dream today. Ever since I was young, I have wanted to play the drums." Takaichi, who is known to have played heavy metal drums in college, guided Lee through the performance, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere, according to Kim. The two leaders wore a blue uniform prepared by the Japanese side, bearing their names in English and theirJan 13, 2026By Yonhap
