FM Cho holds phone talks with Ukrainian counterpart on bilateral ties, regional issuesForeign Minister Cho Hyun held telephone talks with his Ukraine counterpart Monday to discuss bilateral relations and the regional situation, the foreign ministry said. During the conversation with Andrii Sybiha, Cho expressed Korea's keen interest in developments related to peace negotiations amid the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war. He noted that Seoul is closely monitoring the situation and will seriously consider ways to support post-war reconstruction, the ministry added. In response, Sybiha expressed his appreciation for Korea's continued support for Ukraine. The two ministers also exchanged views on the latest developments surrounding Ukraine and the international community's response. They also pledged close communication on the sidelines of upcoming multilateral gatherings, including the U.N. General Assembly later this month.Sep 15, 2025By Yonhap
Korea, Japan hold economic security dialogueSouth Korea and Japan held high-level economic talks in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss cooperation in supply chains and advanced technologies, the presidential office said. Song Ki-ho, presidential secretary for economic security, and Takeshi Soda, Cabinet councilor of Japan's National Security Secretariat, led their respective delegations at the fourth Korea-Japan Economic Security Dialogue. The two sides exchanged opinions on a wide range of economic security issues and discussed ways to collaborate on supply chain resilience and cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology, according to the office. The latest dialogue comes after President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to strengthen communication in economic security at their summit in Tokyo last month. The two nations will hold the next round of talks next year, it noted.Sep 10, 2025By Yonhap
Korea voices 'serious concern' over Israel's strike on Qatar amid ceasefire talksKorea voiced "serious concern" Wednesday over Israel's air strike on Qatar's capital the previous day, calling it an "unacceptable" act that violates Qatar's territorial sovereignty. The statement by the foreign ministry's spokesperson came a day after Israel struck Doha in an attempt to kill Hamas leaders gathered to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. "Israel's attack was an unacceptable act that violated Qatar's territorial sovereignty, and our government expresses serious concern over the possibility it will lead to a further worsening of regional instability," the spokesperson said. "Our government highly assesses Qatar's mediation efforts for peace in the Middle East, and calls for the efforts of parties involved for a swift ceasefire and release of hostages," the spokesperson added.Sep 10, 2025By Yonhap
Industry minister delivers 'strong' regret over immigration crackdownKorea's industry minister said Monday that he had expressed "strong" regret to his U.S. counterpart over the detention of South Korean workers. More than 300 Korean nationals are being held at a detention center in Folkston, Georgia, following a raid last Thursday (local time) at an electric vehicle battery plant construction site operated by a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution near Savannah. During a meeting with lawmakers, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said he had expressed "deep" regret over the detention of the Korean workers to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. "I clearly said to Commerce Secretary Lutnick, how could the visa issue be dealt with like this in return for massive investment (by Korea)?" Kim said. Kim said it is true that the Seoul government has been working for years to resolve visa-related issues with the United States.Sep 8, 2025By Yonhap
Top diplomats of Korea, France agree on AI, space, defense cooperationThe top diplomats of Korea and France on Monday agreed to closely cooperate in the artificial intelligence (AI), space and defense sectors. During phone talks, Seoul's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, assessed that bilateral exchanges and cooperation have deepened in various sectors. The two also agreed to closely communicate on upgrading the bilateral ties on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year.Sep 8, 2025By Yonhap
Lee, Mongolian president agree to bolster bilateral ties in phone talksPresident Lee Jae Myung spoke by phone with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh on Thursday and discussed ways to further strengthen their strategic partnership, Lee's office said. In their first conversation since Lee took office, the two leaders agreed to expand people-to-people exchanges and maintain close communication to deepen bilateral ties, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. Lee proposed "mutually beneficial" cooperation between Mongolia, rich in natural resources, and South Korea, which possesses advanced technologies, Kang said. He also welcomed the opening of a memorial hall in Mongolia honoring Lee Tae-joon (1883-1921), a Korean independence activist who served as the physician to Mongolia's last khan, and expressed appreciation for the Mongolian government's support. Khurelsukh, in turn, expressed gratitude for Lee's attention to migrant workers in South Korea, including those from Mongolia, according to Kang.Sep 4, 2025By Yonhap
Foreign ministry checks protection measures for S. Koreans in Indonesia amid unrestThe foreign ministry held a joint meeting with overseas diplomatic missions Monday to review measures to protect its nationals in Indonesia, as nationwide protests escalate over lawmakers' privileges. Yoon Chu-sok, director general for overseas Koreans and consular affairs, urged officials in the meeting to closely monitor developments, maintain constant communication between the ministry and overseas missions and take all possible steps to ensure the safety of Koreans there, the ministry said in a release. Violent protests are escalating in the Southeast Asian nation after reports revealed that lawmakers had received additional housing allowances exceeding the minimum wage of ordinary citizens, on top of their salaries. Public anger toward the elite has further intensified after a motorcycle delivery worker was killed by a police vehicle during a crackdown on protesters.Sep 1, 2025By Yonhap
Lee holds phone talks with Kyrgyz presidentPresident Lee Jae Myung held a phone call with Kyrgyzstan's president to discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation, the presidential office said Thursday. During the call, Lee thanked Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov for congratulating him on his inauguration and expressed hopes to strengthen cooperation in supply chains and the energy sector, according to a written briefing by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. Lee also called for special attention toward ethnic Koreans residing in Kyrgyzstan. The two leaders agreed to work toward further advancing their comprehensive strategic partnership, amid increased trading and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. They also plan to work closely together to host the Korea-Central Asia summit scheduled for next year. The event was pushed back due to political fallout in Korea following President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on Dec. 3 last year and subsequent impeachment. (Yonhap)Aug 28, 2025By Yonhap
APEC energy ministers call for efforts to bolster energy security, stabilize energy supplyEnergy ministers of member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Thursday called for joint efforts to strengthen energy security and broaden access to energy supplies amid soaring demand for electricity fueled by the growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) sector and other advanced industries. Wrapping up the two-day APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting in Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the ministers adopted a joint statement underscoring the importance of international cooperation to address global energy challenges, according to Korea's energy ministry. The energy ministers' meeting, chaired by South Korea, was held under the theme "Accelerating Sustainable, Affordable, Reliable, Secure and Innovative Energy for a Prosperous Future" from Wednesday to Thursday, bringing together energy chiefs of 21 APEC member economies, including the United States, China, Japan and Russia. "We note the rising demand for electricity across the APEC region, particularly driven by the increasing electrification of households, commercial buildings, transport and indusAug 28, 2025By Yonhap
From Vermont to Alaska, Korean American couple’s 5-year journey honors forgotten Korean War heroesANCHORAGE, Alaska — Ten Alaskans lost their lives during the Korean War, a bloody conflict that erupted on June 25, 1950, when communist North Korea invaded the South. Among them were three Indigenous Americans. Most of these young men were just teenagers or in their early 20s when their lives were cut short in a faraway land few had known before their deployment. They died fighting for the freedom of South Korea. Decades after the armistice of July 1953 brought the fighting to a halt, these little-known Alaskan soldiers have finally been honored, as Sung-yull and Chang-wha Koo, a Korean American couple based in New York, launched an initiative to locate and commemorate fallen Korean War soldiers across the United States. On Friday, the couple held a memorial service at Northwood Elementary School in Anchorage to pay tribute to the 10 Alaskan servicemen. The ceremony included a donation of $5,000 to rename the school library after Private John Byron “Little Jack” Whitson Jr. (1932-1953), one of the fallen soldiers. Northwood Elementary was chosen as the site for the 50th and finalAug 20, 2025By Kang Hyun-kyung
