Lee seeks support from diplomatic corps ahead of APEC hostingPresident Lee Jae Myung on Friday hosted a dinner with members of the diplomatic corps, seeking their support ahead of his meetings with foreign leaders during South Korea's hosting of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and other upcoming diplomatic engagements. The dinner, held at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae, brought together about 170 participants, including ambassadors, representatives of international organizations and military officials. Lee said his government will work with the international community to address shared global challenges, vowing to engage closely with foreign leaders on various occasions. "I will meet with as many leaders as possible, and when in-person meetings are inevitably limited, we will supplement them through letters and phone calls," he said. The event, held amid Lee's packed schedule on the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, came ahead of a flurry of diplomatic events later this year, including the APEC summit to be hosted in Korea's Gyeongju in Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 Other diplomatic events mentioned by Lee inclAug 15, 2025By Yonhap
Korea voices 'deep regret' over Japan PM's offering, lawmakers' visit to war shrineKorea expressed deep regret Friday after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent a ritual offering to a war shrine seen as symbolizing its militaristic past and its lawmakers paid respects there. The foreign ministry issued a statement after Ishiba sent the offering to the Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japanese war dead, and Japanese politicians paid visits on the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the World War II. Korea marks the date as Liberation Day, commemorating its independence from Japan's colonial rule. "We express deep disappointment and regret that responsible leaders in Japan have once again made offerings to or visited the Yasukuni Shrine," foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said in a commentary. "We urge Japanese leaders to squarely face history and show through action humble reflection and genuine atonement for historical issues, and we once again emphasize that these will be the foundation for building a future-oriented bilateral relationship between the two countries," Lee said. Yasukuni Shrine honors some 2.46 million Japanese war dead, including 14 ClassAug 15, 2025By Yonhap
Lee, Philippine president discuss economic cooperation in phone talksPresident Lee Jae Myung spoke by phone with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday and discussed ways to expand cooperation in trade, infrastructure and shipbuilding, Lee's office said. In their first conversation since Lee took office in early June, the two leaders noted that South Korea has become the largest investor in, and the largest source of visitors to, the Philippines, and agreed to continue the momentum in brisk exchange and cooperation, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. "The two leaders discussed expanding trade and investment based on the Korea-Philippines free trade agreement," Kang said. "They also discussed broadening the mutually beneficial cooperation, including Korean companies' participation in the Philippines' infrastructure projects, such as maritime bridges and railways, as well as the shipbuilding industry," she added. During the talks, Lee described the Philippines as a "long-standing ally" that was the first Asian nation to participate in the 1950-53 Korean War and sent the largest contingent among Asian countries,Aug 14, 2025By Yonhap
Trade minister meets Japanese envoy, US legislators over economic cooperationThe trade minister met with the Japanese ambassador to South Korea on Thursday and discussed ways to strengthen the countries' economic partnership amid growing uncertainties in the global trade environment, officials said. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with Ambassador Koichi Mizushima in Seoul earlier in the day, as President Lee Jae Myung prepares to visit Japan to hold his first summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba next Saturday. Yeo highlighted the importance of strengthening practical economic cooperation between the two countries, as South Korea and Japan mark 60 years since the normalization of diplomatic relations. The minister also proposed working together to stabilize supply chains and solve trade-related issues in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change. Further, Yeo proposed fostering communication between the two countries' overseas missions and trade promotion agencies to ensure the successful hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, set to be held in South Korea, and the Osaka Kansai Expo in Japan this yearAug 14, 2025By Yonhap
British warships arrive in Korea for Indo-Pacific missionTwo British naval vessels have docked in Korea as part of a regional tour aimed at enhancing security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the British Embassy in Seoul said Tuesday. The frigate HMS Richmond arrived at a port in the southern city of Busan earlier in the day, while the logistical support ship RFA Tidespring docked in Busan the previous day, according to the embassy. The Tidespring was built in 2016 by the major Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, now known as Hanwha Ocean. The visit is part of the Royal Navy's eight-month deployment across the Indo-Pacific, known as Operation Highmast, which is intended to promote maritime security and strengthen defense ties, the embassy said. Crews plan to take part in various cultural and diplomatic activities during their two-week stay. The embassy noted that the port call underscores Britain's commitment to deepening defense cooperation with South Korea and enhancing military interoperability. In addition, the Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, is scheduled to conduct an aerial capabilityAug 12, 2025By Yonhap
Korea likely to leverage shipbuilding in tariff talks with USKorea’s world-class shipbuilding sector is emerging as key leverage in the country's tariff negotiations with the U.S., which seeks to enhance its shipbuilding capacity. Top negotiators from Korea are highlighting what Korea can offer to help the U.S. develop its shipbuilding industry in one of their available bargaining chips, with just a few days remaining before the U.S. threatens to impose a 25 percent “reciprocal” tariff on Aug. 1. Korea's presidential office held a government-wide meeting of officials involved in the tariff talks on Saturday, and implied afterward that it would leverage the shipbuilding sector in the negotiations. “We confirmed a high level of interest from the U.S. in shipbuilding, so we decided to come up with proposals that the two sides can reach a deal about, including cooperation in shipbuilding,” the presidential office said in a statement after the meeting presided by presidential chief of staff for policy Kim Yong-beom and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac. After another meeting the previous day, Kim also said in a press briefing, “Both sidJul 27, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
China's top envoy optimistic that bilateral public sentiment will improveChinese Ambassador Dai Bing expressed confidence Tuesday that recent strains in public sentiment between Korea and China, particularly among the younger generations, will ease over time, stressing that friendship and cooperation will define the future of bilateral relations. Dai made the remarks during an embassy event promoting youth exchanges, as he addressed the recent rise in anti-China sentiment in Korea, fueled by some far-right conservatives, amid the political turmoil following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law imposition in December. "Some say that friendly sentiment between the peoples of the two countries, especially among the youth, is not very strong. I understand that the causes are complex and that it will take time to resolve, but I remain optimistic and confident about this," Dai said through an interpreter in his opening remarks. He also pointed to an increase in tourist visits between the two countries among the younger generations since Beijing introduced a temporary visa waiver program for short-term Korean travelers in November. "I encourage everyJul 22, 2025By Yonhap
To open or not: US beef, agriculture imports remain flashpoint in trade talksAs Korea and the United States accelerate tariff negotiations before their planned implementation on Aug. 1, the U.S. demand that Korea expand imports of American agricultural products has once again emerged as a critical negotiation flashpoint. Even in Korea, opinions are split over the reduction of import restrictions in the agricultural sector, which the U.S. regards as nontariff barriers. The issue surfaced here after Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, Korea's top trade negotiator, indicated the government is weighing options to accept the U.S. demand for Korea to increase beef and agricultural imports, following his Washington trip earlier this month. Washington has been pressing Seoul to allow the import of beef from cattle aged 30 months or older, increase purchases of rice and ease quarantine restrictions on apples and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), especially potatoes. The age restriction on U.S. beef was put in place in 2008 amid fears over mad cow disease. Yeo hinted at the possibility of accepting the demand by saying, “In these sectors, we need to make strategic decisionsJul 20, 2025By Lee Gyu-lee
S. Korea calls for unified efforts toward resolving NK nuclear issueKUALA LUMPUR — South Korea called for unified efforts toward resolving North Korea's nuclear issues, Friday, vowing to make progress to achieve lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula under the new government of President Lee Jae Myung. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo made the remarks during the foreign ministers' meeting of the East Asia Summit (EAS), hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Malaysia. Park was attending a series of ASEAN-related meetings this week in place of the foreign minister nominee Cho Hyun, whose appointment process is still under way pending parliamentary confirmation. The vice minister said the government will "continue efforts to achieve lasting peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, and make tangible progress in resolving North Korea's nuclear issues," the foreign ministry said in a release. "He also underscored the importance of support from EAS member states for these efforts and the need for sending a unified message to North Korea," it said. Besides South Korea, the EAS member states include the 10 ASEAN members, JapJul 11, 2025By Yonhap
InterviewTrump's silence on Korea-US summit: What does it signal?U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement earlier this week of a 25 percent tariff on all products imported from South Korea has thrown the country into turmoil. It was, as a Korean saying goes, “a thunderbolt from a clear sky.” Korea’s economy is heavily dependent on exports, which accounted for 44 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023. The U.S. is its second-largest trading partner. Last year alone, Korea exported goods worth $128 billion to the U.S., leaving Korean exporters deeply alarmed over the potentially devastating impact across-the-board tariffs could have on their businesses. If the new levies take effect on Aug. 1 — separate from existing sector-specific tariffs, as Trump stated — the Korean economy could sink into a recession. Already showing signs of contraction, the country’s GDP shrank in the first quarter on a quarter-on-quarter basis. In May, the Bank of Korea slashed its 2025 growth forecast to 0.8 percent, down from its February projection of 1.5 percent. For Korea, the next three weeks are critical. Trump indicated the U.S. govJul 10, 2025By Kang Hyun-kyung
