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KHNP chief stresses Korea-US nonproliferation cooperation amid 'aggressive' nuclear exports by China, Russia

The head of Korea's state-run nuclear energy firm underscored the need Monday for Korea and the United States to work together to reinforce the global nonproliferation regime in the face of "aggressive" nuclear exports from China and Russia. Whang Joo-ho, president and CEO of the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) Co., made the remarks, voicing hope that "Team Nuclear KORUS" can achieve the allies' common vision of "atoms for peace." KORUS is short for Korea and the United States. "In regions like the Middle East, east Asia and Africa, we are seeing aggressive nuclear exports from China and Russia. Indeed, I have concerns about whether these countries are making sufficient efforts to uphold the nonproliferation regime," Whang said at a forum hosted by the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "To address this, the global community must come together to strengthen nonproliferation and nuclear security," he added. In nonproliferation endeavors, Korea can play a key role as a "model" nonnuclear weapon state, Whang said, noting that no single country can tackle the iss

Trump mourns Pope Francis' passing, orders national flag to be flown at half-staff

U.S. President Donald Trump mourned the death of Pope Francis on Monday, ordering America's national flag to be flown at half-staff and announcing a plan to attend the pontiff's funeral together with first lady Melania Trump. The bishop of Rome died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican announced. "I just signed an executive order putting the flags of our country — all of them, all federal flags and state flags -- at half mast in honor of Pope Francis," Trump said during the White House Easter Egg Roll, a traditional game played with eggs at Easter. "He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world, and it's an honor to do that," he added. Under the executive order, the U.S. flag is to be flown at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and on all naval vessels until sunset, on the day of interment, Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also directed the flag to be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices and other facilit

S. Korean tourist killed in robbery in Philippines

A South Korean national visiting the Philippines has been fatally shot by a robber in the city of Angeles, according to officials Monday. The South Korean tourist was attacked by an assailant on a motorcycle on Sunday afternoon and was fatally shot while resisting. The person was transferred to a hospital but later pronounced dead. South Korea's foreign ministry has urged local police authorities to conduct a swift investigation into the case. Angeles, a popular tourist destination in Central Luzon, north of Manila, has seen a rise in crimes targeting South Koreans in recent years. In May last year, a South Korean man in his 60s was killed during a pickpocketing incident in the city. In August, a South Korean man in his 40s was injured after being attacked by two armed robbers. In October 2016, a South Korean businessman was kidnapped by a group of local police officers in Angeles and later killed — a case that sparked a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and the Philippines. The South Korean Embassy in the Philippines has urged its nationals to take extra caution when traveling in t

Korea's official development aid rises 24.8% in 2024

Korea's official development assistance (ODA) to underdeveloped countries rose 24.8 percent last year to reach $3.94 billion, the government said Thursday. Citing preliminary data from the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the government said Korea increased its aid by $780 million from 2023. As a proportion of the gross national income, the country's aid reached 0.21 percent, the highest rate since Korea joined the DAC in 2010, according to the Office for Government Policy Coordination. The difference was largely attributable to a 37 percent increase in bilateral aid to $3.18 billion, which consisted of $2.22 billion in grants and $960 million in concessional loans. Multilateral aid came to $760 million. Of the 32 DAC member states, Korea ranked 13th in terms of total ODA, up one notch from 2023. The government said it has earmarked 6.5 trillion won for ODA this year, up 3.8 percent from 2024, to demonstrate its commitment to becoming a top 10 donor nation.

Foreign minister reaffirms Korea's commitment to climate action at P4G summit

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul reaffirmed Korea's commitment to tackling climate change as he called for global efforts toward a green transition for sustainable growth, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Cho made the remarks at the summit of the Partnering For Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) in Hanoi on Wednesday, unveiling a plan that Korea will make a new $1.8 million contribution to the P4G initiative, the ministry said in a release. In the plenary session, Cho "emphasized the need to restore global momentum for climate action in order to address the escalating climate crisis," the ministry said. "He also underscored the international community should push for the green transition based on the values of innovation, inclusiveness and solidarity," it said. P4G is an initiative launched in 2018 to address climate action and sustainable development goals through public and private cooperation. Korea hosted the second P4G summit in 2021.

Indian envoy shares spiritual legacy at Buddha’s birthday lantern ceremony

Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar joined religious and academic leaders at Dongguk University on Thursday for a vibrant lantern lighting ceremony to celebrate the birth of Buddha. The event, organized by Dongguk University in partnership with the Embassy of India, drew over 500 participants and featured the lighting of 16,000 lanterns to symbolize the universal values of compassion and wisdom. In a speech delivered at the ceremony, Kumar reflected on the enduring relevance of Buddha’s teachings and the deep historical and spiritual connections between Korea and India. “It is a great honor for me and my spouse to join you all at this auspicious and beautifully illuminated ceremony to celebrate the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. I extend my warm greetings to you all,” the ambassador said. He emphasized the civilizational journey of Buddhism, which spread from Korea to India through peaceful means led by monks, scholars and spiritual seekers — not through conquest. “Lord Buddha’s core teachings — the Middle Path, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path — offer tim

Korea, China likely to hold maritime talks this month after standoff in Yellow Sea

Korea and China plan to hold working-level talks on maritime issues later this month, diplomatic sources said Monday, as Seoul seeks to reinforce calls for stability following a recent standoff with Beijing in overlapping waters. The two countries are fine-tuning the details to hold the director-general-level dialogue in Seoul, headed by their foreign ministries, sources said. The talks, if realized, would come after the brief standoff between the two neis in the Yellow Sea in February, when Chinese authorities blocked the Southan Coast Guard's attempt to approach a steel structure built by China in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ) near South Korea's southwest coast. Seoul sent a research ship to investigate the structure China installed without authorization. China claimed that the structure was a commercial aquafarm and that Seoul had no right to investigate. The PMZ is an area where the Exclusive Economic Zones of Korea and China overlap. The two sides have reached an agreement to allow their fishing vessels to operate there and jointly manage marine resources, while prohibiting an

Korea, Uzbekistan sign cooperative deal in procurement service

Veterans minister to leave for Washington this week to meet Korean War veterans

Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai will depart for Washington, D.C., this week to meet with U.S. veterans who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War as Seoul marks the 75th anniversary of the conflict's outbreak this year, her ministry said Friday. During her three-day trip from Saturday through Monday, Kang will first visit the Armed Forces Retirement Home in the U.S. capital, where 43 Korean War veterans currently reside, and express her gratitude for their service on the battlefield, according to the ministry. She will also pay her respects at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery, and hold a meeting with Curtis Scaparrotti, chairman of the Korea Defense Veterans Association and a former U.S. Forces Korea commander, to discuss ways to strengthen the alliance. Kang will then visit several national independence-related sites in Washington, including the Old Korean Legation and the Korean Commission building, as this year also marks the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. "The United States is our closest ally t

Korea to expand interagency task force in response to US tariff measures

Korea will expand its existing response task force into a comprehensive interagency team to better cope with the U.S. administration's evolving tariff measures, the finance ministry said Thursday. The decision came as the Donald Trump administration announced a 90-day suspension of newly imposed reciprocal tariffs on imports from Korea and other trading partners, only hours after the tariffs went into effect Wednesday. In response, the government will operate the task force under an expanded framework, including eight specialized working groups focusing on sectors such as macroeconomy, finance, industry, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The task force aims to conduct in-depth analyses of sector-specific impacts of the tariff measures by facilitating rapid information-sharing among government agencies, the ministry said. Given the unpredictable nature and potential longevity of global trade tensions, the government also plans to review more fundamental strategies, the ministry added.