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
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
