Turkish, East Timorese presidents to visit Korea this week for talks with LeeTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta will separately visit Korea this week to hold summits with President Lee Jae Myung, a presidential spokesperson said Sunday. Erdogan is set to visit to Korea from Monday through Wednesday on a state visit that will include a summit with Lee on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yun-hung said. It marks Erdogan's first trip to Korea since 2018, as well as the second meeting between the Korean and Turkish leaders since Lee visited Turkey last November to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara. During Tuesday's summit, the leaders are expected to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, the defense industry, nuclear power plants and other future industries, while sharing views on the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East. Kang said the upcoming trip by Erdogan is expected to help further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of their 70th anniversary next year of establishing diplomatic relations. TheNov 1, 2026By Yonhap
S. Korea, US can make 'great' progress in SMRs: State Department officialINCHEON — South Korea and the United States have complementary strengths and are capable of driving "great" progress in the nuclear sector amid a heated global race to develop next-generation reactors, a U.S. State Department official said. Christopher Klein, the deputy assistant secretary for nuclear nonproliferation and commercial competitiveness at the U.S. Department of State, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday, saying the global landscape has transitioned into a "nuclear renaissance." "We are countries that both have a lot of experience and expertise, and when we work together ... we can achieve great things," Klein said during the interview on the margins of the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power held in Incheon, west of Seoul. The three-day event, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was held in South Korea for the first time this year. Klein's comment comes amid growing attention to Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) — a new class of nuclear power plants -- as countries seek reliable, carbon-freOct 30, 2026By Yonhap
S. Korea's UN envoy named co-chair of global AI governance dialogueWASHINGTON — South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations has been appointed as co-chair of a U.N. initiative aimed at promoting international cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) governance, according to the U.N. website Tuesday. Ambassador Cha Ji-hoon was appointed alongside Mutryce Agatha Williams, the permanent representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis, by the president of the U.N. General Assembly on Friday to lead preparations for the 2027 Global Dialogue on AI Governance. The dialogue, scheduled for May 3-4, 2027, will bring together governments and other stakeholders to discuss international cooperation on AI governance, including opportunities and challenges associated with the rapidly developing technology. The initiative was established under a U.N. General Assembly resolution adopted in August 2025 as a platform for discussions involving governments, the private sector, civil society and researchers. South Korea is expected to play a coordinating role in preparations for the next round of international discussions on AI governance, as the country seeks to become oneOct 21, 2026By Yonhap
Ruling party lawmaker says US intelligence 'not omniscient'A ruling party lawmaker, who also serves as President Lee Jae Myung's special adviser for peace diplomacy, said Monday that U.S. intelligence capabilities are "not omniscient," as he stressed the need for Seoul to strengthen its own intelligence capacity. Rep. Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) made the remarks at a parliamentary audit amid concerns over frictions in bilateral intelligence cooperation between Seoul and Washington. "The United States' intelligence assets and judgment are not omniscient nor omnipotent," Song said as he attended an audit session held at the military headquarters in Gyeryong, some 145 kilometers south of Seoul. "Intelligence assets are important factors that determine a country's fate," he stressed. Against such a backdrop, Song called for strengthening Seoul's own intelligence capabilities, noting that while the Korea-U.S. alliance is important, their national interests are not always aligned. "Our military should be equipped with self-reliant intelligence assets and judgment capabilities in order not to be embroiled in a war," he added. SoOct 19, 2026By Yonhap
8 new ambassadors outline agendas for Korea postingsEight newly appointed ambassadors presented their credentials to President Lee Jae Myung on Oct. 12 in the sixth credential presentation ceremony since the launch of the Lee administration, each arriving with distinct priorities and a shared ambition to deepen ties with one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. The Korea Times spoke with several of the envoys about their visions for their postings, ranging from renewable energy opportunities in Central America to K-pop fans from Lithuania. Honduras Viviane de Pierrefeu Midence brings more than 15 years of diplomatic experience in Europe, including postings in France and Belgium and as Honduras' permanent delegate to UNESCO in Paris. During her tenure in Korea, Midence aims to attract Korean investment in manufacturing, ports, energy and infrastructure. With 27 Korean companies employing up to 25,000 Hondurans, she hopes to position Honduras as Korea's manufacturing hub for North America. "As supply chains are reorganized, that nearshoring model is our strongest offer," she said. She highlighted opportunities under Honduras' new Energy JusticOct 19, 2026By Kim Bo-kyoung
PHOTO King Charles' birthday party in SeoulThe Union Jack is projected on the facade of the British Embassy in Korea as it hosted the 2026 King’s Birthday Party on Thursday. The event celebrated the longstanding friendship between the United Kingdom and Korea and looked ahead to continued cooperation. Courtesy of British Embassy SeoulOct 19, 2026By Kim Bo-kyoung
S. Korea, Ukraine had no discussion on timing of disclosing NK POW repatriation: diplomatWARSAW — South Korea and Ukraine had formed a consensus to keep discussions on the repatriation of captured North Korean soldiers confidential for as long as possible, a South Korean diplomat said Sunday. Yoon Ji-wan, charge d'affaires at the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine, made the remark during a parliamentary audit by the subcommittee on foreign affairs conducted at the South Korean Embassy in Poland. "We had no discussions on a timeline for disclosure, but we did share the idea that confidentiality should be maintained for as long as possible," Yoon said via video. Yoon said the embassy in Ukraine was caught off guard when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the repatriation of the North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) during his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23. Yoon added that Ukraine had yet to provide a specific explanation on why Zelenskyy made that disclosure. "Even within Ukraine, there has been criticism over the lack of internal coordination and the spontaneous breach of confidentiality," Yoon said. "The Ukrainian side has not refuted our claimOct 18, 2026By Yonhap
24 Koreans on tourist visas nabbed in Nepal over religious programTwenty-four Koreans have been arrested in Nepal for participating in a religious program while visiting the country on tourist visas, local media reported Monday. According to Nepalese online news outlet Ratopati, the arrests were recently made after they took part in a religious training program at New Covenant College, a Christian educational institution in the Morang district of Koshi province in eastern Nepal. New Covenant College operates with support from a Korea-based Christian missionary organization and provides religious studies and education, according to local reports. Nepalese police reportedly arrested the Koreans after determining that some of their activities may have violated the terms of their tourist visas. Foreign nationals entering Nepal on tourist visas are not permitted to engage in religious education or missionary activities. Seoul's foreign ministry said it was aware of the arrests and had been in close contact with Nepalese authorities through the Korean Embassy in Nepal since learning of the incident. The ministry said it could not disclose further details to prOct 12, 2026By Yonhap
Korea raises Saudi travel alert to Level 3 amid Houthi clashesKorea raised its travel advisory for Saudi Arabia to Level 3, the second-highest level, urging citizens to leave the country as intensifying clashes between Saudi forces and Houthi rebels threaten civilian infrastructure. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the upgraded alert, effective 10 p.m. Sunday, covering all regions of Saudi Arabia. The ministry urged Korean nationals in the country to depart if possible and advised those with travel plans to cancel or postpone their trips. The decision came after Foreign Minister Cho Hyun convened a meeting Sunday afternoon with 15 Korean diplomatic missions across the Middle East, including the embassies in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Israel and Lebanon. Cho noted that recent fighting between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels has escalated significantly, with direct strikes on civilian infrastructure such as airports causing multiple casualties. He called on diplomatic missions to stay alert and respond swiftly to the rapidly shifting security landscape, regional power dynamics and energy supply trends. Diplomatic missions in the region, incluOct 11, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea decides to recall ambassador to Ukraine over NK POW disputeKorea said Thursday it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine — one of the options it had been considering as a protest against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POW) to South Korea. "The government decided to recall the ambassador to Ukraine," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, referring to Ambassador Park Ki-chang. “The government hopes that all outstanding issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably and will continue consultations with Ukraine to that end.” The decision came after more than two weeks of diplomatic friction between the two nations, triggered by Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of the POW transfer during a U.N. General Assembly speech in New York on Sept. 23. The North Korean soldiers were captured while fighting for Russia in Ukraine in 2025. President Lee Jae Myung expressed disappointment on X (formerly Twitter) the following day, saying Ukraine had breached an agreement to keep the transfer confidential. Kyiv denied that such an agreement existed, prompting COct 8, 2026By Kim Bo-kyoung
