Korea, Kazakhstan sign MOU on preservation of historic sites linked to Korea's independence movementKorea and Kazakhstan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to help better preserve historical sites in the Central Asian country that are linked to Korea's independence movement against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Seoul's veterans ministry said Wednesday. The agreement was signed Tuesday by Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul and Arman Kyrykbayev, Kazakhstan's minister of culture and information minister, on the sidelines of a bilateral summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The Kazakh president is on a visit to Seoul, along with the heads of state of four other Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, for the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit. Under the MOU, the two countries agreed to systematically preserve the historical records and cultural value of historical sites related to Korea's independence movement while also strengthening academic exchanges. There are 25 historical sites related to Korea's independence movement in the central Asian country, according to the ministry. Among the sites is a memorial park in Kyzylorda,Sep 16, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, Kazakhstan elevate ties to strategic partnershipKorea and Kazakhstan signed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on Tuesday, broadening bilateral ties across energy, industry, technology and cultural exchange. The signings came during a bilateral summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, held ahead of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit set for Wednesday. They included elevating bilateral ties to a future-oriented comprehensive strategic partnership, along with agreements on oil, atomic energy, science and technology skills development and labor mobility under the Employment Permit System. MOUs also covered intellectual property, urban and infrastructure development, advanced air mobility, renewable energy, digital forest restoration, cultural cooperation and the preservation of historic sites tied to Korea's independence movement during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. "Kazakhstan is rich in energy and resources and holds great potential in advanced future-oriented industries, making it a key partner for Korea's economic security," Lee said. "We also believe Korea can help advanSep 15, 2026By Park Ung
Korea's 2nd disaster relief team to deploy drones in Nepal search operationsA Korean relief team dispatched to Nepal was set to deploy drones Tuesday as part of their search efforts for nine Koreans who remain missing following last month's devastating floods, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The second contingent of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), who arrived in Kathmandu on Friday, was seeking to employ drones for the rescue operation in coordination with Nepali authorities, according to the ministry. The nine Koreans — six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three of Korea South-East Power — went missing on Aug. 26 after massive floods and landslides hit Rasuwa District near the Nepal-Tibet border while they were working at a hydropower plant construction site. The eight-member contingent was briefed on the ongoing search missions led by Korean companies and has conducted on-site inspections for reconstruction and recovery efforts in flood-stricken Nepal. On Saturday, the first 44-member KDRT contingent returned home after a 10-day search-and-rescue mission. The team rescued one Chinese survivor but failed to locate the Koreans still unaccounted for. MSep 15, 2026By Yonhap
Budget ministry discusses AI, structural challenges with German delegationThe budget ministry said Tuesday it shared Korea's experience in responding to transformation and demographic changes driven by artificial intelligence (AI) with a visiting German parliamentary delegation. Vice Budget Minister Cho Yong-beom met with the delegation led by Christian Gorke, acting chair of the Finance Committee at the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, to exchange views on policy challenges facing the two countries, according to the Ministry of Planning and Budget. During the meeting, Cho said fiscal policy needs to play a proactive role in bolstering growth potential and easing economic disparities amid an AI-driven industrial transformation. The vice budget minister added Korea is working to fundamentally address demographic challenges, including the low birth rate and aging population, and their impact on public finances. The two sides exchanged views on setting budget priorities to make more effective use of limited resources. Cho also shared key aspects of Korea's 2027 budget proposal, noting that Asia's No. 4 economy is pursuing both economic growth anSep 15, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, Turkmenistan sign 13 deals across investment, energy, securityKorea and Turkmenistan signed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on Tuesday, deepening bilateral cooperation across investment, energy and security. The signings came during a bilateral summit between President Lee Jae Myung and President Serdar Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan, held ahead of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit set for Wednesday. The two countries signed an investment promotion and protection agreement, granting most-favored-nation treatment and establishing procedures for investor-state dispute settlement. The infrastructure MOU is expected to help Korean firms enter major energy, construction and logistics projects, while the water resource management MOU will expand Korean water management technology to Turkmenistan. MOUs were also signed on cooperation in the chemical industry and plants, railway transportation, combating transnational organized crime, and public security. An agreement on customs cooperation and mutual assistance targets crimes such as smuggling, while an MOU on border-level intellectual property protection targets counterfeit goodsSep 15, 2026By Park Ung
Korea, US hold public diplomacy forum on Global South cooperationKorea and the United States held a joint forum this week to discuss ways to expand strategic cooperation with countries in the Global South, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. The 2026 Korea-U.S. Public Diplomacy Forum took place at Georgetown University in Washington on Thursday (U.S. time) under the theme "The New International Order and the Global South: Expanding Horizons for Korea-U.S. Strategic Cooperation," according to the ministry. The Global South refers broadly to developing and emerging economies across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Participants from both countries discussed shifts in the geopolitical and economic security landscapes across the Global South, along with ways to expand joint public diplomacy efforts, according to the ministry. Yoon Chu-sok, deputy chief of mission at the Korean Embassy in Washington, said in his congratulatory remarks that the Global South holds growing significance given its population size, economic scale, and abundance of critical minerals and resources. "We will continue to identify programs and events spanning variousSep 11, 2026By Yonhap
FM Cho seeks Ugandan support for Korean nuclear, AI pushForeign Minister Cho Hyun met Crispus Walter Kiyonga, Uganda's second deputy prime minister, on Thursday and asked for the African nation's support for South Korean companies doing business there, Seoul's ministry said. Cho noted on the progress both countries have made in nuclear cooperation, as the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power was contracted by Uganda's energy ministry in May last year to assess a proposed site in the Buyende region for the country's first nuclear power plant. The minister asked Uganda to continue backing South Korean firms in the nuclear energy as well as artificial intelligence (AI) sectors. In response, Kiyonga said he would consider ways to support South Korean businesses, according to the ministry. They also agreed to expand cooperation in agriculture, mineral resources, tourism, energy, and information and communications technology, the ministry said.Sep 10, 2026By Yonhap
Korean man kidnapped in Manila released safely: foreign ministryA Korean man who was kidnapped by unidentified men in Manila last week was safely released Tuesday, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The man in his 40s, who was kidnapped in the Manila metropolitan area last Friday, was released earlier in the day and is in good health, according to the ministry. The man was riding in a vehicle with an acquaintance in the Pasay area of Metro Manila when the abductors forced him into their own vehicle and fled the scene, leaving the acquaintance behind, ministry officials said. About 18 hours after the abduction, the abductors contacted another acquaintance of the victim and demanded a ransom for his release, they added. "Upon receiving the report from our embassy in the Philippines, we established a task force and have worked to secure his safe release in cooperation with the National Police Agency, Philippine police and other local authorities," the ministry said. The motive and details of the incident are under investigation, officials said.Sep 8, 2026By Yonhap
Korea's 1st US investment project stalled over unclear termsKorea’s first project under its $350 billion investment commitment to the U.S. appears to be locked in a stalemate, as the two sides remain at odds over details of the terms, even after a gas-fired power plant in Texas has emerged as the likely first investment. During a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Thursday (local time), Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan told reporters that an official announcement is expected within this month regarding talks over the first investment project. He added, “There are no particularly major issues, but several domestic procedures need to be completed before the process can be finalized.” Kim made the visit two weeks after discussing the first investment project with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington. At that time, he said the talks had made “meaningful progress.” However, the government’s initial plan to announce the first project in late August or early September has been delayed. The first project is expected to be a gas-fired combined-cycle power plant in Encinal, Texas, supplying electricity to nearby data centers. The projectSep 7, 2026By Nam Hyun-woo
Foreign ministry lifts travel alerts for parts of Thailand, 3 other countriesThe foreign ministry said Friday it is lifting special travel advisories for parts of Thailand, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Ethiopia, as local security and health risks have subsided. The ministry lifted the special advisory, which calls for citizens to cancel or postpone their trips unless essential, for seven provinces near the Thailand-Cambodia border and revised down the travel alert to Level 1 that calls for caution. Separately from the government's standard four-tier travel alert system, special travel advisories are temporary measures issued for countries facing immediate and short-term risks. They remain in effect for up to 90 days and can be extended if the risks persist. Special advisories for checkpoint areas bordering Laos and Myanmar will remain in place to prevent South Korean nationals from widespread job scams and potential forced confinement in the region, the ministry said. The same advisory issued for parts of Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa will also be lifted as no active Ebola cases have been found. Similar restrictions will be removed for select areas in Azerbaijan andSep 4, 2026By Yonhap
