Spy agency says providing real-time battle info to Korean firms in Middle EastThe national spy agency is providing real-time information on terrorist threats and battles in the Middle East to Korean companies operating in the region to help ensure their safety, officials said Monday. Companies operating in seven Middle East countries — Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan — are currently being informed of the latest terrorist threats and regional fighting, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said, as intermittent strikes continue between the United States and Israel and Iran. The previous day, the foreign ministry raised its special travel warning for the seven countries, advising Koreans in the region to leave the area. The NIS was also set to host a terrorism information-sharing meeting with six other government agencies, including the foreign, justice and oceans ministries, later in the day to discuss measures to ensure the safety of nationals in the region, officials said.Mar 9, 2026By Yonhap
US not likely to hike tariffs if Assembly passes investment bill: industry ministerIndustry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Sunday he has been told the United States is not likely to hike tariffs on Korea if the National Assembly passes a special bill on Seoul's $350 billion investment pledge to the U.S. Kim made the remarks at Incheon International Airport after visiting the U.S. to meet with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and others to discuss tariff issues and other bilateral trade matters between Seoul and Washington. "At a meeting with Lutnick, I explained the special investment bill that is expected to pass at the National Assembly next week. In response, the U.S. side very highly evaluated it and expressed appreciation," Kim told reporters. "If the bill is passed or Korea implements things related to trade negotiations (between Seoul and Washington), I've heard that there would be no such things like publishing in the Federal Register on tariff hikes." U.S. President Donald Trump threatened in January to raise "reciprocal" tariffs and auto, lumber and pharmaceutical duties on Korea to 25 percent from 15 percent, citing a delay in the legislative process to pass tMar 8, 2026By Yonhap
Korea continues to evacuate citizens from Middle East amid conflictKorea is continuing to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East after about 140 nationals were brought to safety in earlier operations, the foreign ministry said Thursday, as U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran escalate into a wider regional conflict. Thirteen Koreans in Kuwait plan to travel to Saudi Arabia via a land route aboard a chartered bus arranged by the Korean Embassy, the ministry said. Among them are a family with an expectant mother and her one-year-old child. Four more Koreans in Israel will depart for Egypt, after 66 people were evacuated from the country in a previous operation. The Korean Embassy in Iran helped one individual safely travel to Turkmenistan on Wednesday, putting the total number of evacuees at 25. Three others from Bahrain also arrived in Saudi Arabia, a day after 10 people were evacuated. Another three from Iraq will travel to Turkey. The foreign ministry also said it is dispatching a joint government rapid response team with the National Policy Agency to Dubai and Oman to assist with evacuation operations. The government is actively considering sending a chartereMar 5, 2026By Yonhap
Korea remains cautious over shifts in Trump’s tariff policiesThe Korean government is carefully gauging the latest developments in the U.S. tariff policy after the American Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on trade partners, only for him to quickly counter with a fresh round of global duties. Although uncertainties have grown over the Korea-U.S. tariff agreement reached in November, Korea is determined to proceed with the plan to invest $350 billion in the U.S. At the same time, it is closely watching the possibility of the U.S. imposing separate item-specific levies on Korea’s key exports, such as semiconductors or pharmaceuticals. Following the court ruling early Saturday, Cheong Wa Dae, economy-related ministries and the foreign affairs ministry have held multiple emergency response meetings. The court ruled that Trump lacked authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose his sweeping tariffs, invalidating a broad set of levies he imposed last year, including the 15 percent tariff currently applied to Korea. But Trump soon imposed a 10 percent tariff, and the nexFeb 22, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
Korea raises travel alert for Cuba over power outages, disruptions in essential servicesKorea raised its travel alert for Cuba due to concerns over worsening shortages of electricity and other basic necessities, the foreign ministry said Friday. A Level 2 alert, advising travelers to exercise caution, has been issued for the whole country as shortages of electricity and fuel have disrupted transportation, health care and communications services, the ministry said in a release. The measures took effect at 5 p.m. Friday. The ministry advised Korean nationals planning to visit Cuba to carefully reconsider their trip and avoid any unnecessary travel, urging those currently staying in the country to exercise special caution for their safety.Feb 13, 2026By Yonhap
‘Korea did not strike separate deal on coal with US,’ trade ministry saysThe Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources dismissed suggestions Thursday that Seoul had reached a separate trade deal on coal with the United States, following comments by President Donald Trump about striking deals with several countries, including Korea, to boost U.S. coal exports. “There was no special agreement specifically about coal. It just seems that (he meant) the existing trade agreements the U.S. has with countries like Korea, India and Japan up to now are simply helpful for coal exports as well,” a ministry official told The Korea Times. “There hasn’t been any separate or specific agreement made regarding coal (between Korea and the U.S).” During the Champion of Coal event at the White House, Wednesday (local time), Trump said Washington had recently secured “historic” deals to expand coal exports. "In just the past few months, we've made historic trade deals with Japan, Korea, India and others to increase our coal exports dramatically," he said. "We are now exporting coal to all over the world." His comments come as the Trump administration moves to undo maFeb 12, 2026By Lee Gyu-lee
President Lee, NATO chief discuss broadening defense cooperationPresident Lee Jae Myung and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed ways to broaden cooperation in the defense sector during a phone call, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. In a written briefing, presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-jun said the conversation, the second between the two leaders in seven months, was held at Rutte's request. During the call, both leaders shared the need to maintain their partnership and continue close consultation to address global security challenges, including the war in Ukraine and security issues on the Korean Peninsula. Lee highlighted the competence of Korean defense companies and suggested more concrete cooperation through a working-level consultative body established last year. Rutte agreed, vowing to support enhanced cooperation. Additionally, the two pledged to continue advanced collaboration in other areas, such as space and information sharing.Feb 10, 2026By Yonhap
Coupang subpoena risks broader Korea-US trade clashThe U.S. Congress has sent a clear signal that it will not sit back if U.S. commercial interests are put at risk by what it sees as foreign governments’ excessive regulatory measures against American companies, such as Coupang. If necessary, Congress has shown that it is prepared to use all available means to push the Donald Trump administration to take tougher trade actions against those governments. This message was underscored by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s decision on Thursday to issue a subpoena to Coupang, requiring Coupang Korea CEO Harold Rogers to testify at an upcoming hearing and submit documents and communications between the U.S. company and the Korean government following the recent data breach. A congressional subpoena targeting one of Washington’s closest allies is rare — if not unprecedented — highlighting how seriously lawmakers are treating the issue. Despite this, the warning appears not to have been fully heeded in Seoul. Korean officials have been wasting time expressing divergent views over the motives behind repeated warnings from U.S. politiciaFeb 8, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung
Top presidential aide meets Canadian defense procurement chief amid push for submarine projectPresidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Friday he met with Canada's defense procurement chief in Seoul as the Korean government steps up efforts to win Ottawa's lucrative submarine project. The meeting between Kang and Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, Stephen Fuhr, took place at Cheong Wa Dae. It came about a week after their earlier talks in Canada last month, when Kang visited the country as a special envoy tasked with promoting Korea's defense exports. "Canada's submarine project is a challenging task for us as it requires overcoming the high entry barrier of an advanced country's defense market," Kang wrote on his Facebook account, referring to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, estimated to be worth 60 trillion won ($41 billion). A consortium of Korea's Hanwha Ocean Co. and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. has been shortlisted as one of the final two contenders, alongside Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. "Though the situation is challenging, the government and companies will unite as 'one team' and do our utmost until the very end," he added. KangFeb 6, 2026By Yonhap
China's top envoy says issue of disputed steel structures in West Sea making positive progressChina's top envoy to South Korea said Wednesday the issue of removing disputed steel structures built in the overlapping waters of the West Sea is making progress in a positive direction. Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing made the remark at an event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul to commemorate the upcoming Lunar New Year, after China's foreign ministry announced last month that work was under way to remove one of the three steel structures in the sea zone where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap. It is making progress in a positive direction, Dai told reporters. Dai pointed to two rounds of summits between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jiping, including the latest in Beijing, where they discussed the maritime issue. The ambassador added that the countries are stepping up working-level exchanges and need to follow through on what their leaders agreed on. China built two semisubmersible buoys in 2018 and 2024, and a fixed steel platform in 2022 in the Provisional Maritime Zone. The issue has been a source of tension in bilateral relations, as Seoul haFeb 4, 2026By Yonhap
