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  • North Korea

    Unification advisory vice chief expects US-NK talks around US midterms

    Kang Chang-il, senior vice chair of a presidential advisory on unification policy, said he expected talks between North Korea and the United States will resume in the second half of this year, around the U.S. midterm elections in November. “North Korea and the U.S. will likely hold talks around the Trump administration’s midterm elections, potentially late this year or early next year,” Kang, senior vice chair of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), said Wednesday at his first press conference since taking office on April 17. The PUAC is a presidential advisory body mandated by the Constitution to promote peaceful unification through policy consultation, consensus building and international outreach. President Lee Jae Myung serves as an ex officio chairperson of the body. Kang, a veteran four-term lawmaker who previously served as ambassador to Japan, added that “Washington had no room to maneuver due to the war with Iran ... Once the U.S.-Israel war with Iran ends, the North Korea issue will take center stage as the last major unresolved global conflict. The focus

    2 MIN READBy Park Ji-won
    Unification advisory vice chief expects US-NK talks around US midterms
  • Foreign Affairs

    Filipino killer of Korean businessman nabbed as Lee hails arrest

    2 MIN READBy Jung Min-ho
    Filipino killer of Korean businessman nabbed as Lee hails arrest
  • Foreign Affairs

    Lee arrives in Italy for talks with Italian president, PM

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee arrives in Italy for talks with Italian president, PM
  • Foreign Affairs

    Seoul denies report of Japan's request for talks on Fukushima seafood import ban

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Seoul denies report of Japan's request for talks on Fukushima seafood import ban
  • Foreign Affairs

    Lee, Belgian PM agree to expand investment in batteries, energy, boost market access

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee, Belgian PM agree to expand investment in batteries, energy, boost market access
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North Korea

President gives unification ministry rein on NK policy

President Lee Jae Myung emphasized the role of the Ministry of Unification, rather than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in North Korea policy Friday, addressing the recent rift between the two ministries over Pyongyang-related policies. In response, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said his ministry will “strengthen the lead” as the primary player in the Korean Peninsula issue. During the two ministries’ policy briefing in Seoul, Lee stressed the need for patience and trust-building in inter-Korean relations. “South Korea must act with patience and do its utmost to reduce hostility between the two Koreas and allow even a small seed of trust to sprout,” Lee said. “That role, I believe, is one the Ministry of Unification must play.” His remarks followed a series of comments emphasizing engagement with Pyongyang and were seen as effectively endorsing the unification ministry’s position, reinforcing expectations that it will take the lead in shaping North Korea policy going forward. Lee repeatedly underscored the ministry’s significance, citing South Korea’s unique

Dec 19, 2025By Anna J. Park
President gives unification ministry rein on NK policy
Foreign Affairs

Seoul urges Mexico to mitigate impact of planned tariff hikes on Korean firms

Vice Trade Minister Park Jung-sung on Friday called on the Mexican government to introduce measures to minimize harm to Korean companies from its tariff hike plan, Park's office said. Park made the call during his meeting with Mexican Ambassador to Seoul Carlos Penafiel Soto, stressing that Korean companies have made substantial investments in Mexico, contributing to its economy, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. Last week, Mexico's Senate approved tariff hikes from next year on imports of automobiles, auto parts, textiles, steel and other goods from countries that do not have a free trade agreement (FTA) with the country, including Korea. Under the plan, Mexico plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on imported auto parts, 25-30 percent tariffs on washing machines, 25 percent duties on refrigerators and 30 percent duties on microwaves. Park asked the Mexican government to pay "special" attention so its tariff hike plan would not adversely affect investment and trade between the two countries. Park also proposed swift resumption of negotiations for an FTA to create a

Dec 19, 2025By Yonhap
Seoul urges Mexico to mitigate impact of planned tariff hikes on Korean firms
North Korea

N. Korean troops crossed inter-Korean land border 10 times in November: lawmaker

North Korean soldiers crossed the heavily fortified inter-Korean land border on 10 occasions last month as part of their continued construction activities near the border, a lawmaker said Friday, citing military data. Since March up until recently, there have been 16 cases of North Korean soldiers breaching the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, according to information submitted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to main opposition People Power Party Rep. Kang Dae-sik. A majority of the border crossings reported in November occurred in the eastern coastal county of Goseong, with six cases reported in the area, followed by three in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, and one in Hwancheon, Gangwon Province. The military attributed the recent rise in border intrusions in Goseong to its geographic traits. "While the North Korean military has been clearing land in the Goseong area since November, border intrusions have been reported because that section of the MDL is shaped pointed toward the northern side," JCS spokesperson Lee Sung-jun said in a

Dec 19, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean troops crossed inter-Korean land border 10 times in November: lawmaker
Foreign Affairs

Korea raises travel alerts for parts of Nigeria, Mozambique; lowers warning for S. Africa, Botswana

Korea will raise travel alerts for parts of Nigeria and Mozambique, while lowering warnings for South Africa and Botswana, the foreign ministry said Friday, as part of its regular half-yearly advisory adjustment. The travel alert for five northern states and a southern state in Nigeria will be elevated to Level 3, which calls on Korean nationals in the areas to leave, as kidnappings and attacks by armed groups have been on the rise. Nigeria is currently under a country-wide Level 2 warning, which advises against travel. A special travel advisory, calling for citizens to cancel or postpone their trips unless essential, will take effect for parts of Mozambique, given the spread of attacks by Islamist terrorist groups. A Level 1 alert, the lowest of the four-scale alert system that calls for caution, will be put in place for Namibia, due to an unstable security situation and public health conditions. The special travel advisories for South Africa and Botswana will be lowered to Level 2 and Level 1, respectively, as the security situations have improved. Travel alerts for Bolivia's Cochabamba

Dec 19, 2025By Yonhap
Korea raises travel alerts for parts of Nigeria, Mozambique; lowers warning for S. Africa, Botswana
Foreign Affairs

Trump signs annual defense policy bill restricting USFK troop reduction

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an annual defense policy bill that includes a measure to restrict the government from unilaterally reducing the current troop level of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), according to the White House. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, which authorizes funding for the Department of Defense from October this year to September next year, passed the House of Representatives last week and the Senate on Wednesday before being signed into law by Trump. The bill says that amounts authorized under the act may not be obligated or expended to reduce U.S. troops in Korea, though it leaves open the door for the use of the funds following the certification that the USFK troop reduction is in the U.S. national security interest and that the action is being undertaken only after appropriate consultations with allies, including Korea. Also, without such a certification, funds allocated under the act may not be expended to complete the transition of wartime operational control from the United States to Korea in a man

Dec 19, 2025By Yonhap
Trump signs annual defense policy bill restricting USFK troop reduction
Foreign Affairs

Top security adviser cites 'progress' in talks with US on advancing summit agreements

WASHINGTON — National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Thursday that he made "progress" in talks with senior U.S. officials over how to accelerate efforts to move forward with the agreements reached in the summits between their leaders. Wi made the remarks on the last day of his two-day trip to Washington after he had meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who doubles as the U.S. national security adviser, and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. "It was good. There has been progress," Wi told Yonhap News TV by phone. "It's difficult to pin down specific areas, (but) we agreed to expedite follow-up measures," he said, without elaborating. South Korea and the United States have released a joint fact sheet outlining their agreements reached between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump on trade and security in their two summits in August and October. In the joint fact sheet, the U.S. committed to supporting South Korea for the process that will lead to its civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful uses. It also includes U.S. approval for

Dec 19, 2025By Yonhap
Top security adviser cites 'progress' in talks with US on advancing summit agreements
North Korea

N. Korea's Kim attends opening for regional factories in western Jangyon County

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended the ceremony to inaugurate new factories in the western county of Jangyon, completed under his signature regional development policy, state media said Friday. Kim cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony the previous day and toured the factories in South Hwanghae Province, where he sampled wheat paste, soy sauce and other products, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The visit came just three days after Kim attended the inauguration of a new industrial complex in Kangdong County, just outside Pyongyang, on Monday, accompanied by his wife and daughter. North Korea has been holding inauguration ceremonies for regional factories across the country as it accelerates the implementation of Kim's signature regional development drive aimed at reducing the urban-rural gap. The country is expected to publicize the results of the policy at the upcoming ninth party congress early next year. Speaking at the ceremony, Kim highlighted self-reliance. "When we strenuously explore the path toward development and prosperity ... and make courageous efforts un

Dec 19, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim attends opening for regional factories in western Jangyon County
Others

President eyes repatriation of independence fighters' remains in China as possible summit agenda

President Lee Jae Myung instructed the government Thursday to hold consultations with Beijing on repatriating the remains of Korean independence fighters in China, raising the issue as a possible agenda item for a potential summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Lee made the remarks after Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul briefed him on plans to excavate and bring home the remains of Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910), which Kwon said are believed to be buried near Lushun Prison in the northern Chinese port city of Dalian. "In the case of excavation and repatriation of remains, consultations with China are essential," Lee said during a policy briefing by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs in Seoul. Lee instructed the ministry to push ahead with consultations with Beijing as a potential summit agenda item, saying there is the possibility of a summit with Xi "soon." Kwon said he plans to visit China to help locate Ahn's remains, adding that the ministry is also working to bring back the remains of three independence fighters from the period of Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea. Ahn wa

Dec 18, 2025By Yonhap
President eyes repatriation of independence fighters' remains in China as possible summit agenda
Foreign Affairs

Unification ministry briefs foreign diplomats on peace, N. Korea policy

South Korea’s Ministry of Unification held a policy briefing for ambassadors and representatives of international organizations in Seoul on Dec. 16, calling for sustained international attention and cooperation to promote peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. The briefing, chaired by Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung, was designed to help the international community better understand recent developments on the peninsula, the current state of inter-Korean relations and the South Korean government’s policy direction toward North Korea for the coming year. A total of 41 institutions took part in the session. Participants included diplomats from 14 countries belonging to the so-called “Korean Peninsula Club,” whose ambassadors are concurrently accredited to both South and North Korea. Representatives from 13 countries in the “Peace Club,” which maintain diplomatic missions in North Korea were also in attendance. Diplomats from European Union member states and Japan also joined the briefing, along with representatives from four international organizations, including

Dec 18, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Unification ministry briefs foreign diplomats on peace, N. Korea policy
Foreign Affairs

Seoul's industry minister discusses AI, energy partnership with UAE counterpart

Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan met with his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart Thursday to discuss expanding cooperation in the artificial intelligence (AI) and energy sectors, Kim's office said. Kim met with the UAE Industry Minister Sultan Al Jaber in Seoul to discuss follow-up measures to the leaders' summit between the two countries held in Abu Dhabi in November, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. During the summit, Korean President Lee Jae Myung and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to join hands for the UAE's Stargate project, centered on establishing AI computing and cloud infrastructure in the Middle Eastern nation. Kim said Seoul can play a role in the project with its capabilities in the semiconductor, data center, engineering and construction sectors, according to the ministry. The two sides agreed to expand cooperation in the energy sector, noting that the bilateral trade of oil and gas is a core pillar of economic cooperation between Korea and the UAE. The ministers also discussed expanding the joint oil stockpiling volume b

Dec 18, 2025By Yonhap
Seoul's industry minister discusses AI, energy partnership with UAE counterpart
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