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  • Foreign Affairs

    Summit shows China more focused on countering US influence than curbing NK nukes: experts

    WASHINGTON — China appeared more focused on countering U.S. regional influence than on addressing North Korea's nuclear program, given the absence of any public reference to Pyongyang's denuclearization in either country's readout of their summit this week, experts said Tuesday. The summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang on Monday underlined a deepening strategic alignment between the two countries and their unity amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry over trade, security and other areas, they pointed out. Xi visited the North Korean capital on Monday and Tuesday on his first trip to the country since 2019, as Beijing was seen striving to strengthen relations with Pyongyang, which has drawn closer to Russia through deepening military, diplomatic and economic cooperation. "China is more focused on denying U.S. influence than denying North Korea nuclear weapons," Patrick Cronin, chair for Asia-Pacific security at the Hudson Institute, told Yonhap News Agency via email. "Kim is fixated on tactical victory, thinking every time a big po

    4 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Summit shows China more focused on countering US influence than curbing NK nukes: experts
  • Foreign Affairs

    Lee set for summit talks with leaders of Belgium, EU

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee set for summit talks with leaders of Belgium, EU
  • 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
  • North Korea

    N. Korea's main newspaper extensively covers Kim-Xi summit

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea's main newspaper extensively covers Kim-Xi summit
  • Foreign Affairs

    Xi thanks Kim for 'fruitful' summit: KCNA

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Xi thanks Kim for 'fruitful' summit: KCNA
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Foreign Affairs

Lee, Laotian president to hold summit talks early next week

President Lee Jae Myung and Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith will hold summit talks in Seoul early next week to discuss bilateral relations and key pending issues, including joint responses to online scam crimes, the presidential office said Thursday. Thongloun is scheduled to arrive Sunday for a two-day official visit and the planned summit will be held next Monday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. "The two leaders will have discussions on economy, security, trade and investment as well as cooperation on transnational crimes such as online scams, infrastructure, supply chains, people-to-people exchanges, and regional and international issues," Kang said in the statement. South Korea has been working with Southeast Asian nations to address a rise in criminal cases involving Korean nationals, including online scams, illegal gambling and drug trafficking. His visit comes two months after Thongloun traveled to Pyongyang and held summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversary of the North's ruling part

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Lee, Laotian president to hold summit talks early next week
Foreign Affairs

Korea to open rare metals cooperation center in Mongolia this week

Korea will officially launch a rare metals cooperation center in Mongolia this week to help the East Asian nation strengthen the industrial value of its rare earth metals reserve, Seoul's industry ministry said Thursday. The center, located inside the University of Science and Technology in Mongolia's capital of Ulaanbaatar, will commence operations on Friday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. The center was established as part of Seoul's official development assistance project for Mongolia. It will study rare earth metals in the country, such as tungsten, molybdenum and lithium, and provide technical training in processing and refining, with an aim to help Mongolia add value to its rare metal resources, according to the ministry. The ministry said the center will help the two countries lay the foundation for bilateral critical mineral cooperation, which is expected to contribute to Korea's supply chain stabilization in the long term. Korea plans to build additional rare metals cooperation centers with Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Indonesia.

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Korea to open rare metals cooperation center in Mongolia this week
Foreign Affairs

Trade minister raises concerns over Canada's steel industry safeguard plan

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo held talks with his Canadian counterpart Thursday to deliver concerns over Ottawa's plan to implement stronger safeguard measures for its steel industry, which could affect exports of South Korean products, officials said. In a virtual meeting with Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, Yeo expressed "grave" concerns over Canada's decision to implement such measures starting on Dec. 26 and asked for favorable treatment for Korean steel products considering the countries long-standing trade ties, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. Canada recently announced its plan to reduce the current tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for steel imports to protect its steel industry amid global oversupply. Under the plan, Canada's steel TRQs for countries with a free trade agreement (FTA), including South Korea, will be decreased from 100 percent to 75 percent of 2024 levels. The ministry said Yeo has pointed out that Canada's steel TRQs constitute a violation of the free trade system under the World Trade Organization and also infringes on the FTA between the

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Trade minister raises concerns over Canada's steel industry safeguard plan
Foreign Affairs

Lee receives credentials from 8 new ambassadors to Korea

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday received diplomatic credentials from eight new ambassadors to Korea, including the new envoy from India, the presidential office said. The envoys included Gourangalal Das of India, Eva Russek of Austria, Khuon Phon Rattanak of Cambodia, Bernadette Therese Fernandez of the Philippines, Hazem Zaki of Egypt, Kojo Choi of Ghana, M.K Pathmanathan of Sri Lanka and Wael Hachem of Lebanon. They presented their credentials to Lee during a ceremony held at the presidential office, the third such ceremony held since Lee's inauguration in June. New ambassadors typically present their credentials to the head of state to formally assume their roles. During the ceremony, Lee told the envoys that Korea hopes to broaden and deepen relations with their respective countries and urged them to serve as a "bridge" in expanding areas of the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing. The ambassadors positively evaluated Korea's successful hosting of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Lee receives credentials from 8 new ambassadors to Korea
North Korea

Unification minister hopes Trump’s China visit will help break inter-Korean deadlock

U.S. President Donald Trump’s anticipated visit to China in April could help thaw a prolonged stalemate in inter-Korean relations and inject new momentum into cross-border engagement, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday. His remarks come as the Lee Jae Myung government's outreach to Pyongyang over the past six months has drawn no response from North Korea. Officials in Seoul are hoping that Trump's willingness to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could provide new momentum. "With President Trump's visit to China expected in April, the next four months will be a critical turning point in determining whether the situation moves toward peace or remains in the current stalemate," Chung said during a press conference in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. "I see this as a pivotal period. Active steps are needed to help create the right conditions and shift the Korean Peninsula toward peace." Chung added that he plans to communicate closely with neighboring countries to help create a favorable environment for talks before the U.S. leader's visit to Beijing, noting that he

Dec 11, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Unification minister hopes Trump’s China visit will help break inter-Korean deadlock
Foreign Affairs

Sen. Andy Kim voices concern over US security strategy's 'deprioritization' of Korean Peninsula

d A Korean American senator expressed concerns Wednesday over the new U.S. national security strategy's "deprioritization" regarding the Korean Peninsula, criticizing the document as "efforts that would abandon American global leadership." During a press conference, Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) decried the National Security Strategy (NSS) that the White House released last week, amid concerns in Seoul over the omission of a U.S. commitment to the goal of North Korea's denuclearization in the document. "Certainly, I am concerned about its deprioritization when it comes to the Korean Peninsula," he said, noting that the strategy is "out of line" with what's important for U.S. national security. He pointed out that the strategy refuses to call Russia a threat and lay out other problems facing the world, arguing that it would lead America and its allies "down a very dangerous path." "Basically, what it does is try to reduce America from a global power to a regional power," he said. "I think that that's absolutely the wrong direction for the United States." The NSS outlines the priorities of U.S. Presi

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Sen. Andy Kim voices concern over US security strategy's 'deprioritization' of Korean Peninsula
Foreign Affairs

Seoul, Tokyo arranging Lee-Takaichi summit in mid-January in Japan's Nara: report

Korea and Japan have been making arrangements for summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in mid-January in the Japanese prefecture of Nara, a Japanese media report said Thursday. The two nations were arranging to hold a summit between Lee and Takaichi in Nara, the capital city of Nara Prefecture, around Jan. 13-14, Japan's Mainichi Shimbun reported, citing diplomatic sources. Todaiji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its Great Buddha Statue, is considered as a possible summit venue, the report said. Nara is Takaichi's home prefecture. Lee and Takaichi last held summit talks on Oct. 30 on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in the Korean city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and briefly met on the margins of the Group of 20 leaders' gathering in South Africa last month. The trip, if realized, will mark Lee's second visit to the neighboring country after he visited Tokyo in August and held summit talks with Takaichi's predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba. It would also reflect commitments made by the leaders

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Seoul, Tokyo arranging Lee-Takaichi summit in mid-January in Japan's Nara: report
Foreign Affairs

Korean, US officials discuss cooperation in economic security, supply chains in talks in Washington

Senior diplomats of Korea and the United States discussed bilateral cooperation in enhancing economic security and securing "trusted" supply chains during their economic talks in Washington on Wednesday, the State Department said. Seoul's Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg held the 10th Senior Economic Dialogue (SED), after a bilateral trade and investment deal was finalized during the second summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in late October. "The under secretary and second vice foreign minister also emphasized the importance of enhancing joint economic security measures and securing trusted supply chains," the department said in a release. The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen economic and national security alignment to preserve collective competitiveness and maintain secure supply chains, including cooperation to address unfair and non-market policies and practices, it added. In addition, they explored further collaboration on critical minerals, with Helberg highlighti

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
Korean, US officials discuss cooperation in economic security, supply chains in talks in Washington
North Korea

N. Korea's Kim delivers 'important conclusion' at party plenary meeting: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reached an "important conclusion" at the ongoing plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea on its second day of the gathering, state media said Thursday. The ruling party launched the 13th plenary meeting of its Eighth Central Committee on Tuesday, presided over by Kim, to review this year's policy implementation results and prepare for a key party congress next year. On the second day of the meeting Wednesday, Kim "made an important conclusion on the agenda items on the review of the (policy) implementation ... this year and the preparations for the ninth congress," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The KCNA did not specify what important conclusion Kim has reached. During the meeting, the leader also assessed the implementation of this year's party and state policies and reviewed "major successes" achieved this year, it noted. Also discussed were a series of "problems" to be immediately solved before the ninth congress and the assignment of "important tasks" related to its preparations, as well as organizational matters, the impl

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim delivers 'important conclusion' at party plenary meeting: KCNA
North Korea

N. Korea's Kim pays condolatory visit to Russian embassy to mourn envoy's death

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has paid a condolatory visit to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang to mourn the death of Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Matsegora, the North's state media reported Thursday. Kim's condolatory visit to the embassy the previous day came a day after the North confirmed the sudden death last Saturday of the Russian ambassador, who had served in the country for more than 10 years. Kim "laid a bunch of flowers and observed a moment's silence in memory of Aleksandr Ivanovich Matsegora, who devoted his noble life to boosting and developing the DPRK-Russia friendship," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, referring to North Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim also met with members of the bereaved family and members of the embassy, expressing deep condolences to them. Kim eulogized Matsegora as "an able diplomat" who contributed to the history of the North Korea-Russia friendly relations. His death is "a deep sorrow and great loss" to Russian as well as North Korea, especially at a time when the two countries h

Dec 11, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim pays condolatory visit to Russian embassy to mourn envoy's death
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