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Eric Trump tours development projects in Korean city east of Seoul

Eric Trump, the second son of U.S. President Donald Trump, visited a satellite city east of Seoul this week to tour local development projects, city officials said Wednesday. Trump, who is visiting Korea to attend a cryptocurrency forum, met Hanam Mayor Lee Hyun-jae earlier in the day to tour the site of a planned culture complex, named K-Star World, designed to feature a hotel and entertainment facilities. He also visited the site of a former golf course Tuesday that was once used by the U.S. military stationed in Korea but has now been transferred back to the country. Trump, who serves as the executive vice president of The Trump Organization, reportedly showed interest in the sites and asked questions about them. The city said it would seek cooperation with global investment companies, including The Trump Organization, in light of Trump's visit.

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Eric Trump tours development projects in Korean city east of Seoul
Foreign Affairs

Lee offers condolences over deadly school shooting in Canada

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday expressed condolences over a deadly school shooting in Canada, voicing hope that the country will heal from the tragedy. "On behalf of the Republic of Korea, I convey my heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families and to the people of Canada who are mourning this profound loss," Lee wrote on the social platform X, using South Korea's official name. "I sincerely hope that the people of Canada, united as one under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, will overcome this grief together and soon return to their peaceful daily lives." The shooting on Tuesday at a high school and a nearby home in a remote town in British Columbia left 10 people, including the shooter, dead and more than 25 injured, according to media reports.

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Lee offers condolences over deadly school shooting in Canada
North Korea

Unification ministry rejects claims of 'submissive' stance toward N. Korea

The unification ministry on Wednesday rejected media criticism that it maintains a "submissive" stance toward North Korea after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young made back-to-back remarks expressing regrets over actions that strained ties with the regime. "Some are portraying the government's peace efforts as a submissive stance toward the North ... but the government is seeking to create conditions for inter-Korean trust in pursuit of peaceful coexistence," the ministry said in a press release. The media criticism came after Chung expressed regret the previous day over the alleged privately led drone dispatch to North Korea in recent months and Seoul's 2016 shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. "We need the courage to acknowledge the wrongs we have committed, and in that perspective, the drone dispatch was a clear wrongdoing," the ministry said, adding that such past missteps must be overcome. The Lee Jae Myung administration has repeatedly extended overtures for dialogue to Pyongyang since taking office last June, although Pyongyang has r

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Unification ministry rejects claims of 'submissive' stance toward N. Korea
Foreign Affairs

Seoul-Washington trade tensions cloud US security delegation’s planned visit

Korea's tariff deadlock with the United States is raising concerns in Seoul over potential spillover into security negotiations with its key ally, including talks on nuclear-powered submarines and other nuclear-related issues. Analysts say that if the trade impasse persists, it could even lead to the cancellation of a U.S. government delegation's planned Seoul visit for high-level security consultations. These concerns began on Jan. 27, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced a plan to raise tariffs on Korean products from 15 percent to 25 percent, accusing the National Assembly of delaying passage of a bill required to implement a bilateral tariff agreement finalized last November. Since then, top Seoul officials, including Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, made urgent visits to Washington to assure Seoul's commitment to the agreement and prevent the tariff hike — attempts that have yet to produce a tangible outcome. Adding to the pressure, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Cho that Washington would impose a 25 p

Feb 11, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Seoul-Washington trade tensions cloud US security delegation’s planned visit
Foreign Affairs

New Zealand envoy highlights Maori heritage, Korea ties at Waitangi Day event

New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Dawn Bennet highlighted her country’s bicultural foundations and the long-standing friendship between Korea and New Zealand during a Waitangi Day reception at the ambassador’s residence in Seoul on Tuesday. Addressing diplomats, Korean officials and invited guests, Bennet described Waitangi Day as one of the most significant dates in New Zealand’s national calendar. “Waitangi Day is a day for us to reflect on who we are as a country and to honor the partnership at the heart of New Zealand — to celebrate the unique bicultural foundations that continue to shape our identity today,” she said. Bennet said the occasion also provided an opportunity to celebrate the deep and enduring relationship between Korea and New Zealand, noting that despite the geographic distance, the two countries are connected by shared values such as respect, partnership and cooperation. “Friendship — whether between people or between nations — is built on human connection, and human connection at its heart is built on mutual understanding,” she said. As part of her r

Feb 11, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin
New Zealand envoy highlights Maori heritage, Korea ties at Waitangi Day event
Foreign Affairs

Korea, Netherlands reaffirm strategic partnership in trade, economic security

Korea and the Netherlands held the inaugural meeting of a high-level dialogue attended by their foreign affairs and trade ministers Wednesday, reaffirming their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in trade, economic security, artificial intelligence (AI) and other areas amid heightened global tensions, Seoul officials said. The high-level dialogue brought together Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, with their respective Dutch counterparts, David van Weel and Aukje de Vries, in Seoul. Following their talks, the ministers of the two countries issued a joint statement in which they reaffirmed the need to further deepen bilateral cooperation based on the countries' strategic partnership against the backdrop of increasing geoeconomic tensions and rapid advancements in new technologies. Seoul and The Hague have been working to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas from trade, economic security and the responsible use of AI in the military domain to semiconductors and critical mineral supply chains under their bilateral strategic partnership forged in

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, Netherlands reaffirm strategic partnership in trade, economic security
North Korea

North Korea says 50,000-unit housing construction project in Pyongyang nearing completion

North Korea said Wednesday that a landmark housing project launched at a previous party congress to build 50,000 living units in Pyongyang will soon be complete, marking a major preparatory step ahead of another party congress later this month. "The goal of building 50,000 living units in the capital, set at the eighth party congress, is nearing ... final completion according to the party-set schedule," the Rodong Sinmun, the party-run newspaper, said. The housing construction is a pet project of leader Kim Jong-un, unveiled at the 2021 congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, aimed at addressing housing shortages and enhancing living standards. Under the project, a total of 40,000 living units were constructed in Pyongyang's Songsin and Songhwa districts in 2022 and in the Hwasong district from 2023 to 2025, with the remaining 10,000 units now nearing completion. The newspaper said the project created "a model modern city" equipped with advanced infrastructure, road networks and green zones over a five-year period. "This grand and elaborate constructions represent the remarkable changes

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
North Korea says 50,000-unit housing construction project in Pyongyang nearing completion
Foreign Affairs

Korea, Italy explore expanded cooperation in energy, advanced industries

Senior officials of Korea and Italy met in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss ways to expand their countries' bilateral cooperation in trade, energy and advanced industries, Seoul officials said. Maria Tripodi, visiting vice foreign minister of Italy, held separate meetings with Korea's Vice Trade Minister Park Jung-sung and Vice Climate Minister Lee Ho-hyeon to explore ways to deepen cooperation as a follow-up measure to the leaders' summit between the two countries held last month, according to the officials. The meetings came one day after Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed to strengthen industrial cooperation in various fields, including artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace, semiconductors and critical minerals, in a bilateral summit held in Seoul. Park and Tripodi exchanged views on ways to bolster the countries' cooperation in advanced industries, stressing that they need to create a sustainable business platform and improve the corporate investment environment to that end. The two also agreed to join hands to strengthen their countries' c

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, Italy explore expanded cooperation in energy, advanced industries
North Korea

N. Korea warns Japan against forging military alliances as war criminal

North Korea warned Wednesday that Japan, a war criminal country, should not forge military alliances with foreign nations, slamming its recent expansion of defense equipment trade with Canada. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's most widely read newspaper published by the ruling party, issued the warning, citing a recent equipment and technology transfer agreement between Japan and Canada aimed at laying the groundwork for exchanges of defense equipment and technology. The newspaper accused Japan of "creating an environment favorable to realizing its ambitions of overseas invasion by strengthening military collusion with global powers." The paper claimed signing military agreements, exchanging defense equipment and information, and staging joint military exercises between countries are possible only under military alliances, accusing Japan of effectively having such military alliances. "It is not too much to say that Japan has practically established military alliances with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and many other countries," the Rodong Sinmun said. As a war criminal co

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea warns Japan against forging military alliances as war criminal
Foreign Affairs

Colby recalls 'excellent' talks with Seoul officials on alliance modernization, collective defense

WASHINGTON — U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby has recounted his recent trip to Seoul, noting that he had "excellent" meetings with South Korean officials to discuss joint efforts to "modernize" the bilateral alliance and strengthen collective defense, among other topics. In social media posts on Friday, Colby explained his engagement with top security and foreign policy officials in Seoul, including National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, during the trip from Jan. 25-27. South Korea was the first leg of his Asia swing that also took him to Japan. His trip to the two countries, which he called "vital allies" in America's "priority theater" of Asia, came as Washington calls on allies to bolster their defense spending and take greater security burdens while it seeks to focus on defending the U.S. homeland and the Western Hemisphere and countering Chinese threats. "It was a pleasure to meet with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to discuss a wide range of strategic and geopolitical topics in an open and commonsen

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Colby recalls 'excellent' talks with Seoul officials on alliance modernization, collective defense
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