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    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

    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
  • Foreign Affairs

    Greece eyes more Korean travelers through Santorini tourism showcase in Seoul

    2 MIN READBy Anna J. Park
    Greece eyes more Korean travelers through Santorini tourism showcase in Seoul
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Foreign Affairs

US calls for resolution of nontariff barrier issues in latest trade talks: Seoul official

The United States asked Korea to resolve various non-trade barrier issues in their latest round of working-level trade talks, a Seoul trade official said Monday, as the latter is seeking to get a reduction or exemption of the Donald Trump administration's tariffs. In last week's working-level consultations, Washington urged Seoul to handle non-trade barrier issues listed on the 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers issued by the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in March, the official familiar with the matter said on the condition of anonymity, without providing further details. The NTE report had touched on a wide range of Korea's non-tariff measures, including its import ban on American beef from cattle aged 30 months or older, Korea's "offset" defense trade policy, emission-related regulations on imported cars and pricing policies for pharmaceuticals. The two countries held their second round of "technical discussions" in Washington last week as agreed in a meeting between Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and USTR Jamieson Greer on the

May 26, 2025By Yonhap
US calls for resolution of nontariff barrier issues in latest trade talks: Seoul official
North Korea

N. Korean officials mourn death of ex-Vietnamese President Luong at embassy in Pyongyang

A group of North Korean officials has visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Pyongyang to mourn the death of former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, the North's state media reported Monday. Officials from the foreign ministry, the external economic relations ministry and a diplomatic affairs unit paid the condolence visit the previous day to mourn the death of the former president, who contributed to the development of bilateral ties, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Luong died Tuesday at the age of 88. While in office, he traveled to North Korea in May 2002 to hold a summit with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the first visit to the North by a Vietnamese president in 45 years. The two countries are marking the 75th anniversary of establishing formal diplomatic relations in 1950 by designating 2025 as a year of friendship.

May 26, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean officials mourn death of ex-Vietnamese President Luong at embassy in Pyongyang
Foreign Affairs

N. Korea says damaged destroyer under repair

North Korea's state media said Monday its new destroyer that was damaged last week during a launch attempt was under repair, adding that the North detained another official in connection with its investigation into the warship accident. The investigation group reported its work to the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea on Sunday, and the law enforcement organ summoned and detained Ri Hyong-son, vice department director of the party's Munitions Industry Department, over the accident, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The action was taken based on data from the investigation group, the KCNA said, describing Ri as "greatly responsible" for the accident. "At the scene of the destroyer launch accident, the work for completely restoring the balance of the warship is being actively conducted under the technical guidance of an expert group according to its schedule," the KCNA said. The destroyer tipped over and became partially submerged during its launch ceremony in the eastern port city of Chongjin last Wednesday, sustaining damage to its hull. Attending the ev

May 26, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea says damaged destroyer under repair
Foreign Affairs

Interview‘We’re still here because it’s not a president’s daughter in Gaza’

TEL AVIV, Israel — The father of U.S.-Israeli hostage Itay Chen, who was abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, spoke out about his son’s captivity, the chaos that followed the attack, and the desperate international efforts to bring him and other hostages home. In a deeply emotional interview, he painted a vivid picture of a loving, courageous young man—and a family fighting tirelessly in the vacuum of government inaction. At just 18, Itay Chen chose to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), turning down opportunities to study abroad. “He could have gone to college in the United States. He could have gone to Europe,” Judy Chen, his father, said, speaking to Korean journalists, including The Korea Times, Thursday. “But both my family and his mother’s family are Holocaust survivors. We understand the value of a Jewish state and the need to protect it.” Itay was stationed at Nahal Oz, a base near the Gaza border when Hamas launched its unprecedented attack. “He and his team were mobilized, and they fought and defended as much as they could,” his father recounted. “They

May 25, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
‘We’re still here because it’s not a president’s daughter in Gaza’
North Korea

N. Korea urges US to stop military threats

North Korea on Sunday called on the United States to abandon its military threats against others if it has concerns about its mainland safety. The head of the policy office at the North's defense ministry released a statement, carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), claiming that "the security guarantee of the U.S. mainland" depends on giving up "military threats and aggressive attempts" against other nations. "Recently, the U.S. military is hell-bent on inciting the 'threat' from the DPRK to its mainland while attempting to increase the arms buildup on the largest scale," the statement read, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The statement added that U.S. military officials are "picking a quarrel with the DPRK's self-defensive measures for bolstering up its nuclear force on several occasions, unhesitatingly making provocative remarks hinting at the possibility of outbreak of a war with the DPRK." Citing a recent U.S. test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the statement said it was an "illogical way of thinking" tha

May 25, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea urges US to stop military threats
North Korea

North Korea detains officials over warship accident, state media says

North Korea has detained shipyard officials responsible for a recent major accident during the launch of a new warship, state media said on Sunday. The failed launch that crippled the 5,000-tonne warship was witnessed by leader Kim Jong Un who said the accident damaged the country's dignity and vowed to punish those found responsible. The mishap likely occurred in front of a large crowd at the northeastern port of Chongjin, increasing the public humiliation for Kim who tried to show off military might, experts say. As the investigation into the case intensified, law enforcement authorities arrested the chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard among others, state KCNA news agency reported on Sunday. Satellite imagery shows the warship, covered in blue tarps, lying on its side, with the stern swung out into the harbor, but the bow remaining on the side slipway, according to the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Kim has ordered the ship restored before a ruling party meeting in June. KCNA said the rehabilitation plan was pushing ahead. Against U.S. military buil

May 25, 2025By Reuters
North Korea detains officials over warship accident, state media says
Foreign Affairs

S. Korean vice FM extends condolences over death of former Vietnamese president

Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun expressed his condolences Saturday over the death of former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, according to his office. Luong died on Tuesday at the age of 88, and a mourning altar was set up at the Vietnamese Embassy in Seoul. "The South Korean government highly values the late president's contributions to Vietnam's national development and the advancement of the bilateral relations. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, the people of Vietnam and the Vietnamese government," Kim was quoted as saying by the foreign ministry. Luong, who served as Vietnam's president from 1997 through 2006, was the first Vietnamese head of state to make a state visit to South Korea in 2001 and played a key role in establishing the "Comprehensive Partnership for the 21st Century" between the two countries.

May 24, 2025By Yonhap
S. Korean vice FM extends condolences over death of former Vietnamese president
Foreign Affairs

S. Korea to donate $3.65 million to UNESCO's intangible heritage

Korea will donate 5 billion won ($3.65 million) to support UNESCO's efforts to preserve and promote intangible cultural heritage around the world, the country's heritage agency said Saturday. The Korea Heritage Service said it signed a framework arrangement with UNESCO in Paris, Friday to contribute to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund under the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Under the agreement, the agency will contribute 1 billion won annually over the next five years to support UNESCO's project to create an online platform to share the best practices for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. It marks the first time South Korea has established a separate fund for a UNESCO project related to intangible heritage. South Korea currently has 23 items on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, ranking fourth among the 184 states that are party to the convention. China tops the list with 39, followed by Turkey with 28 and France with 26. During his trip to Paris, Korea Heritage Service Commissioner Choi Eung-chon

May 24, 2025By Yonhap
S. Korea to donate $3.65 million to UNESCO's intangible heritage
Foreign Affairs

Foreign ministry voices concerns over China's establishment of no-sail zone in overlapping waters

Korea has expressed its concerns to China over the latter's designation of a "no-sail zone" in overlapping borders in the Yellow Sea, the foreign ministry said Saturday. In a text message to reporters, an official at the ministry cited the Joint Chiefs of Staff and explained that both countries are allowed to conduct military drills in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ), an area where the exclusive economic zones of the two countries overlap. "However, China's establishment of a no-sail zone within the PMZ that excessively restricts freedom of navigation raises concerns," the official added, emphasizing that such concerns have been conveyed to Beijing through diplomatic channels. The ministry said it is closely coordinating with the defense ministry and other relevant agencies to determine whether China's action is consistent with international maritime law. "The government will continue to actively respond in close cooperation with related ministries to ensure that our legitimate rights and interests are not violated," he said. Earlier this week, U.S. magazine Newsweek reported that the

May 24, 2025By Yonhap
Foreign ministry voices concerns over China's establishment of no-sail zone in overlapping waters
North Korea

N. Korea in 'strongest strategic position' in decades: US intel report

WASHINGTON — North Korea stands in its "strongest strategic position" in decades, a U.S. intelligence report showed Friday, as the recalcitrant regime has been doubling down on its pursuit of advanced weapons that can threaten U.S. forces and allies in Northeast Asia, and the U.S. mainland. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the U.S. Department of Defense offered the analysis in the "2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment" that covered a wide range of security challenges from North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, and other state and non-state actors. The assessment came amid deepening concerns over North Korea's evolving nuclear and ballistic missile threats and its military alignment with Russia based on the two countries' "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty signed in June last year. "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is increasingly confident in his international political legitimacy and regime security," the DIA said in the report. "North Korea is in its strongest strategic position in decades, possessing the military means to hold at risk U.S. forces and U.S. allies in Northe

May 24, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea in 'strongest strategic position' in decades: US intel report
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