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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

    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

Civic groups urge post-election gov't to halt leaflet, loudspeaker campaigns against N. Korea

Civic groups involved in inter-Korean exchanges called on the post-election government in South Korea on Tuesday to halt leaflet and loudspeaker campaigns against North Korea in the border area in an effort to ease inter-Korean tension. Three civic groups, including the NGO Council for Inter-Korea Cooperation and the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, issued the call at a joint event ahead of the June 3 presidential election. The groups said the newly elected government must actively work to prevent armed conflict with North Korea and ease inter-Korean tensions by suspending anti-North leaflet campaigns and loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, as well as military drills. They also proposed restoring severed communication lines between Seoul and Pyongyang, resuming inter-Korean military talks and reinstating the September 19 Military Agreement. Last year, South Korea fully suspended the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement aimed at easing military tensions in the wake of North Korea's trash balloon campaigns and attempts to disrupt GPS signals near border islands. The g

May 20, 2025By Yonhap
Civic groups urge post-election gov't to halt leaflet, loudspeaker campaigns against N. Korea
Foreign Affairs

Netanyahu’s state visit invitation for Korean president still stands : Israeli lawmaker

JERUSALEM —Despite Korea's upcoming presidential election on June 3 and the recent impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, Israeli lawmaker Boaz Bismuth of the ruling Likud party confirmed Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's state visit invitation remains valid and will be extended to the incoming Korean leader. Speaking to Korean journalists at the Knesset, Bismuth said the Israeli government views the invitation as a standing one — regardless of Korea’s internal political transitions. The invitation was originally extended during a summit between Netanyahu and Yoon in New York in September 2022, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. “The invitation that you spoke about is, of course, relevant,” Bismuth said. “I think once you have the election, I think the invitation will be issued again.” If it goes forward, the visit would be the first time for a sitting Korean president to travel to Israel. Despite the historic nature of the opportunity, Korea has shown hesitation, citing growing security concerns in the Middle East, including Israel’s ongoing w

May 20, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Netanyahu’s state visit invitation for Korean president still stands : Israeli lawmaker
Foreign Affairs

InterviewKorea leverages soft power to deepen ties with Africa

Korea’s soft power — embodied in its beauty and food products — stands as a vital bridge for deepening partnerships with African nations, says Kim Young-chae, president of the Korea-Africa Foundation. "During my time working in African countries, I noticed that Korean beauty products and food have been selling increasingly well, alongside home electronics, automobiles and mobile phones — sectors where Korea has traditionally been strong," Kim said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. Kim, who served as Korea’s ambassador to Libya and Nigeria and held postings in South Africa, noted that Korean cultural content is gaining traction across the continent. "In Nigeria, for instance, at least one Korean drama or film often appears in Netflix’s Top 10 rankings,” he said. "Korean products like ramen and cosmetics are appearing more and more often in stores. These lifestyle products are helping to foster a more positive image of Korea among African consumers." He noted that rising rice consumption in some African countries, driven by urbanization and globalization, presents n

May 20, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea leverages soft power to deepen ties with Africa
Foreign Affairs

Korea, US to hold working-level tariff talks in Washington this week

Korea and the United States will hold a second round of technical discussions this week over Washington's sweeping reciprocal tariff measures, Seoul's trade ministry said Tuesday, as both sides aim to reach a "package" agreement by early July. A Korean government delegation, led by senior ministry official Jang Sung-gil, has left for Washington for a three-day negotiation session set to begin Tuesday (local time), according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "In this round of technical talks, we will focus on areas that have been discussed so far and pursue mutually beneficial outcomes, prioritizing national interest," Jang said before his departure. The two sides were to discuss six key areas of trade imbalances, non-tariff measures, economic security, digital trade, country of origin of products and commercial considerations, according to officials. This week's discussions come roughly three weeks after the first round of working-level talks held May 1. The schedule for the second round was finalized following ministerial-level talks between the two countries on the sideline

May 20, 2025By Yonhap
Korea, US to hold working-level tariff talks in Washington this week
Foreign Affairs

Czech Republic appeals court injunction halting nuclear plant deal with Korea

The Czech Republic's energy authorities appealed a court injunction earlier this week that has temporarily blocked the signing of a multibillion-dollar nuclear power plant contract with Korea, industry sources in Seoul said Tuesday. Earlier this month, a Czech regional court issued an injunction temporarily suspending the finalization of the estimated 26 trillion-won ($18.6 billion) project, following a legal challenge filed by French energy company EDF, which lost to a Korean consortium led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) in the tender process. Elektrarna Dukovany II (EDU II), a subsidiary of the state-run energy company CEZ and the entity in charge of the project, filed the appeal with the Czech Supreme Administrative Court on Monday (local time), according to the sources. KHNP had initially planned to sign the final agreement with EDU II on May 7. However, the signing ceremony was abruptly postponed just one day prior due to the injunction. The project involves the construction of two 1,063-megawatt reactors at the Dukovany nuclear power plant, located about 170 kilometers s

May 20, 2025By Yonhap
Czech Republic appeals court injunction halting nuclear plant deal with Korea
Foreign Affairs

Gov't policy minister to visit Costa Rica, Ecuador as envoy to presidential inauguration

Bang Ki-sun, minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, will visit Costa Rica and Ecuador this week to strengthen bilateral ties and attend the inauguration of Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa, his office said Tuesday. Bang will visit Costa Rica on Wednesday and Thursday to meet with the country's foreign minister and discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across all areas. From Friday to Saturday, he will visit Ecuador to attend the inauguration of reelected President Noboa as a special congratulatory envoy. He also plans to meet with Ecuador's foreign minister and other senior officials to express Korea's commitment to developing bilateral ties.

May 20, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't policy minister to visit Costa Rica, Ecuador as envoy to presidential inauguration
Foreign Affairs

S. Korea, US, Japan hold talks to reaffirm 'unwavering' commitment to trilateral cooperation

Diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan convened their trilateral secretariat managing board in Washington on Monday to reaffirm the three countries' "unwavering" commitment to advancing three-way cooperation, the State Department said. Yi Won-woo, deputy director-general for North American affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry; U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Taiwan Kevin Kim; and Akihiro Okochi, deputy director-general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan's foreign ministry, led the meeting of the Trilateral Coordinating Secretariat Managing Board. "The meeting underscored the shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific and the importance of institutionalizing collaboration across economic, security, and people-to-people domains," the department said in a media note. Board members took stock of recent progress on trilateral cooperation efforts and discussed the next steps to enhance coordination, increase information sharing and strengthen joint responses to regional and global challenges, the department said. "The Mana

May 20, 2025By Yonhap
S. Korea, US, Japan hold talks to reaffirm 'unwavering' commitment to trilateral cooperation
North Korea

N. Korea's Kim could face war crime probe for supporting Russia's war against Ukraine

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could face a war crime probe at the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) for supporting Russia's war against Ukraine, a former chief of the ICC said Monday, adding that it is the right time for Kim to be brought to justice. Song Sang-hyun, former president of the ICC, made the remarks at an international conference in Seoul, as North Korea confirmed for the first time last month that it has deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. Kim has not yet been referred to the ICC despite his human rights violations in North Korea, but legal standards have been met now for Ukraine to pursue a case against him at the ICC over the North's assistance in the Russia-Ukraine war, the former ICC president noted. "The time is right to bring Kim Jong-un before the ICC," Song said in his keynote speech at the event, adding that Pyongyang's military assistance to Russia provided Ukraine with the legal standards to file a complaint against North Korea as a victim. "There is an opportunity for Ukrainian authorities, as the victim, to file a co

May 19, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim could face war crime probe for supporting Russia's war against Ukraine
North Korea

Military says N. Korea likely received Russian support for air-to-air missiles

South Korea's military on Monday raised the possibility that North Korea received technological assistance from Russia in developing a new air-to-air missile following the North's test of the weapon last week. On Saturday, the North's state media reported North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw anti-air combat and air raid drills by an air force flight group earlier in the week, unveiling what appeared to be a live-fire drill involving a new air-to-air missile launched from a MiG-29 fighter jet. "We believe there is an association," Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told a regular press briefing, when asked whether the North received arms and advanced technology from Russia in exchange for its troop deployment. Lee said, however, that further analysis is necessary to determine the extent and scope of Russia's possible technological assistance. The JCS official added that it will likely take "considerable" time for the North to deploy such weapons systems for combat use. "There have been many cases in which the North attempted to deceive or exaggerate...

May 19, 2025By Yonhap
Military says N. Korea likely received Russian support for air-to-air missiles
Business

Korea, US to hold 2nd round of working-level tariff talks in Washington this week

Korea and the United States are scheduled to hold a second round of technical discussions in Washington this week regarding the latter's sweeping tariff scheme, as the two sides are working toward forging a "package" deal by early July, officials said Monday. A Korean government delegation is expected to depart for Washington around Tuesday to engage in the talks, which could begin as early as Tuesday (U.S. time), according to officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The two sides were to discuss six key areas of trade imbalances, non-tariff measures, economic security, digital trade, country of origin of products and commercial considerations, they added. Last month, the U.S. began imposing reciprocal tariffs on partner nations, including 25 percent duties on Korea, only to pause them shortly afterward to allow for one-on-one negotiations. Seoul and Washington subsequently agreed to work toward a "July package" deal on trade and other related issues before July 8, when Trump's 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs is to expire. Following the first round of working-level di

May 19, 2025By Yonhap
Korea, US to hold 2nd round of working-level tariff talks in Washington this week
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