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  • Foreign Affairs

    Lee to receive Italy's highest decoration for promoting bilateral ties

    ROME — President Lee Jae Myung will receive Italy's highest state decoration from Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday in recognition of his contributions to bilateral ties, a presidential official said. Mattarella was to confer the Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic on Lee during a state banquet in Rome, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a briefing. The honor comes after the two leaders held summit talks earlier in the day at the Quirinal Palace, during which they agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a special strategic partnership. Lee is currently on a state visit to Italy, the first such visit by a South Korean president in 26 years. The Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic is Italy's highest decoration bestowed on foreign heads of state. Italy conferred the honor on King Charles III of Britain and the president of the United Arab Emirates last year. The conferral reflects Italy's "highest expression of respect for Lee in appreciation of his contributions to strengthening friends

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee to receive Italy's highest decoration for promoting bilateral ties
  • Foreign Affairs

    Lee says S. Korea, Italy are 'optimal partners' for business cooperation

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee says S. Korea, Italy are 'optimal partners' for business cooperation
  • Foreign Affairs

    Lee hopes S. Korea, Italy will work together to promote free trade, multilateralism

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee hopes S. Korea, Italy will work together to promote free trade, multilateralism
  • Others

    Korea, Italy sign MOUs to enhance advanced science cooperation, explore joint projects in Africa

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea, Italy sign MOUs to enhance advanced science cooperation, explore joint projects in Africa
  • Others

    Korea, Britain sign revised nuclear cooperation protocol, discuss partnership

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea, Britain sign revised nuclear cooperation protocol, discuss partnership
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North Korea

N. Korea's Kim marks completion of new apartments in Pyongyang's new town on founder's birthday

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony marking the completion of 10,000 new housing units in a newly developed town in Pyongyang on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung, the North's state media reported Wednesday. Kim attended the completion ceremony for the third-stage housing section of the newly developed Hwasong area in the capital Tuesday, the day the country celebrated the 113th birth anniversary of its founder, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Pyongyang's northeastern district of Hwasong, along with Songhwa, has been newly developed under a five-year plan unveiled by Kim in 2021 to build 10,000 housing units in the capital every year. The first batch of 10,000 apartments was completed in Songhwa the following year, followed by 20,000 more units built in the first- and second-stage sections of Hwasong in 2023-2024. The latest completion of the third-stage section brings the total number of new apartments to 40,000 so far, with Kim claiming the completion of the final fourth-stage section will successfully resolve

Apr 16, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim marks completion of new apartments in Pyongyang's new town on founder's birthday
Foreign Affairs

Senior Pentagon official calls Trump's policy 'not recipe for isolation' but 'common sense' approach

A senior Pentagon official described President Donald Trump's defense policy Tuesday as "not a recipe for isolation" but a "common sense" approach amid lingering concerns about the potential impact of Trump's America First policy on U.S. alliances and partnerships. New Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby made the remarks in a social media post on the day after he was sworn in by Vice President J.D. Vance last Wednesday to carry out a key role to flesh out America's defense strategy. "This isn't a recipe for isolation. Instead, it's the common-sense approach. If we had continued on the old path, disaster would have been the result," Colby wrote on X, referring to Trump's defense policy. "That is why President Trump's approach is so vital. His is a strategy that puts Americans' interests first and will restore peace through strength -- not just for a few years, but for decades to come," he added. Trump has been hammering away at his America First policy, which many anticipated might be geared toward curtailing the United States' overseas military involvement and putting pr

Apr 16, 2025By Yonhap
Senior Pentagon official calls Trump's policy 'not recipe for isolation' but 'common sense' approach
Foreign Affairs

Syria extends full diplomatic honors to S. Korean FM in landmark visit

Syria extended South Korea's top diplomat the highest diplomatic courtesies during his visit last week to forge formal ties, signaling a strong commitment to deepening cooperation in the economy, reconstruction and other fields, a Seoul official said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul traveled to Damascus last Thursday to formalize the diplomatic relations, a milestone that completed Seoul's endeavors to have formal ties with every U.N. member state except North Korea. Cho's trip was conducted discreetly due to the security situation in Syria, where an interim government has taken power following the overthrow of former leader Bashar al-Assad's half-century dictatorship. During his brief visit, Cho was accorded top-level diplomatic protocol, including security three times the scale usually provided for a foreign minister, a Seoul official said on background. "Minister Cho was welcomed with full honors and escorted by a full security convoy from the moment he arrived at the airport until we crossed the Lebanese border," the official said. Following the bilateral talks, Syrian Foreign Mi

Apr 15, 2025By Yonhap
Syria extends full diplomatic honors to S. Korean FM in landmark visit
North Korea

N. Korea sent over 126,000 phishing emails to S. Koreans: police

North Korea was behind a massive distribution of phishing emails to South Koreans between late last year and early this year, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said Tuesday. The agency said a North Korean hacking group sent 126,266 fake emails to 17,744 people in South Korea from last November to January to steal their personal information. The scam emails are classified into about 30 types, falsely promising to provide information on North Korean politics, concert tickets for famous singers, tax refunds, daily fortunes and health, the KNPA said. Notably, one type of email falsely promised to reveal the Defense Counterintelligence Command's documents on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration and was sent to 54 online users in the South, the agency noted. The scam emails, if clicked, would direct the users to phishing sites that ask for their portal site account ID and password. The KNPA said that the same servers used in previous cyberattacks originating from North Korea were used again this time and IP addresses used were located in areas between North Kor

Apr 15, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea sent over 126,000 phishing emails to S. Koreans: police
Foreign Affairs

Korea fails to reverse US 'sensitive country' listing taking effect Tuesday

The government said Tuesday that more time is needed to resolve the U.S. designation of Korea as a "sensitive country" in the energy sector, as ongoing diplomatic efforts failed to reverse the decision by the April 15 deadline. Despite a monthlong diplomatic engagement involving relevant ministries, including the foreign, industry and science ministries, Seoul was unable to persuade Washington to withdraw or postpone the designation. "During a meeting with the U.S. secretary of energy on March 20, both sides agreed to cooperate in resolving the issue promptly in accordance with related procedures. Accordingly, relevant ministries are continuing negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), including director general-level consultations," the foreign ministry said in a joint statement with the industry and science ministries. "However, as this matter is being handled in accordance to U.S. internal procedures, it is expected to take some more time," the statement added. The government stressed that the designation would not affect ongoing or future bilateral research or R&D cooper

Apr 15, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea fails to reverse US 'sensitive country' listing taking effect Tuesday
Foreign Affairs

S. Korea, UAE discuss cooperation on Cheongung interceptors, KF-21 jets

Senior Air Force officials from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held talks Tuesday on defense cooperation, including South Korea's homegrown Cheongung air defense system and KF-21 fighter jet. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-su and Maj. Gen. Rashed Mohammed A. Al Shamsi, commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, met at Lee's office in Gyeryong, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the South's Air Force. Lee pledged to offer support for the UAE to successfully operate the Cheongung-II system the country purchased in 2022, it said, adding the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to hold regular talks between their armed services. On Wednesday, the two officials plan to sign a letter of intent for comprehensive cooperation on the KF-21, which is currently undergoing production and is scheduled to be delivered to the South's Air Force next year. Under the preliminary agreement, the UAE Air Force will be able to observe air drills involving the KF-21 and visit South Korean units that will operate the fighter jet, the Air Force said. Brig. Gen

Apr 15, 2025By Yonhap
S. Korea, UAE discuss cooperation on Cheongung interceptors, KF-21 jets
Foreign Affairs

Korea, US discuss lunar exploration, satellite navigation at space talks

Korea and the United States have discussed efforts to expand space cooperation, including lunar exploration, satellite navigation and maritime domain awareness, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. The fourth Civil Space Dialogue took place in Washington on Monday (local time), the first high-level talks on space cooperation since the launch of the Donald Trump administration's second term. The allies discussed expanding Korea's participation in the U.S. Artemis lunar exploration program and potential avenues for Seoul's involvement in ongoing U.S. space missions led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the ministry said. The two countries also discussed ways to strengthen interoperability between Korea's Korea Positioning System currently under development, and the U.S. Global Positioning System. They agreed to continue cooperation to ensure safe space operations and promote the long-term sustainability of outer space. Recognizing the growing importance of maritime domain awareness through the use of space-based assets, the two countries explored ways for relate

Apr 15, 2025By Yonhap
Korea, US discuss lunar exploration, satellite navigation at space talks
North Korea

N. Korea urges enduring loyalty to state leader on his grandfather's birthday

North Korea recalled the revolutionary feats of late national founder Kim Il-sung on his birth anniversary Tuesday, stressing enduring loyalty to his grandson and current state leader Kim Jong-un. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's ruling party newspaper, carried the message in an editorial on the day the country marked the 113th anniversary of the founder's birth. "The juche (self-reliance) ideology, established by the supreme leader (Kim Il-sung) is being continuously developed and enriched by the extraordinary ideological activities of ... respected comrade Kim Jong-un," the newspaper said, urging loyalty to ensure the realization of his ideas. The paper praised the current leader's key state visions, such as those on developing the defense industry, as "scientific implementation doctrines" that are propelling the country's socialism toward steady progress. "By more thoroughly consolidating the respected comrade's sole leadership system, the strong spirit of advancing the revolution ... solely in line with his ideological will must be upheld," it noted. In celebration of the founder's bi

Apr 15, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea urges enduring loyalty to state leader on his grandfather's birthday
Foreign Affairs

Industry minister meets Korean firms in Vietnam to discuss response to US tariffs

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun held a meeting with Korean companies operating in Vietnam on Monday to address the firms' growing concerns over the latest tariff measures proposed by the United States. Ahn met with representatives from 16 Korean companies with business operations in the Southeast Asian nation, including major exporters, such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Hyundai Motor Co., to listen to their difficulties arising from Washington's reciprocal tariff policy and share possible response strategies, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "To minimize potential damage to our companies, we will continue to communicate closely not only with the U.S. government but also with the Vietnamese government through high-level talks and intergovernmental consultation channels," Ahn was quoted by the ministry as saying. U.S. President Donald Trump recently proposed imposing a 46 percent reciprocal tariff on imports from Vietnam — a move that has raised concerns for many Korean firms that rely heavily on Vietnamese production lines for exports to the U.S. Trump has since

Apr 14, 2025By Yonhap
Industry minister meets Korean firms in Vietnam to discuss response to US tariffs
Foreign Affairs

Industry minister likely to visit US as early as next week for tariff negotiations

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun could visit the United States as early as next week for negotiations with Washington over its reciprocal tariffs, a government official said Monday. Ahn's expected trip comes as Seoul seeks an exemption from the U.S.' global tariffs, including a 25 percent duty on Korea, which the Trump administration put on hold last week for 90 days except for China. "Depending on how the schedule is coordinated, the timing could be somewhat adjusted," a government official told Yonhap News Agency. "A trip to the U.S. could happen as early as next week." Earlier Monday, acting President Han Duck-soo said the government would organize a negotiating team centered around Ahn to push for negotiations with U.S. officials at an early date. Ahn visited the U.S. in February and March, and met key officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, for talks on industrial cooperation, such as in the shipbuilding sector. Ahn's forthcoming trip is expected to focus on requesting U.S. officials to ease or exempt Korea from the reciprocal tariffs, and explain Seoul's efforts to res

Apr 14, 2025By Yonhap
Industry minister likely to visit US as early as next week for tariff negotiations
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