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  • Foreign Affairs

    S. Korea, US, Japan hold talks on N. Korea

    South Korea had a trilateral meeting with officials from the United States and Japan in Tokyo on North Korean affairs this week, the foreign ministry said Saturday. The ministry said the talks took place Friday involving Kim Sang-il, head of the ministry's North Korean Nuclear Affairs Policy Division; David Wilezol, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Northeast Asia; and Kengo Otsuka, deputy director-general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at the Japanese foreign ministry. The officials shared their views on recent affairs on the Korean Peninsula and in the rest of Northeast Asia, and also reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearize North Korea and to ensure the implementation of U.N. and autonomous sanctions, Seoul's foreign ministry said. "We explained our effort in easing tension and building trust in inter-Korean relations, and also exchanged views on trilateral cooperation in ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," the ministry added. In a press release issued Friday, the Japanese foreign ministry noted the three officials "expressed their serious concerns over

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    S. Korea, US, Japan hold talks on N. Korea
  • 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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Foreign Affairs

Korea, Vietnam sign deal on railway cooperation: transport ministry

South Korea will share its railroad construction technologies and experience with Vietnam as part of bilateral railway cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation, Seoul's transport ministry said Monday. At a joint forum on the railway industry in Hanoi, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation ranging from devising railroad construction projects to maintenance, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. A South Korean delegation of railroad businesses, led by Transport Minister Park Sang-woo, has been on a visit to Vietnam since Friday to discuss Seoul's potential participation in the Southeast Asian country's high-speed train railway construction project. The so-called North-South high-speed rail project, estimated at 95 trillion won (US$64.4 billion), was approved by Vietnam's parliament in November with an aim to connect major industrial cities of Vietnam, including Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. During the ongoing visit, Park met with Vietnamese Construction Minister Tran Hong Minh and discussed Korean companies' possible par

Mar 31, 2025By Yonhap
Korea, Vietnam sign deal on railway cooperation: transport ministry
Foreign Affairs

Korea's space agency faces dilemma in hiring foreign experts

With two U.S. citizens in key positions at the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) required to regularly report their activities to the U.S. under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Korea’s space agency faces a dilemma in recruiting top-tier foreign rocket scientists. The issue gained attention on Monday after Korean media outlets reported on two officials — John Lee, vice administrator of mission directorates, and Kim Hyun-dae, director general of the aeronautics innovation mission directorate. Both former NASA experts and U.S. citizens, their FARA reports could potentially expose classified information about Korea’s aerospace research activities and sensitive national security projects to the public. FARA requires U.S. nationals working for foreign governments to register with the U.S. Department of Justice and submit biannual reports on their activities. The 1938 law aims to ensure transparency in actions that could influence U.S. policies. The officials' FARA filings, which are easily accessible online, not only disclosed some of their professional activities but al

Mar 31, 2025By Anna J. Park
Korea's space agency faces dilemma in hiring foreign experts
Foreign Affairs

Families of diplomats from 12 nations visit Everland Tulip Festival

Families of ambassadors from 12 countries, including the Netherlands, Germany and Mexico, visited the Tulip Festival at the Everland amusement park in Yongin, south of Seoul, to experience Korea’s vibrant seasonal flower displays. Everland said Sunday that 33 family members of ambassadors from countries including Latvia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Spain, Ireland, Ukraine, Colombia, Peru and Australia visited the festival on Saturday. Their visit was organized by Joan Mitchell van der Vliet, the wife of the Dutch ambassador to Korea. They toured the Four Seasons Garden, where tulips, daffodils and muscari were in full bloom. They joined other festivalgoers in admiring the floral displays, capturing moments at character-themed photo zones and soaking themselves in the spring atmosphere. The festival showcases around 1.2 million flowers from over 100 varieties. This year, the festival runs from March 21 to June 15 and includes collaborations featuring globally popular characters from Sanrio Company, such as Hello Kitty, My Melody and Kuromi. Since its opening, the festival has drawn more tha

Mar 31, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Families of diplomats from 12 nations visit Everland Tulip Festival
North Korea

N. Korea holds 1st large-scale gathering of instructors for children's union

North Korea has hosted the first large-scale workshop of instructors for a nationwide children's union, emphasizing their role in fostering young people's loyalty to leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported Monday. The large-scale lecture for instructors from across the country was held in Pyongyang from Wednesday to Saturday for the first time in history to urge them to fulfill their responsibilities in nurturing "youth revolutionaries and patriots," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The report was referring to a nationwide children's union, known as the "Red Necktie" unit, which students aged 7-16 are required to join. Established in 1946, the union is estimated to have 3 million members. The KCNA said the event was held at Kim's instruction and that his remarks were delivered during the meeting, though no details were disclosed. Issues discussed during the lecture included instructors' role as political protectors tasked with nurturing children as youth "revolutionaries and patriots" who remain endlessly faithful to North Korean leader Kim, the report said. "Children should b

Mar 31, 2025By yonhap
N. Korea holds 1st large-scale gathering of instructors for children's union
North Korea

N. Korea-Russia relations strengthen despite Ukraine peace talks

North Korea and Russia’s partnership is showing signs of deepening even as Moscow participates in peace talks to end its war in Ukraine, fueling speculation that their military cooperation could persist well beyond the end of fighting. Their military ties, solidified during a surprise summit between their leaders in September 2023, have been rooted in mutual strategic interests. Russia has relied on North Korea for ammunition and troop support in its invasion of Ukraine, while Pyongyang is believed to have received military technology in return. Despite expectations that their transactional partnership would weaken after the war, analysts suggest their bond is only growing stronger, even as ceasefire negotiations between Russia and the United States to end the three-year conflict in Ukraine are seeing some progress. "Throughout the war, North Korea has proven to be Russia’s most reliable — if not the only — ally. No other country has openly sided with Russia and sent troops in support," said Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. "Even i

Mar 30, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
N. Korea-Russia relations strengthen despite Ukraine peace talks
Foreign Affairs

Trade ministers of Korea, Japan agree to jointly respond to global trade issues

The trade ministers of South Korea and Japan agreed Sunday to cooperate to jointly respond to global trade issues involving both countries amid the expansion of trade protectionism, Seoul's industry ministry said. Ahn Duk-geun, Korea's minister of trade, industry and energy, and his Japanese counterpart, Yoji Muto, also agreed to strengthen their countries' cooperation on other issues that require their joint efforts during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of a three-way ministerial meeting held in Seoul, also involving China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. The Ahn-Muto meeting marked the first of its kind since June 2024. In the meeting, Ahn and Muto exchanged views on global trade issues, including the rise of protectionism, and agreed to strengthen information sharing, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. Both Korea and Japan have been under pressure to reduce their trade surpluses with the United States as U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of reciprocal tariffs on countries the U.S. has large trade deficits with. The Trump administration plans to announce co

Mar 30, 2025By yonhap
Trade ministers of Korea, Japan agree to jointly respond to global trade issues
Foreign Affairs

Trade chiefs of Korea, China, Japan discuss advancing trade cooperation at three-way meeting

The top trade officials of Korea, China and Japan on Sunday discussed bolstering trade cooperation among the three countries in their first trilateral ministerial meeting in six years, held amid growing protectionism and tensions in the global trade market. The 13th Trilateral Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting among the Republic of Korea, Japan and the People's Republic of China took place in Seoul, involving Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto. It marked the first time since December 2019 that the industry ministers of the three nations held a trilateral meeting, as well as the first such meeting taking place in Seoul in 10 years. The 2019 meeting was held in Beijing. Sunday's meeting was a follow-up to the summit of the three countries' leaders held in Seoul last year. "Amid the rapidly changing global economic and trade environment, the meeting of the three countries' trade ministers for the first time in six years carries significant resonance not only for the three nations but also for the internatio

Mar 30, 2025By yonhap
Trade chiefs of Korea, China, Japan discuss advancing trade cooperation at three-way meeting
Foreign Affairs

Industry ministers of Korea, China agree to continue trade cooperation amid expansion of trade protectionism

Industry ministers of South Korea and China discussed expanding economic cooperation in the supply chain and other areas, Saturday, amid growing tensions in global trade in their first meeting in over a year, Seoul's ministry said the same day. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, held a bilateral meeting in Seoul ahead of the trilateral meeting of industry ministers of South Korea, China and Japan, scheduled for the following day, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The previous meeting of the two countries' industry ministers was held in San Francisco in November 2023. In the latest meeting, the two sides agreed to continue bilateral cooperation in trade under the multilateral trading systems of the World Trade Organization and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) despite heightened global tensions sparked by major economies' protectionist policies, according to the ministry. Ahn and Wentao also discussed expanding cooperation in supply chains of critical minerals, which are essential for advanced industries, such as the batt

Mar 29, 2025By yonhap
Industry ministers of Korea, China agree to continue trade cooperation amid expansion of trade protectionism
Foreign Affairs

Korea to offer $2 mil. in humanitarian aid to Myanmar over disastrous quake

Korea plans to offer humanitarian aid worth $2 million to Myanmar to assist the country's people affected by the catastrophic quake earlier this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday. "We decided to provide $2 million worth of humanitarian assistance via an international organization to help speedy responses to damage caused by the quake in Myanmar," the ministry said. The ministry added that it will review additional assistance, if necessary, depending on the situation in the Southeast Asian country. On Friday, a 7.7 magnitude quake and an aftershock measuring 6.4 rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand , killing more than 1,000, according to foreign media reports. The number of casualties is feared to increase. (Yonhap)

Mar 29, 2025By yonhap
Korea to offer $2 mil. in humanitarian aid to Myanmar over disastrous quake
Foreign Affairs

Hegseth stresses need for cooperation with Korea, other allies for deterrence needed to prevent war

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth underscored the need Friday for the United States to work together with Korea, Japan and other allies "shoulder to shoulder" to establish deterrence needed to prevent war, as he said America seeks to ensure a "free" 21st century. Hegseth made the remarks during a joint press conference with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro in Manila as the Pentagon chief is on his first multi-nation trip to the Indo-Pacific since taking office in January. "What the Trump administration will do is deliver ... is truly prioritize and shift this region of the world in a way that is unprecedented to match the threats of the future with the recognition that for the 21st century to be a free century, America needs to stand alongside our allies and partners shoulder to shoulder," he said, according to a transcript provided by the Pentagon. "Today, it's the Philippines. Tomorrow, it's Japan. It will be Australia and Korea and other nations in this part of the world, where together, by, with and through we will establish the deterrence necessary to pre

Mar 29, 2025By yonhap
Hegseth stresses need for cooperation with Korea, other allies for deterrence needed to prevent war
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