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  • North Korea

    N. Korea, Belarus near visa-waiver agreement for ordinary citizens: report

    North Korea and Belarus are close to signing a visa-waiver agreement for ordinary citizens, Belarus' state media has reported. The report by the Belarusian news agency BelTA on Sunday (Belarus time) said Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov discussed ways to enhance mutual times with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, including the pending deal. "We will sign it in the very near future," Ryzhenkov was quoted as saying. "We discussed the entire range of bilateral relations, including the upcoming contacts through the foreign ministries and the signing of a number of agreements, including this important agreement on visa-free travel for citizens." The report said only "some technical details" were left to be work out. The move is believed to be a follow-up to the March summit in Pyongyang between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, where they signed an agreement on friendship and cooperation. At that time, Lukashenko was seen receiving an assault rifle as a present from Kim. In another sign of deepening ties, Belarusian Prime Minist

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea, Belarus near visa-waiver agreement for ordinary citizens: report
  • Foreign Affairs

    Korean, Mexican FMs discuss cooperation in AI, middle-power solidarity

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korean, Mexican FMs discuss cooperation in AI, middle-power solidarity
  • North Korea

    N. Korea slams Japan's Yasukuni shrine visits as 'neo-militarist frenzy'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea slams Japan's Yasukuni shrine visits as 'neo-militarist frenzy'
  • North Korea

    No signs of additional deployment of NK troops to Russia detected: S. Korean military

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    No signs of additional deployment of NK troops to Russia detected: S. Korean military
  • North Korea

    N. Korea denounces Japan's record defense budget as 'war preparation'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea denounces Japan's record defense budget as 'war preparation'
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Foreign Affairs

PHOTOS Georgia celebrates 108th Independence Day in Seoul

Diplomatic guests, including ambassadors and senior officials, gather at Pullman Ambassador in Seoul, May 28, to celebrate the 108th anniversary of Georgia’s independence. Courtesy of Embassy of Georgia in Korea

Jun 1, 2026By Anna J. Parkphoto
[PHOTOS] Georgia celebrates 108th Independence Day in Seoul
Foreign Affairs

Korea, Africa can turn challenges into opportunities through closer cooperation: FM

Foreign ministers from Korea and dozens of African countries gathered in Seoul on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation for shared growth and jointly address supply chain disruptions and other global challenges, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held under the theme of "Partnership for Joint Responses to Global Challenges," brought together representatives from 50 African countries, out of the 54 invited, and four regional organizations — the African Union, the African Development Bank, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It marks the first gathering of African foreign ministers for a meeting hosted independently the Korean government. "We gather today at a critical juncture where the global order is rapidly shifting. The world is facing multi-faceted challenges across various sectors, such as supply chains, energy and food security," Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in an opening address. "Amid continued instability in the Middle East and uncertainty surrounding

Jun 1, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, Africa can turn challenges into opportunities through closer cooperation: FM
North Korea

N. Korea's Kim inspects Sinuiju greenhouse complex

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a large-scale greenhouse complex in the northwest city of Sinuiju, calling areas hosting the farm a "standard" of regional development, state media reported Monday. Kim conducted an on-site inspection of the Sinuiju Combined Greenhouse Farm the previous day, reviewing vegetable production and management operations, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Photos carried by state media showed Kim's daughter, Ju-ae, walking immediately behind him during a greenhouse tour. Kim's wife, Ri Sol-ju, his sister Kim Yo-jong and other ranking officials were also seen accompanying him. North Korea built the complex on Wihwa Island, devastated by flooding in the summer of 2024, promoting it as a showcase of the regime's regional development policy and its focus on improving people's livelihoods. Sunday's visit marked Kim's eighth to the complex — five times last year and three so far this year, including the one in January, which marked his first on-site visit of the year. "The Wihwado area will be described again as a model and a standard of regional

Jun 1, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim inspects Sinuiju greenhouse complex
Foreign Affairs

Korean, African FMs set to hold meeting to discuss cooperation amid global challenges

Foreign ministers from South Korea and dozens of African countries gathered in Seoul on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation for shared growth and jointly address supply chain disruptions and other global challenges, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting was set to open later in the day under the theme of "Partnership for Joint Responses to Global Challenges," according to the ministry. The event brought together representatives from 50 African countries, out of the 54 invited, and four regional organizations — the African Union, the African Development Bank, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It marks the first gathering of African foreign ministers that will be independently hosted by the South Korean government. "Participants are expected to hold extensive discussions on measures to strengthen practical cooperation for the shared prosperity of both sides and on fostering solidarity to jointly address global challenges, including supply chain disruptions," the mi

Jun 1, 2026By Yonhap
Korean, African FMs set to hold meeting to discuss cooperation amid global challenges
Foreign Affairs

Tunisian FM urges Korean firms to expand into Africa amid supply chain disruptions

Investments in Africa will offer new and evolving business opportunities, as well as a chance to diversify and expand supply chains amid disruptions in major international trade routes, the top diplomat of Tunisia said. In a written interview with Yonhap News Agency, Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti also stressed that his country may offer a "strategic gateway" for South Korean businesses seeking access to African, European and Middle Eastern markets. "At the crossroads of Africa, Europe and the Arab world, Tunisia provides South Korea a strategic launchpad built on a foundation of industrial maturity, constantly improving infrastructure and top-tier talent," he said, noting recent global crises, including instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, have strengthened the need for South Korea to diversify supply chains and production in Africa. "The current geopolitical volatility and multifaceted global disruptions have underscored a fundamental reality: global supply chain diversification is no longer an option; it is an economic and security imperative," the minister adde

Jun 1, 2026By Yonhap
Tunisian FM urges Korean firms to expand into Africa amid supply chain disruptions
North Korea

N. Korea's spy chief meets top Russian security official in Moscow

The chief of North Korea's spy agency has attended an international security forum in Russia and held a meeting with the country's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, the North's state media reported Sunday. A delegation from North Korea's National Intelligence Agency, led by general director Ri Chang-dae, took part in an international meeting of high-level security representatives, the main event of an international security forum in Russia last Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency (KNCA) said. In a speech to the assembly, Ri said "all countries should build up their own security capabilities (and) closely promote ... cooperation in the course of building a multi-polar world" to address the global security crisis, the KCNA said. "The DPRK is stockpiling and steadily bolstering up its strongest strength," the KCNA also quoted Ri as saying, adding that the effort is aimed at "defending its own security and the genuine era of peace without war forever." DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The same day, Ri also held talks with Sh

May 31, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's spy chief meets top Russian security official in Moscow
Foreign Affairs

Cambodian court sentences 6 Chinese nationals to life for murder of Korean student

A Cambodian court has sentenced six Chinese nationals to life in prison for the kidnapping, torture and murder of a 22-year-old Korean university student. The student was lured to Cambodia last year by a voice phishing scam network and later trafficked between multiple criminal organizations. According to local media reports Thursday, the Kampot Provincial Court in southern Cambodia handed down life sentences to all six defendants convicted in the killing of Park, the student. Since Cambodia does not have the death penalty, life imprisonment is the country's harshest punishment. The trial began on May 6, and the court ruled that the six defendants were guilty of murder, unlawful detention, torture and organized fraud. In a statement, the court said the victim died after being subjected to severe torture, adding that investigators found numerous bruises and injuries across his body. The court added that the evidence and legal review provided sufficient grounds to convict all six defendants. Assets seized during the investigation were also ordered confiscated. Park, a university student fro

May 29, 2026By Anna J. Park
Cambodian court sentences 6 Chinese nationals to life for murder of Korean student
Foreign Affairs

Korea, US to launch talks on security initiatives from summit agreements next week

Korea and the United States will launch formal negotiations next week to implement security agreements reached between their leaders, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. A kickoff meeting will take place in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday to launch follow-up consultations on the security-related parts of the joint fact sheet published in November following the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the ministry. The agenda is expected to include Seoul's push to build nuclear-powered submarines, secure uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities for peaceful use, as well as the expansion of shipbuilding cooperation between the two allies. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo will lead Korea's delegation, which will include officials from the presidential office, as well as the defense, science and industry ministries. The U.S. delegation will be led by Allison Hooker, U.S. under secretary of state for political affairs, and will include officials from the White House National Security Council, the Department of St

May 29, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, US to launch talks on security initiatives from summit agreements next week
Foreign Affairs

Defense minister leaves for Singapore to attend regional security forum

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back left for Singapore on Friday to attend an annual security forum, where he is expected to highlight Korea's defense policy and hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from key partner nations. Ahn plans to deliver a speech to the plenary session of the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, on Saturday, presenting Korea's defense policy directions amid regional and global challenges, officials said. The forum is running from Friday through Sunday. Following the session, Ahn is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and discuss efforts to advance the defense partnership between the two neighbors. A focal point of their talks will be whether they will formally announce a resumption of their joint maritime search and rescue exercises, known as SAREX, after they agreed to restart the drills during their talks in Japan in January. Ahn may meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the margins of the dialogue, although a formal bilateral meeting is unlikely since they already h

May 29, 2026By Yonhap
Defense minister leaves for Singapore to attend regional security forum
North Korea

Unification minister to be probed over alleged leak of N. Korean nuclear info

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young will face a prosecution investigation over allegations that he leaked classified information related to North Korea's nuclear facilities. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office said Thursday that it received the case from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on May 21 and assigned it. Chung is accused of violating laws governing the disclosure of official secrets. During a parliamentary committee session on March 6, Chung said North Korea is operating another uranium enrichment facility in the northwestern region of Kusong, along with previously reported ones in Yongbyon and Kangson. The government has previously officially identified Yongbyon and Kangson as the main locations hosting the North's uranium enrichment facilities, with Kusong being identified as a site for the first time. At the time, the United States was reportedly said to have conveyed its concerns through South Korean diplomatic, security and intelligence agencies. The unification ministry responded that Chung's remarks were based on comments by the head of the Intern

May 28, 2026By Yonhap
Unification minister to be probed over alleged leak of N. Korean nuclear info
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