my timesThe Korea Times

Foreign Affairs

North KoreaOthers
  • North Korea

    N. Korea calls denuclearization 'irreversibly finalized' matter

    North Korea on Sunday called denuclearization an "irreversibly finalized" matter as it denounced recent talks between South Korea and the United States that reaffirmed the goal of the North's denuclearization. An unnamed spokesperson of the North's foreign ministry issued the criticism, after South Korea and the United States reaffirmed the shared goal at the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group meeting on Thursday. "It is an unreasonable talk and fantastic daydream to mention about disarming the other belligerent party's nuclear weapons," the spokesperson said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The U.S. and its vassal forces' meaningless rhetoric against the DPRK and cooperation in posing a nuclear threat to it can never affect the irreversible position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state," the spokesperson said. "The 'denuclearization' is an irreversibly finalized matter." DPRK stands for the North's official name — the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The spokesperson also took issue with the bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue between the U

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea calls denuclearization 'irreversibly finalized' matter
  • North Korea

    Presidential office reaffirms NK's denuclearization as int'l community's 'consistent goal'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Presidential office reaffirms NK's denuclearization as int'l community's 'consistent goal'
  • Foreign Affairs

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

    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
Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Read more

North Korea

N. Korea's Kim expects army's 'outstanding' role in next 5 years on founding anniv. of armed forces

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the country's armed forces will further play an "outstanding" role in the next five years as he visited the defense ministry to mark the 78th founding anniversary of the military ahead of a key party congress, state media reported Monday. Kim made a congratulatory visit to the Ministry of National Defense the previous day to mark the 78th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army (KPA), according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). His visit came ahead of the North's ninth party congress set for late February, where Kim is expected to announce his major policies on the military, diplomacy, the economy and other areas for the next five years. In a speech Sunday, the North's leader hinted that he would unveil a new five-year plan to bolster defense capabilities at the party congress. "The coming five years that will be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party will be years when our army's outstanding role that no one else can perform will become further enhanced," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. In the eighth party congress in

Feb 9, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim expects army's 'outstanding' role in next 5 years on founding anniv. of armed forces
Foreign Affairs

Celebrating Serbia’s statehood while building a shared future with Korea

Each year on Feb. 15, Serbia celebrates Sretenje — Statehood Day — a moment that resonates deeply in our national consciousness. This date commemorates the beginning of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804, a seminal event that set Serbia on the path from centuries of Ottoman rule toward autonomy in 1817, full independence in 1878, and the adoption of its first modern constitution, the Sretenjski Ustav, in 1835. Sretenje is not only a celebration of historical milestones but a tribute to the enduring spirit of freedom and statehood that shapes who we are as a people. Against this rich backdrop of heritage, it is an honor to reflect on the long-standing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Korea, first established in 1989. Over more than three decades, our bilateral partnership has matured into a robust friendship rooted in mutual respect and expanding cooperation across politics, economics, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges. Economic ties have grown steadily stronger in recent years. In December 2025, Serbia and Korea held the first

Feb 9, 2026By Nemanja Grbic
Celebrating Serbia’s statehood while building a shared future with Korea
Others

Coupang subpoena risks broader Korea-US trade clash

The U.S. Congress has sent a clear signal that it will not sit back if U.S. commercial interests are put at risk by what it sees as foreign governments’ excessive regulatory measures against American companies, such as Coupang. If necessary, Congress has shown that it is prepared to use all available means to push the Donald Trump administration to take tougher trade actions against those governments. This message was underscored by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s decision on Thursday to issue a subpoena to Coupang, requiring Coupang Korea CEO Harold Rogers to testify at an upcoming hearing and submit documents and communications between the U.S. company and the Korean government following the recent data breach. A congressional subpoena targeting one of Washington’s closest allies is rare — if not unprecedented — highlighting how seriously lawmakers are treating the issue. Despite this, the warning appears not to have been fully heeded in Seoul. Korean officials have been wasting time expressing divergent views over the motives behind repeated warnings from U.S. politicia

Feb 8, 2026By Kang Hyun-kyung
Coupang subpoena risks broader Korea-US trade clash
North Korea

N. Korea to convene key party congress in late February

North Korea will hold a key party congress in late February, the North's state media reported Sunday, in a rare meeting where leader Kim Jong-un is expected to announce his ruling policy, including military, diplomacy and economy. The decision by the North Korean ruling party's political bureau came at a meeting of the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) the previous day, which was presided over by party secretary Jo Yong-won under Kim's guidance, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "The Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee adopted with unanimous approval a decision on opening the Ninth Congress of the WPK in Pyongyang, the capital of the revolution, in late February 2026," the KCNA said. The upcoming ninth party congress, the first since the eighth in 2021, is expected to outline North Korea's key policies on the economy, diplomacy and defense. The party congress is the regime's highest decision-making body. At the Saturday meeting, participating members of the politburo and its presidium approved decisions on the qualification

Feb 8, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea to convene key party congress in late February
North Korea

Cheong Wa Dae hopes for N. Korea's response after UN decides to exempt sanctions on humanitarian aid

The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday it hopes North Korea will respond after the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) decided to allow sanctions exemptions on humanitarian aid projects for Pyongyang. The UNSC 1718 Committee on sanctions against North Korea reached the unanimous decision Thursday (local time) to exempt sanctions on 17 humanitarian projects for the North, according to sources in Seoul. Sources say that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun asked for the Trump administration's support in providing the sanctions exemptions for the pending aid projects during his talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week. The U.S. is one of the five permanent UNSC member states that hold veto power over binding U.N. decisions. The aid projects had reportedly been held up due to Washington's objections. "Humanitarian assistance for North Korea should continue irrespective of political circumstances," a Cheong Wa Dae official said. "The UNSC sanctions on North Korea clearly state that the sanctions measures are not intended at limiting those humanitarian aid activities," the

Feb 7, 2026By Yonhap
Cheong Wa Dae hopes for N. Korea's response after UN decides to exempt sanctions on humanitarian aid
North Korea

N. Korea includes area near inter-Korean border in regional development plan

North Korea has included an area south of a city that once symbolized brisk inter-Korean exchanges in its 10-year regional development plan spearheaded by its leader Kim Jong-un, according to its state media Saturday. A groundbreaking ceremony in the southernmost Panmun Zone was held the previous day as the area has been selected as one of the regions subject to the Regional Development 20X10, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Since 2024, North Korea has been pushing for regional development aimed at building modern industrial plants in 20 cities and counties every year, seeking to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas in the next 10 years. Panmun Zone, named after the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, is located south of Kaesong, once home to the now-shuttered Kaesong Industrial Complex. The joint factory park was shut down in 2016 over the North's nuclear and missile tests. The KCNA reported that commencement ceremonies were also held in a few other regions on the same day, stating that more than 120 modern factories have been built across the country in the

Feb 7, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea includes area near inter-Korean border in regional development plan
Foreign Affairs

Trump signs executive order to impose additional tariffs on any country trading with Iran

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday regarding the imposition of additional tariffs on any country trading with Iran, the White House said, in yet another move to raise economic pressure on Tehran amid nuclear talks between the two countries. According to the order, the Trump administration may impose additional tariffs on products of any country that directly or indirectly purchases, imports or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran. The order showed a tariff rate of 25 percent as an example. The order is effective at 12:01 a.m., Feb. 7 (local time). The commerce secretary is to determine whether a foreign country engages in such business dealings with Iran and inform the secretary of state of his finding. The secretary of state, in consultation with relevant Cabinet members, will determine whether and to what extent an additional tariff should be imposed, and inform the president of his recommendation, according to the order. On Jan. 12, Trump said in a social media post that any country doing business with Iran will "pay" a 25 percent

Feb 7, 2026By Yonhap
Trump signs executive order to impose additional tariffs on any country trading with Iran
Foreign Affairs

Trump signs order to prioritize arms sales to countries investing in their own self-defense

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to prioritize weapons sales and transfers to countries that have invested in their own defense and contribute to the United States' economic security. The order on establishing the "America first arms transfer strategy" came as the Trump administration calls on allies and partners to bolster their defense spending for their own defense and make more contributions to collective defense at a time when it seeks to counter growing threats from China. "The United States will prioritize arms sales and transfers to partners that have invested in their own self-defense and capabilities, have a critical role or geography in United States plans and operations, or contribute to our economic security," the document said. It also said that the strategy seeks to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base to ensure that it has the capacity to support the U.S. military and its allies and partners. The document also delineated a series of procedures for implementing the order, including the defense secretary's submission to the

Feb 7, 2026By Yonhap
Trump signs order to prioritize arms sales to countries investing in their own self-defense
Foreign Affairs

US call for S. Korea's 'primary' defense role fuels expectations for OPCON transfer

WASHINGTON — With a new U.S. defense strategy calling for South Korea to take "primary" responsibility to deter North Korea, expectations are growing that the allies' joint efforts toward the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) could gain momentum. Released last month, the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy underscored South Korea's capability to undertake the primary defense role with "critical, but more limited" U.S. support, at a time when President Lee Jae Myung's administration seeks to retake the OPCON within its five-year term ending in 2030. Observers said that the general tenor of the strategy has created a favorable climate for Seoul's pursuit of the OPCON transfer given that the transition would mean the Asian ally reducing its reliance on America's security protection when Washington seeks to focus on deterring its top geopolitical rival, China. In an apparent sign of progress, Seoul and Washington are said to be considering presenting a target year for the transition when they hold their annual defense ministerial talks, called the Security Consultative Meet

Feb 7, 2026By Yonhap
US call for S. Korea's 'primary' defense role fuels expectations for OPCON transfer
Others

Top presidential aide meets Canadian defense procurement chief amid push for submarine project

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Friday he met with Canada's defense procurement chief in Seoul as the Korean government steps up efforts to win Ottawa's lucrative submarine project. The meeting between Kang and Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, Stephen Fuhr, took place at Cheong Wa Dae. It came about a week after their earlier talks in Canada last month, when Kang visited the country as a special envoy tasked with promoting Korea's defense exports. "Canada's submarine project is a challenging task for us as it requires overcoming the high entry barrier of an advanced country's defense market," Kang wrote on his Facebook account, referring to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, estimated to be worth 60 trillion won ($41 billion). A consortium of Korea's Hanwha Ocean Co. and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. has been shortlisted as one of the final two contenders, alongside Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. "Though the situation is challenging, the government and companies will unite as 'one team' and do our utmost until the very end," he added. Kang

Feb 6, 2026By Yonhap
Top presidential aide meets Canadian defense procurement chief amid push for submarine project
previous page
9091929394
next page

Most Read in Foreign Affairs