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Moon says door remains open for dialogue with Japan

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a ceremony to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement at the National Memorial for the Provisional Korean Government in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapCalling Japan a close neighbor, president reveals hope for thaw in bilateral ties By Nam Hyun-wooPresident Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the door remains open for dialogue with Japan.He made the comments during a speech to commemorate the anniversary of an independence movement against Japan's forced occupation of Korea from 1910-1945, as bilateral relations remain at one of the lowest points since the two countries formed diplomatic ties in 1965.“Cooperation between Korea and Japan is the responsibility of the current generation for the sake of future generations,” Moon said at a ceremony marking the 103rd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement.The President made similar remarks last year and the year before as chilly relations between Seoul and Tokyo have continued, hampering economic and security cooperation between the neighboring co

Mar 1, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Moon says door remains open for dialogue with Japan

Korea to provide $10 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapSouth Korea decided to provide US$10 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, as it is fighting against Russia's invasion, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.The aid for the Ukrainian government and its people, including refugees, was announced hours after President Moon Jae-in ordered officials to swiftly draw up a plan to help support the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country. "The assistance will be swiftly made following consultations with the governments of Ukraine and its neighboring countries, as well as with international organizations," the ministry said in a statement.The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates more than 4 million Ukrainians could flee the country following the conflict. "We hope our government's support can be effectively helpful to the Ukrainian people and refugees, and we will continue active contribution to resolve Ukraine's humanitarian crisis," the ministry added. Moon also told officials that the government should set up contingency measures to minimize the impact of sanctions on Russia, presi

Feb 28, 2022
Korea to provide $10 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine

Germany commits 100 billion euros to new armed forces fund

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sits on his place prior to delivering a government declaration at the German parliament 'Bundestag' in Berlin, Germany, Sunday. EPA-YonhapGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday that Germany is committing 100 billion euros to a special fund for its armed forces, raising its defense spending above 2 percent of GDP.“It's clear we need to invest significantly more in the security of our country, in order to protect our freedom and our democracy,” Scholz told a special session of the Bundestag in Berlin Sunday morning.The move is a significant one for Germany, which has come under criticism from the United States and other NATO allies for not investing adequately in its defense budget.Scholz's announcement, which came during a special session of Germany's Bundestag Sunday morning, was the latest in a series of major shifts in German defense and security policy this weekend in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.On Saturday evening, the German government announced it would be sending weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine, which is

Feb 28, 2022
Germany commits 100 billion euros to new armed forces fund

Czechs join Poland, Sweden in refusing to play Russia

Pro-Ukraine demonstrators hold Ukrainian flags and placards during a demonstration in support of Ukraine at the Venceslas square in Prague, Czech Republic on Thursday. AFP-YonhapThe Czech Republic joined Poland and Sweden on Sunday in refusing to play Russia in the 2022 World Cup qualifying match next month in response to that nation's invasion of Ukraine.The Czech soccer association's executive committee said it “unanimously approved a decision that the Czech national team will not in any case play Russia.” The soccer federations of Poland and Sweden made the same decision on Saturday.The Czech Republic is a potential opponent of Russia in next month's playoffs. The winner of the Poland-Russia match is due to host Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 for a place at the World Cup being played in Qatar from Nov. 21-Dec. 18.The executive committee asked Czech soccer federation head Petr Fousek to lead negotiations with UEFA and FIFA about the Czech position.“The Czech FA executive committee, staff members and players of the national team agreed it's not possible t

Feb 28, 2022
Czechs join Poland, Sweden in refusing to play Russia

Ukraine calls for Russia to lose UN Security Council seat

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the nation in this photo taken from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday. AP-YonhapUkraine's president says Russia should be thrown out of the United Nations Security Council following its invasion of his country.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message Sunday that the Russian invasion of Ukraine amounts to an act of genocide, saying that “Russia has taken the path of evil and the world should come to depriving it of its U.N. Security Council seat.”Russia is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, giving it veto power over resolutions.Zelenskyy said that Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities should be investigated by an international war crimes tribunal and denounced the Russian invasion as “state terrorism.”He dismissed as lies Russia's claims that it wasn't targeting civilian areas. (AP)

Feb 28, 2022
Ukraine calls for Russia to lose UN Security Council seat

Korea set for talks with U.S. over joining sanctions on Russia

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki / YonhapKorea will have talks with the United States early next month over joining Washington in export sanctions on Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the finance ministry here said Sunday. The ministry said it reached the decision following a meeting of its task force on the war in Ukraine, adding its upcoming discussions with the U.S. will cover the process of joining sanctions and export controls against Russia.The ministry added it will also brief local exporters and other relevant institutions on such measures in hopes of minimizing collateral damage to Korean firms.Washington earlier announced restrictions on exports of U.S.-origin technology and products to 49 Russian military entities, including its defense ministry. The sanctions apply to semiconductors, computers, telecommunications, information security equipment, lasers and sensors, and cover items produced in the U.S. or foreign items produced using U.S. equipment and software.Russia is Korea's 10th-largest trading partner, accounting for 1.6 percent of Seoul's exports in 2021. I

Feb 28, 2022
Korea set for talks with U.S. over joining sanctions on Russia

Belarus holds constitutional vote as crisis in Ukraine rages

Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko casts his ballot in the referendum on the constitutional amendments at a polling station in Minsk on Sunday. AFP-YonhapBelarusians cast ballots Sunday in a constitutional referendum that the country's authoritarian leader called to cement his 27-year old grip on power, even as he offers the country's territory to his ally Russia to invade Ukraine.Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has edged even closer to Russia amid crippling Western sanctions over his crackdown on domestic protests, said he was confident that Belarusians will support a set of constitutional amendments that would allow him to stay in power until 2035.The revised main law also sheds Belarus' neutral status, opening the way for stronger military cooperation with Russia, which deployed forces to Belarusian territory under the pretext of military drills and then sent them rolling into Ukraine as part of the invasion that began Thursday. Some of those forces quickly closed in on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, located just 75 kilometers (less than 50 miles) south of the bo

Feb 28, 2022
Belarus holds constitutional vote as crisis in Ukraine rages

U.S. condemns N. Korean missile launch, urges Pyongyang to engage in dialogue

People watch a TV showing a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday. AP-YonhapThe United States condemns North Korea's latest missile launch, a state department spokesperson said Sunday, while calling on the country to engage in dialogue.The call came after North Korea fired a ballistic missile early Sunday (Seoul time), marking its eighth missile launch since the start of the year."The United States condemns the DPRK's ballistic missile launch," the department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."This launch, like the other launches earlier this year, is a clear violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, and demonstrates the threat the DPRK's illicit weapons of mass destruction and missile programs pose to the DPRK's neighbors and the region as a whole," the official added.Pyongyang staged seven rounds of missile launches in January alone, marking the largest number of missile tests it c

Feb 28, 2022
U.S. condemns N. Korean missile launch, urges Pyongyang to engage in dialogue

Ruling party adopts political reform bill seeking multiparty coalition

Ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Song-young-gil, right, and floor leader Rep. Yoon Ho-jung talk to each other during a general meeting of party lawmakers for the possible adoption of a political reform bill seeking a multi-party coalition system, at the National Assembly on Seoul's Yeouido, Sunday. Joint Press CorpsDPK woos minor parties for coalition ahead of presidential electionBy Jung Da-min With the March 9 presidential election just around the corner, the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has adopted a comprehensive political reform bill aimed at better distributing power among different parties, in a bid to woo minor parties.On Sunday, lawmakers of the DPK held a general meeting at the National Assembly to officially adopt the political reform bill seeking to transform the Assembly which is currently dominated by the two major parties into one where power is shared more equally among several different parties. The DPK lawmakers' adoption of the political reform bill came on the same day negotiations between the main opposition People Pow

Feb 28, 2022
Ruling party adopts political reform bill seeking multiparty coalition

Rival parties slam each other over presidential candidate's Ukraine blunder

Main opposition People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol gestures during a public speech in Donghae, Gangwon Province, Monday. Joint Press CorpsForeign policy emerging as hot campaign issue after DPK candidate's inappropriate remarks on Ukraine president By Nam Hyun-wooThe ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) are clashing over DPK candidate Lee Jae-myung's controversial remark that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's lack of diplomatic experience incited Russia to invade.In previous presidential elections, foreign affairs have rarely been major campaign issues. However, candidates in this election slated for March 9 have been exchanging salvos over each other's stance on foreign policy issues such as Russia's attack on Ukraine and Japan's Self-Defense Forces about its possible role in contingency. Lee made the remarks during a televised debate on Friday in which he described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “a novice politician” and said that Zelenskyy is responsible for the armed clash as h

Feb 28, 2022By Nam Hyun-woo
Rival parties slam each other over presidential candidate's Ukraine blunder
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