NATO summit to discuss with Indo-Pacific partners resilience, cybersecurity, disinformation: U.S. official

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its Indo-Pacific partners, including South Korea, plan to discuss resilience, support for Ukraine, disinformation, cybersecurity and emerging technologies during their summit in Washington next week, a senior U.S. administration official said Friday. The NATO summit is set to take place in the US capital from Tuesday through Thursday. The leaders of the alliance's four Indo-Pacific partners (IP4) -- South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan --

July 6, 2024

FM highlights importance of 'mutually considerate' attitude in bilateral ties with Japan

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul stressed the importance of a mutually considerate attitude in bilateral ties with Japan as he met with the country's new ambassador to South Korea, Koichi Mizushima, on Friday, Cho's office said. In their meeting, Cho said the two countries should wisely manage pending issues by putting themselves in each other's shoes to bolster the positive flow in bilateral ties as Seoul and Tokyo are set to mark the 60th anniversary of normalizing their ties next y

July 5, 2024

Yoon to attend NATO summit in Washington, visit Indo-Pacific Command

President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington next week and visit the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, the presidential office announced Friday. Principal deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo informed reporters that President Yoon would arrive in Washington on Wednesday to meet leaders of NATO member countries and the NATO leadership. The discussions will focus on the war in Ukraine and the cooperation between the transatlantic secu

July 5, 2024

Xi, Putin-led Eurasian club pledges new global order, stronger security

ASTANA, Kazakhstan – In a display of unity, leaders of Eurasian countries pledged Thursday to strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's goal of shaping a new world order and to enhance security cooperation amid global geopolitical turbulence. At the SCO summit in Astana, chaired by Kazakhstan, leaders from the 10 member countries, including Russia and China, agreed that the organization was imperative in shaping a new multipolar world to move away from the current Western-led

July 5, 2024

[From the Scene] Eurasian titans gather in Astana for growing regional summit led by Putin, Xi

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- The leaders of Eurasian titans convened in Astana on Thursday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, spearheaded by China and Russia as they aim for a multipolar world order, while ceremoniously welcoming Belarus as the newest member of the SCO. Hosted by Kazakhstan, the summit spotlighted a growing alignment among members of the economic, defense-oriented and security bloc — many of which oppose a West-led global order — amid escalating geopolitical

July 4, 2024

Kazakhstan willing to share nuclear disarmament expertise with N. Korea

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Kazakhstan is willing to share its nuclear disarmament expertise with North Korea, emphasizing its own journey of voluntarily relinquishing nuclear weapons inherited from the Soviet Union and subsequently achieving substantial economic growth, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko said Wednesday. "We want to help in whichever way we can, in a modest way, I should say, to help ease these tensions and provide our expertise," Vassilenko said whe

July 4, 2024

FM Cho voices hope for stronger ties with Luxembourg as embassy opens in S. Korea

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed hope Wednesday that South Korea and Luxembourg will further deepen their relations going forward as the European nation launched its embassy in Seoul, his office said. Cho made the remark during the talks with Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who doubles as the country's foreign minister, in Seoul, congratulating him on Luxembourg's official opening of its embassy in South Korea, the foreign ministry said. Cho said South Kore

July 3, 2024

N. Korea's sending of trash-filled balloons is 'form of soft terrorism': CSIS report

North Korea's obnoxious sending of trash-filled balloons to South Korea is a "form of soft terrorism," a US think tank report said Tuesday, stressing it should not be taken lightly though it reflects the recalcitrant regime's "weakness" and "insecurity." Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Andy Lim, an associate fellow with the CSIS Korea Chair, released the report that analy

July 3, 2024

Vietnam PM lauds Korean investments

Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh lauded South Korean investments for driving Vietnam's economic development. Speaking at a business forum on Monday in Seoul, the prime minister highlighted Korea's position as the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. "Korea is the largest investor among the 146 countries investing in Vietnam, with more than $87 billion in over 10,000 projects. We highly value the contribution of Korean companies to Vietnam’s economic and social d

July 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kazakhstan keen to learn from Korean police: deputy minister

Kazakhstan is eager to learn from Korea's public and personnel administration in law enforcement, said Saitbekov Aidar, Kazakhstan’s deputy minister of internal affairs, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. Saitbekov was in Korea to attend the UN Public Service Forum in Songdo, Incheon, from June 24 to 26, an annual meeting since 2003 that gathered around 2,000 officials from about 100 countries to discuss innovations and challenges in public administration. Kazakhstan&r

July 2, 2024

Canadian frigate visits Incheon for Indo-Pacific alliance

The Royal Canadian Navy’s frigate, the HMCS Montreal, arrived in South Korea’s western port city of Incheon on June 27 for a six-day mission, underscoring Canada’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy serves as a comprehensive framework for increasing Canadian engagement across the Indo-Pacific, working with allies and partners to promote a stable, secure, and prosperous region, stated the Canadian Embassy in a press release on Wednesday.

July 1, 2024

Belarus recalls history, hopes to revive ties with S. Korea

The Belarusian Embassy in Seoul commemorated Belarus' National Day, recalling history and hoping to revive ties with South Korea on Friday. Belarusian National Day, observed on July 3, marks the liberation of Belarus from Nazi Germany in 1944. "The people of the Republic of Belarus, like the people of the Republic of Korea, have experienced both periods of joy and moments of sorrow," said Belarusian Ambassador to Korea Andrew Chernetsky in his remarks. Chernetsky acknowledged that

July 1, 2024

S. Korea, Vietnam host business forum to promote bilateral economic ties

South Korea's industry ministry said Monday it has hosted a business forum with Vietnam to seek new opportunities for partnerships in chips, artificial intelligence and other areas. Around 500 government and business officials from both countries attended the event, which took place during Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Seoul, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The Vietnamese prime minister started his four-day trip to South Korea the previou

July 1, 2024

[Herald Interview] Time to open new page for S. Korea-Vietnam ties: Vietnam ambassador

Over the past 30 years, the relationship between South Korea and Vietnam has undergone a significant transformation, building on a connection that dates back 800 years. Now, it is time to open a new chapter in the partnership between the two countries, Vietnam's new Ambassador to Korea Vu Ho said, highlighting Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Seoul this week. “The prime minister's visit to Korea (this week) is to review what we have learned, what we have achieved be

June 30, 2024

S. Korea to lift travel advisory for Japan except for Fukushima regions

South Korea will lift a travel advisory for Japan, except for the Fukushima regions, and lowered the travel warning level placed on Iran, the foreign ministry said Friday. The Level 1 travel alert out of its four-scale system has been applied to Japan, which calls for exercising normal precautions, over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent decline in the number of travelers there. Beginning Monday, the Seoul government will lift the advisory given a growing number of travelers

June 28, 2024

S. Korean, Japanese vice ministers pledge close cooperation on Putin-Kim treaty

South Korean and Japanese vice foreign ministers on Friday pledged close cooperation to address the Russia-North Korea treaty aimed at enhancing military cooperation, while also agreeing to strengthen coordination on Indo-Pacific regional and global issues, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun met with his Japanese counterpart Masataka Okano in Tokyo for the 14th Korea-Japan Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue, the first such meeting

June 28, 2024

'South Korea,' 'Samsung,' 'Kim Jong-un' pepper Biden-Trump debate

US President Joe Biden and former US President Donald Trump, in their first televised debate on Thursday night, exchanged barbs on a number of topics, among them South Korea, Samsung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During the highly anticipated faceoff, Biden invoked “South Korea” while locking horns over defense policy with Trump, to underscore the United States' role as a military supporter and its success in rallying international aid: “I’ve got 50 other nati

June 28, 2024

Top US envoy in Seoul calls for int'l cooperation against cybersecurity threats

The US ambassador to South Korea stressed Thursday the importance of international cooperation in building resilience against cybersecurity threats, including those posed by North Korea. Amb. Philip Goldberg made the remarks during a forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a think tank based in Seoul. "The ever growing scope of cybersecurity means that no country can get far on its own. This is why the United States has bilateral and multilateral engagements with key allies

June 27, 2024

Top Seoul envoy raises alarm on Putin-Kim treaty in Moscow

South Korean Ambassador to Russia Lee Do-hoon voiced alarm over increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia during his meeting with Andrey Rudenko, the Russian deputy foreign minister in charge of the Asia-Pacific region, on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Thursday. The meeting, which Seoul described as an opportunity to hear Russia's stance on the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" signed by President Vladimir Putin and North Korean lead

June 27, 2024

US will oppose potential N. Korean worker dispatch to occupied Ukrainian territory: State Dept.

The United States will oppose any cooperation between Russia and North Korea on Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine's territory, a State Department official said Wednesday, amid speculation that North Korean workers could potentially be sent there for reconstruction work. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson, made the remarks as concerns have arisen that a recent security treaty between Russia and the North would likely bolster their military cooperation to the extent that Pyongyang could even com

June 27, 2024