President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Vietnamese counterpart, Vo Van Thuong, agreed to strengthen economic and security ties Friday, with the two nations aiming to achieve a trade volume goal of $150 billion by 2030, during a bilateral summit in Hanoi. On his second day in Vietnam, Yoon met Thuong at the Presidential Palace of Hanoi, following his morning visit to the tomb of former President Ho Chi Minh. In his opening remarks during the summit, Yoon expressed his anticipation of forging a "br

Foreign Affairs June 23, 2023

HANOI, Vietnam -- President Yoon Suk Yeol begun his three-day state visit in Vietnam on Thursday, seeking to further upgrade the bilateral relations through a summit with his Vietnamese counterpart, Vo Van Thuong, and a series of events aimed at bolstering economic and cultural partnerships. Upon his arrival, he met with overseas Koreans living in Vietnam, expressing his optimism for the future of their relationship. In a meeting with approximately 300 Koreans at a hotel in Hanoi, Yoon expressed

Politics June 22, 2023

  President Yoon Suk Yeol attended an investment forum to meet European business leaders, where six firms promised to invest $940 million in Korea on the last day of his visit to Paris. Among the firms represented at the forum, French mining company Imerys, Belgium materials technology company Umicore, German automotive parts company Continental and British tech firm Nylacast said they plan to establish plants in South Korea, according to Yoon's office. The investments by European high-tech

Politics June 21, 2023

PARIS -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday proposed to create an organization under the United Nations to establish norms for digital order, highlighting the paradox wherein new digital technologies enhance people's lives with convenience while simultaneously posing threats to human freedom. At the Paris Digital Vision Forum held at Sorbonne University, Yoon proposed the idea dubbed the "Paris Initiative," stressing the significant role of digital technologies --

Foreign Affairs June 21, 2023

  South Korean and French first ladies Kim Keon Hee and Brigitte Macron met on the occasion of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Paris to rally support for the 2030 Busan Expo, and exchanged ideas on culture and arts during a friendship luncheon on Tuesday in Paris. The event took place at the Elysee Palace at the French first lady's invitation. Kim expressed the importance of strengthening mutual understanding and expanding exchanges in arts and culture between Korea an

Politics June 21, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol engaged in talks with French and Korean youth in Paris on Tuesday, under the slogan "Coffee with the President: Freedom and Solidarity as a Force for Innovation." After participating in a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and delivering a presentation at the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions, President Yoon visited Station F, the world’s largest startup campus, to engage in discussions with the future generation. Dur

Politics June 21, 2023

PARIS -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday presented South Korea's vision for hosting the World Expo 2030 in Busan, highlighting the nation's strength in culture, digitalization, green technology and its commitment to a shared future at the final presentation session held in Paris. In his speech, which was livestreamed worldwide, the president stressed the country's will to make the exhibition a platform to address the most pressing challenges the world is facing, both at present

Politics June 20, 2023

PARIS -- President Yoon Suk Yeol met his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss ways to bolster bilateral cooperation on tech and future industries, regional security and North Korea, ahead of the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions held on Tuesday. At the summit held at the Elysee Palace during lunch hour, Yoon underscored the significance of expanding cooperation between the two countries in cutting-edge technologies and future strategic industries, particularly

Politics June 20, 2023

PARIS -- President Yoon Suk Yeol has asked for support from overseas Koreans living in France to support Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, saying that hosting the expo will open a new horizon for global diplomacy for Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Paris on Monday afternoon (local time) to begin his six-day, two-leg tour of France and Vietnam to rally support for South Korea's 2030 World Expo bid and to hold bilateral summits with the two countries' leaders. Upon

Foreign Affairs June 20, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol intends to deliver a speech in English during the presentation at the upcoming General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris, France, with the aim of attracting the 2030 World Expo to Busan. The BIE General Assembly is scheduled to take place June 20-21, with the fourth presentation taking place on the first day. This presentation will be livestreamed worldwide via the BIE's official YouTube channel. The order of the presentations will be as f

Politics June 18, 2023

South Korea, the United States and Japan should forge a trilateral security partnership amid rising tension on the peninsula, but that collaboration does not necessarily require Japan's participation in the Korea-US nuclear consultative group, according to Patrick Cronin, the Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute. With an upcoming trilateral summit on the horizon, expectations are high for the three countries to strengthen their security cooperation. This is the first time the

Foreign Affairs June 15, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol has emphasized the need for increased transparency in subsidy allocations for non-profit private organizations, citing a substantial rise in subsidies during the previous administration. During a live streamed Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, President Yoon said that subsidies to non-profit private organizations had increased by approximately 2 trillion won ($1.57 billion) during the previous administration under Moon Jae-in without what he called adequate oversight. H

Politics June 13, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol will visit France and Vietnam from June 19 to June 24 to participate in the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris to rally international support for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid, and to hold a bilateral summit with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong. The BIE General Assembly is scheduled to take place in Paris on June 20-21, with the fourth presentation taking place on the first day. This presentation will be livestreamed worldwide via th

Politics June 13, 2023

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration on Wednesday released its first top security guidelines, the National Security Strategy, identifying North Korea's advancing nuclear development as the most pressing threat. The newly revised guidelines, under the theme of a global pivotal state for freedom, peace and prosperity, marks the first update in five years since the previous Moon Jae-in administration published its guidelines envisioning a peaceful and prosperous Korean Peninsula in 2018. The new g

North Korea June 7, 2023

The first meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group, aimed at enhancing Korea's influence in the US' strategy of extended deterrence, is expected to take place sometimes "in the summer," according to the presidential office on Wednesday, without providing an exact timeline. A high-ranking official from the presidential office told reporters that the two countries have reached an agreement to “launch the NCG within this year” and to pay intensive attention to &ld

Foreign Affairs June 7, 2023