WARSAW, Poland -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea will continue to support Ukraine's reconstruction in partnership with Poland, while also expanding strategic cooperation with Warsaw in defense and high-tech sectors including clean energy, next-generation batteries, electric vehicles and information technology. In a summit with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Thursday, the two leaders discussed cooperation on a wide range of issues between the two countries, which have see

Foreign Affairs July 13, 2023

  VILNIUS, Lithuania/SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol has requested from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to halt the discharge of wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant if radiation levels remain over the line even after filtering out radioactive elements. At their meeting held on the sidelines of the NATO summit on Wednesday, Yoon also asked his Japanese counterpart to share monitoring information over the discharge process in real time, and to allow Korean experts to

Politics July 12, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Poland, the first by a South Korean leader in 14 years, is expected to strengthen further the strategic partnership between the two nations, which has seen significant progress on the back of recent arms deals amounting to multiple billions of dollars, according to the European country's top envoy in Seoul. In an interview with The Korea Herald conducted in prior to Yoon's visit to Poland on Wednesday, Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszews

Foreign Affairs July 12, 2023

VILNIUS, Lithuania/SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned North Korea's latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch and urged a stronger collective message from NATO in a summit held Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania. Yoon decried the launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a threat to global peace, calling on the international community to stand firmly against such provocations. Hours before the summit of NATO and its partners, North Korea launched

North Korea July 12, 2023

  VILNIUS, Lithuania – President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are scheduled for a summit Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania, alongside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit. This Korea-Japan summit marks the first meeting in approximately two months since their bilateral discussion during the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in May. This will be their sixth official meeting. A high-ranking official from the presidential office, who spoke on condition of a

Politics July 12, 2023

VILNIUS, Lithuania – President Yoon Suk Yeol has met with leaders from NATO nations the Netherlands, Portugal and Norway to discuss enhancing cooperation and addressing regional issues. The conversations took place at a recent summit and focused on mutual efforts in fields such as national defense, security, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and nuclear power, according to a statement from the presidential office. During their summit on Tuesday, Yoon and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rut

Foreign Affairs July 11, 2023

VILNIUS, Lithuania – South Korea and NATO agreed on Tuesday to upgrade their partnership by expanding the scope of cooperation from traditional areas such as counterterrorism, disarmament and cyber defense to emerging technologies in artificial intelligence, space and missiles. At a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the need to "institutionalize the framework" to bolster cooperation with the US-led alliance. &ldq

Foreign Affairs July 11, 2023

VILNIUS, Lithuania -- It seems Yoon's reputation for liking a sing-along precedes him. While in Vilnius, Lithuania for a NATO summit, the president unexpectedly bumped into US Sen. Pete Ricketts, who initiated an impromptu rendition of "American Pie." Yoon’s spokesperson Lee Do-woon said Monday night in Vilnius that Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee were taking a walk in the old town of Vilnius to adjust to the time difference and manage their conditions, when they met the se

Politics July 11, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived Monday evening in Vilnius, beginning a six-day trip to Lithuania and Poland to discuss an array of issues including military cooperation, North Korea's nuclear deterrence measures and the controversial discharge of contaminated wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Attending a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit for the second time, the South Korean leader will be seeking measures with member countries to bolster cooperatio

Politics July 10, 2023

First lady Kim Keon-hee engaged in a conversation with renowned primatologist and environmental activist, Jane Goodall, in Seoul on Friday, discussing sustainable coexistence between humans, animals and nature. According to the presidential office, Kim and Goodall exchanged views on animal rights and the contentious issue of dog consumption. They expressed shared concerns over the brutal abuses inflicted in the dog meat trade, fearing such actions undermine human dignity and could potentially ex

Politics July 7, 2023

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol kicks off a six-day trip next week to attend a NATO summit set to be held in Lithuania, as well as visit Poland to discuss strengthening bilateral ties on economy, defense cooperation and the reconstruction of Ukraine. Accompanied by first lady Kim Keon Hee, Yoon will leave for Vilnius, Lithuania on Monday to attend the NATO summit as an observer for the second time. He attended the collective defense alliance meeting between North America and Europe in June

Politics July 6, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday appointed former Culture Minister and actor Yu In-chon as presidential adviser for cultural affairs and sports, a new position his office said was created to bolster the nation's cultural content and industry. The 72-year-old actor is returning to a public role 11 years after he led the state-run Seoul Arts Center in 2012. Between 2008 and 2011, he served as culture minister under the Lee Myung-bak administration. Kim Dae-ki, a former second vice minister

Politics July 6, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday expressed his disappointment at the delayed legislative process to establish a national space agency, emphasizing the agency's timely formation as vital for facilitating international collaborations. At the inaugural World Congress of Korean Scientists and Engineers, Yoon said stagnant progress in the legislative process for the establishment of the Korea AeroSpace Administration is negatively affecting a space collaboration deal between South Korea and

Politics July 5, 2023

The presidential office is anticipated to propose a revision to the existing Assembly Act, following nationwide debate that revealed a significant majority favoring stricter sanctions against public assemblies and demonstrations, according to sources and news reports on Monday. According to a presidential office-led nationwide debate titled "Bolstering requirements and penalties for assemblies and demonstrations," 71 percent, 129,416 people, favored increasing sanctions, while 29 per

Politics July 4, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating for state affairs hit a four-month high, and returned to the 40 percent mark for the first time in five weeks, according to a poll released Monday. The positive upswing has been attributed to recent developments in bilateral ties with Tokyo that reinstated Korea on its export whitelist and his order to review political subsidies. According to the survey conducted from June 26-30 by polling agency Realmeter, commissioned by Media Tribune, positive

Politics July 3, 2023