FM Cho travels to Tokyo for trilateral meeting with Japanese, Chinese top diplomats

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul was set to travel to Tokyo on Friday for a trilateral meeting with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts to discuss ways to boost cooperation. Cho will join Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for the three-way meeting in the Japanese capital Saturday, the first of its kind since the last one held in November 2023 in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan. The ministers will assess the progress of trilateral cooperation

March 21, 2025

House, Senate Armed Services Committee chairs voice concerns over reported military restructuring idea

The chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have expressed concerns over the Pentagon's reported consideration of military restructuring efforts involving personnel cuts, stressing they would not accept any significant changes made without collaboration from Congress and other agencies. Rep. Mike Rogers and Sen. Roger Wicker issued a statement Wednesday, after NBC News reported that the Pentagon is undertaking a restructuring of the US military's combatant commands and headquart

March 21, 2025

Industry minister vows utmost efforts to remove S. Korea from DOE 'sensitive country' list

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun pledged utmost efforts Thursday to remove South Korea from the US Department of Energy's "sensitive country" list, while noting Seoul's plan to seek a "constructive alternative" should the country's designation not be reversed. Ahn plans to meet Energy Secretary Chris Wright on the day to discuss South Korea's placement on the "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List." He is also set to have talks with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over tariff issues on F

March 21, 2025

S. Korea confirms ratification of UN agreement on marine biological diversity

South Korea has formally confirmed its ratification of a UN agreement on the sustainable use of marine biological diversity, becoming the first East Asian country to do so, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. South Korean Ambassador to the UN Hwang Joon-kook deposited an instrument of the ratification for the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement to the UN secretary-general, the ministry said in a release. The BBNJ is a legally binding agreement established in response to growi

March 20, 2025

S. Korea to seek removal from US list of 'sensitive' countries: industry minister

South Korea will work to seek removal from the US Department of Energy's list of "sensitive" countries and expand bilateral energy cooperation, Seoul's industry minister said Thursday. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun made the remarks as he departed for Washington on a two-day trip to meet US officials, including Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, among others. "We will look for various alternatives, including getting an exclusion from the DOE list, to preve

March 20, 2025

US looks forward to 'continued,' 'robust' cooperation with S. Korea on scientific research: State Dept.

The United States looks forward to "continued" and "robust" scientific research cooperation with South Korea, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday, amid concerns that the Asian ally's placement on the US Department of Energy's "sensitive country" list could hamper bilateral collaboration. Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson, made the remarks as the DOE confirmed last week that the preceding Biden administration added South Korea to the "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List" in early

March 20, 2025

Some 'reciprocal' tariffs may not take effect on April 2 under pre-negotiated deal: Bessent

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that some new US tariffs may not have to be imposed on April 2 under a pre-negotiated deal or negotiation after that date, when President Donald Trump said his administration would levy country-by-country "reciprocal" tariffs on US imports. Bessent made the remarks in a Fox Business interview as the Trump administration plans to roll out reciprocal tariffs on the date to match what other countries impose on US goods in pursuit of "fair and recipro

March 19, 2025

[Contribution] Tajik-Kyrgyz border resolution: unique in today's geopolitical climate

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's state visit to Kyrgyzstan marks a historic milestone in bilateral relations, as it has led to the signing of 16 agreements across various sectors, including a landmark treaty resolving the long-standing state border issue. This diplomatic breakthrough highlights the commitment of both nations to peaceful coexistence and regional stability. During the visit, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan signed a joint statement reinforcing friendship and good-neighborly ties. The res

March 18, 2025

Industry minister to meet Alaska governor next week to discuss gas pipeline project: sources

South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is set to meet with the governor of Alaska next week in Seoul and discuss Seoul's possible participation in the gas pipeline project in the US state, diplomatic sources said Tuesday. Ahn plans to hold a face-to-face meeting with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, scheduled to visit Seoul for two days from Monday, according to the sources familiar with the matter. In the planned meeting, the two sides are expected to discuss Seoul's potential investment in the

March 18, 2025

Choi urges efforts to prevent fallout from US designation of S. Korea as 'sensitive' country

Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday instructed the government to engage with the United States to prevent any adverse impact on energy cooperation following Washington's designation of South Korea as a "sensitive" country. The US Department of Energy under the previous Joe Biden administration made the designation in January after President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly imposed martial law in December amid discussions about the possibility of Seoul developing nuclear weapons. During a meeting with

March 17, 2025

Trade minister to stress value of strategic cooperation with S. Korea for US economic security policy

Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Thursday he plans to accentuate the value of strategic cooperation with South Korea for US economic security policy, as he is set to meet Trump administration officials and others in Washington this week to discuss tariff issues. Cheong arrived in the US capital as the Trump administration is set to announce "reciprocal" tariffs on April 2, which are to be customized based on US trading partners' duties, their non-tariff barriers and other elements, including ex

March 14, 2025

Trump says he has 'flexibility' on tariffs, rejects claims of inconsistency

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has shown "flexibility" on his tariff policy, as he rejected claims that he has been inconsistent on his policy implementation as seen in his delay in the imposition of tariffs on many imports from Canada and Mexico until early next month. Trump made the remarks in response to a reporter's question about his administration's tariffs being "on and off" with "some inconsistency," as he met with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin at the White House. "It'

March 13, 2025

White House says S. Korea-US alliance is 'ironclad,' after NK missile launches

The White House said Tuesday the South Korea-US alliance is "ironclad," as tensions flared anew following North Korea's first ballistic missile test this week since the Trump administration took office in January. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made the remarks after Pyongyang fired multiple ballistic missiles into the Yellow Sea on Monday apparently in protest over the start of the annual South Korea-US Freedom Shield military exercise this week. "The US-Republic of Korea alliance is ironclad

March 12, 2025

Trump taps ex-ambassador to Thailand as assistant secretary of state for East Asia

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will nominate a former ambassador to Thailand as the next assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, a post that deals with a broad range of regional issues, including those on the Korean Peninsula. In a social media post, Trump made the announcement on his decision to nominate Michael DeSombre for the State Department post, voicing confidence that DeSombre will "work incredibly hard" for the United States. "I am pleased to announce that

March 12, 2025

S. Korea, EU hold inaugural meeting of space security dialogue

South Korea and the European Union have held the inaugural talks of their newly launched space security consultative body to jointly respond to space threats, the foreign ministry here said Tuesday. Youn Jong-kwon, the ministry's director-general for international security, held the inaugural meeting of the Space Security Dialogue with Marjolijn Van Deelen, the EU's special envoy for space, in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday, according to the ministry. The launch of the dialogue was agreed upon in

March 11, 2025