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'Gaza is critical to Middle East, global peace': Turkish envoy
Resolving the conflict in Gaza is a critical issue for the Middle East and global peace, said Turkish Ambassador to Korea Murat Tamer in an interview with The Korea Herald on Feb. 12. Turkey has strongly opposed US President Donald Trump's proposal for the US to "take over" Gaza and "resettle" Palestinians elsewhere, calling it "unacceptable" and reaffirming Turkey's commitment to Palestinian rights. Before departing for Malaysia on Feb. 10, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed US pr
Feb. 18, 2025 -
Senior S. Korean trade official angles for 'mutually beneficial' path amid Trump's tariff pressure
A senior South Korean trade official said Monday he will seek to have "mutual beneficial" discussions during his planned talks with US officials in Washington, amid concerns over the potential impact of President Donald Trump's tariff policy on the Asian country. Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won made the remarks as he plans to meet senior officials at the US Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative, as well as other relevant officials to discuss the tariff issu
Feb. 18, 2025 -
Ex-lawmaker calls for creation of 'Asian NATO,' redeployment of US tactical nukes to S. Korea
A prominent former South Korean lawmaker on Monday called for the creation of an Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and suggested considering the redeployment of US tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea to enhance regional security. Chung Mong-joon, a seven-term conservative politician and honorary chairman of the Seoul-based Asan Institute of Policy Studies, made the remarks, citing the growing security challenges posed by North Korea's nuclear missile threats and the mil
Feb. 18, 2025 -
Serbia-Korea ties: Strengthening prosperity in shared future
By Nemanja Grbic Serbian Ambassador to Korea As the Serbian Embassy in Seoul joins our Serbian community and Korean friends to celebrate National Day on Feb. 15, I gladly take this opportunity to reflect on the enduring friendship and expanding partnership between Serbia and the Republic of Korea. This day marks the anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising in 1804, a pivotal event that led to Serbia regaining full independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. Additionally, on this date in 1835,
Feb. 16, 2025 -
FM says S. Korea has 'no doubts' about US security commitment
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul has affirmed that South Korea has "no doubts" about the United States' unwavering security commitment under President Donald Trump, citing strong bipartisan support from the US Congress. Speaking at a panel session during the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday, Cho addressed concerns about whether Trump's foreign policy approach could impact Washington's security commitments to Seoul. "President Trump has been dealing with the foreign relations from a
Feb. 16, 2025 -
FM Cho, US lawmakers reaffirm Washington's bipartisan support for alliance with Seoul
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with key members of the US Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committees and reaffirmed the alliance between South Korea and the United States, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday. Cho emphasized the importance of the robust bilateral alliance during his meeting with Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and other lawmakers on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference
Feb. 16, 2025 -
G7 top diplomats demand N. Korea abandon all nukes, reaffirm peninsula denuclearization goal
The top diplomats of the Group of Seven countries called on North Korea Saturday to abandon all its nuclear weapons in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" manner, while reaffirming their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula. The chief diplomats of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan and the High Representative of the European Union issued a joint statement after they met on the margins of an international security conference in
Feb. 16, 2025 -
Rubio affirms confidence in S. Korea's acting President Choi, strength of alliance: State Dept.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday affirmed his confidence in South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok and the strength of the bilateral alliance, and reiterated America's commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea, the State Department said. Rubio made the remarks during bilateral talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on the margins of the Munich Security Conference in Germany. It marked their first in-person meeting since the secretary took offic
Feb. 16, 2025 -
Trump taps ex-NSC official involved in NK diplomacy as under secretary of state
US President Donald Trump has nominated a former White House official who was involved in diplomacy with North Korea during his first term, as under secretary of state for political affairs, according to Congress. On Tuesday, the president notified Congress of the decision to nominate Allison Hooker, who previously served as senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, a key post for US policy toward the Indo-Pacific, according to Congress' website. Her nomination comes af
Feb. 13, 2025 -
Trump will announce reciprocal tariffs before Indian prime minister's White House visit Thursday: official
US President Donald Trump will announce "reciprocal" tariffs before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the White House this week, a US official said Wednesday, as Trump is pushing for tariffs on US imports to match what other trading partners impose on US exports. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the remarks as the Indian leader is set to hold a summit with Trump on Thursday, the last day of his two-day visit to the United States. "I do believe it will come before th
Feb. 13, 2025 -
Trump's tariffs pose test to broadening economic partnership with S. Korea
From planned levies on steel and aluminum imports to threats of duties on cars and chips, US President Donald Trump's tariff-based policy approach is sending South Korea scrambling to navigate through it and keep the bilateral partnership steady and sturdy. After slapping a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports, Trump appeared Monday to be shifting his attention to South Korea and other trading partners with plans to reinstate a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and raise the tariff rate on alum
Feb. 12, 2025 -
Iran, Korea tout revived ties on Islamic Revolution Day
The Iranian Embassy in Seoul and South Korea’s Foreign Ministry touted the revival of bilateral ties at an event commemorating Iran’s Islamic Revolution Day in Seoul on Monday. Iran became an Islamic republic after the Pahlavi dynasty was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran's last ruling royal family reigned for about 53 years from 1925 to 1979. Delivering his remarks at the event, Iranian Ambassador to South Korea, Saeed Koozechi introduced Iran’s foreign policy priorities, ties wit
Feb. 11, 2025 -
New S. Korean envoy to Cuba vows to expand consular services, seek bilateral cooperation
The newly established South Korean Embassy in Havana, Cuba, has launched its website as it has begun its activities in earnest, pledging to expand consular services and seek bilateral cooperation with the host country. South Korea opened its embassy in Cuba last month, a year after the two countries forged diplomatic relations that took the world by surprise, including Cuba's Cold War-era ally, North Korea. In his greeting uploaded to the website on Tuesday, Ambassador to Cuba Lee Ho-yul said hi
Feb. 11, 2025 -
Guatemala, Korea Herald agree to boost Korean-Central American contacts
Guatemala's Ambassador to South Korea, Sara Solis Castaneda, and Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young discussed ways to boost Korea-Central America contacts on Thursday. The Korean community in Guatemala expanded over 50 years to become the fourth largest group in Latin America, according to the ambassador. “At its peak, the Korean population in Guatemala exceeded 10,000, but following the 9/11 attacks, some members relocated, and the current community consists of approximately 7,000 to 8,000 i
Feb. 10, 2025 -
Trump says he will announce 25% steel and aluminum tariffs Monday, and more import duties are coming
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he will announce on Monday that the United States will impose 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico , as well as other import duties later in the week. “Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25 percent tariff,” he told reporters Sunday on Air Force One as he flew from Florida to New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl. When asked about aluminum, he responded, “aluminum, too” will be s
Feb. 10, 2025