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South Korea sets out to mend top diplomacy void
Amid concerns over South Korea's lull in high-level diplomacy caused by the Dec. 3 martial law debacle, Seoul is moving to reinvigorate its diplomatic outreach, using acting President Han Duck-soo’s return to office as an opportunity to reengage. Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo, who was suspended after the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against him, returned to office Monday after a Constitutional Court decision to dismiss the motion. Following Han's reinstatemen
March 24, 2025 -
UN Human Rights Council to address concerns over N. Korea's troop dispatch to Russia
The UN Human Rights Council is expected to address concerns over North Korea's troops dispatch to Russia to support its war in Ukraine in its latest resolution on Pyongyang's human rights situation, documents showed Sunday. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights unveiled the draft resolution on the human rights situation in North Korea, which was submitted by Poland and Australia on Thursday. The draft resolution urges North Korea to "refrain from the use of deadly and other excess
March 23, 2025 -
Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan agree to continue exchanges amid improved ties
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met one-on-one with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Saturday and agreed to continue exchanges to keep steady the positive momentum in bilateral relations. The two top diplomats reached the agreement during their talks in Tokyo following their trilateral meeting involving Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Cho's talks with Iwaya came just about a month after their previous talks in Germany, and two months after Iwaya's visit to Seoul. "The ministers agreed o
March 22, 2025 -
S. Korea, Japan, China reaffirm peace on Korean Peninsula 'shared interest, responsibility': FM Cho
South Korea, Japan and China reaffirmed Saturday that ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula is in the common interests of the three countries and their shared responsibility, Seoul's top diplomat said. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made the remarks following his three-way talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo, underscoring the importance of maintaining the momentum for their trilateral cooperation. "We reaffirmed that maintaining peace a
March 22, 2025 -
S. Korea, China to work on restoring cultural exchanges amid Beijing's content ban
South Korea and China agreed Friday to work together to restore cultural exchanges, raising expectations Beijing will lift its apparent restrictions on Korean entertainment and other content. The two countries reached the understanding during the bilateral talks between Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tokyo, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a release following the talks. Friday's talks came as the two Asian neighbors are seeking to manage and improve their bi
March 21, 2025 -
Putin top security aide Sergei Shoigu to meet Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang amid ceasefire push
Russia's top security official, Sergei Shoigu, has arrived in Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other officials, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reported Friday. The visit by Shoigu, who serves as the secretary of Russia's Security Council, came just days after the Kremlin said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to a limited 30-day ceasefire on energy targets during a phone call with US President Donald Trump, who has pushed for a swift end to Russia
March 21, 2025 -
Industry minister to visit US for talks on tariffs, 'sensitive' country listing
Industry minister to visit US for talks on tariffs, 'sensitive' country listing Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun will visit the United States this week for talks with US officials on Washington's impending tariffs and its listing of South Korea as a "sensitive" country, his ministry said Wednesday. Ahn will visit Washington on Thursday and Friday, just three weeks after his previous trip to the US capital, for another meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on the "reciprocal tariffs"
March 19, 2025 -
Why US labeled South Korea ‘sensitive,’ and what’s at stake
Observers fear 'sensitive country' designation may hinder Seoul’s bid for spent fuel reprocessing technology, key to its nuclear reactor exports The US designation of South Korea as a “sensitive country” — a move made in early January but only revealed by Korean media last week — has triggered shock waves through Seoul, provoking a reckoning over why Washington tacitly applied such a classification to its treaty ally. The controversy has intensified, with rival parties engaging in a blame game a
March 19, 2025 -
Korea-Japan-China talks set for Tokyo, with Seoul’s bid for Wang Yi visit stalling
The top diplomats of South Korea, Japan and China will hold a trilateral meeting — the first in 16 months and the first since US President Donald Trump’s return — while South Korea’s bid to arrange Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Seoul in connection with the talks has fallen through. The meeting in Tokyo on Saturday will be attended by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya and Wang Yi, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday. “The
March 18, 2025 -
Korea seeks to safeguard tech ties with US amid sensitive list concerns
Korea's shipbuilding, nuclear sectors closely monitor fallout from US designation The US government’s decision to place South Korea on its list of sensitive countries has raised concerns that the designation could hamper Korea’s chances of collaborating with the US in technological and industrial areas. Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im noted that the labeling could damage the trust between the two allies during a live TV show aired by broadcaster KBS on Sunday. “The joint research project
March 18, 2025 -
White House official mentions 'persistent' trade deficits with S. Korea, China, Europe
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett pointed out the United States' "persistent" trade deficits with South Korea, China and Europe on Monday, claiming the deficits are attributable to the countries' high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. In an interview with CNBC, Hassett warned that countries will have to pay tariffs if they are "stuck in their ways" and do not respond favorably to President Donald Trump's trade negotiations. The remarks came as the Trump administration p
March 18, 2025 -
S. Korea's inclusion in US list of 'sensitive' countries linked to institute security: Seoul
The United States has placed South Korea in the lowest tier of its "sensitive" country list due to security concerns related to government-affiliated research institutes, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The ministry provided the clarification following discussions with US officials, days after the Department of Energy confirmed South Korea was included in the lowest category of its "sensitive and other designated countries list" in early January under the previous Biden administration. The
March 17, 2025 -
US label of South Korea as ‘sensitive country’ puts alliance to test
US defense secretary to skip South Korea on first Indo-Pacific tour The South Korean government is scrambling to attempt to reverse the country’s inclusion on the US Energy Department’s “sensitive country" list — a move that could obstruct advanced technology and nuclear energy cooperation between the allies — with the designation set to take effect in mid-April. Seoul now faces yet another challenge in its alliance with Washington, navigating the issue with limited diplomatic capacity amid cont
March 16, 2025 -
Seoul trade minister renews calls for USTR to grant S. Korea tariff exemptions
Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Friday that he has called for the Trump administration to grant South Korea tariff exemptions and ensure the Asian ally will be treated in a "non-discriminatory" way. Cheong met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington earlier in the day, as President Donald Trump plans to roll out "reciprocal tariffs" on April 2, which will be pegged to US trading partners' duties on American goods, non-tariff barriers and other elements, including exchange rate pol
March 15, 2025 -
Biden gov't added S. Korea to lowest 'sensitive country list' category, no new curbs under Trump: Energy Dept.
The previous Biden administration put South Korea in the "lowest" category of the US Department of Energy (DOE)'s "sensitive and other designated countries list (SCL)" in early January, and no new restrictions on the Asian ally have since been added, the department's spokesperson said Friday. The spokesperson made the remarks amid concerns that if the addition goes into effect on April 15, it will make it harder for South Korea to join US research on advanced technologies, such as atomic energy,
March 15, 2025