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

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

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

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,

The Pentagon on Friday reaffirmed America's "ironclad" commitment to the South Korea-US alliance and vowed to maintain the "fight tonight" readiness posture with the Asian ally, after Seoul was excluded from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's upcoming trip to the Indo-Pacific. The decision to exclude South Korea from the Pentagon chief's first Asia swing since taking office in January came amid lingering speculation that a period of political uncertainty, caused by President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeac

US President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed his desire to reestablish the relationship that he had with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first term, boasting that he "got along great" with the reclusive leader and still has a "great" relationship with him. During a press availability, Trump made the remarks, describing the North Korean leader as a "nuclear power" with "a lot of nuclear weapons," as his administration is pursuing the goal of the "complete denuclearization" of North

The foreign ministry said Thursday it is in "close consultation" with the United States regarding its reported review of South Korea for designation as a "sensitive country." Foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong made the remarks amid signs that the US Department of Energy (DOE) is reviewing the possibility of placing South Korea on its sensitive country list. If placed, researchers from countries on the list undergo more stringent scrutiny when joining research facilities or projects affi

Third Geneva Convention does not apply to N. Korean POWs, who face likely ‘draconian punishment’ if repatriated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urged to respect the wishes of two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine and to allow them to seek asylum in South Korea if they choose, according to a joint letter from North Korean human rights organizations and relatives of detainees in North Korea. The letter to Zelenskyy was made public as authorities in Ukraine and South Korea

An adviser to US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a planned increase in a tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent will not take effect this week, a move that came after Ontario agreed to suspend a 25 percent surcharge on its electricity exports to the United States. Peter Navarro, the White House adviser, made the remarks hours after Trump announced he had instructed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to add an additional 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports

The US Department of Energy’s designation of South Korea as a “sensitive country” has yet to be finalized, though South Korea is aware of the move and has requested a full explanation from the department, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Tuesday. Cho's comments came a day after an exclusive report by the left-leaning South Korean daily Hankyoreh that the Department of Energy had decided to designate South Korea as a sensitive country from April 15 and had begun administrative prep

Korea holds 1st space security dialogue with EU, launches Indo-Pacific dialogue with Germany South Korea and the European Union held their first space security dialogue to enhance cooperation in countering escalating threats in outer space, as part of ongoing efforts for closer security alignment. The tighter cooperation comes amid the increasing interconnection of security between the Indo-Pacific region and Europe, as well as a shifting security landscape under US President Donald Trump, who h

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik will meet with Kevin McCarthy, former speaker of the US House of Representatives, later this week, Woo's office said Monday, to discuss diplomatic issues between Seoul and Washington. The meeting, slated for Friday, comes amid the second term of US President Donald Trump, with discussions expected to focus on the importance of parliamentary diplomacy between the two allies. Woo is also expected to stress the resilience of South Korea's democracy, despite th

Ethiopia holds strategic importance for Korea’s broader African vision, particularly in trade and investment, said Ethiopian Ambassador to Korea Dessie Dalkie Dukamo in a written interview with The Korea Herald. Citing Ethiopia's geopolitical location, infrastructure, population, economic potential and stability as major factors, Dukamo positioned his country as a key economic and diplomatic partner for Korea’s engagement with Africa. "Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa, serving as a gat

APEC’s 1st Senior Officials' Meeting brings 2,000 participants, including US, China, Russia, Taiwan GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — This year’s APEC summit, hosted by South Korea, will place artificial intelligence and demographic shifts at the forefront of the agenda for discussion — topics that have never before taken the spotlight at the regional economic forum. South Korea's Ambassador Yoon Seong-mee, chair of the 2025 APEC Senior Officials' Meeting, on Sunday emphasized the urgency an

Japan’s Trade Minister Yoji Muto will visit the US next week as Tokyo steps up efforts to seek a reprieve from President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign. The visit is set to take place from March 9 to March 11, just before the president’s extra levies on steel and aluminum are expected to kick in on March 12, Japan’s Trade Ministry said Friday. Muto is expected to meet his counterpart, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to the ministry. Japan is seeking an exemption from Trump’s blan