US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed a deal between Israel and the Hamas militant group to halt fighting in Gaza and release Israeli hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners. Following weeks of negotiations brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas reached the deal that raised the prospects of an end to the devastating war that broke out in the wake of Hamas militants' attack on Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. "There was no other way

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Pentagon chief, referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power” in a written statement for Tuesday’s confirmation hearing – shattering a longstanding taboo by granting such a designation to Kim Jong-un’s regime and drawing considerable attention in Seoul. Seoul's Defense, Foreign and Unification ministries immediately dismissed Hegseth’s statement when asked for comment, each emphasizing in their respective statements that North Korea can never

Foreign ministers hold joint news conference for 1st time in over 13 years The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan on Monday pledged to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic normalization this year, building on renewed momentum in their relationship despite the ongoing political upheaval and a potential leadership change in South Korea. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met in Seoul at a critical moment, as South Korea grapples with

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is suspended from his duties amid an ongoing impeachment trial, wrote on Facebook that the South Korean government should provide support to help deal with the wildfires in Los Angeles. Yoon expressed condolences and regret for those affected by the deadly wildfires, and expressed his wishes for the fire to be contained and damage restored. "The US is our most invaluable ally that took our hand during the most difficult times of South Korea, and LA is home to the lar

The Singapore Embassy in Seoul and the Korean Embassy in the city-state announced plans to unveil a commemorative logo on Monday to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. The logo was created through a collaborative design competition organized by both embassies. “The selected logo is the result of a two-month logo design workshop between K-Arts and Singapore’s Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, which are sister schools and well-known national art institutions in the ROK and Singapore, respect

Experts and industry leaders attending a forum hosted by the ASEAN-Korea Center last week called for enhanced physical and digital connectivity and cybersecurity frameworks to mitigate supply chain disruptions fueled by geopolitical uncertainties. Delivering keynote remarks, ASEAN-Korea Center Secretary-General Kim Jae-shin highlighted the forum's unique position as the sole platform in Korea dedicated to ASEAN connectivity. The 12th ASEAN Connectivity Forum was held to review the 15 years of AS

South Korea has requested the active participation of business leaders in the United States at upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation events in South Korea this year, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday. At an annual meeting of the US National Center for APEC in San Francisco on Friday (US time), Yoon Seong-mee, chair of the 2025 APEC Senior Officials' Meeting, presented Seoul's preparations for hosting the 2025 APEC summit and urged active interest and participation from US business lead

WASHINGTON -- US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday portrayed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid as "shocking" and "wrong," but voiced confidence that "structurally," the South Korea-US alliance is "incredibly healthy." Speaking in a press meeting, he also noted that the Biden administration was not able to make "substantial" progress in the efforts toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with the security trend moving in the "wrong" direction,

WASHINGTON -- The US State Department on Friday officially announced Joseph Yun, former US special representative for North Korea, as charge d'affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Seoul, saying he will work to advance the two countries' mutual interest and "ironclad" alliance. Yun, who served as the envoy for North Korea from 2016-2018, is set to assume office in the Asian country as former Ambassador Philip Goldberg retired earlier this month ahead of incoming President Donald Trump's inaug

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States underscored the importance of their key nuclear deterrence dialogue body on Friday, calling it an "enduring" tool and a "solid" foundation to strengthen the allies' integrated deterrence efforts. The two sides made the case following the fourth session of the Nuclear Consultative Group in Washington, as concerns linger that incoming President Donald Trump would bring about a major policy shift after assuming office on Jan. 20. "Both sides agreed th

Former US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg “raised his voice” to express grave concern during a phone conversation with an official from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office in the chaotic initial hours of Yoon's martial law declaration on Dec. 3, a local media reported Thursday. According to an exclusive interview in local daily DongA Ilbo, the first contact between Goldberg, the US envoy to Seoul at the time, and the South Korean government after Yoon’s shocking late-night announcement wa

Thailand's Ambassador to South Korea, Tanee Sangrat, and Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young discussed ways to boost economic and cultural diplomacy on Wednesday. The discussions took place during a courtesy visit by Sangrat to the Herald Media Group headquarters in Yongsan. Highlighting future initiatives, Sangrat outlined his embassy’s plans for economic engagement and cultural exchange. Contact between Korea and Thailand dates back to the 14th century, while formal diplomatic ties were esta

Acting President Choi Sang-mok spoke by phone with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Wednesday to discuss promoting bilateral cooperation, according to Choi's office. Choi called for the two countries to maintain close consultations in various fields, including a planned power plant project, as they celebrate the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. In July 2024, a South Korean consortium led by the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. was selected as the preferred bidder to

South Korea's ambassador to the United States is expected to attend US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony this month as the government's representative, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. Preparations are currently being made for Cho Hyun-dong, South Korea's top envoy in Washington, to represent the government at the ceremony for the incoming US president on Jan. 20, according to the sources. If confirmed, Cho's attendance would follow established convention. South Korea has se

US senators who have advocated for the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region have assumed leadership of key committees overseeing the US State and Defense departments. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), chair of the Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, have both called for a bold overhaul of the US nuclear posture to bolster deterrence and safeguard South Korea and Indo-Pacific all