Tehran Street in southern Seoul and Seoul Street in Iran's capital are prominent symbols of the special bond that has withstood the test of time and can pave the way for a brighter future, observers said Tuesday. The 4-kilometer-long Tehran Street, which runs through the capital's affluent Gangnam district from east to west, is considered one of the richest areas in the country with countless hi...

South Korea is facing a diplomatic challenge as an international tribunal is expected to render its landmark ruling in the Philippines' legal battle against China over their dispute in the South China Sea as early as this month, observers said Tuesday. Although Seoul is not embroiled in any spat over the contested waters, it has been closely watching the maritime conflict that has escalated geop...

The top Ecuadorian envoy in Seoul made a desperate appeal Friday for Koreans' financial support to help his country emerge from the devastation caused by last week's massive earthquake and ensuing aftershocks that claimed nearly 600 lives. During a press conference, Ecuadorian Ambassador Oscar Herrera Gilbert underscored the severity of material damages and human casualties, and the pressing nee...

Korea, U.S., Japan look to increase military intelligence sharing

President Park Geun-hye will meet with her Norwegian counterpart, Erna Solberg, in Seoul next week to discuss bilateral ties, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. The meeting, which will take place on April 15, will be an opportunity for the two countries to expand bilateral ties and discuss issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the presidential office said. Norway's prime minister will arrive in Seou...

Britain has been a "strong supporter" of South Korea grappling with North Korea's nuclear threats, the top British envoy in Seoul said Friday, underscoring that his country has a "very strong interest" in the stability of the Korean Peninsula. During a lecture on the bilateral relationship in Seoul, Ambassador Charles Hay said London has played a role in passing the latest package of the U.N. Se...

Two South Korean ships have been released by China after being seized for an alleged collision with a local fishing boat, officials said Wednesday. A tugboat and a barge were impounded on March 18 in the eastern Chinese port city of Ningbo after they reportedly collided with the Chinese vessel while sailing through Chinese waters west of the Korean Peninsula. Nine Chinese fishermen went missing...

Some senior diplomats have found themselves in the center of controversy after being spotted taking selfies the same day a protocol error was made during President Park Geun-hye’s participation at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington last week. Recent video footage captured the scene where U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon came to see the president before the conference’s plenary session k...

South Korea, the United States and Japan are trying to schedule a three-way vice foreign ministerial meeting in Seoul sometime in April, a government source here said Sunday. If it materializes, it will be the second meeting of South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki this year. The three diploma...

South Korea and Thailand agreed Thursday to promote bilateral cooperation in science and technology and on a smart city project, as the Southeast Asian country is pushing for various infrastructure projects. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen partnerships and signed two related memoranda of understanding in ministerial meetings here, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future P...

China's top envoy to South Korea on Thursday touted the relationship between the two neighbors as the "best" since the establishment of their diplomatic ties in 1992, saying that their common interests have been increasing "unprecedentedly." The remarks by Chinese Ambassador to Korea Qiu Guohong came a month after he warned the bilateral relations would be "destroyed" should an advanced U.S. mis...

South Korea and France vowed Thursday to jointly tackle North Korea's provocations and human rights abuses as they marked a key anniversary in their bilateral ties. At a forum celebrating 130 years of diplomatic relations, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his French counterpart, Jean-Marc Ayrault, noted the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and the acute suffering of ...

The relationship between South Korea and France is "at its peak" now with brisk exchanges in science, culture, economics and other realms, the French top diplomat said Wednesday, expressing hopes for continued future-oriented cooperation. In an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that despite historical and language differences, the two coun...

France will showcase various aspects of its culture in South Korea for a year starting Wednesday as part of the two countries' joint program to celebrate the 130th anniversary of diplomatic ties, organizers said. The two countries have been celebrating the anniversary, which falls on June 4 this year, in the largest scale ever, with about 350 events in such areas as culture, education, science-t...