Amid growing speculation that US President Donald Trump could consider meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, there are rising concerns that such a meeting would be focused more on publicity and political gains than on progress in nuclear and other outstanding issues. As signs of renewed diplomacy emerge in Washington and Seoul, experts increasingly see the North Korean capital as a possible meeting venue. Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton this week became the latest

South Korea will dispatch a 44-member disaster relief team to flood-hit Nepal to support search and rescue operations, including efforts to locate nine South Koreans who remain missing, after the Nepali government formally requested Seoul's assistance, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The government approved the deployment of the Korea Disaster Relief Team following a decision by the public-private Overseas Emergency Relief Council, an interagency body comprising government agencies and releva

The South Korean government rapid response team on Monday launched a ground operation to search for nine Koreans missing following Nepal's devastating floods, as restrictions imposed by Nepali authorities continued to complicate helicopter and drone searches. "The ground search team will attempt to reach the Ramche area, about 1 to 2 kilometers from the disaster site, and plans to camp there overnight," a Foreign Ministry official, requesting anonymity, told reporters Monday. The move marks an e

South Korea has stepped up its search for nine nationals missing in flood-hit Nepal with plans to deploy two helicopters on Sunday and review the use of drones, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said. A separate chartered helicopter secured by the government's rapid response team for two flights over the disaster area Saturday at 11:45 a.m. and 12:38 p.m. found no survivors, a ministry official told reporters Sunday. Each helicopter flight lasted about 40 to 50 minutes, with the response team spending ro

Kang Shin-chul, South Korea's ambassador to Saudi Arabia who was nominated Sunday as defense minister, is a retired four-star Army general with extensive experience in military operations and South Korea-US alliance affairs. Born in Seoul in 1968, Kang graduated from the Korea Military Academy as a member of its 46th class and was commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant in 1990. During his 35-year military career, Kang held a series of key posts, including chief of the policy division at t

● Updated Law: Child Welfare Act What it does: Protects abused children's access to education and strengthens government reviews of suspected child abuse deaths Took effect: Aug. 4 South Korea has strengthened protections for abused children to ensure they can continue their education even when their parents or guardians are implicated in the abuse. Under the revised law, when all of a child's parents, guardians or other legally responsible caregivers are perpetrators of abuse, the head of a loc

Kim’s era ascends: North Korea is increasingly recasting state identity around Kim Jong-un, while reducing the prominence of symbols and narratives tied to Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Songun pushed aside: State media gave unusually muted treatment to the Aug. 25 anniversary linked to Kim Jong-il’s military-first doctrine, mentioning “Songun” only once and placing coverage on page two. Legacy redirected: Kim Jong-il was still praised, including for helping build North Korea into a nuclear power,

North Korea’s muted commemoration this week of a key anniversary tied to former leader Kim Jong-il offers another glimpse into a broader transformation under his son: an effort to build a state defined increasingly by Kim Jong-un himself, not the legacies of the two leaders who came before him. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, relegated its coverage of the Aug. 25 anniversary associated with Kim Jong-il’s “Songun,” or military-first, leadership to

Iran sanctions ripple: South Korea is assessing how expanded US secondary sanctions on Iran could affect energy costs, trade and financial markets. Five sectors targeted: Washington’s “Operation Economic Outcast” broadens sanctions exposure for third-country firms dealing with Iran in digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping. China in focus: China buys more than 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports, raising the risk of fresh US-China friction if Washington targets Chinese refiners and

Summit odds dim: Prospects for a Trump-Kim meeting are fading as North Korea’s stronger nuclear arsenal, closer Russia ties and rejection of denuclearization reduce its incentive to compromise. Balance has shifted: Unlike in 2018, Pyongyang now has a more mature nuclear force and multiple delivery systems, leaving Washington with fewer military or diplomatic pressure points. Trump seeks win: Analysts say Trump may view renewed North Korea diplomacy as a potential foreign policy breakthrough ahea

South Korea is assessing the potential impact of Washington's sweeping new sanctions campaign against Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday, as concerns grow that the measures could push up global oil prices and add another source of friction between the United States and China. The US on Monday launched "Operation Economic Outcast," expanding the risk of secondary sanctions for third parties doing business with Iran in five key sectors — digital assets, technology, gold, aviation a

Skepticism is growing over the likelihood of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with the changing strategic environment looming large over Trump's renewed push. While Trump repeatedly indicated that a meeting was in the works, highlighting his relationship with the North Korean leader, analysts say the balance has shifted significantly since their first summit in Singapore in 2018. North Korea now possesses a larger and more sophisticated nuclear ars

Ties face stress: Japan’s rightward political shift under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is putting renewed pressure on Seoul and Tokyo’s effort to keep historical disputes separate from security and economic cooperation. Two-track strategy tested: South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy warns that political instability and conservative policies in Japan could weaken shuttle diplomacy and push bilateral relations toward deterioration. Yasukuni tensions flare: Takaichi avoided visit

Seoul and Tokyo’s effort to keep historical disputes from derailing broader cooperation is facing a fresh test as Japan’s rightward political shift brings long-standing flashpoints back to the fore. An analysis released by South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy last week warned that growing political instability in Japan, coupled with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s conservative agenda, could weaken the momentum behind "shuttle diplomacy" and potentially spark a period o

Cappu is 7 years old, weighs 31 kilograms and, by most measures, lives an ordinary golden retriever’s life. But over the past four years, he has quietly built up an unusual record: 10 blood donations. His latest and final donation came on July 31 at Konkuk University’s KU I’m Dognor Blood Donation Center in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. By then, Cappu had collected the full set of colorful scarves the center gives canine donors as they mark each donation milestone. For his guardian, Jo Hang-deok, the idea