North Korea seems to be agonizing over cherry-picking key negotiators and agenda items for its fresh nuclear talks with the US in order to avoid another setback following a no-deal summit in February, according to experts. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to form negotiation teams “in two to three weeks” and create a framework for denuclearization negotiations after a surprise meeting at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas on

US national security adviser John Bolton will visit South Korea this week after a stop in Japan to discuss the two US allies’ deepening row following Tokyo’s decision to curb the trade of materials crucial for the production of memory chips to Seoul. National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis wrote on Twitter that Bolton departed Saturday for Japan and Korea to “continue conversations with critical allies and friends,” without elaborating on details.  B

South Korea offered no answer Thursday to Japan’s call to settle the row over Tokyo’s wartime forced labor through third-country arbitration, raising tensions further between the neighbors, with both countries turning down resolution proposals from the other.Seoul intentionally missed Thursday’s deadline by which Tokyo demanded Seoul respond to its request to resolve historical disputes stemming from its 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula while hinting at possible ret

Japan’s recent decision to impose tighter restrictions on exports to South Korea of key materials for the semiconductors and display industries will take a toll on the global tech industry, Seoul’s government official said Wednesday. “It will adversely affect companies ranging from Apple, Amazon and Dell to Sony and billions of consumers all over the world,” he told foreign reporters based in Seoul on the condition of anonymity. The trade measure, which was taken by Tokyo

The worsening diplomatic row between South Korea and Japan has raised concerns that it may threaten security cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.On July 4, Japan raised the ante with economic retaliatory measures as tensions heightened over the use of forced labor by Japanese companies during the country’s 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.  Japan’s announcement of restrictions on exports of items used by South Korean chip and smartphone companies ignited an

Sharing borders with five member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Laos is seeking to facilitate the connectivity of infrastructure across the region by strengthening cooperation with South Korea. “There have been already a number of projects supported by the Korean government and implemented by Korean private companies in the past that contributed to the ASEAN connectivity in Laos,” Bounchanh Sinthavong, Laos’ minister of public works and transport, said in

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were able to hold a third meeting on the inter-Korean border last month due to their sincere trust and bold will, Pyongyang’s propaganda outlet Maeari said Wednesday. Highlighting close relationship between Kim and Trump, Maeari noted that the top-level encounter in the Demilitarized Zone occurred just a day after the US president made a request by simplifying complex diplomatic protocol that typically takes weeks and months to

The government said Tuesday it had raised the issue of Tokyo’s economic retaliatory measures against Seoul at a World Trade Organization meeting amid intensifying tensions between the two countries, stemming from a long-standing dispute regarding forced labor during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula.During a meeting of the WTO’s Council for Trade in Goods held in Geneva, Ambassador to Geneva Paik Ji-ah said that that Japan’s restrictions on exports of key

North Korea’s official media on Monday urged its people to build an economic powerhouse as the country marked the 25th anniversary of the death of founding leader Kim Il-sung. “Today’s grand advance in economic development is a sacred and rewarding struggle of our great leaders to realize their aspirations for a patriotic and powerful country,” the Rodong Sinmun, the official mouthpiece of the Workers’ Party, said in an editorial.  On Monday, Kim Jong-un paid h

Former Samsung Executive Yang In-mo was elected as the new dean of the Honorary Consular Corps of Korea, an organization of diplomats promoting friendship and cooperation among countries. Yang, the honorary consul general of Croatia to Korea, started his two-year term as the sixth dean of the corps on July 1, after a unanimous vote at a regular annual meeting on June 26.  The corps of honorary consuls in Korea consists of honorary consuls in the private sector appointed by foreign governmen

The French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry together with the French Embassy in Korea will host their annual Bastille Day event Friday. More than 500 guests will take part in this biggest event of the year for the French Korean community, a celebration of French culture. Bastille Day, France’s national day, commemorates the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, a turning point in the French Revolution, as well as the Fete de la Federation, a celebra

Top negotiators of South Korea and the US will meet in Germany this week in an apparent move to coordinate and discuss details of upcoming working-level talks between Washington and Pyongyang, aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will visit Germany from Tuesday to Friday to meet with Ina Lepel, director general for Asia and the Pacific of the Fede

Debate has been sparked among experts over President Moon Jae-in’s recent remarks that the US and North Korea have effectively agreed to end the Korean War with the recent meeting of their leaders at Panmunjom. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un created fresh momentum for stalled denuclearization talks with symbolic gestures, such as shaking hands on the North’s side of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas and then crossing together t

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the US and North Korea have put an end to their hostile relations with the recent meeting of their leaders, who stepped back and forth over the Korean border on Sunday. “Although they did not sign any document, their action was tantamount to a de facto declaration of an end to hostile relations and the beginning of a full-fledged peace era,” Moon said during a Cabinet meeting. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Ki

With US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreeing to return to the negotiating table, South Korea’s behind-the-scenes diplomacy is expected to continue to ensure that the nuclear talks get back on track. Breaking a four-month stalemate was a near-impromptu meeting in the truce village of Panmunjom, inside the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas on Sunday, which came after Trump tweeted an invitation to Kim on Saturday from Japan where he was attending

Stalled denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington gained new momentum after US President Donald Trump set foot in North Korea Sunday. Following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Peace House in Panmunjom, Trump said that he had invited Kim to Washington. “Anytime he wants to do it. I think we want to take this down to the next step, let’s see what happens,” he told reporters. Trump and Kim also agreed to resume working-level talks on denucleari

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa and White House adviser Ivanka Trump on Sunday shared outcomes of the two country’s measures aimed at enhancing women’s participation in economic development and the challenges ahead.Some 60 female civic workers and government officials and businesswomen attended the meeting, titled “The ROK-US Women’s Empowerment Forum,” at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Seoul.  Ivanka accompanied her father, US President Donald Trump, who wa

Messages from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un relayed by Chinese President Xi Jinping invited mixed interpretations in Seoul.During a summit with President Moon Jae-in in Japan on Thursday, Xi briefed him on the results of his two-day state visit to Pyongyang June 20-21.  While stressing the North Korean regime’s unwavering commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue with the US, Xi said that Kim is willing to do what it can to address the regime’s &l

A South Korean woman who was part of a government delegation to Spain died Thursday at a Barcelona hospital after being treated for head injuries she suffered during an attempted robbery there, according to news reports. The deceased woman, who served on a government advisory committee, was injured Sunday night while trying to avoid a motorcyclist who attempted to steal her purse. “As a result of the robbery, the victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital where she d

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, kicked off an event to promote Saudi Arabia’s culture in Seoul this week. The event has been held across the world to promote Saudi culture and history and expand cultural exchanges with other countries. In Asia, South Korea is the first to hold the event, titled “Bridges to Seoul,” which will run until Wednesday at Grand Hilton Seoul. “I am very pleased to promote the history and culture of Saudi Arabia to Korea