The top diplomats of South Korea and the U.S. discussed the dire human rights situation in North Korea, Washington’s military operation against Sunni militants in Syria and other bilateral, regional and global issues in New York, officials said Tuesday. Yun Byung-se and John Kerry met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly immediately before an unprecedented ministerial gathering hosted by the top U.S. diplomat on Pyongyang’s human rights violations. Among other participants were Japanese

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Iran are seeking to hold their first bilateral talks in nearly six years in New York this week in apparent efforts to heal ties dampened by Tehran’s suspected military cooperation with Pyongyang and international sanctions, government sources said Monday. The meeting between Yun Byung-se and Mohammad Javad Zarif is likely to take place Friday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where President Park Geun-hye is scheduled to deliver a speech on W

Chiefs of the country’s two major parties are expected to hold a meeting Monday, boosting hopes for a breakthrough to end the prolonged stalemate over the special Sewol bill and put the paralyzed parliament back on track. The mood has shifted since Rep. Moon Hee-sang became the new interim chief of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy last week. In Friday’s acceptance speech, he signaled an intent to end the party’s boycott of legislative affairs, quoting the late President Ki

After spending six years as U.N. human rights chief, Navi Pillay strongly urged Japan to investigate “every allegation of sexual slavery” and “prosecute perpetrators” through a rare statement and then again a media interview last month.Her perspective and interest in the issue of the “comfort women” stand out because they demonstrate the international community’s human rights standards and growing demands for Tokyo’s action.In the Aug. 6 statement, Pillay expressed “profound regret that Japan ha

The following is the 10th in a series of articles on Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Asian women on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the foundation of The Korea Herald on Aug. 15. ― Ed.In 2007, U.S. lawmaker Mike Honda set a milestone in the issue of Japan’s sexual enslavement of Asian women during World War II by spearheading the adoption of a resolution at the House of Representatives calling for Tokyo’s apology. The resolution played a key role in boosting awareness in the intern

Lee Ho-yeon, a member of the Incheon Asian Games steering committee, lights the torch at Seoul Plaza two days before the event kicks off. The torch arrived in the host city of Incheon later in the day. After a 36-day pilgrimage through 17 cities in South Korea, the flame reached the city two days before the opening ceremony. The torch will be left overnight in the port city for the next two days before completing the final leg of its 6,000-kilometer journey to Incheon Asiad Main Stadium. (Yonhap

The U.S. has proposed consultations with North Korea over its plans to send a special envoy to secure the release of three Americans locked up in the reclusive country, a news report said Wednesday. The U.S. State Department has expressed that it is “open to all possibilities” and willing to dispatch a higher-profile figure than Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights, Voice of America reported, citing a source well versed in relations between Pyongyang and Washington. The North

South Korea and Japan plan to resume their strategic dialogue ― stalled for over a year and a half ― next month as they explore ways to mend relations severely dented by feuds over wartime history, a news report said Wednesday. The talks will take place in Tokyo on Oct. 1 between Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong and his Japanese counterpart Akitaka Saiki, Kyodo News reported. The meeting was last held in January 2013 and will be the first since President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo

Seoul and Washington should jointly develop a radar and interceptor system for unmanned aircraft to cope with the growing number of North Korean drones encroaching on South Korean airspace and a globally intensifying robotics arms race, a U.S. defense expert said Monday. Van Jackson, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, stressed the need for the allies to adapt to an “evolving global and regional context” in which military robotics has become a domain of strategic competit

Hopes are rising slowly for a long-awaited thaw in relations between Korea and Japan as Seoul appears to be sending out reconciliatory signals while pressing Tokyo to come clean about its wartime atrocities. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se sat down with Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho for tea on the sidelines of a joint culture event on Sunday, marking their first one-on-one consultation. During the one-hour talk, the two diplomats concurred on the need for consistent efforts to shore up the relat

With a diverse portfolio of international organizations, Songdo is seeking to become a leading business, tourism and logistics destination in Northeast Asia. Long known for its seaside amusement park, the reclaimed island is the linchpin of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, which, since its 2003 inception, has been grappling with budget woes, flagging foreign investment and a moribund property market. The launch of U.N. offices and other multinational bodies in recent years was deemed a much-neede

Ranking officials of Korea and Japan held talks on Friday to discuss ways to boost trilateral cooperation with China and restore bilateral relations frayed by historical and territorial brawls. Deputy Ministers Lee Kyung-soo and Shinsuke Sugiyama agreed on the need to put the three-way partnership back on track and bring about a foreign ministers’ meeting and eventually a summit, Seoul officials said. The consultations came on the sidelines of a high-level meeting on Thursday that included Liu Z

Korea, China and Japan have agreed to restart their three-way high-level dialogue in nearly one year in efforts to mend relations eroded by territorial and historical brawls, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Friday.The one-day event is slated for Sept. 11 in Seoul, bringing together Lee Kyung-soo, Seoul’s deputy minister for political affairs; Liu Zhenmin, Beijing’s vice foreign minister; and Shinsuke Sugiyama, Tokyo’s deputy minister. It will be the first deputy minister-level gathering since last

The U.S. has ruled out the possibility of a meeting with a top North Korean diplomat scheduled to make a rare visit to Europe later this week, downplaying the communist country’s intensifying peace offensive, a news report said. Kang Sok-ju, secretary of the Central Committee of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, is expected to embark on a 10-day trip on Saturday that includes stops in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. Given his high profile and history as a negotiator on top issues, his

The following is the sixth in a series of articles on Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Asian women on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the foundation of The Korea Herald on Aug. 15. ― Ed.On Wednesday around noon, some 100 activists, students and other citizens crowded outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, braving the wet weather and sudden drop in temperature. Their age, gender and political inclination may have varied, but they had one common cause: to urge Tokyo to atone and compe

Some 500 top policymakers, academics and relief workers from around the world stressed the significance of good governance in achieving sustainable economic growth and social integration during a conference in Seoul on Tuesday. While definitions of good governance may differ, they picked transparency and credibility as key elements, calling for governments in both advanced and emerging countries to step up efforts to improve these areas. The one-day annual event was hosted by the Korea Internati

South Korea on Friday expressed regret over the North’s revocation of a decision to send a cheering squad to the upcoming Asian Games in Incheon, denying Pyongyang’s accusations that Seoul had begrudged its earlier pledge. Son Kwang-ho, vice chairman of the North’s Olympic Committee, announced the cancellation during an interview on state television late Thursday, citing the South’s “anxiety, complaints and displeasure” over the plans. The communist country will still dispatch 273 athletes, coac

A group of U.S. officials clandestinely traveled to Pyongyang early this month, apparently to request the release of three detained Americans, a news report said Friday, indicating the two sides’ first direct dialogue in about two years. A military jet carrying the officials entered Pyongyang on Aug. 16 for an 18-hour-long stay, The Kyunghyang Shinmun reported, citing unnamed multiple diplomatic sources. “I believe that officials from the White House and under the Director of National Intelligen

The Korean economy is forecast to expand 4 percent this year on the back of a recently unveiled stimulus package although downside risks persist such as sluggish consumer spending and construction investment, a U.N. survey showed Thursday. The U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific launched the Korean edition of its annual economic and social survey for the region on the sidelines of the Northeast Asia Economic Forum it hosted in partnership with the Korea Institute for Int

The following is the fourth in a series of articles on Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Asian women on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the foundation of The Korea Herald on Aug. 15. ― Ed.Since former “comfort women” came forward in the early 1990s, the government, academics and activists have been building a treasure trove of documents, photos and other publications to substantiate Japan’s sex slavery during World War II. While the victims’ testimonies serve as the most vivid and im