NAYPYIDAW -- More than a dozen villagers began to dig in the ground and make a stream in the small town of Kyauncone near the capital of Myanmar, as the signature song of the Saemaul Undong resonated, with the lyrics in Korean calling for diligence and cooperation in refurbishing the rural community. Their task was to open drainage ditches and pave the road that has long prohibited the passage of vehicles in rainy seasons. It was intended to take a page from the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movem

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se is set to meet with his Russian counterpart on Monday in Moscow as Seoul seeks to ramp up concerted pressure against North Korea in the wake of its latest nuclear and missile tests. Yun departed for the Russian capital on Sunday afternoon for the first trip by Seoul’s top diplomat in about five years. During his two-day stay, he will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, attend a joint conference on politics and economics and tour South Korean auto

Seoul’s defense officials on Friday denied news reports that South Korea and the United States would make an announcement on their plans to deploy advanced U.S. missile defense assets here ahead of their defense ministerial talks in Singapore. Defense Minister Han Min-koo is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with his U.S. counterpart Ash Carter on Saturday on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit in Singapore. En route to the Southeast Asian country, Carter said that a stationing of the

 The newly proposed U.S. financial restrictions on North Korea are expected to hamper the North’s access to the global banking network by warning the international community against any transactions with the communist regime. Seoul on Thursday “welcomed” the U.S. designation of North Korea as a “primary money laundering concern” overnight, taking note of the Treasury’s portrayal as “the most significant measure available” under Section 311 of the Patriot Act. “The government highly appreciates t

With the initiative to set up a foundation for “comfort women” victims being set in motion, the newly created preparation committee appears to be already in the hot seat, fanning controversy over its membership, compensation plans and decision-making processes involving Japan. Tuesday’s launch came in the face of resistance from many victims. Of the surviving 42, 29 filed a constitutional appeal last March, saying their basic rights were violated by the Dec. 28 agreement between Seoul and Tokyo.

More than 30 Polish businesses are likely to have been using European Union subsidies to pay salaries to their North Korean employees totaling up to 800, a research team said Monday, raising the possibility of funds flowing to the communist regime. A group of academics, lawyers and human rights specialists at the Leiden Asia Center within Leiden University in the Netherlands has been delving into the practice of North Korean forced labor within the EU since last December. According to its prelim

Following a months-long tug of war, a public-private committee will be launched Tuesday in Seoul to lay the groundwork for a fund for the victims of Japan’s sex slavery during World War II, the Korean government said Monday. The preparation committee will consist of nine private sector experts and an official each from the foreign and gender equality ministries tasked with drafting articles of association, setting up a secretariat and other administrative affairs for the envisioned organization.

Despite the recent passage of strengthened sanctions over North Korea’s latest nuclear and missile tests, the United Nations should further tighten its squeeze on Pyongyang’s trade and financial networks to thwart its military ambitions, a former top U.N. official said.Nobuyasu Abe, who served as under-secretary-general for disarmament affairs at the multinational body from 2003-2006, showed regret over past botched efforts to dissuade Pyongyang from building atomic bombs in return for economic

JEJUDO ISLAND -- Despite persistent territorial and historical tension, Korea, China and Japan are committed to deepening three-way cooperation and carrying on with their plans to hold regular summits, the chief of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat said. Shortly after taking office last August, Yang Houlan observed the three nations’ first tripartite summit about two months later, for which the agency played a key facilitating role.Yang Houlan, chief of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretaria

JEJUDO ISLAND -- With bilateral, territorial and historical tensions threatening to overshadow the broader and indispensable need for regional collaboration, world leaders Thursday at the Jeju Forum warned against brewing nationalism.While raising the need to concede to and apologize for past wrongdoings, they highlighted the significance of reconciliation efforts and a joint response to common challenges such as terrorism, climate change and refugee crises. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, S

JEJUDO ISLAND -- With North Korea stepping up its nuclear capability and negotiations remaining deadlocked, leading experts called for intensifying multinational efforts to change its course and resolve the issue at the Jeju Forum on Wednesday. The Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2016 kicked off at the International Convention Center on the resort island, bringing together some 4,500 former and incumbent heads of state, prominent policymakers and academics from more than 60 countries. Under

Lee Joon-gyu, a former ambassador to India, has been tapped as the new South Korean envoy to Japan and tasked with untangling the unabated controversy over a recent settlement on the “comfort women” issue, sources said Tuesday. The Foreign Ministry is expected to request an agreement for the 62-year-old career diplomat, replacing Yoo Heung-soo who recently offered to step down. Lee Joon-gyu (Yonhap)Since he began his diplomatic service in 1978, Lee has taken up various posts, including chancello

More than 4,000 former and incumbent heads of state, leading policymakers and scholars from around 50 countries are set to gather in Jejudo Island on Wednesday to explore issues related to foreign policy, security, economy, the environment and other pressing worldwide challenges.The Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2016 will kick off its three-day run at the International Convention Center on the resort island, under the theme “Asia’s new order and cooperative leadership.” Launched in 2001, i

Following last month’s mass defection from China, some workers at another North Korean restaurant abroad have escaped the country, Seoul’s Unification Ministry confirmed Tuesday, indicating they are likely on their way to the South. Two to three servers at a diner in China have been taking refuge in Thailand awaiting their flight to Seoul, according to news reports Monday. But speculation varied over the facility’s location, from Xian to Shanghai to Hangzhou. “It is true that employees at an ove

Positioned off the southern tip of the peninsula and at the center of Northeast Asia, Jejudo Island has for years been enticing tourists and investors from around the globe on the back of its natural sights, serenity and the K-pop culture craze. A destination for honeymoons and vacations, the volcanic island attracts more than 12 million people every year, adding to its regional cultural diversity. It boasts a mild climate, unique ecosystem, three UNESCO natural heritage sites and a host of trea

Despite Pyongyang’s unabated nuclear ambitions, Seoul should seek to craft an “exit strategy” to defuse cross-border tension away from the current focus on sanctions and pressure, said Johan Galtung, founder of the Peace Research Institute Oslo.Galtung, who also founded conflict mediation organization Transcend International, noted that the South Korean Park Geun-hye government, with its hard-line stance against the North, should now take a different approach.“I think it is more Washington’s rat

With many wartime sex slavery victims staunchly resisting the recent settlement with Seoul, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should write a letter to each of them to deliver his sincere atonement and expedite the deal’s execution, a former Japanese leader told The Korea Herald. Tomiichi Murayama, who offered a watershed apology in 1995 for the country’s sexual enslavement of Korean women and other atrocities, said he “welcomes” Abe’s acknowledgement of the government’s responsibility and apolo

Russia’s central bank has directed local institutions to halt financial transactions with North Korea, marking the latest in a string of countries joining the global sanctions push, a news report said Friday. The central bank on Thursday circulated U.N. Security Council Resolution 2270 imposed in March, following Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests earlier this year, noting that the local banks can engage in wire transfers or other dealings with the North only upon U.N. approval, Radio Free As

The official appointment of Ri Yong-ho as North Korea’s new foreign minister has given rise to a blend of cautious hopes and skepticism over cross-border ties. Pyongyang on Monday informed the British government that it has appointed the former vice foreign minister as the successor of Ri Su-yong through a diplomatic letter to its embassy in London, according to the Associated Press. Ri, 60, is a career diplomat with extensive experience in negotiations with Seoul and Washington, having served a

Despite persistent setbacks, Seoul and Tokyo made progress during a consultation Tuesday in their efforts to set up a foundation for the victims of Japan’s wartime sex slavery, a senior official said. Chung Byung-won, director general for Northeast Asian affairs at the Foreign Ministry here, flew Monday to Tokyo for talks with Kimihiro Ishikane, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan’s Foreign Ministry. Kimihiro Ishikane, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan