Lee discusses economic partnership with Thai PM over phone

President Lee Jae Myung held his first phone conversation with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday and discussed signing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between the two countries, the presidential office said. The two leaders agreed to advance the bilateral strategic partnership and strengthen cooperation in various sectors, including the defense industry, digital finance and infrastructure construction, the presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-joon said in a press br

Oct. 16, 2025

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Sweden note potential for greater cooperation in defense, technology

The top diplomats of South Korea and Sweden highlighted Thursday the potential for further cooperation in the defense industry and technology sectors, voicing hope that the two countries will continue to strengthen ties in that regard. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun shared the view with his Swedish counterpart, Maria Malmer Stenergard, during their bilateral talks earlier in the day, held on the occasion of the visit by Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, the foreign ministry said in a

Oct. 16, 2025

USFK sends protest letter to Seoul over special counsel raid on Osan base

The top US Air Force officer in South Korea has lodged a protest with Seoul’s Foreign Ministry over a raid by a special counsel team at Osan Air Base, which Washington says violated procedures under the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement. Lt. Gen. David Iverson, deputy commander of US Forces Korea and head of the US 7th Air Force, sent the letter on Oct. 3, expressing concern over the search linked to an investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 202

Oct. 16, 2025

Swedish crown princess to pay tribute at Korean War memorial in Busan

Swedish Crown Princess Victoria will visit the South Korean southern port city of Busan this week to pay tribute to medical groups dispatched from abroad to participate in the 1950-53 Korean War, the veterans ministry said Thursday. Victoria and a Swedish delegation will visit a memorial monument on Friday that commemorates the sacrifices of medical aid groups sent by six nations -- Denmark, India, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Germany -- for the war. The memorial site was established at the Taejong

Oct. 16, 2025

Lee meets Swedish crown princess to discuss bilateral ties

President Lee Jae Myung met with Swedish Crown Princess Victoria on Wednesday to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties, the presidential office said. Lee met Victoria, the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and heir apparent to the throne, during her first official visit to South Korea in 10 years. She was accompanied by her husband, Prince Daniel, and an economic delegation. Lee said he wants to further develop the friendly relations between the two nations to a wide range of areas, including

Oct. 15, 2025

S. Korea, Kazakhstan discuss bolstering cooperation in manufacturing, supply chains

South Korea and Kazakhstan on Wednesday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation in various sectors, including manufacturing, plant construction and critical mineral supply chains, amid growing uncertainties in global trade, Seoul's industry ministry said. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan held talks with a Kazakh delegation visiting Seoul, led by Deputy Prime Minister Bozumbayev Kanat, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. In the meeting, Kim proposed expa

Oct. 15, 2025

Seoul bans travel to Cambodia’s scam hotbeds amid surge in Cambodian abductions

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has imposed its highest-level travel warning on parts of Cambodia starting Thursday, banning travel to areas where job scam–related confinement and abuse cases have sharply increased. The Level 4 advisory, which prohibits all travel, takes effect at midnight Wednesday and applies to Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province and the cities of Bavet and Poipet, which were previously under a special travel advisory. Bokor Mountain is where a South Korean university student —

Oct. 15, 2025

Cambodia is in Korean news daily. Here's how Cambodian officials, citizens are responding to scrutiny

Concerns are growing in Cambodia that South Korea’s hardline response to a series of crimes targeting its nationals could strain diplomatic relations between the two countries. “The Korean leader’s diplomatic pressure helps nothing. Instead, it makes the relationship between the two countries unhealthy,” said Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at Cambodia’s state-run Royal Academy, in an interview with The Phnom Penh Post. “Only cooperation at the regional and internatio

Oct. 15, 2025

S. Korea, Philippines to push for cooperation in infrastructure development

South Korea and the Philippines are exploring ways to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure development, such as smart cities and water management, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said Tuesday. Around 30 Korean companies discussed potential cooperation projects with Filipino authorities, including officials from the transport and energy ministries, during a forum on infrastructure and plant cooperation between the two countries held in Manila on Tuesday, according to KOTRA. The fo

Oct. 14, 2025

Bessent says Trump will meet Xi for talks in S. Korea

US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks in South Korea, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday, days after Trump threatened to cancel the meeting, criticizing China's move to impose export controls on rare earths. Bessent made the remarks in a Fox Business interview as Trump plans to visit South Korea later this month. Korea is set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju from Oct. 31-Nov. 1. "He will be me

Oct. 14, 2025

Trump unlikely to attend APEC summit despite planned trip to S. Korea: FM

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday it is unlikely US President Donald Trump will attend the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held in South Korea later this month. Cho provided an affirmative response, stating “yes” when asked whether Trump would visit South Korea in the event of the APEC 2025 during an annual audit of the Foreign Ministry by the National Assembly. Cho, however, further explained that “it is highly unlikely that (Trump) will attend the leaders’ summit

Oct. 13, 2025

Presidential office orders swift repatriation of Koreans trapped in Cambodia

The presidential office in Seoul on Monday urged government ministries to take action to swiftly bring back South Korean nationals who have been forcibly held in Cambodia after being lured by fraudulent job offers and other scams. The call came as crimes targeting South Koreans in Cambodia have drawn growing public attention amid a rapid increase and mounting damage in recent years. Concerns intensified after the body of a university student in his 20s was found in Cambodia in early August. Camb

Oct. 13, 2025

UAE eyes deeper ties with S. Korean firms under AI drive: Dubai official

Dubai, a major business hub of the United Arab Emirates, is committed to hosting globally competitive startups in the artificial intelligence sector, including those from South Korea, a senior official from the city's foundation has said. Saeed Al Falasi, executive director of the Dubai Future Foundation, made the remark during a group interview Sunday at the venue of the annual Expand North Star startup exhibition, which kicked off in Dubai on the day. "I think whenever we read about AI and wha

Oct. 13, 2025

US nonimmigrant visas for S. Koreans down 18% since Trump's inauguration; B1, B2 visas drop over 40%

The number of nonimmigrant visas issued to South Koreans by the United States has fallen 18.3 percent since US President Donald Trump took office in January, data showed Sunday. According to figures obtained by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Hong Kee-won from the US Department of State, Washington issued 24,736 nonimmigrant visas to South Koreans between January and May this year, down from 30,262 during the same period in 2024. Trump, who was sworn in on Jan. 20, has launched a strong push for

Oct. 12, 2025

S. Korea vows swift repatriation of remains of late student after torture death in Cambodia

The foreign ministry vowed Saturday to push for the swift repatriation of the remains of a student tortured to death in Cambodia in connection with a suspected employment scam, more than two months after he was found dead. In August, the student's body was discovered near Bokor Mountain, where employment scams and detentions targeting South Koreans have occurred, a month after he left for the country. Cambodian police believe he died from cardiac arrest resulting from torture. The body still rem

Oct. 11, 2025