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Kang Kyung-wha, Seoul FM during Trump's 1st term, appointed ambassador to US
Kang Kyung-wha, who served as South Korean foreign minister during US President Donald Trump's first term, was officially appointed Wednesday as Seoul's top envoy to the United States. Kang, the first foreign minister under the Moon Jae-in government, served the post for almost four years beginning in 2017, working closely with Washington when Trump held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018 and 2019. Her appointment marks the first ambassadorship to Washington under President Lee J
Oct. 1, 2025 -
Ishiba's 19 hours in Busan, in photos
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba flew back to Tokyo on Wednesday morning after spending about 19 hours in Busan, marking his final diplomatic trip before he steps down from the top post. During his short stay, Ishiba paid a visit to the grave of Lee Soo-hyun, a South Korean who lost his life in 2001 while trying to save a Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks at a Tokyo train station. He also sat down with President Lee Jae Myung for a 76-minute summit, which was their third time mee
Oct. 1, 2025 -
S. Korea, US agree to set up visa desk for Korean firms investing in US
South Korea and the United States have agreed to establish a dedicated “Korean Investor Desk” at the US Embassy in Seoul to address visa issues faced by Korean companies investing in the US. The decision comes nearly a month after a US immigration raid on Sept. 4 at a Hyundai-LG battery plant construction site in Georgia, which had led to the detention of more than 300 Korean workers. The Foreign Ministry said Wednesday the decision was made during the inaugural session of the Korea-US Business
Oct. 1, 2025 -
Parties clash over security as Chinese visa waiver begins
Lawmakers clashed over a potential security gap in South Korea’s electronic travel system after a data center fire disrupted parts of the state network over the weekend. The Justice Ministry briefly posted a notice Saturday allowing foreign tourists to submit e-travel forms without local addresses. By Monday, the notice was removed, but opposition lawmakers said the move posed a serious security risk just as visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists began. Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main oppositi
Sept. 29, 2025 -
Top diplomats of North Korea, China pledge to bolster ties, oppose 'hegemonism'
North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing on Sunday, pledging to deepen ties and jointly oppose “hegemonism” and “unilateralism.” The phrasing is widely seen as a diplomatic consensus to their shared unease with US policies. During the talks, Choe highlighted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s commitment to strengthening ties with China, calling the relationship the North’s “unwavering position,” according to Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central
Sept. 29, 2025 -
UN's reimposition of sanctions on Iran to have limited impact on S. Korea: foreign ministry
The foreign ministry said Sunday the United Nations' move to reinstate sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program is expected to have a limited impact on South Korea. The UN reimposed sanctions on Iran early Sunday in a "snapback" process that was triggered by Britain, France and Germany accusing Iran of violating its 2015 nuclear deal aimed at suspending the development of nuclear weapons. Seoul's foreign ministry said the return of the Iran sanctions is expected to have a limited impact on Sou
Sept. 28, 2025 -
With Trump, Xi visits in sight, S. Korea eyes APEC summit to advance N.Korea peace bid, tariff talks
With US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the offing, the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit may set the stage for South Korea to advance its North Korea peace initiative and stalled tariff talks with Washington. The multilateral gathering, set to be held in the southern South Korean city of Gyeongju on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, comes as the Lee Jae Myung government seeks to restore inter-Korean ties and revive the stalled nuclear dialogue between Trump and Nort
Sept. 28, 2025 -
Final preparations
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok conducted a follow-up inspection on Friday at the Gyeongju Expo Grand Park, where preparations are underway for the 2025 APEC Summit scheduled from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. This marks one of several on-site visits the Prime Minister has made since being tasked by President Lee Jae Myung in July to oversee the summit’s infrastructure readiness. During the visit, Kim reviewed progress on key facilities, including the APEC Economic Leaders’ Exhibition Hall and the Internationa
Sept. 26, 2025 -
South Korean FM highlights need for nuclear fuel enrichment in US talks
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun emphasized his country's need to pursue uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing during talks with the US, describing the move as vital to Seoul’s energy security while emphasizing that it would serve purely commercial purposes. According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Friday, Cho conveyed the request to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright during their meeting on Thursday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. South Korea, w
Sept. 26, 2025 -
First lady pledges to promote Korean cuisine in New York K-food event
First lady Kim Hea Kyung has underscored her commitment to promoting Korean cuisine around the world during a meeting with renowned chefs and other food experts in New York, expressing her pleasure to see first hand the growing popularity of Korean food in the United States. Kim met them during a roundtable at the Korean Cultural Center on Wednesday, noting the popularity of kimbap, Korean seaweed rice rolls, which grew after it was featured in the Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters," ac
Sept. 26, 2025 -
Trump depicts S. Korea's $350 billion investment pledge as 'up front'
US President Donald Trump on Thursday described South Korea's $350 billion investment commitment as "up front," although Seoul and Washington have been in negotiations to hash out details of the investment package, including how to fund it. Trump made the remarks during a press availability as South Korea is striving to break an impasse in talks over the specifics of a July trade deal under which South Korea made the investment commitment and other pledges in return for Washington's lowering of
Sept. 26, 2025 -
Prime Minister says US projects will remain in limbo until visa fix
South Korea’s investment projects in the US will remain in limbo until visa issues are resolved, the nation’s prime minister said, urging Washington to act quickly to reassure Koreans concerned about getting detained for working there. “Without resolving the visa issue, meaningful progress remains virtually impossible,” South Korea’s Prime Minister Kim Min-seok told Bloomberg News in Seoul on Wednesday in an exclusive interview that also touched on defense spending and North Korea. “Although the
Sept. 25, 2025 -
US finalizes 15% tariff on European autos; auto levy on Korea still at 25%
US President Donald Trump's administration reduced tariffs on automobiles from the European Union to 15 percent, a government notice showed Wednesday, while tariffs on Korean cars remain at 25 percent amid negotiations to hash out details of a bilateral trade deal struck in late July. On the Federal Register, the International Trade Administration under the Commerce Department and the Office of the US Trade Representative posted the notice outlining the tariff reduction retroactive to Aug. 1. EU
Sept. 25, 2025 -
US is in talks with Korean, Japanese firms over Alaska LNG project: Energy Secretary
The United States is in talks with South Korean, Japanese and other companies about an Alaska liquefied natural gas project, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday, noting that the project should be under construction roughly in the next 12 months. Wright made the remarks during a press briefing in New York, as US President Donald Trump's administration hopes South Korea, Japan and other Asian nations will invest in the project aimed at building a pipeline connecting the North Slope, a mas
Sept. 25, 2025 -
Lee voices hope for S. Korea, US to find 'reasonable' solution in trade talks
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has expressed hope for Seoul and Washington to work out a "reasonable" solution to finalize a bilateral trade deal as he met foreign affairs experts in New York, the presidential office said Wednesday. Lee shared the latest developments and challenges in trade negotiations with the United States during a dinner meeting with them on the margins of the UN General Assembly, as the two countries strive to finalize details of Seoul's $350 billion investment pledge
Sept. 24, 2025