Ban Ki-moon launches carbon transaction facility

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday inaugurated the Carbon Transaction Facility, an entity commissioned to scale up international carbon trading. The facility was launched in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, according to the Global Green Growth Institute, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to supporting sustainable economic growth. Ban chairs the institute. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement allows countries to cooperate on emission reduction

Oct. 20, 2024

Seoul envoy calls for stronger defense industry cooperation, cautions against protectionism

Seoul's top envoy to Washington cautioned Thursday against economic "protectionism" as he highlighted the need to address barriers that preclude full defense industrial cooperation between South Korea and the United States. Speaking at a think tank forum, Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong pointed to a US legal mandate requiring US naval ships to be built in America as a challenge limiting efforts to expand collaboration between the US and its foreign partners. "This issue is particula

Oct. 18, 2024

Zelenskyy says N. Korea is preparing 10,000 troops to help Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that North Korea is preparing to send around 10,000 soldiers to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, calling the development "a big problem." Zelenskyy cited Ukrainian intelligence reports indicating that North Korean personnel have already been deployed in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, with additional troops being prepared to join the fight. "We know about 10,000 soldiers of North Korea that they are preparin

Oct. 17, 2024

Foreign ministry strongly urges missionaries in Lebanon, Israel to leave

The foreign ministry on Thursday strongly urged Korean missionaries in Lebanon and Israel to leave the countries as soon as possible amid escalating military tension in the Middle East. Hong Seok-in, who is in charge of the protection of overseas nationals and consular affairs, conveyed the warning during a meeting with 10 missionary organizations. He strongly advised the missionaries in Lebanon and Israel to promptly leave the area via available flights, considering the escalating conflict betw

Oct. 17, 2024

Vietnam holds Pho festival in Seoul as part of food diplomacy

Vietnam hosted the Pho Festival in Seoul earlier this month to celebrate its iconic noodle soup, pho, and to strengthen Vietnam-Korea relations through food diplomacy. Attracting more than 28,000 attendees on Oct. 5, the first day of the two-day festival, visitors could enjoy Vietnamese food, including pho, a fragrant soup made with rice noodles, herbs, and either beef or chicken. The event facilitated more than 100 business meetings between Vietnamese and Korean enterprises across the tourism,

Oct. 15, 2024

Russia urges S. Korea to avoid provocations amid N. Korea's drone allegations

Russia has called on South Korea to refrain from further provocations in response to North Korea's accusation that Seoul had deployed unmanned drones. North Korea claimed Friday that South Korea sent unmanned drones carrying anti-North propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang on Oct. 3, as well as on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, however, said he could not confirm the North's claim. "The South Korean authorities should take Pyongyang&#

Oct. 15, 2024

Senior diplomats of S. Korea, US, Japan to hold talks in Seoul this week: foreign ministry

Senior diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan will gather in Seoul this week for trilateral talks on ways to further boost their partnership, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday. First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun will host US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano for the dialogue scheduled for Wednesday, the ministry said in a release. Kim will also hold separate bilateral talks with Campbell on the same day and wit

Oct. 13, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan summit expected near end of 2024: national security adviser

The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan are expected to hold a trilateral summit near the end of this year, according to South Korea's national security adviser Saturday. Earlier in the day, Seoul's presidential office said US President Joe Biden has proposed holding a trilateral summit by the end of this year. He made the proposal in a message conveyed to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol through Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Association of Southeast Asia

Oct. 12, 2024

Spain lauds stronger ties with S. Korea on National Day

Spain lauded strengthening ties with South Korea, marking its National Day on Thursday. Spain commemorates Oct. 12 to mark the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. In his remarks at the event, Spanish Ambassador to Korea Guillermo Kirkpatrick recalled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2022 visit to Madrid for the NATO summit and Spanish President Pedro Sanchez's historic visit to Korea in the same year. He underscored recent discussions between the countries�

Oct. 11, 2024

Taiwanese Mission chief stresses AI strategy on National Day

The Taiwanese Mission in South Korea marked its 113th National Day, underlining future priorities for economic security and global cooperation on Wednesday. The day commemorates the overthrow of China's last dynasty in 1911 and the subsequent founding of the Republic of China in 1912, following a nationalist revolution that ended the Qing Dynasty. Delivering remarks, Liang Kuang-chung, the representative of the Taipei Mission in Korea, highlighted Taiwan's focus on smart technologies,

Oct. 11, 2024

Uzbekistan hopes to boost cultural, tourism ties with S. Korea

Uzbekistan's partnership with South Korea is important not economically but also in cultural aspects as the central Asian country hopes to boost tourism, Uzbek Minister of Tourism Umid Shadiev said at a recent event. Speaking to tourism professionals and the media at the Uzbekistan-Korea tourism forum held on the sidelines of "Uzbekistan Roadshow Seoul 2024," Shadiev highlighted the cultural ties that lasted over 2,000 years, via the Silk Road. “Our partnership with South Ko

Oct. 9, 2024

Yoon, Ishiba to have summit in Laos next week: NHK

New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to have his first summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on the margins of annual regional gatherings in Laos next week, Japan's broadcaster NHK reported Thursday. The two leaders will have their first in-person meeting since Ishiba took office on Tuesday, the Japanese public broadcaster said, as both plan to participate in a series of meetings involving the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos. The plann

Oct. 3, 2024

Senior US diplomats to visit S. Korea next week for workshop on NK human rights violations

Two senior US diplomats will travel to South Korea next week to attend a workshop on human rights violations in North Korea and other events, the State Department said Wednesday. During their trip from Monday to Oct. 11, Special Envoy for North Korean human rights Julie Turner and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack plan to co-host a high-level strategic workshop centering on accountability for human rights violations in the North, according to the department. Organi

Oct. 3, 2024

[Hello India] India’s Sarang Festival kicks off featuring classical Hindu dance

The 10th edition of India’s Sarang Festival in Korea, an annual cultural exchange event hosted by the Indian Embassy in Korea, kicked off Tuesday, featuring an hour long dance performances. The festival's title, "sarang," means "love" in Korean and "diversity" in Hindi, reflecting cultural significance for both nations. This year's Sarang Festival began with a Kuchipudi performance by renowned artist Sreelakshmy Govardhanan, with the group set to per

Oct. 2, 2024

Uttar Pradesh hosts trade show to boost $1tr economy goal

NOIDA, India -- Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, showcased production capabilities and diversity at the second edition of the five-day UP International Trade Show held from September 25 to 29. The show, inaugurated by Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, attracted over 2,500 exhibitors and foreign buyers from more than 60 countries, showcasing traditional handicrafts, technology, organic agricultural items, AI solutions, robotics, and foo

Oct. 1, 2024

Seoul, Beijing pledge stronger ties at Chinese 75th anniversary event

South Korea and China reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and communication, highlighting the significance of their partnership during a reception on Thursday celebrating the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct. 1. The Chinese Embassy hosted the event at The Shilla Seoul on Thursday, with the attendance of over 800 guests, including South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, current and former lawmakers

Sept. 29, 2024

S. Korea, Morocco discuss joint economic projects on energy, transportation

South Korea and Morocco have held a policy consultation meeting on envisioned joint economic and industry projects through a cooperation fund, Seoul's finance ministry said Wednesday. During the two-day meeting held in Rabat from Monday, the two nations chose energy, transportation, green growth and digital fields as key cooperation fields under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund framework and discussed candidate projects, according to the finance ministry. The move came as South Kor

Sept. 25, 2024

Malaysia celebrates 67th National Day in Seoul

The Malaysian Embassy in Seoul celebrated the country's 67th National Day Monday, commemorating Malaysia's independence from British Colonial rule in 1957. Celebrating the day, which falls on August 31, Malaysian Ambassador to South Korea Mohd Zamruni Khalid emphasized that the country, surrounded by unprecedented political uncertainties, has remained steadfast and resilient in its quest to move forward. "Over the years, Malaysia has shown that it can overcome the odds. ... Today,

Sept. 24, 2024

Top diplomats of S. Korea, US, Japan to hold talks in New York

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold talks on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly in New York on Monday (local time), according to South Korea's foreign ministry. This will be the first trilateral meeting among South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa since their last talks during the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Brazil in February. The diplomats are expected to d

Sept. 23, 2024

S. Korea, US to hold 8th round of talks on defense cost sharing this week

South Korea and the United States are set to hold another round of negotiations this week to determine Seoul's contribution to the cost of stationing US Forces Korea, a South Korean foreign ministry official said Monday. The eighth round of talks on the Special Measures Agreement will be held from Wednesday to Friday in Seoul, according to the official. The current six-year SMA is scheduled to expire at the end of next year. "The government plans to conduct discussions with the stance

Sept. 23, 2024