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☆ North Korea denounces US arms aid to Taiwan as 'dangerous' provocation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A North Korea flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia March 9, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File PhotoSEOUL, Aug 4 (Reuters) - North Korea on Friday criticised a U.S. weapons aid package to Taiwan, state media reported on Friday, accusing the United States of driving tensions in the region to "another ignition point of war". The United States unveiled an aid package for Taiwan worth up to $345 million on Friday as Congress authorised up to $1 billion worth of weapons for the island as a part of the 2023 budget. Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met a Chinese delegation in Pyongyang last week and vowed to develop the two countries' relations to a "new high".

Persons: Edgar Su, Kim Jong Un, Soo, hyang Choi, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, REUTERS, United, U.S, Thomson Locations: Korea, North Korean, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Taiwan, United States, Yong, China, Beijing, Washington, Taipei, Asia, Pacific, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea condemns US plan to send cluster munitions to Ukraine as 'criminal'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 11 (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday condemned U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine as a "criminal act" and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the plan. Reclusive North Korea has forged closer ties with the Kremlin and backed Moscow after it invaded Ukraine in February last year. The United States announced last week it would send Ukraine the weapons controversial for the danger they pose to civilians long after fighting ends as part of an $800 million security package. Many U.S. allies and partners helping aid Ukraine are among the 111 state parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions and came into force in 2010. North Korea is not a party to the convention.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Choe Son Hui, Choe, Jack Kim, Ed Osmond, Nick Macfie Organizations: Korean Foreign, DPRK, Democratic People's, Kremlin, United States, U.S, Cluster Munitions, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Ukraine, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Moscow, Russia, United States, U.S

☆ South Korea says respects IAEA review of Japan's Fukushima wastewater plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 7 (Reuters) - South Korea's government said on Friday it respected the U.N. nuclear energy watchdog's review of Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean and said it met international standards. Seoul announced its own assessment after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave the greenlight this week to Japan's plan, despite concerns over safety in some neighbouring countries and signs of a consumer backlash. "Therefore the plan meets international standards including those of the IAEA," he said. The plan to discharge the treated water from the Fukushima plant is also expected to "not have any meaningful impact on our ocean areas," Bang said. The announcement comes as Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, is due to arrive in South Korea on Friday for a three-day visit to explain the agency's findings after it approved Japan's plan this week.

Persons: Bang, Yoon Suk Yeol, Rafael Grossi, Jin, Hyunsu Yim, Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: Seoul, International Atomic Energy Agency, Coordination, IAEA, Democratic Party, South Korean Foreign, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo

☆ China's top diplomat urges Japan and South Korea to align with Beijing and 'revitalize Asia'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s top diplomat has urged Japan and South Korea to foster a sense of “strategic autonomy” from the West and cooperate with Beijing to “revitalize Asia,” amid rising tensions between China and the two neighboring American allies. The comments by Wang Yi on Monday come as Japan and South Korea forge closer relations with the United States – and mend ties with each other – driven by common concerns about Beijing’s growing influence and assertiveness in the region. In recent years, the Biden administration has stepped up efforts to unite allies and like-minded partners to counter China’s rising influence in the Pacific, including with South Korea and Japan, two of its most important allies in Asia. “If this trend is allowed to develop, it will not only seriously interfere with the smooth progress of trilateral cooperation, but also aggravate tension and confrontation in the region,” Wang added. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi addressed the event via video link, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, ” Wang, “, Xi Jinping, Biden, They’ve, Park Jin, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, CNN, International, Trilateral Cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry, South, Japan, Korean Foreign, Japanese Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Beijing, Asia, China, United States, Qingdao, European, East Asia, Tokyo, Seoul, North Korea, Taiwan Strait

☆ Blinken called S.Korea to discuss China visit; N.Korea warns of stronger response
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, June 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called key ally South Korea to discuss results of his visit to China this month, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday. Blinken told South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin he had an honest, practical and constructive dialogue with the Chinese side, and wanted to explain the results of his visit in as much detail as possible, a ministry statement said. Blinken's "threats" for China to pressure Pyongyang expresses a "dangerous hegemonic mentality", KCNA said, citing a North Korean foreign ministry official. North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its east coast last week, less than an hour after Pyongyang warned of a response to military drills by South Korean and U.S. troops. Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by William Mallard and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Park Jin, Xi Jinping, KCNA, Joyce Lee, William Mallard, Tom Hogue Organizations: Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, South Korean Foreign, North, South Korean, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, China, Korea's, Beijing, North Korea, Pyongyang, United States, North Korean, Korea, U.S

☆ Blinken supports efforts toward "mature" China-South Korea ties - S.Korea ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he supports South Korea's efforts to develop a "healthy and mature" cooperative relationship with China, South Korea's foreign ministry said on Saturday. Blinken, who arrives in Beijing on Sunday for the highest-level visit by an official of President Joe Biden's administration, discussed bilateral relations, relations between China and South Korea, and North Korea in a call with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on Saturday, the ministry said in a statement. Blinken and Park strongly condemned what they consider North Korea's repeated provocations, the ministry said, and agreed the U.S., South Korea and Japan should continue to urge China to play a constructive role in the U.N. Security Council on denuclearisation. Blinken said on Friday the trip was aimed at establishing "open and empowered" communications. Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe Biden's, Jin, Joyce Lee, William Mallard Organizations: South Korean Foreign, . Security, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, China, South, Beijing, South Korea, North Korea, U.S, Japan, denuclearisation, Washington

CNN —South Korean soccer star Son Jun-ho has been arrested in China for allegedly accepting bribes as Beijing clamps down on alleged corruption in the upper ranks of Chinese football. A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday the ministry was aware of Son’s situation and that local Korean diplomatic missions were providing consular assistance. Wang said China would provide South Korean officials with the “necessary facilitation” to perform their consular duties. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said it had written to the Chinese Football Association and the Asian Football Confederation regarding the player on Tuesday but had not yet heard back. Vice President Kim Jeong-bae was checking on Son’s condition with the South Korean Foreign and Sports Ministries, a KFA official told CNN.

Kevin Lambert grew up in North Carolina in the 1980s, and first visited his mother's native South Korea in 2000. Courtesy Kevin LambertIt might seem an odd desire given many have never set foot in South Korea. But life in South Korea brings its own challenges – and many eventually return to the US. For Kim, it’s a relief to be back in South Korea, where the safety is “100% better.”“I plan to live (in South Korea) until I die,” he said. “If South Korea today was as impoverished as it was when I left, why would I return?” he said.

☆ North Korean bank official charged in crypto laundering conspiracies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

On Monday, a Washington, D.C., district court unsealed two federal indictments charging a North Korean bank official for his alleged role in cryptocurrency laundering conspiracies. The alleged actions are in violation of current sanctions against North Korea by both the U.S. and United Nations. The recently unsealed indictments represent a broader pattern in recent years of North Korean workers using virtual private networks (VPNs) and other tools to illegally gain remote employment and redirect revenue to North Korea. Nearly every month so far this year, North Korea has run tests of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, the latest taking place in mid-April. "We will continue to work to disrupt and deter North Korean actors and those who aid them by following the money on the blockchain and shining a light on their conduct."

☆ S.Korea summons Chinese ambassador over reaction to Yoon's Taiwan remarks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The move came after China and South Korea exchanged harsh words over Yoon's comments in a recent interview with Reuters. "The Taiwan issue is not simply an issue between China and Taiwan but, like the issue of North Korea, it is a global issue." Asked about Yoon's comments, the Chinese foreign ministry denounced Yoon and called on South Korea to "prudently handle matters" related to Taiwan. Hours later, South Korea's foreign ministry hit back and said comments by the Chinese foreign ministry were "unspeakable". A vice foreign minister called in Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming and strongly protested what South Korea called "diplomatic discourtesy", the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement.

☆ North Korea criticises G7 over call for denuclearisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The quoted remarks by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui came in a statement criticising the United States and other Group of Seven countries. Tension has flared in recent weeks as North Korea has ramped up military activities, and threatened "more practical and offensive" action as U.S. and South Korean forces conduct annual springtime military exercises. North Korea has been reacting furiously to those exercises, calling them a rehearsal for "an all-out, nuclear war." Choe accused the G7 countries of illegally interfering in North Korea's internal affairs by demanding denuclearisation, saying Pyongyang would respond if they attempt to violate its sovereignty and fundamental interests. "North Korea will never get what it wants through nuclear and missile development, and it will only become more isolated from the international community," ministry deputy spokesperson Lee Hyo-jung told a briefing.

Under the plan, South Korea would compensate former forced labourers through an existing public foundation funded by private-sector companies, South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin told a briefing. SOUTH KOREAN FUNDSRelations plunged to their lowest point in decades after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Japanese firms to pay reparations to former forced labourers. Overall there are fewer than 1,300 living victims of forced labour in South Korea, according to media estimates. The South Korean companies include KT&G (033780.KS), Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) (015760.KS) and other companies that benefited from a 1965 treaty between South Korea and Japan. Asked whether Japanese companies would pitch in to compensate, Park said both Japanese and South Korean businesses were considering a plan to contribute.

☆ South Korea says its own companies will pay to resolve forced labor dispute with Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks during a briefing on March 06, 2023 in Seoul. The South Korean government announced it will no longer seek direct payment from responsible Japanese firms to compensate victims of Japan's forced wartime labor. South Korea said on Monday that its companies would compensate people forced to work under Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea, in a bid to improve poor relations that have impeded trade and cooperation between the two countries. Under the plan, South Korea would compensate former forced laborers through an existing public foundation funded by private-sector companies, Foreign Minister Park Jin told a briefing. "We welcome this as a step that returns Japan-South Korea relations to a healthy one," he said.

☆ South Korea proposes public foundation to resolve forced labour dispute with Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks during a briefing announcing a plan on Monday to resolve a dispute over compensating people forced to work under Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea, at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/PoolSEOUL, March 6 (Reuters) - South Korea announced a plan on Monday to resolve a dispute over compensating people forced to work under Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea, although victims groups have expressed doubts. Under the plan, South Korea would compensate former forced labourers through a public foundation funded by private-sector companies, Foreign Minister Park Jin told a briefing. Park said that he believes the Japanese government would not prevent Japanese companies from voluntarily contributing. Reporting by Josh Smith, Soo-hyang Choi, and Ju-min Park in Seoul and Yoshifumi Takemoto in Tokyo.

In announcing the compensation plan Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin called cooperation between South Korea and Japan ‘incredibly important.’A South Korean fund will compensate Koreans forced to work in Japan during World War II, the South Korean government said Monday, part of an arrangement with the Japanese government to resolve differences between the two U.S. allies. The rapprochement boosts U.S. efforts to foster cooperation between its allies to counter China and North Korea.

☆ U.S. officials address mounting tensions between U.S. and China during Munich Security Conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The officials met on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, where leaders from around the world gathered to discuss geopolitical challenges. Blinken said he thinks other countries "appreciate" the fact that the United States has "exposed" China's balloon program. He told NBC there are "various kinds" of lethal aid that China is considering providing, including weapons. Blinken said China has already been aiding Russia in more diplomatic ways, but that sending lethal aid would be a significant escalation. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also appeared at the Munich Security Conference, and he told ABC that if China does provide Russia with lethal aid, the world needs to "come down hard" on China.

☆ US and South Korea will wargame a nuclear crisis just days after North Korea issued its latest threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The US and South Korea will simulate a nuclear crisis for a tabletop exercise next week. The exercise will come just days after North Korea's government issues its latest threats. North Korea threatened "unprecedentedly" strong action Friday as the US and South Korea plan large field exercises. The Pentagon-based exercise will involve possible scenarios where North Korea has used nuclear weapons, prompting personnel to react, manage, and resolve situations. North Korea warned that the US and South Korea's activities could plunge the Korean Peninsula into a "grave vortex of escalating tension," per AP.

☆ North Korea calls for strengthened war readiness posture, expanded drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The meeting comes as North Korea is widely expected to stage a military parade to mark the founding anniversary of its armed forces on Wednesday. Commercial satellite imagery has shown North Korean troops practicing in formation in Pyongyang, and South Korea has also said it was monitoring increased related activities. The military meeting also follows North Korea on Thursday condemning drills by the United States and its allies, saying they have reached an "extreme red-line" and threaten to turn the peninsula into a "huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone." In Thursday's statement, the North Korean foreign ministry condemned a visit to South Korea by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and said Pyongyang was not interested in dialogue as long as Washington pursues hostile policies. When asked about the tensions with North Korea during a stop in the Philippines, Austin said that the U.S. goal was to promote greater security and stability and that it remained committed to defending South Korea.

☆ South Korea Foreign Minister Park touts U.S. 'extended deterrence' after Blinken talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin attend the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding and joint news conference at the State Department in Washington, U.S. February 3, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - South Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin said after meeting U.S. top diplomat Antony Blinken on Friday that Seoul and Washington were committed to strengthening "extended deterrence" in relation to North Korea. South Korea has sought assurances over extended deterrence, referring to the ability of the U.S. military to deter attacks on U.S. allies, amid concerns over Pyongyang's increasing missile and nuclear capabilities. Any provocations by North Korea will be met with a firm and united response." Major car producer South Korea has sought talks with the United States over the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which excludes electric vehicles assembled outside of North America from tax credits in the United States.

[1/3] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea January 29, 2023. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via ReutersSEOUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea on Monday to increase military support to Ukraine, citing other countries that have changed their policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict after Russia's invasion. Speaking at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul, he thanked South Korea for its non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but urged it to do more, adding there is an "urgent need" for ammunition. "I urge the Republic of Korea to continue and to step up on the specific issue of military support," he said. Last year South Korea opened its first diplomatic mission to NATO, vowing to deepen cooperation on non-proliferation, cyber defence, counter-terrorism, disaster response and other security areas.

HONG KONG — On the first day of unimpeded travel between mainland China and Hong Kong, Olivia Gai was one of the first in line. On Tuesday, the Chinese embassies in South Korea and Japan said they would stop issuing short-term visas for travelers to China. The South Korean Foreign Ministry says its restrictions on travelers from China are based on science. According to some estimates, China’s Covid death toll could reach 1 million or more in the coming months. Nonetheless, more countries have begun requiring negative Covid tests for travelers from China, and at least one country, Morocco, has banned arrivals entirely.

The holiday, known before the pandemic as the world's largest annual migration of people, comes amid an escalating diplomatic spat over COVID curbs that saw Beijing introduce transit curbs for South Korean and Japanese nationals on Wednesday. The virus is spreading unchecked in China after Beijing abruptly began dismantling its previously tight curbs in early December following historic protests. Among them, South Korea and Japan have also limited flights and require tests on arrival, with passengers showing up as positive being sent to quarantine. COUNTING DEATHSSome of the governments that announced curbs on travellers from China cited concerns over Beijing's data transparency. Annual spending by Chinese tourists abroad reached $250 billion before the pandemic, with South Korea and Japan among the top shopping destinations.

REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Chinese state media defended on Wednesday the retaliatory measures against South Korea and Japan over their COVID-19 travel curbs as "reasonable", while Chinese tourists decried Seoul's "insulting" treatment on social media. South Korea, Japan, the United States and more than a dozen other countries imposed at the start of the year requirements for pre-departure negative test results from visitors from China. 'INSULTING'Chinese social media anger mainly targeted South Korea, whose border measures are the strictest among the countries that announced new rules. Global Times reserved a separate article for South Korea, saying the measures made Chinese people suspicious that Seoul was putting up a "political show." Annual spending by Chinese tourists abroad reached $250 billion before the pandemic, with South Korea and Japan among the top shopping destinations.

☆ North Korea's Kim orders 'exponential' expansion of nuke arsenal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

During the six-day meeting meant to determine new state objectives, Kim called for "an exponential increase of the country's nuclear arsenal" to mass produce battlefield tactical nuclear weapons targeting South Korea. They still reaffirmed that the door to dialogue with North Korea remains open, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry. Worries about North Korea's nuclear program have grown since the North last year approved a new law that authorized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in a broad range of situations and openly threatened to use its nuclear weapons first. Earlier Sunday, South Korea's military detected a short-range ballistic missile launched from the North's capital region. North Korea test-fired more than 70 missiles last year, including three short-range ballistic missiles detected by South Korea on Saturday.

☆ North Korea denies media report it supplied munitions to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Dec 23 (Reuters) - North Korea's foreign ministry denied a media report it supplied munitions to Russia, calling it "groundless," and denounced the United States for providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, the North's official KCNA news agency reported on Friday. Japan's Tokyo Shimbun reported earlier that North Korea had shipped munitions, including artillery shells, to Russia via train through their border last month and that additional shipments were expected in the coming weeks. The North Korean foreign ministry statement did not make any mention of Wagner. South Korea's foreign ministry said on Thursday they have been monitoring North Korea's activities amid concerns over possible arms transactions with Russia. In a separate statement, the North Korean foreign ministry also slammed the United States' attempt to issue a U.N. Security Council presidential statement on its latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

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