N. Korea, Russia court softer image: From animal diplomacy to tourism

North Korea and Russia concluded a ministerial meeting in Pyongyang aimed at expanding cooperation in the trade, economic, scientific and technological sectors on Wednesday, at a critical moment when global attention is focused on what Pyongyang might gain in return for dispatching troops to support Russia's war efforts in Ukraine. The Unification Ministry in Seoul on Thursday noted that neither Pyongyang nor Moscow revealed core agreements in the economic and trade sectors -- areas that co

Nov. 21, 2024

Japan to hold 1st memorial for Korean forced labor victims at Sado mine

The first official memorial ceremony honoring Korean victims of forced labor at the gold mines on Sado Island during Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945 will be held in Sado on Sunday, attended by South Korean and Japanese government officials and bereaved families of the victims. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and Japan’s executive committee for the Sado Mine memorial jointly announced Wednesday that the event, officially titled the "Sado Mine Memorial Ceremony,"

Nov. 20, 2024

Campbell to Trump: Be ‘constant, not variable’ for US allies

S. Korean FM reaffirms commitment to ‘peace through strength’ US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell speaks during a forum co-hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Korea Foundation in Washington on Monday. Kurt Campbell, the US deputy secretary of state and a key architect of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, made a direct appeal to the incoming Trump administration: be a "constant," not a "variable," in its military

Nov. 19, 2024

Kim Jong-un orders full war readiness to justify NK troop deployments: Seoul

The Unification Ministry in Seoul suggested Monday that the North Korean leader's directive for full war readiness -- alongside his framing of the Ukraine war as the start of global military intervention by the US and the West -- was likely intended to quell probable dissent in North Korea over the regime’s deployment of troops to support Russia in Ukraine. Kim Jong-un issued the order and delivered his speech on Nov. 15, the final day of the two-day 4th Conference of Battalion Comman

Nov. 18, 2024

Presidential office criticized for haste over potential Trump meeting

South Korea’s bid to secure a surprise early meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President-elect Donald Trump on the occasion of Yoon’s trip to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Group of 20 summits in South America, is now facing slim odds. Last week, President Yoon’s office unexpectedly hinted at the possibility of a meeting between the South Korean leader and former US President Donald Trump before Yoon's return to Seoul. This uncertainty was cit

Nov. 17, 2024

Seoul’s bid for early Yoon-Trump meeting faces slim odds

South Korea’s bid to secure an early meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President-elect Donald Trump, leveraging Yoon’s trip to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and G-20 summits in South America, now appears unlikely, a senior presidential official in Seoul said. “Trump’s team has been informing all embassies that, with their focus on key appointments and domestic issues, meetings with foreign leaders are unlikely before the inauguration,” the presi

Nov. 15, 2024

Kim Jong-un oversees ‘suicide attack drone’ tests, calls for mass production

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw performance tests of newly developed “suicide attack drones of various types” at a test site on Thursday, where he underscored the urgency of establishing a serial production system “as early as possible” to commence full-scale mass production, North Korean state media reported Friday. The suicide drones, developed by an unnamed institute affiliated with the Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex and other unspecified enterprises, are d

Nov. 15, 2024

Proactive, calm approach needed in response to Trump 2.0

As US President-elect Donald Trump’s second term augurs the resurgence of his "America First" policy, a consistent message resonated at a timely Korea Herald forum: Seoul must forge a strategic pivot, carefully balancing its role as a US ally with its own autonomy and core interests. At the “Alliance After the US Election 2024: A Seoul Perspective” security forum held Wednesday at the National Assembly Museum, a pressing question took center stage: How can South Korea

Nov. 14, 2024

Trump's unpredictable leadership could cost S. Korea: official

US President-elect Donald Trump’s high-stakes, unpredictable leadership could bring new "costs" to South Korea while giving allies a rare chance to translate decisions swiftly into action with greater momentum, a high-level Seoul official said Tuesday. "One risk factor lies in the increased uncertainty associated with President-elect Trump's leadership style, which amplifies unpredictability," a high-level Foreign Ministry official said during a closed-door press b

Nov. 12, 2024

Leaked cables reveal Kim Jong-un’s orders to oppose human rights pressure at UN

South Korea's Unification Ministry on Tuesday released key details from 12 leaked diplomatic cables, revealing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's direct orders -- transmitted through the Foreign Ministry to overseas missions -- to counter increasing international scrutiny and pressure on human rights, especially at the United Nations. This marks the first public release of diplomatic telegrams -- confidential communications from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry to its embassies and

Nov. 12, 2024