[Newsmaker] Iran says it 'unintentionally' shot down Ukrainian jetliner

Iran announced Saturday that its military  'unintentionally' shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 aboard. The statement came Saturday morning  and blamed ``human error'' for the shootdown.The jetliner, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran during takeoff just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces. Iran had denied for several days that a missile downed the aircraft. But then the US and Canada, ci

Jan. 11, 2020

Statue symbolizing former wartime sex slave returns to Japanese art show

A South Korean statue symbolizing Japan’s sexual enslavement of women from Korea and elsewhere in Asia was put back on display Tuesday at a major Japanese art show in Nagoya.The statue, representing Korean women who were forced into sexual service for the imperial Japanese military during World War II, and its umbrella exhibition -- “After ‘Freedom of Expression?’” -- were withdrawn from the Aichi Triennale 2019 in Nagoya just days after the Japanese art show opened

Oct. 8, 2019

S. Korea calls for successful replenishment of green climate fund

South Korea on Tuesday called for a successful replenishment of the UN Green Climate Fund to better deal with climate change.The fund -- launched in 2010 -- aims to channel money from industrialized nations to developing countries to help them tackle climate change-related problems.The fund has so far received $7 billion from about 40 countries, including South Korea and the United States. South Korea contributed $100 million to the fund. "The expansion of public finances and a successful r

Oct. 8, 2019

Moon declares support for int'l press freedom initiative

South Korean President Moon Jae-in formally expressed support Wednesday for a major press freedom initiative by Reporters Without Borders, meeting with its visiting leader.Moon greeted Christophe Deloire, secretary general of the Paris-based international non-governmental organization, also known as Reporters Sans Frontieres, at Cheong Wa Dae.Joining their half-hour meeting were Cedric Alviani, director of the RSF's East Asia bureau in Taipei, and Jung Kyu-sung, head of the Journalists' Associat

Sept. 18, 2019

Trump Says US, Japan Reach Initial Agreement on Tariffs

President Donald Trump said his administration has reached an initial trade accord with Japan over tariffs and that he intends to enter into the agreement in coming weeks.In a notice to Congress on Monday, Trump also said the US will be entering an “executive agreement” with Japan over digital trade.There was no mention by Trump if he’ll end his threat to slap tariffs on Japanese auto imports as part of the trade deal.“My administration looks forward to continued collabor

Sept. 17, 2019

Stocks mixed, oil down as markets await news on Saudi plant

World shares were mixed on Tuesday and oil prices eased back pending updates on restoring output at a Saudi Aramco oil processing plant damaged by an attack over the weekend.Chinese benchmarks led declines in Asia after the credit ratings agency Moody's downgraded Hong Kong, citing its recent political turmoil.  Germany's DAX lost 0.2% to 12,362 after the ZEW index of economic confidence dropped again in September, pointing to the likelihood of a brief recession before a pick-up at the end

Sept. 17, 2019

US says any decision on missile deployment will be made jointly with Asian allies

Any decision on whether to deploy intermediate-range missiles to Asia will be made jointly with US allies in the region, not unilaterally, a senior US official said Tuesday.Andrea Thompson, under secretary of state for arms control and international security, was commenting on Washington's push to deploy the missiles in Asia following its withdrawal from a missile treaty with Russia earlier this month.South Korea, a US treaty ally that hosts 28,500 American troops, has been cited as a candidate

Aug. 14, 2019

US to decide missile deployment locations in consultation with allies: Esper

The United States will consult allies and partners to decide where to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Asia and elsewhere to maintain deterrence after withdrawing from an anti-missile treaty with Russia, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has said.The comments came after the US pledged to begin testing new missiles and deploy them around the world, including in Asia, after it formally pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia last week."Our exit from the

Aug. 5, 2019

ARF ministers welcome DMZ Trump-Kim meeting, look forward to resumption of nuke talks

The foreign ministers who participated in a regional forum in Thailand this week welcomed the impromptu summit between Washington and Pyongyang in June and looked forward to the resumption of their nuclear talks, its chair's statement showed.The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) took place in Bangkok on Friday and brought together top diplomats from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 17 other countries. "The ministers welcomed the meeting between US President Donald T

Aug. 4, 2019

Japan hides true intentions, leaving export curbs unjustified

Despite what Japan cites as reasons for its curbs on exports to South Korea, the country may have hidden motives that include an attempt to evade responsibility for its past wrongdoings, officials here say.On July 4, Tokyo implemented tougher restrictions on South Korea-bound shipments of three materials -- resist, etching gas and fluorinated polyimide -- that are essential in the production of semiconductors and display panels.The only reason Tokyo has offered so far for its export restrictions

Aug. 2, 2019

Pompeo says he plans to meet S. Korean, Japanese ministers in Thailand

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday he plans to meet with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Bangkok this week amid a simmering trade row between the two Asian nations. Pompeo told reporters flying with him to Thailand for a regional forum that he will meet separately and then trilaterally with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.The three-way talks will come as tensions have increased over Tokyo's adoption of stricter export

July 31, 2019

Japan likely to pass bill striking S. Korea off export whitelist: ministry

Japan is highly likely to pass a bill later this week to remove South Korea from its "whitelist" of trusted trade partners, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, in what would be an additional economic retaliatory measure in a row over wartime forced labor."The bill is expected to be passed at a Cabinet meeting and undergo procedures ... before it comes into effect in late August," the ministry said in a report submitted to the National Assembly. On July 4, Japan imposed tighter

July 30, 2019

Japan calls South Korea's rejection of arbitration offer 'very regrettable'

Japan called in South Korea's ambassador to the country and filed a protest on Friday after Seoul rejected its call for an arbitration panel on wartime forced labor, with the escalating row showing signs of spreading to the security realm.Thursday was the deadline Tokyo set for Seoul to respond to its June 19 request to form a panel consisting of three third-country members. Seoul rejected the demand, saying the issue should be resolved through diplomatic talks, rather than a dispute settlement

July 19, 2019

US officials share concern about Seoul-Tokyo tensions: NSC official

US officials have expressed concern that tensions between South Korea and Japan over Tokyo's export restrictions against Seoul are not conducive to trilateral cooperation between the three countries, Seoul's deputy national security adviser said Saturday.Kim Hyun-chong, deputy chief of Cheong Wa Dae's National Security Office, made the remark to reporters as he wrapped up a four-day visit to Washington that included meetings with top officials, such as acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulv

July 14, 2019

Japan rejects S. Korea's offer to hold talks to resolve export curbs

Japan on Tuesday rejected South Korea's call for negotiations to resolve a row over Tokyo's export restrictions against the South, saying it has no intention of lifting the curbs and the issue is not a matter of talks.Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko made the remark after a Cabinet meeting, a day after South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged Japan to retract the restrictions on exports of key materials to the South and called for negotiations to resolve the issue. Seko said the decision was part o

July 9, 2019

Riot police clear away protests from Hong Kong legislature

Hundreds of protesters swarmed into Hong Kong's legislature Monday night, defacing portraits of lawmakers and spray-painting pro-democracy slogans in the chamber before vacating it as riot police cleared surrounding streets with tear gas and then moved inside.The three-hour occupation, which ended early Tuesday, came on the 22nd anniversary of the former British colony's return to China, a city holiday, and reflected mounting frustration with Hong Kong's leader for not responding to protesters'

July 2, 2019

US voices commitment to stronger ties with S. Korea, Japan

The United States remains committed to strengthening cooperation with South Korea and Japan to face common challenges, the State Department said Monday in response to escalating tensions between the Asian neighbors. This week Japan announced toughened controls on high-tech exports to South Korea amid an ongoing dispute over Korean court rulings against Japanese firms.The courts ordered Japanese companies to compensate South Korean workers for their forced labor during Tokyo's 1910-45 colonial ru

July 2, 2019

G20 summit officially opens in Japan's Osaka

Leaders of the Group of 20 opened a high-stakes summit in Japan's Osaka Friday that is expected to be one of the most fractious in years.Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened the meeting, which will be dominated by contentious discussions on trade, geopolitical tensions, and climate change. But the mood appeared friendly in the opening minutes, with smiles on the faces of the arriving leaders as they posed for the traditional "family photograph".US President Donald Trump and China's

June 28, 2019

Moon, Saudi crown prince set to hold summit

President Moon Jae-in is set to hold a summit with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation and bolster bilateral ties.Moon and Prince Mohammed plan to hold a summit and an expanded meeting involving their aides later in the day, followed by a ceremony to sign a set of tentative agreements on cooperation and an official luncheon, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.Prince Mohammed is making his first trip to South

June 26, 2019

China 'won't allow' G20 discussion on Hong Kong

BEIJING -- China said Monday it will not allow discussion on Hong Kong at the G20 this week even as US President Donald Trump plans to raise the city's mass protests during his meeting with President Xi Jinping.The semi-autonomous city has been shaken by huge demonstrations this month as throngs have demanded the withdrawal of a bill that would allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland. Trump has weighed in on Hong Kong's worst political unrest since its handover from Britain to China in 1997,

June 24, 2019