Korea and China will hold high-level talks this week on nuclear energy cooperation, the government said Wednesday. The bilateral Nuclear Power Joint Committee meeting, the 13th of its kind, is scheduled to open in Beijing on Thursday. In the two-day session, Korea will be represented by Hong Nam-ki, vice minister of science, ICT and future planning. His Chinese counterpart is Xu Dazhe, the dire...

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn returned from his overseas trip to Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on Tuesday, after expanding Seoul's diplomatic ties and fostering business opportunities for local firms. During his trip, Hwang met Uzbekistan Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev and agreed to expand economic cooperation between Seoul and Tashkent. It marked the first time in eight years for a Kore...

Korean Ambassador to Italy Lee Yong-joon on Monday received a Premio Simpatia 2016 award from the Rome city government for his contributions to disseminating Korean culture in the European country. Lee is the first Korean diplomat to receive the award in the ceremony held at the city hall. He was honored for his contributions to spreading Korean culture among Italians since his appointment as a...

President Park Geun-hye plans to leave for Ethiopia later this month on a 12-day, four-nation trip to Africa and France with the aim of boosting bilateral ties, South Korea's presidential office said Thursday. The trip, which will also take Park to Uganda and Kenya, comes as South Korea is pushing its companies to explore business opportunities in foreign countries that could give a much-needed ...

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will likely visit South Korea this month to attend a series of international conferences, a source with relevant knowledge said Wednesday, as all eyes turn towards whether he will compete in the next presidential race. The South Korean native has long been a favorite among potential candidates for the December 2017 presidential election, although Ban has repeat...

Argentina's vice president called on South Korea Tuesday to help lift millions of Argentinians out of poverty as the new administration in Buenos Aires pushes to revive the country's economy. Gabriela Michetti, who took office in December upon the election of reformist President Mauricio Macri, arrived in Seoul Sunday on a three-day visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. S...

Tehran Street in southern Seoul and Seoul Street in Iran's capital are prominent symbols of the special bond that has withstood the test of time and can pave the way for a brighter future, observers said Tuesday. The 4-kilometer-long Tehran Street, which runs through the capital's affluent Gangnam district from east to west, is considered one of the richest areas in the country with countless hi...

South Korea is facing a diplomatic challenge as an international tribunal is expected to render its landmark ruling in the Philippines' legal battle against China over their dispute in the South China Sea as early as this month, observers said Tuesday. Although Seoul is not embroiled in any spat over the contested waters, it has been closely watching the maritime conflict that has escalated geop...

The top Ecuadorian envoy in Seoul made a desperate appeal Friday for Koreans' financial support to help his country emerge from the devastation caused by last week's massive earthquake and ensuing aftershocks that claimed nearly 600 lives. During a press conference, Ecuadorian Ambassador Oscar Herrera Gilbert underscored the severity of material damages and human casualties, and the pressing nee...

Korea, U.S., Japan look to increase military intelligence sharing

President Park Geun-hye will meet with her Norwegian counterpart, Erna Solberg, in Seoul next week to discuss bilateral ties, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. The meeting, which will take place on April 15, will be an opportunity for the two countries to expand bilateral ties and discuss issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the presidential office said. Norway's prime minister will arrive in Seou...

Britain has been a "strong supporter" of South Korea grappling with North Korea's nuclear threats, the top British envoy in Seoul said Friday, underscoring that his country has a "very strong interest" in the stability of the Korean Peninsula. During a lecture on the bilateral relationship in Seoul, Ambassador Charles Hay said London has played a role in passing the latest package of the U.N. Se...

Two South Korean ships have been released by China after being seized for an alleged collision with a local fishing boat, officials said Wednesday. A tugboat and a barge were impounded on March 18 in the eastern Chinese port city of Ningbo after they reportedly collided with the Chinese vessel while sailing through Chinese waters west of the Korean Peninsula. Nine Chinese fishermen went missing...

Some senior diplomats have found themselves in the center of controversy after being spotted taking selfies the same day a protocol error was made during President Park Geun-hye’s participation at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington last week. Recent video footage captured the scene where U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon came to see the president before the conference’s plenary session k...