A type of radioactive isotope in the over 1.3 million tons of wastewater being collected at the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant and planned for discharge by as early as this summer has been found at levels beyond those earlier suggested to be safe by the Japanese government, a wastewater safety review report by the International Atomic Energy Agency showed Thursday. The finding raises the need to ensure Japan's plan to dilute the treated wastewater before it is discharged, so that t

South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a complaint demanding the government disclose negotiations that led to a 2015 agreement between South Korea and Japan meant to settle the issue of Korean sex slaves, a contentious deal that fell short of putting on record whether Tokyo had directly forced the victims into sex slavery. The pact, signed in December 2015 when the Korean and Japanese foreign ministers released statements vowing never to revisit the issue without mentioning coer

Italy ambassador speaks of expanding joint work on occasion of Republic Day

WASHINGTON -- North Korea must be held accountable for its failed attempt to launch a military spy satellite, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council said Wednesday. John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, added the launch posed a threat to peace in the entire region despite its failure. "The major concern is that with each and every one of these launches, whether it fails or succeeds, Kim Jong-un and his scientists and engineers, they learn and they improve an

Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with officials of major economic and industry associations Wednesday to discuss latest developments regarding the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the future path of its negotiations, his office said. Ahn explained to the participants the result of the IPEF ministerial meeting held last week in Detroit, where its 14 member nations reached an agreement on supply chain resilience, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Supply chain resili

South Korea and Japan on Wednesday held their first regular dialogue on steel industry cooperation in five years to discuss ways to boost technology exchanges and to jointly respond to the net-zero market trend, the industry ministry said. The 20th Korea-Japan Steel Dialogue was held in Tokyo on the day as the latest in a series of bilateral economic and industry meetings amid a thaw in their diplomatic relations following summit talks in recent months. The last meeting of its kind was held in N

It is important for South Korea to ensure that its provision of weapons to Ukraine's battlefields aligns with the consensus of the international community, given the delicate balance between the increasing demand for lethal aid and the potential risks of retaliation, according to a leading scholar specializing in European Union studies. As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, South Korea faces a challenging situation. The US, NATO and Ukraine itself have demanded that the eighth-largest

South Korea and France signed an arrangement on military space cooperation on Tuesday in an effort to pursue "future-oriented" bilateral security cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said. Choi Byung-ok, director general at the defense policy bureau of Seoul's defense ministry, and French Space Commander Philippe Adam inked the letter of intent on the South Korea-France military space partnership in Seoul. Based on the arrangement, the two sides will discuss military space c

SEOGWIPO, South Korea -- A group of countries endorsing the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to interdict the illicit transfer of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related materials. The agreement was reached at a high-level forum on the 20th anniversary of the PSI on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju with delegates from 70 PSI-endorsing and observer countries, including the United States, Japan and Australia, joining the event. I

South Korea on Monday established formal diplomatic relations with the Pacific island nation of Niue on the sidelines of Seoul's inaugural summit with 18 countries in the region. A signing ceremony for the forging of diplomatic ties was held at Seoul's foreign ministry attended by Foreign Minister Park Jin and Dalton Tagelagi, the premiere of Niue who also doubles as the country's top diplomat. According to the ministry, the small island nation with a population of some 1,600 is n

NEW YORK -- South Korea is intensifying last-minute diplomatic efforts for Seoul's bid for a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), with just 10 days to go before the vote. South Korea, which last sat on the council in 2013-2014, aims to return to the council for 2024-2025, and the UN will vote on the bid on June 6. If elected, it will mark the third time for South Korea to serve as one of the 10 nonpermanent UNSC members. Previously, South Korea had served the

South Korea and Japan are discussing launching a college exchange program that leaders of the two countries agreed on at their March summit, reports said Friday. The program is intended to open a new era by educating the next generation, as the two Asian neighbors seek to move past major historical disputes involving Japan’s 1910-45 rule of the peninsula. The March meeting essentially brought closure to making amends to Koreans forced to work for Japanese firms during the colonial period,

South Korean military authorities said Thursday that a report by the Wall Street Journal that the country is in the process of transferring hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery to Ukraine is "inaccurate," and that the Korean government's position "remains unchanged." Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu told reporters that there was some discussion about the export of ammunition between the US Department of Defense and Korean companies, but the government

A window to S. Korea, The Korea Herald provides news that diplomats can rely on, ambassadors say

South Korea and Japan on Thursday held their first energy dialogue in six years to discuss ways to boost cooperation on nuclear power generation, renewable energy, hydrogen and other energy issues, the industry ministry said. The director-level dialogue in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan is the latest in a series of meetings between the two neighbors amid a thaw following three summits of their leaders in two months. The two sides shared the need to work together on strengthen