The Venezuelan Embassy in Seoul held a press briefing in Seoul last week on the current government's position to a controversial referendum that occurred Sunday over whether the Venezuelan government could claim sovereignty over the disputed Essequibo territory. In the leadup to Sunday's referendum, the Venezuelan Embassy presented its view of the historical context to the territorial dispute and its "unwavering commitment to sovereign rights." Venezuela's current govern

Tajikistan Ambassador to Korea Salohiddin Kirom advocated for a strategic partnership between South Korea and Tajikistan in an interview with The Korea Herald on Friday. "Green Economy Development Strategy 2023-2037" strategy adopted by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in 2022 with an estimated budget of $2.1 billion aims to enact regulatory reforms, optimize natural resource use, attract investments, introduce modern technologies, boost global collaboration in the green economy

South Korea and Canada have signed a memorandum of understanding on climate change cooperation as a follow-up step to the May summit of the two countries' leaders, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The MOU was signed by Kim Hyo-eun, South Korea's ambassador for climate change, and her Canadian counterpart, Catherine Stewart, on Sunday, on the sidelines of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, the ministry said. The MOU calls for bolstering cooperation in exchanges of

What a recalcitrant North Korea respects is "strength" and "solidarity," a US think tank founder has said, noting he would advise former President Donald Trump to keep up trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan. Edwin Feulner, founder of the conservative Heritage Foundation, made the remarks as Trump seeks a second White House term. The think tank has led the development of "Project 2025," a presidential transition plan in the event o

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- People-to-people diplomacy between South Korea and Indonesia is playing a pivotal role in enhancing bilateral relations and will continue to do so in the coming years, according to experts. Deepening the relationship between the two nations further is no longer a matter of choice, South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Sang-deok said during a seminar commemorating the 50th anniversary of Korea-Indonesia diplomatic ties, held at the Hotel Mulia Senayan in Jakarta on Thursd

The United States on Friday released proposed guidance defining a "foreign entity of concern (FEOC)" in a move to clarify its rules meant to block tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs) with battery components and critical minerals from China. The Treasury and Energy Departments announced the long-awaited rules of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as South Korean battery makers have stressed the need to clarify the FEOC requirements to address uncertainties in their overseas oper

President Yoon Suk Yeol has conveyed a message of condolences following the passing of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the South Korean presidential office said on Friday. Yoon called Kissinger the "strategist and international political scholar who laid the foundation for US foreign policy, and I deeply appreciate his lifelong dedicated efforts toward global peace and freedom" in his message. "I cherish the memory of your unwavering support for the South Korea-US allia

A US diplomat in charge of public diplomacy will embark on a trip to South Korea, Indonesia and Japan this week to underscore Washington's "deep" commitment to its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, the State Department said Wednesday. During her Asia trip from Thursday to next Wednesday, Liz Allen, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, will stress the United States' efforts to reinforce and expand regional alliances and partnerships in the re

The US Department of Defense said Tuesday that there are "plenty" of images of the White House and the Pentagon already available online, after North Korea claimed its military spy satellite took photos of key US government and military facilities. In a press briefing, Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the department's press secretary, also reiterated the United States' "ironclad" defense commitment to South Korea, as Pyongyang started reinstalling guard posts and heavy weapons along

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has won the right to host the World Expo in 2030, beating South Korea's port city of Busan, results of the final vote showed on Tuesday. Members of the Bureau International des Expositions, the World Expo organizing authority, held a vote by secret ballot during a general assembly on Tuesday in Paris, following the final presentations of the bidders' proposals. Riyadh garnered 119 votes out of the 165 as Busan won 29 votes in the first round of voting by members of

South Korea is set to make its final presentation for the 2030 World Expo host city bid in Paris on Tuesday, bringing in high-profile figures such as former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and K-pop stars. The host city for the globally prestigious event, overseen by the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), will be elected by member states in rounds of voting during the general assembly later in the day. Each candidate will make a final presentation prior to the voting. Sou

The existing trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan will remain enduring, regardless of the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election, US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg said Tuesday. Goldberg highlighted that the foundation of the three-way cooperation among like-minded countries -- grounded in shared values such as democracy, free markets and the rule of law -- inherently signifies sustainability. "We share so many of these values and interests

The Moroccan Embassy emphasized the significance of administrative autonomy as a catalyst for development, citing as an example the limited autonomy given to Jeju, at a symposium it hosted in Seoul on Friday. South Korea's southernmost island is a self-governing province, except for defense, diplomacy and judicial affairs. Moroccan Ambassador to Korea Chafik Rachadi referred Jeju as a successful example of administrative autonomy playing a crucial role in regional development, at the symp

A member of New Zealand’s new National Party-led government took her oath in English and then in Korean, the language of her native country. Melissa Lee, whose Korean name is Lee Ji-yun, was named the minister for economic development, ethnic communities, media and communications, making her the first person of Korean heritage to hold a ministerial position in New Zealand’s government. Lee alternated between English and Korean while reading the oath in the official ceremony Monday. L

A trilateral summit with Japan and China, which has been on hold since 2019, could take place early next year, a senior official from the South Korean president's office said Monday. The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China on Sunday reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to expedite efforts to hold a trilateral summit at the earliest convenient time. However, the three ministers did not specify a specific time frame for the summit following a ministerial meeting in Busan, which w

German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt called for enhanced security cooperation, highlighting the interconnectedness of security challenges in Asia and Europe, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday. Though Germany and South Korea are located far from one another, both face common challenges of Russia forging military transactions with North Korea, and this is something the two countries should work together to resolve global tensions, the ambassador emphasized. “Many people

The South Korean government awarded the former Hungarian ambassador to Seoul, Mozes Csoma, with the Gwanghwa Medal, in Budapest on Nov. 8, said Karoli Gaspar University in a press release on Friday. The award recognizes Csoma's contributions to diplomatic service and his role in fostering diplomatic ties between Hungary and South Korea. The Gwanghwa Medal, the highest level of the Order of Merit for diplomatic service, acknowledged his dedicated efforts in promoting friendship between the t

BUSAN — The top diplomats of South Korea, Japan and China reached a consensus on Sunday to accelerate efforts to hold a trilateral summit at the earliest time, but without specifying a time frame. "The three ministers reached an agreement to promptly restore and normalize trilateral cooperation," South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin told reporters following the trilateral meeting. "The three ministers have reaffirmed the agreement to convene the summit meeting -- the pinna

BUSAN -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi expressed concerns over intensifying tension on Korean Peninsula and said that China will play a role in stabilizing the situation during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Park Jin, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The two also agreed to reinforce high-level and strategic communications for reciprocal visits between the foreign ministers and the potential visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to South Korea, at a meeting held on the sidelines

PARIS -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed Friday to strengthen cooperation on advanced technology and climate change issues, Yoon's office said. The two leaders reached the agreement during a breakfast and summit meeting at Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president, as Yoon was in Paris to campaign for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Yoon and Macron discussed their countries' business cooperation