Seoul urges US not to let Section 301 probe affect summit commitments

South Korea has called for ensuring that the US investigation into 16 economies to uncover "unfair" trade practices does not negatively affect the implementation of commitments outlined in the ROK-US Joint Fact Sheet, a Foreign Ministry official said Thursday. The remarks addressed the Office of the US Trade Representative's latest move to launch a Section 301 investigation under the 1974 Trade Act into South Korea, China, Japan and 13 other economies to examine alleged unfair trade practices li

March 12, 2026

[Key points] NK leader oversees cruise missile test

Missile launch: Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of strategic cruise missiles from the Choe Hyon destroyer, with KCNA saying the test confirmed “the reliability of the national strategic weapons integrated command system.” Exercise response: The test is widely seen as a response to South Korea-US joint military exercises. Nuclear capability claim: Kim said the “state nuclear force has transitioned to a multifaceted operational stage.” Flight details: Missiles from the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon destroyer

March 11, 2026

US Senate Democrats warn Trump policies unsettling South Korea-US alliance

Democratic members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee warned the South Korea-US alliance is facing mounting strain under the Donald Trump administration, citing a series of recent developments ranging from the detention of Korean workers in Georgia to pressure on Seoul to approve massive investments in the US. In a 56-page minority report titled “The Price of Retreat 2.0: Undermining America’s Economic Edge and Alliance Advantage,” released Tuesday in the US, committee Democrats argued

March 11, 2026

Kim supervises destroyer cruise missile test amid Seoul-Washington drills

Click here for [Key points] NK leader oversees cruise missile test North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test-firing of strategic cruise missiles from the Choe Hyon destroyer, state media reported Wednesday, roughly a week after a similar launch from the same vessel. The latest test is widely seen as a show of force against the ongoing South Korea-US joint military exercises, with the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency saying it was intended to underscore Pyongyang’s nuclear dete

March 11, 2026

Seoul hosts Ramadan iftar for OIC diplomats amid Middle East tensions

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun hosted a Ramadan iftar dinner Tuesday evening for diplomats from member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Seoul, as South Korea seeks to strengthen ties with the Islamic world amid rising tensions in the Middle East. The event, held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, is part of the Foreign Ministry’s annual outreach to OIC member states during Ramadan. The ministry has hosted the gathering since 2004 to promote friendship and cooperation wi

March 10, 2026

North Korean leader signals closer Pyongyang-Beijing cooperation in letter to Xi

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed Pyongyang’s commitment to strengthening relations with Beijing in a reply to a congratulatory message from Chinese President Xi Jinping, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday. The North Korean leader sent the letter to Xi on Monday in response to the Chinese leader’s message congratulating him on his reelection as general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea during the party’s congress held last month. In the message, Kim Jong

March 10, 2026

Kim Jong-un’s sister issues stark warning over South Korea-US military drills

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned Tuesday that joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States could lead to “unimaginably terrible consequences,” as the allies began their annual spring drills on the Korean Peninsula. Kim, a department director in the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, issued the warning in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency a day after South Korea and the US launched their annual joint exerc

March 10, 2026

Seoul calls for port access support for Korean ships stranded near Strait of Hormuz

Seoul has asked countries near the Strait of Hormuz to assist South Korean vessels operating in the area by allowing them to enter nearby ports and receive supplies, a Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday. According to the official, requesting anonymity, more than 20 South Korean-flagged vessels with about 180 crew members are currently in or near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman between Iran and Oman. Concerns are growing that the vessel

March 10, 2026

Kim Jong-un projects 'socialist family' ideals in Women's Day attendance with 'beloved daughter'

The North Korean regime could be projecting the idea that the country is "one big socialist family" through Kim Jong-un and his daughter's attendance of a Women's Day event, seeking to coagulate society and further consolidate the "beloved daughter." Pyongyang's state media said Monday that Kim attended a concert marking International Women’s Day Sunday at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter known as Ju-ae. The North Korean people welcomed their leader as he

March 9, 2026

Seoul to send delegation to US for nuclear fuel talks as Middle East war delays US visit

South Korea will send a delegation to Washington for consultations with the United States on uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing after a planned visit by a US negotiating team to Seoul was delayed by the ongoing war in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and officials said Friday. “The schedule had already been delayed due to logistical issues, and the outbreak of the war made further delay unavoidable,” Cho said during an emergency parliamentary session of the National

March 6, 2026