UAE honors Korean artist Lee Bul

The United Arab Emirates honored Korean contemporary artist Lee Bul with the Abu Dhabi Festival Award in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee Bul received the award from UAE Ambassador to Korea Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi during an Art @ Embassies panel, highlighting her role in cultural dialogue. “Her (Lee Bul's) interdisciplinary practice continues to inspire audiences around the globe,” said Al Nuaimi, congratulating Lee. He said the initiative “fosters cultural and educational exchange” and marks a key step i

Dec. 24, 2025

Korea-India partnership not desirable but essential: foreign minister

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said India was an indispensable global partner in era of turbulence and strategic competition at the 24th Korea-India Strategic Dialogue held Dec. 18-19. Delivering a keynote speech at the annual gathering, Cho highlighted India’s rising strategic value due to its agenda-setting influence on regional stability and global supply chains. “Cooperation between Korea and India is not simply desirable — it is essential,” Cho stressed. “President Lee Jae Myung wil

Dec. 23, 2025

S. Korea, US to have simultaneous discussions next year on implementing summit agreements

South Korea and the United States will have several discussions all at once next year on implementing agreements reached in the summits between their leaders, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Saturday. Wi visited Washington earlier in the week to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who doubles as the US national security adviser, and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. Wi, who traveled to Canada after his Washington stop, told Yonhap News Agency that South Korea and the US are o

Dec. 21, 2025

Outgoing Georgian envoy says CEPA would deepen Korea–Georgia ties beyond trade

Signing of a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement would give South Korea-Georgia trade a significant boost, and lay foundations for deeper bilateral ties, outgoing Georgian Ambassador to South Korea Tarash Papaskua said Wednesday. “Hopefully, we will be able to sign it early next year — maybe in the first quarter, as soon as the time is right,” Papaskua said during a meeting with Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young. "This will be a major boost for trade,” he said. The ambassador presen

Dec. 18, 2025

Top security adviser meets US energy secretary for talks on civil uranium enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing: sources

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac has met with US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright for talks that likely centered on South Korea's push for civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing in line with recent summit agreements, sources said Wednesday. Wi and Wright met in Washington for discussions related to the joint fact sheet detailing the outcome of the two summits between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump on trade and security, sources familiar with the matter s

Dec. 18, 2025

US Senate approves annual defense policy bill restricting USFK troop reduction

The US Senate has passed an annual defense policy bill that includes a measure to restrict the government from unilaterally reducing the current troop level of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea, a week after the House of Representatives approved it. The upper chamber approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026 in a 77-20 vote Wednesday. The bill will become law after US President Donald Trump signs it following the Senate approval. The bill says that amounts authorized u

Dec. 18, 2025

Foreign embassies showcase sartorial heritage in South Korea

More than a dozen foreign embassies in South Korea came together to celebrate global cultural diversity at the inaugural World Traditional Dress Show, co-hosted by The Korea Herald, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Yedang Media. Diplomats, models, broadcasters and cultural representatives walked the runway in traditional garments from their home countries, turning the venue into a living exhibition of world heritage. “The event provided us a valuable opportunity to share and connect our cul

Dec. 17, 2025

S. Korean ambassador to China urges deeper bilateral cooperation, exchanges

South Korean Ambassador to China Ro Jae-hun has stressed the importance of expanding communication and exchanges between the two countries as he met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing. Ro made the call during a reception event hosted by the State Council Information Office at the National Museum of China on Tuesday, noting recent positive developments in bilateral ties, including President Lee Jae Myung's summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific

Dec. 17, 2025

Top security adviser to discuss possibility of deal with US for S. Korea's push for nuclear-powered subs

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac has said he will navigate the possibility of establishing a separate bilateral agreement with Washington for Seoul's drive to build nuclear-powered submarines. Wi made the remarks as he arrived in Washington on Tuesday, about a month after the allies released a joint fact sheet outlining trade and security agreements reached during the second summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump. "In the case of Australia, an exception was gra

Dec. 17, 2025

[Diplomatic Circuit] Qatar highlights diplomacy, projects with S. Korea

South Korea-Qatar relations are becoming stronger, building upon mutual trust and a shared desire for long-term cooperation, Qatari Ambassador to Korea Khalid bin Ebrahim Al Hamar said Monday at a ceremony marking his country's National Day in Seoul. Qatar’s National Day, observed on Dec. 18, marks the accession of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani in 1878, who unified the Qatari peninsula, bordered by Saudi Arabia and surrounded by the Persian Gulf. “Qatar’s achievements are rooted in the fo

Dec. 16, 2025

S. Korea, US launch talks on N. Korea policy

South Korea and the United States held talks Tuesday to coordinate their North Korea policy, officials said, an effort that appears clouded by discord between relevant ministries in Seoul. The consultative meeting marked the first such talks between the allies on North Korea issues since the liberal Lee Jae Myung government took office in June, as Seoul seeks to improve stalled inter-Korean ties and help resume dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang despite the North's repeated rejection of o

Dec. 16, 2025

Lee and Laotian president set to discuss transnational crime responses at summit

President Lee Jae Myung is set to hold summit talks with Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith on Monday, with discussions to center on closer coordination to combat transnational crimes, as well as economic and security cooperation. The two leaders are expected to explore ways to strengthen joint efforts to curb transnational crimes, such as online scam operations, which have surged across Southeast Asia in recent years. During the summit, the two countries plan to sign mutual legal assistance

Dec. 15, 2025

What book titles reveal about Korea in 2025

If book titles are a reflection of society’s collective curiosity or simply what sells in bookstores, artificial intelligence is firmly at the center of Korea’s intellectual landscape. According to data released by Kyobo Book Center on Sunday, 224 books published between Jan. 1 and Nov. 28 this year included “AI” in their titles, making it the most frequently used keyword among newly released books. The surge is evident not only in titles but also in overall output and sales. According to Kyobo’

Dec. 14, 2025

US lawmaker urges Noem to review case of self-deported veteran of Korean descent

A US lawmaker called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Thursday to take a look at the case of an Army veteran of Korean descent who was forced to self-deport earlier this year, underscoring his sacrifice during the US invasion of Panama in 1989. During a House hearing, Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) brought up the story of Sae Joon Park who reportedly self-deported to South Korea in June after having lived in the US for nearly five decades at a time when US President Donald Trump's administ

Dec. 12, 2025

US reaffirms extended deterrence commitment to S. Korea under Trump's 2nd term

The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to providing extended deterrence to South Korea during its first meeting of a key nuclear deterrence body with the South under US President Donald Trump's second term, officials said Friday. The allies held the fifth meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group in Washington on Thursday, according to Seoul's defense ministry. This week's meeting was led by Kim Hong-cheol, the deputy minister for national defense policy, and Robert Soofer, acting deput

Dec. 12, 2025