India marks World Hindi Day in Seoul

The Indian Embassy in South Korea celebrated World Hindi Day in Seoul on Saturday. Observed annually on January 10, the day commemorates the first World Hindi Conference held in Nagpur in 1975. Indian embassies worldwide mark the occasion to promote Hindi language awareness through lectures, cultural events and discussions. Speaking at the event, Indian Ambassador Gourangalal Das underscored the significance of Hindi, echoing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message on the occasion. Das ref

Jan. 12, 2026

Lee returns home from China trip focused on improving ties

President Lee Jae Myung returned home Wednesday from a four-day state visit to China, where he held summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping to enhance economic ties and coordination on peace efforts regarding North Korea. Lee met Xi in Beijing on Monday for the second time in two months, amid tension over North Korea's recent ballistic missile tests and China's diplomatic dispute with Japan over Taiwan. During the talks, Lee said he asked Xi to play a mediating role in handling issues on

Jan. 7, 2026

Defense chief reaffirms continued S. Korea-US combined drills despite calls for adjustment

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Wednesday that preparations for annual combined drills between South Korea and the United States are under way as planned, calling such exercises a "lifeline" for the military. Ahn made the remarks during a television appearance amid calls for a need to readjust the military drills to help revive dialogue between the US and North Korea, as both Seoul and Washington are seeking to reengage with Pyongyang. "Drills are a lifeline for soldiers," Ahn said in a telev

Jan. 7, 2026

Colby seeks visits to S. Korea, Japan in late Jan.: sources

A senior Pentagon official is mulling back-to-back visits to South Korea and Japan later this month to discuss security issues with Asian allies, sources said Wednesday. Officials are in the process of coordinating a schedule and agenda for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby's possible trip to the region, according to the government sources. Alliance issues, such as South Korea's defense spending increase, the envisioned transition of wartime operational control from Washington

Jan. 7, 2026

S. Korea seeks progress in talks with China on maritime demarcation, steel structures

South Korea hopes to see progress in talks with China on pending maritime issues in the Yellow Sea, including the demarcation of sea boundaries and steel structures set up by Beijing in the overlapping waters, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday. The official made the comments after the two Asian neighbors agreed to resume vice-ministerial talks on the maritime demarcation within this year during the summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping the previous

Jan. 7, 2026

Land minister pledges to help address visa issues for S. Korean construction firms in US

Land Minister Kim Yun-duk on Monday vowed efforts to help address visa issues facing workers of South Korean construction firms operating in the United States, as he pointed out their growing footholds in America in line with Washington's efforts to improve energy infrastructure and bolster manufacturing. Kim made the remarks during a meeting with reporters, a day after he met with Korean entrepreneurs in the US. He arrived in Washington on Saturday as the leader of a Korean delegation tasked wi

Jan. 6, 2026

Foreign ministry reviews protection measures for S. Koreans in Iran amid unrest

South Korea's foreign ministry held a joint meeting with overseas diplomatic missions Monday to review measures to protect its nationals in Iran amid rising anti-government protests in the Middle Eastern nation. The meeting was chaired by Yoon Chu-sok, director general for overseas Koreans and consular affairs, who urged diplomatic officials in the meeting to closely monitor developments. Yoon also called on diplomatic missions to conduct constant safety checks on nationals residing in the area

Jan. 5, 2026

Lee set for summit talks with China's Xi

President Lee Jae Myung was set to hold summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, with the leaders expected to discuss coordination on North Korea, as well as ways to expand economic ties and cultural exchanges. The talks come about two months after the leaders met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju in early November, when Xi visited South Korea for the first time in 11 years. He arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a four-day state visit to

Jan. 5, 2026

Lee embarks on Beijing trip for summit talks with Xi Jinping

SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung departed for China on Sunday for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the leaders expected to focus on North Korea, economic ties and cultural exchanges. The four-day state visit marks Lee's first to China since taking office in June last year and the first trip by a South Korean president there since 2019. Lee will hold talks with Xi on Monday, marking their second meeting in just two months after they met on the sidelines of the

Jan. 4, 2026

Russia, North Korea exchange New Year's gifts

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that she exchanged New Year gifts with Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a post on Telegram, Zakharova said she received Kim’s gift via North Korean Ambassador to Russia Shin Hong-chol and, in return, sent Kim a portrait of her. Zakharova said she learned only on Sunday evening that Kim had sent a gift, adding that due to difficulties in preparing a return present on short notice, she sought

Dec. 31, 2025

North Korean POWs’ transfer to S. Korea still pending

The repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine remains unresolved, despite both men having expressed a desire to come to South Korea. The captured soldiers have sought to defect to South Korea for several months, but talks between South Korea and Ukraine have made little progress. The two soldiers expressed their intention to defect to South Korea in March and October, sending handwritten letters in which they called South Koreans “their biological parents and brothers” and tha

Dec. 31, 2025

N. Korea amplifies military narrative

Marking the 14th anniversary of Kim Jong-un’s appointment as Supreme Commander, North Korea is intensifying its revolutionary and military rhetoric, hailing the period as the “peak era of fortifying revolutionary armed forces.” Kim Jong-un was appointed Supreme Commander during a Workers’ Party Politburo meeting on December 30, 2011, roughly two weeks after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il. The state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun asserted that under Kim’s leadership, the Korean People’s Army h

Dec. 30, 2025

North Korean, Russian leadership hint at closer ties

North Korea and Russia appear likely to seek deepened cooperation, with top officials expressing hopes to build on developments seen this year. On Saturday, the North’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun carried Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev’s New Year message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in which the Russian politician expressed hopes for “new possibilities” in bilateral ties with North Korea. In his message, Medvedev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, des

Dec. 28, 2025

President Lee wishes everyone warm Christmas, pledges to improve their lives

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday wished everyone a warm Christmas and vowed to do his best to improve people's lives in the coming year. In a Christmas message posted on his official Facebook page, Lee wrote, "I hope you all have a joyful day today with your loved ones. "I will do my best to bring warmth and hope to everyone's daily lives in the new year," he added. The president also reflected on the meaning of Christmas, noting that Jesus Christ "spent his life with those who were suffering

Dec. 25, 2025

Korea engagement a must for Dominican Republic, says ProDominicana chief

Engagement with Korea is a “must” for the Dominican Republic’s high-value and high-tech sectors, according to Biviana Riveiro, chief of the Dominican Republic’s export and foreign investment promotion agency, ProDominicana. In a written interview with The Korea Herald, Riveiro said Korea’s strengths closely aligned with the Dominican Republic’s strategic priorities. “Semiconductors, electronics and ICT stand out, as the Dominican Republic is implementing its National Strategy for Semiconductors

Dec. 24, 2025