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S. Korea, Singapore agree to launch FTA upgrade talks, expand nuclear energy cooperation
South Korea and Singapore agreed Monday to begin negotiations to upgrade their bilateral free trade agreement and deepen cooperation in nuclear energy, including small modular reactors, as the two countries seek to strengthen economic security amid growing global uncertainty. President Lee Jae Myung and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the decision following summit talks at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marking their second meeting in four months since elevating ties
March 2, 2026 -
Lee, Singapore PM discuss ways to boost economic ties in bilateral summit
President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday and discussed ways to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, nuclear energy and other areas. Lee said their second meeting in four months, following their previous talks during Wong's visit to South Korea, was meaningful as it paves the way for further deepening the strategic partnership the two countries forged during their first meeting. "I hope this visit will further advance trade and in
March 2, 2026 -
Lee set to depart for Singapore on two-nation Southeast Asia swing
President Lee Jae Myung was set to depart for Singapore on Sunday for a two-nation swing that also includes a visit to the Philippines to discuss ways to expand cooperation with the Southeast Asian nations. Lee will make a three-day state visit to Singapore for summit talks with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday, their second summit in three months after they last met during Wong's visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where they upgraded bilateral ti
March 1, 2026 -
Seoul holds emergency NSC to protect nationals, review response after US-Israel strike on Iran
South Korea’s National Security Council convened an emergency meeting Saturday to coordinate a governmentwide response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory attacks, as officials prepared for the possibility of a prolonged crisis. Foreign and defense authorities moved to safeguard South Korean nationals and deployed troops across the Middle East. The NSC working-level coordination meeting, attended by relevant foreign affairs and security agencies, was held at 7 p.m., Cheong W
Feb. 28, 2026 -
Seoul urges all parties involved in attack on Iran to make utmost efforts to ease tensions
The foreign ministry on Saturday urged all parties involved to make utmost efforts to ease tensions after the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes. The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, including near the offices of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. US President Donald Trump said on social media that the US had begun "major combat operations in Iran," accusing Iran of pursuing a nuclear program and developing missiles capabl
Feb. 28, 2026 -
Seoul reviews Iran contingency measures, prioritizes safety of nationals
South Korea is reviewing contingency measures related to Iran as regional tensions escalate, with the government prioritizing the safety of its nationals in the country, officials said Saturday. President Lee Jae Myung was briefed on the situation in Iran and ordered officials to examine its potential impact on South Korea while placing the highest priority on the safety of Korean nationals in Iran and nearby regions, Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press message. The message ca
Feb. 28, 2026 -
Trump poses question about possibility of 'rehearing' following court ruling against emergency tariffs
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump on Friday posed a question about the possibility of a "rehearing" or "readjudication" of a legal case involving his sweeping emergency tariffs, after the Supreme Court struck them down last week. Trump raised the question in a social media post, criticizing what he called the "highly disappointing" ruling by the high court, and arguing that the court decision could allow hundreds of billions of dollars to be returned to countries and companies that he accu
Feb. 28, 2026 -
Foreign minister discusses Lee's state visits with Singapore, Philippines officials
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has held phone talks with senior Singaporean and Philippine officials to discuss President Lee Jae Myung's upcoming state visits to the two countries, his ministry said Friday. Cho, who was in Canada on business, spoke by phone with his Philippine counterpart, Tess Lazaro, on Wednesday, and the two sides highlighted the significance of Lee's visit, which will coincide with the 77th anniversary of their countries' establishment of diplomatic relations. The ministers also
Feb. 27, 2026 -
Why are Seoul, Washington airing out rare military rifts?
Recent weeks have exposed an unusual pattern within the South Korea-United States alliance: Disagreements that were once managed quietly behind closed doors are increasingly surfacing in public. The allies continue to reaffirm their shared commitment to deterring North Korea’s advancing nuclear threat. Yet overlapping episodes — from the Freedom Shield exercise to aerial operations over the West Sea — reveal a deeper divergence over how the alliance should be used in a shifting security environm
Feb. 27, 2026 -
French firms employ 33,000 in Korea, led by luxury sector: FKCCI
French companies employ about 33,000 people in South Korea, underscoring France’s deep footprint in the local economy, according to a report released Wednesday by the French-Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The report found that roughly 38 percent of those employees work in the luxury and cosmetics sector, highlighting the dominance of French brands in Korea’s high-end consumer market. As of November last year, around 220 French companies operated local offices in Korea. Of the 46 French
Feb. 27, 2026 -
Lee to visit Singapore, Philippines to deepen AI, nuclear and other future-sector ties
President Lee Jae Myung is set to visit Singapore and the Philippines to expand Seoul’s bilateral ties with the two countries into key future growth sectors, including artificial intelligence and nuclear energy, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. Lee is scheduled to visit Singapore from Sunday to Tuesday, and then travel to the Philippines for a two-day stop. In Singapore, Lee will hold a summit and a friendship luncheon with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, as well as a meeting with President Tharman Shan
Feb. 27, 2026 -
White House says Trump remains open to dialogue with Kim 'without any preconditions'
US President Donald Trump remains open to dialogue with North Korea "without any preconditions," the White House said Thursday, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed Pyongyang's willingness to talk with the United States if it drops its "hostile" policy toward his regime. During a recent key party congress, Kim said that Pyongyang has "no reason not to get along with the US" if Washington withdraws its hostile policy, noting that the prospects of US-North Korea ties "entirely depend on
Feb. 27, 2026 -
Korea, UAE agree to pursue $65b in joint projects: Cheong Wa Dae
South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to pursue more than $65 billion in joint cooperation projects, including over $35 billion in defense industry initiatives, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. Cheong Wa Dae made the announcement after Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, returned from his trip to the UAE on Wednesday as presidential special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, during which he led an interagency government delegation. Kang met Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubar
Feb. 26, 2026 -
USTR says new US global tariff will rise to 15% or higher for some countries
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Wednesday that a new US global tariff will rise to 15 percent or higher from 10 percent for some countries, as President Donald Trump's administration is taking steps to replace its sweeping emergency tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court. Greer made the remarks during a Fox Business interview, after the high court ruled Friday against Trump's use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify country-specific "reciprocal" tariff
Feb. 26, 2026 -
Defense minister makes pitch for S. Korea's bid to secure Canada's submarine project
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has made an emphatic pitch for South Korea's bid to win Canada's high-profile submarine procurement project during talks with his Canadian counterpart in Ottawa, saying the Asian country's participation in it would serve as a "turning point" for bilateral defense cooperation. Ahn and Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty met on Wednesday, hours before the "two-plus-two" meeting of the two countries' defense and foreign ministers amid Seoul's stepped-up push to se
Feb. 26, 2026