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S. Korea imposes travel ban on parts of Venezuela
The foreign ministry on Friday imposed a travel ban on parts of Venezuela amid political friction between its regime and the United States. The ban -- the highest Level 4 of a four-tier travel warning system -- will take effect at 11 p.m. in the border states of Zulia, Tachira, Apure and Sucre, excluding their respective capitals and the eastern part of Zulia. The rest of the country will remain under Level 3, which advises citizens to leave the area. Under the law, those who visit or stay in ar
Nov. 21, 2025 -
First ladies of S. Korea, Egypt hold meeting on sidelines of leaders' summit
South Korean first lady Kim Hea Kyung and her Egyptian counterpart Intissar el-Sisi held talks and a luncheon in Cairo on Thursday, sharing their thoughts about traditional foods and cultural exchanges, Seoul's presidential office said. The two met at the Egyptian presidential palace as President Lee Jae Myung and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi held a summit there, vice presidential spokesperson Jeon Eun-soo said in a written briefing. Egypt is the second leg of his multination trip tha
Nov. 21, 2025 -
US expert not ruling out possible change in USFK force posture in next 3 years
A US expert said Thursday that he is not ruling out the possibility of a change in the US force posture in South Korea in the next three years, amid speculation that US President Donald Trump's administration could seek a troop reduction in an adjustment to better counter Chinese threats. Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the remarks during a podcast on a recently released joint fact sheet on securit
Nov. 21, 2025 -
Lee set to head for G20 in Johannesburg after wrapping up official visit to Egypt
President Lee Jae Myung was set to wrap up an official visit to Egypt and depart for South Africa on Friday to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit, where he is expected to discuss pending global issues, including inclusive growth and climate change. In Cairo, Lee held summit talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to discuss enhanced cooperation in peace efforts and the defense industry, and delivered an address outlining his initiative for deeper engagement in the Middle East. Lee al
Nov. 21, 2025 -
US envoy ties China’s West Sea footprint to need for S. Korean nuclear sub
US Acting Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim suggested Thursday that China’s activities in the West Sea are among the reasons for pushing “alliance modernization,” including Seoul’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines. Kim said the allies’ mutual prosperity rests on a “stable security environment,” stressing the point in a keynote address at the inaugural Korea-US Diplomatic Forum in Seoul. “At the heart of that stability in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region is our alliance, an
Nov. 20, 2025 -
Futures of S. Korea and US are now inseparable: Kevin Kim
Acting US Ambassador Kevin Kim said Thursday that the joint South Korea-US fact sheet marks a turning point for the alliance, signaling that the two countries’ futures are now inseparable as they move to expand cooperation across strategic industries and security. Kim underscored the importance of the joint fact sheet on the allies’ agreement in economic and security arenas, which was issued in mid-November, more than two weeks after President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump met for
Nov. 20, 2025 -
UN committee adopts resolution on N. Korean human rights backed by S. Korea, US
A UN committee has adopted by consensus a resolution condemning widespread human rights violations in North Korea, the foreign ministry said Thursday, with the backing of more than 60 member states, including South Korea and the United States. The UN General Assembly Third Committee handling human rights issues adopted the resolution, co-sponsored by 61 countries, during a meeting in New York on Wednesday (local time), the ministry said in a release. The resolution will be reviewed at the upcomi
Nov. 20, 2025 -
Politicians fight over who should take credit for Lone Star win
South Korea’s victory in its 13-year legal battle with the US private equity fund Lone Star has quickly devolved into a partisan dispute over who deserves credit. At the center of the political dispute is Han Dong-hoon, the former leader of the main opposition People Power Party and a spurned ally of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol. As justice minister under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, Han rejected the arbitration ruling issued on Aug. 31, 2022, and immediately announced that the country wo
Nov. 19, 2025 -
Scenes from President Lee's visit to UAE
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is on the third day of his state visit to the United Arab Emirates and is scheduled to depart for Egypt later Wednesdsay. On Tuesday, his second day in Abu Dhabi, Lee held a summit with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, after which the two leaders signed agreements to strengthen their strategic partnership across artificial intelligence, space, defense, energy and other sectors. Here are some scenes from Lee's Abu Dhabi visit. Streets in the
Nov. 19, 2025 -
S. Korea, UAE sign MOUs on AI, nuclear energy and space at summit
South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed seven memorandums of understanding on Tuesday to expand cooperation in advanced industries during a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the presidential office said. The preliminary agreements were signed during Lee's state visit to the UAE, aimed at boosting trade and investment and strengthening collaboration in strategic sectors, including artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace and nuclea
Nov. 18, 2025 -
Assembly split on need to ratify Korea-US fact sheet
The bipartisan rift over the South Korea-US joint fact sheet is deepening, with rival parties clashing over the necessity of ratification by the National Assembly. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea contends that the investment plan, formalized as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding on Friday, in conjunction with the release of the fact sheet outlining Seoul’s commitment to invest $350 billion in the United States, should be swiftly implemented through a special law to secure retroactive
Nov. 17, 2025 -
Lee embarks on 4-nation tour to Middle East, Africa
President Lee Jae Myung is set to leave on Monday for a 10-day, four-nation tour of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, South Africa and Turkey, which will be his first visit to the Middle East and Africa since taking office in June. Lee will begin the journey with a three-day state visit to the UAE, followed by an official visit to Egypt from Nov. 19-21, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said during a press briefing on Friday. From there, the president will travel to South Africa to participat
Nov. 16, 2025 -
Lee to meet biz leaders, discuss follow-up measures for US trade deal
President Lee Jae Myung was set to meet with leaders of key conglomerates later Sunday to discuss follow-up measures following the release of a joint fact sheet on bilateral trade and security agreements with the United States. The meeting comes two days after Seoul and Washington released the joint document outlining agreements reached in their recent summit talks, including Seoul's $350 billion investment plans in the US in exchange for reducing US tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent. The me
Nov. 16, 2025 -
Trump govt. notifies S. Korea of decision to end development cost waiver for US arms purchases: sources
US President Donald Trump's administration has notified South Korea of its decision to abolish a development cost waiver for certain US arms purchases, multiple sources have said, a move bound to raise the financial burden on the Asian ally that has committed to buying more US weapons. It told the Seoul government in August that it will end the waiver of "non-recurring" costs -- one-time expenses associated with the research, development or production of certain defense equipment, according to t
Nov. 16, 2025 -
Allies accelerate OPCON transition with 2nd-phase test next year
South Korea and the United States will move ahead next year with the second-phase assessment of Seoul’s readiness to take over wartime operational control, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Friday. The allies set out their agreement in the joint communique from the 57th Security Consultative Meeting, held in Seoul on Nov. 4 during US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to South Korea. Although the SCM communique is typically released immediately after the meeting, its publication was delayed
Nov. 14, 2025