Top S. Korean, U.S. diplomats reiterate 'resolute' commitment to N.K. denuclearization
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their first talks since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration last month, as Seoul and Washington face a series of cooperation issues, including preparations for a summit between Lee and US President Donald Trump.
Their meeting came just a day after Trump announced a trade deal with Korea, saying that his summit with President Lee will take place at the White House in two weeks.
"Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Cho also reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK, the full implementation of international sanctions, and expressed serious concerns about North Korea's increasing military cooperation with Russia," Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson, said in a readout.
DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The chief diplomats' show of unity against North Korean nuclear threats came days after Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ruled out the possibility of talks on the North's denuclearization, while noting the personal relationship between Trump and Kim is "not bad." (Yonhap)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
India accuses EU, US of double standard over Russian trade
NEW DELHI -- India has sharply criticised the United States and the European Union, saying it is being unfairly singled out by them over its Russian oil purchases when they both trade extensively with Moscow despite the war in Ukraine. India's criticism followed a renewed threat by US. President Donald Trump on Monday to raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases, deepening the trade rift between the two countries. In a rare show of unity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and the main opposition Congress on Tuesday condemned Trump's repeated criticism of New Delhi. India's Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued late on Monday that "it is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia". "It is unjustified to single out India," the ministry said. It said the EU conducted 67.5 billion euros ($78.02 billion) in trade with Russia in 2024, including record imports of liquefied natural gas reaching 16.5 million metric tons. The US, the statement said, continues to import Russian uranium hexafluoride for use in its nuclear power industry, palladium, fertilisers and chemicals. It did not give a source for the export information. The US embassy and the EU's delegation in New Delhi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Both the United States and EU have sharply scaled back their trade ties with Russia since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In 2021, Russia was the EU's fifth-largest trading partner, with goods exchange worth 258 billion euros, according to the EU executive European Commission. Sudden rift The sudden rift between India and the US has been deepening since July 31, when Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods being shipped to the USand for the first time threatened unspecified penalties for buying Russian oil. India is one of the biggest buyers of crude from Russia, importing about 1.75 million barrels per day from January to June this year, up 1 percent from a year ago. Indian refiner Nayara Energy, a major buyer of Russian oil which is majority owned by Russian entities including oil major Rosneft, was subjected to European Union sanctions targeting Russia's oil and energy industry in July. India has said it does not support "unilateral sanctions" by the EU. Trade experts say Trump's tariff could badly hurt India's economy. Ajay Srivastava of the New Delhi-based Global Trade Research Initiative said he expected Indian goods exports to the US to fall 30 percent in the current fiscal year ending March 31, to $60.6 billion from $86.5 billion in the 2025 fiscal year. India's equity benchmarks fell after Trump's renewed threat of harsh tariffs on goods from India. Manish Tewari, a member of parliament and Congress leader, said Trump's "disparaging remarks hurt the dignity and self-respect of Indians". "The time has come to call out this constant bullying and hectoring," he added. BJP Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda quoted Henry Kissinger - the most powerful USdiplomat of the Cold War era - in a post on X: "To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal." (Reuters)
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Ruling party lawmaker accused of trading stocks under someone else's name
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party of Korea launched an internal probe Tuesday after a senior lawmaker was photographed appearing to trade stocks under someone else's name during a parliamentary session. This sparked speculations that the lawmaker might have failed to fulfill his duty to declare assets as a public official. Local media published an image showing Rep. Lee Choon-suak, chair of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, using his phone to access trading windows for Naver and LG CNS shares. The account name did not match his, prompting allegations of borrowed-name trading. Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party said he would file a criminal complaint, accusing Lee of violating the Real-Name Financial Transactions Act and the Public Service Ethics Act. 'Borrowed-name stock trading is a serious crime that exploits retail investors,' Joo said, adding that omitting such assets from mandatory disclosures could call Lee's qualifications into question. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee is considered one of the most influential in South Korea's Assembly, serving as the final gatekeeper for bills heading to a plenary vote at regular sessions. The Democratic Party's ethics oversight panel will lead the internal inquiry.
Korea Herald
15 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee offers condolences to Korean atomic bomb victims ahead of 80th anniversary of Hiroshima bombing
President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday offered his condolences to the Korean nuclear bomb victims, a day before Japan's Hiroshima marks the 80th anniversary of the devastating 1945 atomic bombing of the city. In a Facebook post, Lee wrote, "I express my deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims of the atomic bombing and their families who were caught in the tumult of history and suffered unimaginable pain in a place that was not their homeland but in a foreign land. "The two atomic bombs that dropped on Japan 80 years ago claimed countless lives in an instant," he said. "Our fellow Koreans in Japan also endured immense suffering, and the victims and their bereaved families have been suffering for a long time." He noted that a special law enacted in 2017 to support the Korean victims laid the foundation for practical assistance but acknowledged that much remains to be done. The government will continue efforts to "heal the scars left by the atomic bombings," Lee said. Around 50,000 Koreans fell victim to the atomic bombing, including 30,000 killed, after many were brought to Japan to work as forced laborers during its 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, according to the Korea Atomic Bombs Victim Association. (Yonhap)
