Seoul, June 2 (IANS) South Korea and the United States launched their first round of talks on Tuesday to implement a set of security agreements reached by their leaders last year, including Seoul’s push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, officials said. The inaugural two-day talks began at around 10 a.m. at the foreign ministry building in Seoul, focusing on security-related provisions in a bilateral joint fact sheet issued following a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President …
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Seoul, June 2 (IANS) South Korean stocks traded lower late on Tuesday morning as investors rushed to cash out market heavyweights, bucking overnight gains on Wall Street.Opening a tad higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) was down 188.63 points, or 2.15 percent, to 8,599.75 as of 11:20 am (local time), reports Yonhap news agency.Overnight, U.S. stocks finished higher, with major indexes reaching fresh record highs as a rally in tech shares lifted market sentiment.U.S. c…
Seoul, June 2 (IANS) Hanwha Aerospace, a defence affiliate under Hanwha Group, said on Tuesday it has partially suspended production at its Daejeon facility after a deadly explosion at the plant.In a regulatory filing, the arms manufacturer said it was ordered by labour authorities to halt operations at the facility, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, due to a serious workplace accident under South Korea’s occupational safety laws.The explosion killed five people and injured two others and pol…
Seoul, June 1 (IANS) South Korea’s exports surged 53 per cent from a year earlier to a new monthly high of $87.8 billion in May, driven by the semiconductor supercycle, government data showed on Monday.It marked the third consecutive month the country’s outbound shipments surpassed the $80 billion mark, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.Imports rose 20.8 percent on-year to $60.8 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $26.95 billion, reports Yonhap news agency.The combi…
Seoul, June 1 (IANS) Foreign ministers from South Korea and dozens of African countries gathered in Seoul on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation for shared growth and jointly address supply chain disruptions and other global challenges, Seoul’s foreign ministry said.The Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held under the theme of “Partnership for Joint Responses to Global Challenges,” brought together representatives from 50 African countries, out of the 54 invited, and four reg…
Singapore, May 30 (IANS) South Korea and Japan will resume their joint maritime search and rescue exercises (SAREX) starting early next month, Seoul’s defence chief said Saturday, calling it a “symbolic” move that reflects improving bilateral relations.South Korea’s Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back unveiled the plan in bilateral talks with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, held on the margins of the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, Yonhap news agency reported…
Singapore, May 30 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday called for finding a “balance” in the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea in a way that respects the roles the US military has played for decades.Hegseth made the remarks at a defence forum in Singapore amid growing concerns over what appear to be differing views between Seoul and Washington over when and how the transition should proceed, Yonhap news agency reported.”I think we have to find the bal…
Seoul, May 30 (IANS) Voters across the country headed to the polls Saturday on the second and last day of early voting for next week’s nationwide local elections, which will decide the next mayors and governors of major local governments, including Seoul and Busan.More than 6.86 million people, or 15.38 per cent, out of 44.6 million registered voters cast their ballots as of 11 a.m. after early voting began at 6 a.m. the previous day, according to the NEC.The voter turnout was higher than the 13…
Seoul, May 30 (IANS) Kenya’s top diplomat has hinted at seeking South Korean cooperation in areas of rare earth refinement and nuclear energy, signalling Nairobi’s desire to expand bilateral cooperation beyond traditional development assistance.In a written interview with Yonhap News Agency, Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi expressed hope to work with South Korea to produce greater value from his country’s rare earth mineral resources.”The real potential in rare earth elements lies in th…
Seoul, May 29 (IANS) South Korean Police on Friday raided the offices of the Seoul city government, an engineering company and others involved in the demolition of an overpass in western Seoul that partially collapsed earlier this week.The raids took place three days after a section of the Seosomun Overpass undergoing demolition collapsed, killing three people and injuring three others.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it was carrying out searches and seizures at seven locations, includi…