About: South Korea
North Korea fires salvo of missiles, including ICBM, hours after Biden leaves Asia
North Korea fired three missiles, including one thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 25 May, after US President Joe Biden left Asia following a trip in which he agreed to new measures to deter the nuclear-armed state.
Germany goes on a mission to secure supplies of Qatari gas
Germany’s Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck visited Qatar over the weekend in a bid to secure alternatives to Russian gas supplies, with little chance of immediate success in a country seen with suspicion in Germany for its human rights violations.
South Korean official heads to Vienna for talks on Iranian frozen assets
A senior South Korean diplomat will hold talks in Vienna this week with Iran and world powers over how to resolve the issue of frozen Iranian assets held in the Asian country, the South Korean foreign ministry said.
South Korean trade minister calls for closer ties with the EU
Ten years after the free trade agreement between the EU and South Korea was signed, South Korean trade minister Yeo seeks to modernize it by including investment protection and new technologies.
EU’s Breton on Asia tour to foster digital cooperation, tackle chips shortages
European Commissioner Thierry Breton visited Japan and South Korea this week to find common grounds for future cooperation on digital and tech matters. The agenda was dominated by the recently announced European Chips Act and the prospect of digital partnership agreements.
Factbox: An intensifying arms race in Asia
Analysts warn that Asia may be sliding into an accelerating arms race as countries react to China's military growth. Here is a list of defence systems several Asian countries are looking to acquire.
EU aims for bigger diplomatic weight on Indo-Pacific matters
The European Union outlined on Thursday (16 September) a new strategy for raising its presence in the Indo-Pacific and counter China's increasing influence in the region, which has become the latest arena of the international geopolitical race.
North, South Korea in talks over summit, reopening liaison office
North and South Korea are in talks to reopen a joint liaison office that Pyongyang demolished last year and hold a summit as part of efforts to restore relations, three South Korean government sources with knowledge of the matter said.
South, North Korea have restored hotlines as leaders seek to rebuild ties
South and North Korea have restored hotlines that Pyongyang severed a year ago when ties deteriorated sharply, with renewed efforts by the two countries' leaders to rebuild relations, the South's presidential Blue House said on Tuesday (27 July).
Blinken in UK as G7 foreign ministers discuss in-person Russia, China
Britain this week hosts the first face-to-face meeting of G7 foreign ministers in two years, joined by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as world powers tackle pandemic recovery plus growing tensions with Russia and China.
South Korea mirrors European Green Deal with net-zero pledge for 2050
President Moon Jae-in has announced South Korea will commit to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 as part of a "Green New Deal" that closely mirrors commitments made by the European Union. EURACTIV's media partner, Climate Home News, reports.
UK in 5G talks with suppliers from Japan, South Korea
British officials have discussed supplies of 5G networking equipment with companies in South Korea and Japan as part of a bid to develop alternatives to China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Byung-Chul Han: COVID-19 has reduced us to a ‘society of survival’
“Survival will become an absolute, as though we were living in a permanent state of war”. That is how South Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han described the world after COVID-19, in an interview with Efe: “a society of survival that loses all sense of the good life”, one where “enjoyment is also sacrificed for health”.
Trump says China wants him to lose his bid for re-election
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (29 April) he believes China’s handling of the coronavirus is proof that Beijing “will do anything they can” to make him lose his re-election bid in November.
Commitment, transparency pay off as South Korea limits COVID-19 spread
Just three weeks after South Korea's coronavirus cases soared to the second-highest number in the world, the Asian nation has managed to bring the contagion largely under control thanks to a response that combines transparency, the latest technology and a responsible approach by institutions and citizens.EURACTIV's media partner EFE reports.
Italy and South Korea virus outbreaks reveal disparity in deaths and tactics
In Italy, millions are locked down and more than 1,000 people have died from the coronavirus. In South Korea, hit by the disease at about the same time, only a few thousand are quarantined and 67 people have died.
Global spread of coronavirus raises pandemic fears
Fears mounted on Monday (24 February) that the coronavirus outbreak in China will grow into a pandemic with disruptive and deadly consequences for countries around the world, after sharp rises in infections in South Korea, Italy and Iran.
UN Climate Fund to make funding green projects easier
The board of the UN Green Climate Fund is meeting from 6 to 8 July in Songdo, South Korea. The board is set on heralding a "paradigm shift" in climate financing and intends to accelerate the decision-making process to boost the fund's replenishment. EURACTIV Germany reports.![Plateforme pétrolière en mer Baltique, 2008. [Andrew/Flickr]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/05/oil_rig._north_sea_2008.jpeg)
UK-South Korea deal seeks to calm Brexit anxiety in oil markets
A UK-South Korea trade deal announced Monday (10 June) guarantees future exemption from oil tariffs following a spate of dry months without crude imports coming from Britain's North Sea fields.
Brussels ministerial paves the way to launching EU Central Asia strategy
The European Union is expected to define its strategy for Central Asia in early 2019. A preparatory meeting between the EU and the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) took place in Brussels on Friday (23 November).
Putting the EU-South Korea partnership to work
The EU-South Korea summit taking place today (18 October) symbolises the EU's close and multifaceted partnership with South Korea. Yet, Brussels and Seoul should take some practical steps to strengthen their relationship, argue Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Linde Desmaele and Maximilian Ernst.
Time for the EU to give Korean peace a chance
A formal end to the Korean War bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula is now firmly on the cards, and the EU should be brave and decisively support this peace process. Otherwise, Brussels risks being on the wrong side of history, warns Dr Ramon Pacheco Pardo.
Political analyst: In Central Asia, the personality factor is very important
A change at the helm of Uzbekistan 18 months ago became a game-changer and greatly improved relations in Central Asia, where the personality factor remains very important. In an interview, researcher Anastassiya Reshetnyak assesses the geopolitical situation, relations in the region and with the EU.