logo
Russia's FM leaves N. Korea after 3-day visit

Russia's FM leaves N. Korea after 3-day visit

Korea Herald2 days ago
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has left North Korea after wrapping up his three-day visit to the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, the North's state media reported Monday.
Lavrov departed the country via Wonsan Kalma Airport on Sunday after being seen off by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Russia's top envoy in Pyongyang, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met Lavrov on his yacht in Wonsan on Saturday. During the talks, Kim reaffirmed his "unconditional" support for Russia's war against Ukraine.
Lavrov also held the second round of strategic dialogue with his North Korean counterpart Saturday. They vowed efforts to advance the bilateral relations between the two nations into long-term strategic ties by faithfully implementing a mutual defense treaty.
Experts said North Korea appears to have invited Lavrov to Wonsan in an effort to promote a newly opened tourist zone and attract Russian tourists.
After visiting the North, Lavrov flew to China to attend a foreign ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states, according to Russian media reports. (Yonhap)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Top security advisers of S. Korea, Britain discuss defense, trade cooperation
Top security advisers of S. Korea, Britain discuss defense, trade cooperation

Korea Herald

time7 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Top security advisers of S. Korea, Britain discuss defense, trade cooperation

The top security advisers of South Korea and Britain held talks Tuesday on efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation in the defense industry, trade and investment, the presidential office said. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac discussed these issues with his British counterpart, Jonathan Powell, in a meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, the office said. Wi expressed hope that the two countries will continue to deepen their "global strategic partnership," with Powell voicing hope for the two sides to work together to address common challenges, like supply chain bottlenecks and climate change. The two officials also discussed ways to strengthen "substantive" cooperation in defense and the defense industry, as well as trade and investment, and agreed to make efforts to that end. On issues related to the Korean Peninsula, they shared the view that they will work with the international community to resolve North Korea's nuclear issues and to establish lasting peace in the region. They also discussed the war in Ukraine and other regional and global issues. (Yonhap)

Trump threatens Russia with tariffs
Trump threatens Russia with tariffs

Korea Herald

time15 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Trump threatens Russia with tariffs

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday threatened Russia with steep tariffs and announced a rejuvenated pipeline for American weapons to reach Ukraine, hardening his stance toward Moscow after months of frustration about unsuccessful negotiations for ending the war. The latest steps reflect an evolving approach from the Republican president, who promised to swiftly resolve the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin when he invaded Ukraine three years ago. Trump once focused his criticism on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he described as unwilling to compromise, but more recently has expressed growing irritation toward Putin. 'My conversations with him are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night,' Trump said. He complained that 'it just keeps going on and on and on.' Trump said he would implement 'severe tariffs' unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. He provided few details on how they would be implemented, but he described them as secondary tariffs, meaning they would target Russia's trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in the global economy. In addition, Trump said European allies would buy 'billions and billions' of dollars of US military equipment to be transferred to Ukraine, replenishing the besieged country's supplies of weapons. He made the announcement in the Oval Office alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Included in the plan are Patriot air defense systems, a top priority for Ukraine as it fends off Russian drones and missiles. Doubts were recently raised about Trump's commitment to supply Ukraine when the Pentagon paused shipments over concerns that US stockpiles were running low. Rutte said Germany, Finland, Canada, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Denmark would be among the buyers to supply Ukraine. He said 'speed is of the essence here,' and he suggested that some weapons would be rushed to Ukraine and later replaced with purchases from the US. Later Monday, Zelenskyy posted about having spoken with Trump by phone and said he 'discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions.' Zelenskyy added that Trump had 'agreed to catch up more often by phone and coordinate our steps in the future.' Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin, and he repeatedly asserted that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. He also accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the war and called him a 'dictator without elections.' But Russia's relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Trump's patience. In April, Trump urged Putin to 'STOP!' launching deadly barrages on Kyiv, and the following month said in a social media post that the Russian leader 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!.' While Rutte was in Washington, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Zelenskyy said he had 'a productive conversation' with Kellogg about strengthening Ukrainian air defenses, joint arms production and purchasing US weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin. 'We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its ... ambitions are stopped by force,' Zelenskyy said on Telegram. Russia has pounded Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defenses are struggling to counter. June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said. At the same time, Russia's bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 1,000-kilometer front line. Trump confirmed the US is sending Ukraine more badly needed Patriot air defense missiles and that the European Union will pay the US for the 'various pieces of very sophisticated' weaponry. A senior Russian lawmaker, Konstantin Kosachev, said Trump's plan had 'only one beneficiary — the US military-industrial complex.' Germany has offered to finance two Patriot systems, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Monday in Berlin. The country has already given three of its own Patriot systems to Ukraine. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was traveling to Washington on Monday to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 'We are determined to assume greater responsibility for Europe's deterrence and defense, while recognizing that the contribution of the United States of America remains indispensable to our collective security,' Pistorius told reporters. A top ally of Trump, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said Sunday that the conflict is nearing an inflection point as Trump shows growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back against Russia's full-scale invasion. Although Trump had previously dismissed the effort as a waste of US taxpayer money, Graham told CBS' 'Face the Nation' that 'you'll see weapons flowing at a record level.' 'One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump," he said. "And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there's going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table.' Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's envoy for international investment who took part in talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia in February, dismissed what he said were efforts to drive a wedge between Moscow and Washington. 'Constructive dialogue between Russia and the United States is more effective than doomed-to-fail attempts at pressure,' Dmitriev said in a post on Telegram. 'This dialogue will continue, despite titanic efforts to disrupt it by all possible means.' Although Trump proposed targeting Russia with new tariffs, he expressed doubts about bipartisan legislation to punish the country even further. 'I'm not sure we need it,' he said. 'It could be very useful. We'll have to see.' The legislation increases sanctions and places 500 percent tariffs on products imported from countries that buy Russian oil, gas and other exports. Trump on Monday proposed unilaterally implementing 100 percent tariffs. 'I use trade for a lot of things,' he said. 'But it's great for settling wars.' Since Dec. 5, 2022, when the European Union banned Russian oil, China has bought 47 percent of Russia's crude oil exports, followed by India at 38 percent. Turkey and the EU have each accounted for 6 percent, according to the Center for Research and Clean Air, a Finnish nonprofit that tracks the energy industry. Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a senior fellow in China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, doubted that tariffs would change the course of the war. 'Oil is fungible, and Russia has developed a nimble shadow fleet," he said. "So enforcement would be a challenge.' However, the tariffs could still have a dramatic effect, depending on how they're implemented. Adding a 100 percent tariff on China, on top of import taxes already in place, would essentially halt trade between the United States and China, the world's two largest economies.

Special counsel raids shaman linked to ex-first lady Kim
Special counsel raids shaman linked to ex-first lady Kim

Korea Herald

time16 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Special counsel raids shaman linked to ex-first lady Kim

Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki's team investigating various allegations involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee on Tuesday raided the office of a controversial shaman linked to her alleged acceptance of luxury gifts from a religious group three years ago. The team sent prosecutors and investigators to the office of shaman Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin, in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, in the morning to secure documents and computer files related to his suspected delivery of gifts to Kim. Jeon is suspected of receiving a diamond necklace and an expensive bag from a high-ranking Unification Church official between April and August of 2022, soon after Yoon Suk Yeol's election as president in March of the same year, and delivering the gifts to Kim. The church official reportedly demanded some business favors from the Yoon government in return for the alleged gifts. Jeon has said he received the gifts but lost them all. (Yonhap)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store