Page 5 - South Korea

South Korean firm to establish India's first footwear plant in TN: Govt

South Korea headquartered Hwaseung Footwear Group, with an investment of Rs 1,720 crore, has decided to set up its non-leather footwear manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu, the first such facility for the group in the country, Minister for Industries TRB Rajaa said. The factory to come up in Tuticorin is expected to generate 20,000 direct jobs in the region, he said. "Our efforts to ensure the grounding of MoUs we signed at TN Rising Tuticorin are in full swing. Chief Minister M K Stalin today met senior executives of South Korea's Hwaseung Footwear Group at the Secretariat," Rajaa said. "Hwaseung has committed an investment of Rs 1,720 crore to establish a large-scale non-leather footwear manufacturing facility, their first production base in India," he said in a social media post late on Friday. Rajaa exuded confidence that the production plant, with the creation of 20,000 direct jobs in the region, would become one of the largest employment-generating footwear projects in Tamil ...

South Korea's Lee visits Tokyo to boost ties with Japan before US summit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is in Tokyo to hold his first full summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a visit largely aimed at showcasing friendly ties between the two Asian neighbours that now face common challenges from America, their mutual ally. Lee's visit Saturday comes in an unusual order putting Japan ahead of the United States helping him to better prepare for his crucial first summit in Washington with US President Donald Trump, mainly on trade and defence issues. His Tokyo visit before Washington is well received by Japanese officials who see it as a sign Lee is placing great importance to relations between the two neighbours whose ties have been repeatedly disrupted by historical disputes, hampering their trilateral coordination with Washington. For Ishiba, who faces pressure from rightwing rivals within his governing party to resign over its July election loss, Lee's visit and a successful summit could shore up his support. Rintaro Nishimura,

North Korea accuses South of 'serious provocation' over warning shots

North Korea accused South Korea of a serious provocation Saturday after South Korean troops fired warning shots at North Korean soldiers setting up barriers along their tense border. Ko Jong Chol, vice chief of the North Korean People's Army's General Staff, noted that Tuesday's warning shots coincided with the South Korea-US summertime military drills and accused Seoul of deliberately trying to raise tensions. Shortly after Ko's statement, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed it had fired warning shots Tuesday afternoon at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the military demarcation line in the central border region while carrying out unspecified construction work. The South's military said the soldiers returned to North Korean territory without incident and that the North didn't return fire. In recent months, South Korea's military has occasionally used loudspeaker warnings and fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers crossing the military demarcation ...

Chhattisgarh CM on 10-day Japan, South Korea visit to attract investors

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday proceeded on a 10-day tour of Japan and South Korea to attract investment in the state, a government official said. This will be the first foreign trip by Sai after becoming the CM, and it aims to draw investors, especially from electronics, automobile, and food processing sectors, to the state, he said. Talking to reporters at Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur before leaving for Delhi, from where he will fly abroad, Sai said he will attend the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. In Japan and South Korea, there is good work in the fields of electronics, automobile and food processing, while Chhattisgarh also has immense possibilities in these sectors. Therefore, we are going there with our new Industrial Policy and will invite industrialists to invest in Chhattisgarh, Sai said. After the introduction of the new industrial policy (in November last year), the state has so far received investment proposals worth Rs 6.5 lakh crore.

North Korea's Kim slams US-South Korea military drills, vows nuke buildup

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un condemned South Korean-U.S. military drills and vowed a rapid expansion of his nuclear forces to counter rivals, state media said Tuesday, as he inspected his most advanced warship being fitted with nuclear-capable systems. Kim's visit to the western port of Nampo on Monday came as the South Korean and U.S. militaries kicked off their annual large-scale summertime exercise to bolster readiness against growing North Korean threats. The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield, which the allies describe as defensive, will mobilize 21,000 troops, including 18,000 South Koreans, for computer-simulated command post operations and field training. North Korea has long denounced the allies' joint drills as invasion rehearsals and Kim has often used them to justify his own military displays and testing activities aimed at expanding his nuclear weapons program. The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war, divided by the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea and .

JSW Steel, South Korea's Posco sign pact for steel plant in India

Both the steel makers signed non-binding heads of agreement (HoA) in Mumbai, according to a joint statement issued by the companies on Monday

South Korea, US launch annual military drills against North Korean threats

South Korea and the United States began their annual large-scale joint military exercise on Monday to better cope with threats by nuclear-armed North Korea, which has warned the drills would deepen regional tensions and vowed to respond to any provocation against its territory. The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield, the second of two large-scale exercises held annually in South Korea, after another set in March, will involve 21,000 soldiers, including 18,000 South Koreans, in computer-simulated command post operations and field training. The drills, which the allies describe as defensive, could trigger a response from North Korea, which has long portrayed the allies' exercises as invasion rehearsals and has often used them as a pretext for military demonstrations and weapons tests aimed at advancing its nuclear programme. In a statement last week, North Korean Defence Minister No Kwang Chol said the drills show the allies' stance of military confrontation with the North and declared that

Jaishankar meets South Korea's new foreign minister, vows deeper ties

The meeting coincided wth the 10th anniversary of India-Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Strategic Partnership

Jaishankar holds 'productive' talks with South Korean foreign minister Hyun

India and South Korea on Saturday resolved to expand their strategic partnership by boosting cooperation in the areas of semiconductor, clean energy, defence and artificial intelligence. Ways to ramp up the overall bilateral cooperation figured prominently in talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his visiting South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun. "Held productive discussions on advancing our bilateral cooperation in trade, manufacturing, maritime and people-to-people exchanges as well as new opportunities in AI, semiconductors, clean energy and defence," the external affairs minister said in a post on X. Jaishankar said he and Hyun also exchanged perspectives on the Indo-Pacific region and contemporary global developments. "Appreciated our deepening convergences and growing engagement as our Special Strategic Partnership completes 10 years," he added. In his opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar also thanked Seoul for its condemnation of the horrific Pahalgam

EAM greets South Korea, Liechtenstein and Congo on their national days

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday extended his warm greetings to the governments and people of South Korea, Liechtenstein, and the Republic of Congo on the occasion of their respective national days.In a series of posts on X, Jaishankar conveyed his regards and extended greetings to these nations.Notably, the national days for these three countries also coincide with the Independence Day of India, with the nation celebrating the 79th Independence Day this year.In his message to South Korea, Jaishankar conveyed his congratulations to Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, stating, "Heartfelt congratulations to FM @FMChoHyun, the Government and the people of the Republic of Korea on their National Liberation Day. Look forward to welcoming you to India."Marking Liechtenstein's National Day, Jaishankar extended greetings to their Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sabine Monauni, saying, "Greetings to DPM & FM Sabine Monauni, the Government and the people of the ...

S Korea's President vows to restore 2018 inter-Korean military agreement

South Korea's new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, said Friday he will seek to restore a 2018 military agreement with North Korea aimed at reducing border tensions and urged Pyongyang to respond to Seoul's efforts to rebuild trust and revive dialogue. Speaking on the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee's overture came amid soaring tensions fuelled by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's nuclear ambitions and deepening ties with Russia over the war in Ukraine. The 2018 military agreement, reached during a brief period of diplomacy between Kim and South Korea's former liberal President Moon Jae-in, created buffer zones on land and sea and no-fly zones above the border to prevent clashes. South Korea's previous conservative government suspended the deal in 2024, citing tensions over North Korea's launches of trash-laden balloons toward the South, and moved to resume frontline military activities and propaganda campaigns. The step came after North Korea

IREL seeks Japan, South Korea partnerships for rare earth magnet production

The miner aims to formalise talks with other countries on rare earth mining and technology partnerships and plans to seek IREL board approval for commercial magnet production this year, source said

South Korea's ex-First Lady to face questioning after corruption arrest

This comes less than 48 hours after her arrest on corruption charges, when the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday, citing concerns that she might destroy evidence

Heavy rain devastates South Korea's capital, leaving 1 person dead

Torrential rain battered South Korea's greater capital region for a second day Thursday, leaving at least one person dead, flooding or damaging hundreds of roads and homes, and forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate. About 250 to 300 millimetres of rain fell in parts of Seoul and nearby cities Paju, Incheon, and Gimpo through Thursday morning, leaving vehicles stranded on roads that became chocolate-coloured rivers and residents salvaging belongings from properties damaged by flash floods. Authorities issued flood and landslide warnings for areas near rivers, streams, and hills, while emergency workers rescued at least 145 people and responded to hundreds of reports of road disruptions. As of Thursday morning, power was restored to some 4,000 households that had been knocked out of electricity overnight, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. South Korea's weather agency said the greater Seoul area will continue to be affected by downpours through Thursday ...

Wife of S Korea's jailed ex-President Yoon held over corruption allegations

The wife of South Korea's jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested as investigators seek to charge her over various suspected crimes, including bribery, stock manipulation and meddling in the selection of a candidate. In granting a special prosecutor's request for an arrest warrant late Tuesday, the Seoul Central District Court said Kim Keon Hee posed a risk of destroying evidence. The investigation into Kim is one of three special prosecutor probes launched under Seoul's new liberal government targeting the presidency of Yoon, a conservative who was removed from office in April and rearrested last month over his brief imposition of martial law in December. While Yoon's self-inflicted downfall extended a decades-long run of South Korean presidencies ending badly, he and Kim are the first former presidential couple to be jailed simultaneously over criminal allegations. Yoon's surprising yet poorly planned power grab on December 3 came amid a seemingly routine standoff

South Korean President Lee to meet Trump in Washington on August 25

South Korea's new President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Washington later this month to meet with US President Donald Trump, Lee's office said Tuesday, for talks on trade and defence cooperation in the face of nuclear-armed North Korea and other threats. Their August 25 summit will follow a July trade deal in which Washington agreed to cut its reciprocal tariff on South Korea to 15 per cent from the initially proposed 25 per cent and to apply the same reduced rate to South Korean cars, the country's top export to the United States. South Korea also agreed to purchase USD 100 billion in US energy and invest USD 350 billion in the country, and the leaders could use their meeting to discuss expanding cooperation in key industries such as semiconductors, batteries and shipbuilding, Lee's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. The meeting also comes amid concerns in Seoul that the Trump administration could shake up the decades-old alliance by demanding higher payments for the US troop presence

Tariffs on South Korea's products threaten the 'K-beauty' boom in the US

When Amrita Bhasin, 24, learned that products from South Korea might be subject to a new tax when they entered the United States, she decided to stock up on the sheet masks from Korean brands like U-Need and MediHeal she uses a few times a week. I did a recent haul to stockpile, she said. I bought 50 in bulk, which should last me a few months. South Korea is one of the countries that hopes to secure a trade deal before the Aug. 1 date President Donald Trump set for enforcing nation-specific tariffs. A not-insignificant slice of the U.S. population has skin in the game when it comes to Seoul avoiding a 25 per cent duty on its exports. Asian skin care has been a booming global business for a more than a decade, with consumers in Europe, North and South America, and increasingly the Middle East, snapping up creams, serums and balms from South Korea, Japan and China. In the United States and elsewhere, Korean cosmetics, or K-beauty for short, have dominated the trend. A craze for ...

Kim Jong Un's sister rejects appeasement overture by S Korea's new prez

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rebuffed an appeasement overture by South Korea's new liberal government, saying Monday that North Korea has no interests in talks with South Korea no matter what proposal its rival offers. Kim Yo Jong's comments suggest again that North Korea, now preoccupied with its expanding cooperation with Russia, has no intentions of returning to diplomacy with South Korea and the U.S. anytime soon. But experts said North Korea could change its course if it thinks it cannot maintain the same booming ties with Russia when the Russia-Ukraine war nears an end. We clarify once again the official stand that no matter what policy is adopted and whatever proposal is made in Seoul, we have no interest in it and there is neither a reason to meet nor an issue to be discussed with South Korea, Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. It's North Korea's first official statement on the government of South Korean President Lee Jae ...

Probe into S Korea's Jeju Air crash hints at pilot error, angering families

The initial results of an investigation into December's devastating Jeju Air crash in South Korea showed that, while the plane's both engines sustained bird strikes, its pilots turned off the less-damaged one just before its crash-landing. The finding, which implied human errors, drew quick, vehement protests from bereaved families and fellow pilots who accuse authorities of trying to shift responsibility for the disaster to the dead pilots. South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board initially planned to publicise the results of an investigation of the plane's engines on Saturday. But it was forced to cancel its press briefing in the face of strong protests by relatives of crash victims who were informed of the findings earlier in the day, according to government officials and bereaved families. If they want to say their investigation was done in a reliable, independent manner, they should have come up with evidence that backs up their explanation, said Kim ...

13th high-level meeting between coast guards of India, Korea held in Delhi

Top officers from the Indian and Korean coast guard forces held a key meeting in Delhi on Monday, seeking to boost cooperation in maritime law enforcement, search and rescue and pollution response. The defence ministry said this in a statement. "Both sides engaged in discussions to boost cooperation in Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), Pollution Response (PR), and Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE), while reaffirming their commitment to share best practices and enhance interoperability under the 2006 MoU, it said. This was the 13th High-Level Meeting (HLM) between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) in Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Paramesh Sivamani, Director General, ICG, and KIM Yong Jin, Commissioner General, KCG, who is currently leading a five-member delegation on an official visit to India from July 20-24, the ministry said. As part of the visit, the KCG delegation will travel to Mumbai from July 23-24 for an industrial visit to Mazagon Dock ...