Liberal candidate Moon Jae-in has claimed victory in South Korea’s presidential election. Mr Moon favours greater dialogue with North Korea, in a change to current South Korean policy. “I will be president for all South Koreans,” he told cheering supporters in Gwanghwamun Square in the capital Seoul. The early election was called after a corruption … Read more
China has recently tested a new type of guided missile in a northeastern sea near the Korean peninsula, the defence ministry said Tuesday, hours after South Korean elections and amid regional tensions. The test in the Bohai Sea was conducted to “raise the operational capability of the armed forces and effectively respond to threats to … Read more
South Korean voters have overwhelmingly chosen the liberal candidate Moon Jae-in as their next president, an exit poll suggests. It put Mr Moon on 41.4%, with his nearest challenger, conservative Hong Joon-Pyo, on 23.3%. Mr Moon favours greater dialogue with North Korea, in a change to current South Korean policy. The early election was called … Read more
South Koreans are voting in a presidential election, called early after a huge corruption scandal brought down their former leader. Liberal Moon Jae-in is the clear front-runner with centrist Ahn Cheol-soo his nearest challenger. The election is being closely watched at a time of economic uncertainty and heightened tensions with North Korea. Mr Moon wants … Read more
South Koreans are voting in a presidential election, called early after a huge corruption scandal brought down their former leader. Liberal Moon Jae-in is the clear front-runner with centrist Ahn Cheol-soo his nearest challenger. The election is being closely watched at a time of economic uncertainty and heightened tensions with North Korea. Mr Moon wants … Read more
South Koreans went to the polls Tuesday to choose a new president, after Park Geun-Hye was ousted, detained and indicted for corruption, and against a backdrop of high tensions with the nuclear-armed North. More than 139,000 voting stations opened at 6 am local time (2100 GMT) across the country, with turnout expected to hit a … Read more
North Korea has accused US and South Korean agents of plotting to kill its Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un. A North Korean referred to only as “Kim” was paid to carry out an attack with biochemical substances, the ministry of state security said. The plot was foiled, it said, but gave no details on the fate … Read more
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspected a military unit that was responsible for bombarding a southern island, state media said Friday ahead of a presidential election in the South. Pyongyang fired a barrage of 170 artillery shells onto Yeonpyeong island in November 2010, killing four people including two civilians in the first North Korean attack … Read more
The United States said on Wednesday that it hopes to work with China to halt North Korea’s nuclear program, but warned that if this fails it might resort to sanctions. In an address to State Department staff, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke of “third country sanctions,” warning that Chinese companies may be hit for … Read more
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to press for a ceasefire to halt the war in Syria. The two spoke by telephone for the first time since the US launched air strikes against Syria nearly a month ago, straining relations. Other topics discussed included North Korea and the timing of … Read more
The US military says its controversial Thaad missile defence system is now operational in South Korea. The system can intercept North Korean missiles although full operational capability is still some months away. Tensions have been rising around the Korean peninsula, with repeated threats from North Korea and the presence of a group of US warships … Read more
China has demanded an ‘immediate’ halt to the deployment of a controversial US missile system in South Korea just hours after it became operational. Beijing threatened to ‘take necessary measures to uphold our interests’ after the THAAD missile battery came online on a golf course in the county of Seongju. Washington and Seoul believe the … Read more
China demanded on Tuesday an immediate halt to a controversial US missile shield hours after Washington announced that the defence system was now operational in South Korea. Washington and Seoul agreed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployment in July in the wake of a string of North Korean missile tests. But … Read more
The US military says its controversial Thaad missile defence system is now operational in South Korea. The system can intercept North Korean missiles although full operational capability is still some months away. Tensions have been rising around the Korean peninsula, with repeated threats from North Korea and the presence of a group of US warships … Read more
The Thaad system, seen here in a file photo, is designed to take out North Korean missiles The US military says its controversial Thaad missile defence system is “operational” in South Korea. A spokesman said the system was now able to intercept North Korean missiles and defend the South. But officials have told reporters that … Read more
A controversial missile defense system whose deployment has angered China is now operational in South Korea, a US defense official said Monday. Washington and Seoul agreed to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery deployment in July in the wake of a string of North Korean missile tests. “It has reached initial intercept capability,” … Read more
Japan has dispatched its biggest warship, in the first such operation since it passed controversial laws expanding the role of its military. The helicopter carrier Izumo is escorting a US supply vessel within Japanese waters. The US ship is heading to refuel the naval fleet in the region, including the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group. … Read more
North Korea warned Monday that it will carry out a nuclear test “at any time and at any location” set by its leadership, in the latest rhetoric to fuel jitters in the region. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile … Read more
South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered the threat of nuclear war from North Korea. The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group arrived in waters near the Korean peninsula and began exercises with the South Korean navy … Read more
Thailand’s junta chief has accepted an invitation to visit the White House from President Donald Trump, his spokesman said Monday, the latest autocrat to be embraced by the US leader. The offer came during a phone conversation on Sunday night, part of a flurry of calls Trump made to Southeast Asian leaders over the weekend … Read more