Leading a delegation to the inter-Korean talks on the North's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a senior South Korean government official said Wednesday his team will discuss key issues in a "calm" manner.The two sides are scheduled to hold "working-level" talks at the Peace

North Korea agreed Monday to send a 140-member art troupe including an orchestra to South Korea during next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The North's Samjiyon band, consisting of an 80-member orchestra, singers and dancers, will hold concerts in Seoul and Gangneung, a sub-host city of

North Korea condemned the United States on Monday for damaging a thaw in inter-Korean ties, as Washington vows to employ maximum sanctions and pressure until the North gives up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, also said that Washington is

South and North Korea are set to hold working-level talks Monday to discuss the North's plan to send an art troupe to the South during next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The two sides will open the talks at 10:00 a.m. on the North side of the shared border village of Panmunjom, in the

South Korea's top diplomat is to join a gathering of ministers from 16 countries to be held in Canada this week to discuss issues related to security and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said Sunday.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will leave for Vancouver to participate in

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States had a phone conversation Friday to discuss the outcome of recent inter-Korean talks and ways to strengthen their coordination on major issues of mutual concern, the foreign ministry here said.In the conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Rex

South Korea will coordinate closely with the United States on all matters related to the Korean Peninsula, including the North's nuclear weapons program, Seoul's top negotiator for the issue said Wednesday.Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, a

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has welcomed North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea, saying it represented "a great step forward" in the Olympic spirit.On Tuesday, North Korea agreed to send its athletes, along with high-ranking officials, cheering and pe

North Korea on Tuesday offered to send a large-scale delegation of ranking officials, athletes, and cheering and performing squads to next month's Winter Olympics in the South, Seoul officials said.In their first formal talks in more than two years, South Korea proposed the two sides march toget

South and North Korea are set to hold their first formal talks in more than two years Tuesday to discuss the North's potential participation in next month's Winter Olympics and ways to improve their long-stalled ties.The two sides will start high-level talks at 10:00 a.m. at the shared borde

North Korea on Monday continued its harsh rhetoric aimed at the United States, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's recent conciliatory remarks that alluded to dialogue with the North.On Saturday, Trump said that he is willing to directly speak with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and that he h

South and North Korea will continue their discussions for a second day on Sunday to arrange the details of high-level talks next week over the North's potential participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, officials here said Saturday.The two Koreas agreed Friday to hold their first officia

South Korea's top diplomat said Thursday that the country will maintain close coordination with the United States in seeking dialogue with North Korea, and reaffirmed that inter-Korean talks will not go separately from the allies' joint denuclearization efforts.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wh

The U.S. State Department has made no particular comments on the latest reopening of a hotline between the two Koreas, just saying inter-Korean dialogue and North Korea's nuclear program cannot be handled separately, a U.S. broadcaster reported Thursday."We continue to remain in close contact w

(Yonhap) -- The South Korean government on Thursday awarded Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, the outgoing commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, a medal of merit for his contribution to the alliance.Defense Minister Song Young-moo gave Vandal the Gukseon Medal, the second-highest class in the Order of Nationa

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday welcomed the interest taken by the two Koreas in having talks on the North's participation in the upcoming Winter Games south of the border.In a statement emailed to Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said, "The IOC w

The United States will continue to put "maximum pressure" on North Korea to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons program, the White House said Tuesday amid the possibility of inter-Korean talks next week.The high-level talks were proposed by Seoul in response to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un&

South Korea on Tuesday proposed high-level talks with North Korea next week over its participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, in response to leader Kim Jong-un's reconciliatory New Year message.Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon proposed that the two Koreas meet next Tuesday at the tr

North Korea could send a delegation to the upcoming PyeongChang Olympics to be held in South Korea and is open to talks with Seoul over it, the North's leader said in his New Year's speech Monday.But Kim Jong-un also made it clear that his country will not give up its nuclear and missile pro

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is set to deliver his New Year's address Monday as the country's nuclear and missile programs are advancing at a fast clip amid deepening international sanctions.The North's ruler plans to issue his verbal message through the country's state television