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Iran operation will end when Trump determines military objectives have been met: White House
The US military operation against Iran will end when President Donald Trump determines that military objectives have been met and the Islamic Republic is in a position of "unconditional surrender" whether Tehran says it or not, the White House said Tuesday. During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also said that the US military is drawing up additional options to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, stressing that the recent rise in oil and gas prices is "temporary." Her
March 11, 2026 -
Seoul hosts Ramadan iftar for OIC diplomats amid Middle East tensions
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun hosted a Ramadan iftar dinner Tuesday evening for diplomats from member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Seoul, as South Korea seeks to strengthen ties with the Islamic world amid rising tensions in the Middle East. The event, held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, is part of the Foreign Ministry’s annual outreach to OIC member states during Ramadan. The ministry has hosted the gathering since 2004 to promote friendship and cooperation wi
March 10, 2026 -
About 6,300 S. Koreans leave Middle East over past 7 days
About 6,300 South Korean nationals have left countries across the Middle East over the past seven days amid the ongoing military conflict in the region, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The number of South Koreans remaining in 14 countries in the region stood at about 14,700 as of Monday, down from some 21,000 last Tuesday, the ministry said, as many seek to return to their home country due to the widening conflict. The number of South Korean short-term travelers in those countries fell to rou
March 10, 2026 -
S. Korea, Ghana leaders to discuss trade, defense cooperation: Cheong Wa Dae
The leaders of South Korea and Ghana seek to deepen cooperation across a broad range of areas, including trade and investment as well as defense and the arms industry, Seoul announced Tuesday. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to hold a summit with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday afternoon at Cheong Wa Dae, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press statement. Mahama is in South Korea from Tuesday through Saturday for a working visit. “The two lead
March 10, 2026 -
North Korean leader signals closer Pyongyang-Beijing cooperation in letter to Xi
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed Pyongyang’s commitment to strengthening relations with Beijing in a reply to a congratulatory message from Chinese President Xi Jinping, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday. The North Korean leader sent the letter to Xi on Monday in response to the Chinese leader’s message congratulating him on his reelection as general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea during the party’s congress held last month. In the message, Kim Jong
March 10, 2026 -
Seoul calls for port access support for Korean ships stranded near Strait of Hormuz
Seoul has asked countries near the Strait of Hormuz to assist South Korean vessels operating in the area by allowing them to enter nearby ports and receive supplies, a Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday. According to the official, requesting anonymity, more than 20 South Korean-flagged vessels with about 180 crew members are currently in or near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman between Iran and Oman. Concerns are growing that the vessel
March 10, 2026 -
S. Korea providing supplies to its stranded vessel in Strait of Hormuz: official
South Korea is in the process of providing supplies to one of its ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict in the Middle East, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday. The vessel is among some 20 ships stranded in the key waterway where roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas pass through. The shipping channel has effectively been shut down as the war between US-Israeli forces and Iran intensified. About 180 South Korean seafarers are currently aboard the 20 vessels, according
March 10, 2026 -
Lee says S. Korea’s deterrence intact regardless of USFK developments
President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea’s deterrence against North Korea is not affected by the movement of US Forces Korea air defense assets, while underscoring the importance of self-reliant national defense. Presiding over a weekly Cabinet meeting, Lee noted that “it appears that recently controversy has arisen over the US Forces Korea taking certain assets such as (missile) batteries or air defense systems — out of the country.” “From our government’s standpoint, we expect the role of US F
March 10, 2026 -
Top diplomats of S. Korea, Qatar discuss evacuations, energy supply amid Middle East crisis
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a phone call with his Qatari counterpart Monday and asked for support for the safe return of South Korean nationals and stable energy supplies amid the ongoing conflict surrounding Iran, Seoul's foreign ministry said. During the call with Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Cho mentioned Qatar's recent announcement to suspend production of liquefied natural gas and asked for the country's cooperation to ensure stable energy suppli
March 9, 2026 -
Seoul plans first fuel price caps in 29 years as oil shock hits
South Korea plans to impose fuel price caps this week for effectively the first time since 1997, after a sharp run-up in prices that authorities say has occurred even before any Middle East supply disruption has hit the country. President Lee Jae Myung ordered the measure’s swift implementation in opening remarks at a 90-minute emergency economic response meeting held Monday at Cheong Wa Dae, as the government moved to contain the fallout from the war triggered by joint US and Israeli strikes on
March 9, 2026 -
Lee Jae Myung to send special envoy to Chile for presidential inauguration
Rep. Chung Il-young of the ruling Democratic Party will attend the inauguration of Chile's new president Jose Antonio Kast as President Lee Jae Myung's special envoy, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Chung will travel to Chile from March 10 to March 12 as Lee's special envoy for the presidential inauguration. Chung, who serves as a board member of the Korea-Chile Parliamentary Friendship Association, is expected to meet Kast and deliver a personal letter from Lee. During th
March 9, 2026 -
Lee calls for 'extraordinary measures,' fuel price cap amid energy shock
President Lee Jae Myung ordered "extraordinary measures" to shore up energy supplies and rein in surging oil prices, including the swift imposition of a petroleum price cap for the first time in nearly 30 years. Lee convened an emergency economic response meeting at Cheong Wa Dae at 11 a.m. to assess the economic and inflationary fallout from the widening war in the Middle East, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began Feb. 28. "As the crisis in the Middle East deepens, uncertainty at ho
March 9, 2026 -
US not likely to hike tariffs if special investment bill passed in parliament: industry minister
Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Sunday he has been told the United States is not likely to hike tariffs on South Korea if the National Assembly passes a special bill on Seoul's $350 billion investment pledge to the US Kim made the remarks at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, after visiting the US to meet with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and others to discuss tariff issues and other bilateral trade matters between Seoul and Washington. "At a meeting with Lutnick, I explaine
March 8, 2026 -
Chartered plane departs from UAE to bring home 203 S. Koreans: ministry
A chartered plane departed from the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to bring home hundreds of South Koreans stranded in the Middle Eastern country amid the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States, the foreign ministry said. An Etihad Airways chartered flight carrying 203 South Koreans and their three foreign spouses departed from Abu Dhabi at 5:35 p.m., according to the ministry. The plane is expected to arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at around 2 a.m. Monda
March 8, 2026 -
Speculation grows over possible USFK redeployment to Middle East
Recent military movements in South Korea are raising questions over whether some United States Forces Korea assets could be redeployed to the Middle East as tensions between Washington and Tehran intensify. The speculation comes as the conflict in the Middle East appears increasingly likely to drag on, potentially increasing demand for US military assets and prompting the Pentagon to draw on forces stationed overseas. Such a scenario carries particular weight in Seoul. The “strategic flexibility
March 8, 2026