Britain 'faces relying on EU to keep the lights on this winter' as power imports soar

Korea will send a delegation to Kazakhstan to expand bilateral cooperation in the water industry and support Korean companies seeking to enter the Kazakh market, the foreign ministry said Monday. The public-private delegation will include officials from the foreign and energy ministries, nine Korean water companies and representatives from relevant state-run entities, according to the ministry. During their three-day visit through Wednesday, the delegation will meet with major Kazakh water management agencies to discuss technological cooperation, visit water and wastewater treatment facilities and review ongoing pilot projects to identify new business opportunities. The two nations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on smart water management technologies and pursued pilot projects involving Korean water industry products and technologies. "We will continue expanding water industry cooperation with Kazakhstan by matching its water management needs with advanced technologies from Korean companies," the ministry said in a release.

North Korea has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening relations with Russia at a diplomatic event, calling its ties with Moscow an "invincible" comradeship, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday. The North Korean Embassy in Russia hosted a reception marking the 78th anniversary of forming diplomatic relations between the two nations last Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The event was attended by Alexander Kozlov, Russia's minister of natural resources and chair of the North Korea-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy and Science, along with other Russian government and party officials. North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol said the bilateral ties have developed at an unprecedented level through the "most truthful" relations forged between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shin said the meeting between their leaders in 2024 has upgraded bilateral ties into a comprehensive strategic partnership and leaped toward "invincible comradely-in-arms relations," according to the KCNA. In response, Koz

A delegation of Chinese local government officials will visit Korea this week to explore ways to expand exchanges and cooperation between local governments, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The delegation, which comprises division-level officials from foreign affairs offices of Beijing, Guangdong, Jiangxi and other regions, will make a five-day visit through Friday to receive a briefing on bilateral relations, and visit industrial and cultural facilities, according to the ministry. Its itinerary also includes visits to the Saemangeum national industrial complex and relevant agencies to explore potential cooperation on the development project at the local government level. Saemangeum is a large-scale reclamation and development project on Korea's west coast aimed at creating an industrial, business and tourism hub. At a summit in November 2025, President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed ways to promote investment in the complex. The visit is part of the 2026 Korea-China Future-Oriented Exchange Program, which was launched in 1999 to invite Chinese local govern

The Union Jack is projected on the facade of the British Embassy in Korea as it hosted the 2026 King’s Birthday Party on Thursday. The event celebrated the longstanding friendship between the United Kingdom and Korea and looked ahead to continued cooperation. Courtesy of British Embassy Seoul

Eight newly appointed ambassadors presented their credentials to President Lee Jae Myung on Oct. 12 in the sixth credential presentation ceremony since the launch of the Lee administration, each arriving with distinct priorities and a shared ambition to deepen ties with one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. The Korea Times spoke with several of the envoys about their visions for their postings, ranging from renewable energy opportunities in Central America to K-pop fans from Lithuania. Honduras Viviane de Pierrefeu Midence brings more than 15 years of diplomatic experience in Europe, including postings in France and Belgium and as Honduras' permanent delegate to UNESCO in Paris. During her tenure in Korea, Midence aims to attract Korean investment in manufacturing, ports, energy and infrastructure. With 27 Korean companies employing up to 25,000 Hondurans, she hopes to position Honduras as Korea's manufacturing hub for North America. "As supply chains are reorganized, that nearshoring model is our strongest offer," she said. She highlighted opportunities under Honduras' new Energy Justic

A ruling party lawmaker, who also serves as President Lee Jae Myung's special adviser for peace diplomacy, said Monday that U.S. intelligence capabilities are "not omniscient," as he stressed the need for Seoul to strengthen its own intelligence capacity. Rep. Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) made the remarks at a parliamentary audit amid concerns over frictions in bilateral intelligence cooperation between Seoul and Washington. "The United States' intelligence assets and judgment are not omniscient nor omnipotent," Song said as he attended an audit session held at the military headquarters in Gyeryong, some 145 kilometers south of Seoul. "Intelligence assets are important factors that determine a country's fate," he stressed. Against such a backdrop, Song called for strengthening Seoul's own intelligence capabilities, noting that while the Korea-U.S. alliance is important, their national interests are not always aligned. "Our military should be equipped with self-reliant intelligence assets and judgment capabilities in order not to be embroiled in a war," he added. So

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Monday the situation at the southern border is "very unstable," noting the North is reviewing a possible resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts along the border. The remarks came after Pyongyang has repeatedly denied responsibility for a land mine explosion last month that severely injured two South Korean soldiers and dismissed Seoul's findings that land mines deliberately planted by North Korea were the cause of the blast. "Now the situation of the southern border is very unstable. A grave situation is prevailing along the southern border due to the reckless behavior of the ROK military gangsters," Kim said in an English-language statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ROK refers to the acronym of the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. Kim accused the South Korean military of threatening North Korean soldiers and heightening tension, saying such actions have "gone beyond the red line" following what she called "a fabricated 'mine explosion farce.'" She claimed the South conducted 2,8

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Taiwan’s coastguard said it warded off 16 mainland Chinese vessels in one day after they sailed into the island’s self-defined restricted waters in a coordinated, multi-pronged operation that experts say points to a shift in Beijing’s maritime pressure tactics. The vessels – 12 coastguard and research ships, as well as four fishing boats – operated simultaneously on Sunday in waters east of Hualien, south of Pingtung, southwest of Kaohsiung and around the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha Islands,...