South Korean President Lee Jae-myung used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to cast his nation’s modern history as evidence of the global body’s success and to call for renewed multilateral cooperation to confront a host of global challenges—from armed conflict to artificial intelligence. Lee also used the occasion to reaffirm his administration’s controversial stance of détente toward North Korea and to defend democratic gains at home following the removal of his predecessor.
More than 300 South Korean workers arrested during an ICE raid at a Hyundai electric battery factory in southeast Georgia last week are still being held, as their expected return flight has been delayed. Their release, previously agreed upon, has been pushed back “due to circumstances on the U.S. side,” according to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry.
South Korea has backed away from a controversial regulation targeting American tech companies after the Trump administration called it discriminatory and warned it would tilt the playing field in favor of China.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un ordered an accelerated buildup of nuclear weapons on Monday, using annual U.S.-South Korea joint military drills as justification. Speaking at the launch of the 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon, Kim labeled the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises an “obvious expression” of Washington and Seoul’s “will to provoke war.”
China’s ambassador to South Korea, Dai Bing, publicly praised the leftist government of President Lee Jae-myung for targeting conservative and anti-communist voices. Dai’s remarks came after Lee labeled peaceful anti-China demonstrations as “hate rallies” and amid reports that police are investigating conservative activists for political expression.
President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new trade agreement with South Korea Thursday evening, securing $350 billion in Korean investments into the U.S. economy and committing Seoul to a $100 billion purchase of American energy. The agreement also imposes a 15 percent tariff on South Korean goods, significantly undercutting the country's long-standing advantages in the U.S. auto market.
