There is no discussion at the US State Department of withdrawing troops from South Korea, US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell said Thursday. He made the remarks during a US Senate hearing after US Sen. Chris Coons asked whether the State Department could confirm that it was no longer considering pulling US troops out of South Korea -- a plan that was reportedly weighed by the Trump administration. Coons also asked Stilwell if he could assure the Senate tha

South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has advanced to the second round in the race to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization.   The WTO announced the results of the first round of voting on Friday, selecting five of the eight candidates to proceed to the next round. They are Yoo, Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri from Saudi Arabia, Liam Fox from the UK, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria and Amina Mohamed from Kenya. Three other candidates -- from Egypt, Moldova and Mexico

The Ministry of Education isn’t replying right away, after the Seoul City education chief suggested that first grade elementary and middle school students be allowed back into classrooms full-time. Instead, the ministry is waiting until the end of the Chuseok holiday to make a decision. An Education Ministry official said in a closed briefing with reporters Thursday that the ministry respects the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s request but is unwilling to rush any decision