East Asia-Latin America forum opens in Busan

The Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation kicked off its three-day run in the biggest South Korean port city of Busan on Tuesday, bringing together foreign ministers from the two regions to discuss inter-regional collaboration and security issues stemming from North Korea's nuclear weapons development.This year's FEALAC ministerial meeting marks the eighth of its kind since the idea of bridging the regions through a regular channel was proposed in 1998. Foreign ministers from 36 FEALAC m

Aug. 29, 2017

Students eye Indonesia as new career horizon

Piqued by growing educational and employment opportunities in Southeast Asia, a select group of Korean students will study across Indonesian universities for a year starting from the fall semester through the Darmasiswa scholarship program.The one-year scholarship is organized by Indonesia’s Ministry of National Education in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs, and offered to foreign students from countries with diplomatic ties to Indonesia. Students learn about the Southeast Asia

Aug. 28, 2017

Turkish celebrations to mark blooming ties with Korea

Marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Korea, the Turkish Embassy in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism will organize a series of cultural events this week ranging from music and dance to food and a reception. This year has also been marked the year of Turkey-Korea cultural relations, whose ties stretch back over 1,500 years.The first event at the National Theatre of Korea’s Daloreum Theater in Seoul at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday will featur

Aug. 28, 2017

[Herald Interview] Planning for smart, sustainable future with Singapore

As a small city-state at the foot of peninsular Malaysia, Singapore has blazed a trail through the rough currents of international politics and business over the 52 years since its independence, which it marked on its National Day, Aug. 9. Dubbed the “Lion City,” “Garden City” or “Little Red Dot,” the cosmopolitan metropolis of 5.6 million people has a gross domestic product of $311 billion, or $55,000 per capita, making it the richest Asian country on an individual basis. As the Association of

Aug. 28, 2017

FM meets with US congressional delegation to discuss cooperation

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met a US congressional delegation Monday to discuss North Korea and pending bilateral issues.Ed Royce (R-CA), the chairman of the US House Foreign Relations Committee, arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a four-day trip with three other Congressmembers."We brought a large bipartisan delegation again here in order to express our desire to continue to build on a relationship between South Korea and the US," Royce said at the start of the meeting."We are loo

Aug. 28, 2017

Korean president calls for stronger Korea-US alliance

South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for efforts to further strengthen the Korea-US alliance Monday, which he called the foundation of peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asian region."I thank you for your efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," the president said, while meeting with a bipartisan group of US lawmakers at his presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul."I especially thank you for imposing strong sanctions and pressure on North Korea th

Aug. 28, 2017

Korean foreign vice minister to leave for US

South Korea's No. 2 diplomat is set to leave for Washington this weekend for talks with senior US officials to discuss North Korea and other bilateral issues, an official said Saturday.Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam is set to meet with US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and other senior officials on Monday, according to the South Korean foreign ministry official.The meeting came amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea's launches of two intercontinental ballistic missil

Aug. 27, 2017

Top diplomats of South Korea, Russia discuss NK nukes, Moon-Putin summit

MOSCOW (Yonhap) -- Top diplomats of South Korea and Russia on Friday agreed to closely work together to bring North Korea to the negotiating table over its nuclear programs. Foreign Ministers Kang Kyung-wha and Sergey Lavrov also shared expectations that the upcoming leaders’ summit will give new momentum to the development of bilateral ties between the two countries. Foreign Ministers Kang Kyung-wha (left) and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov (Yonhap)Kang arrived in Moscow Thursday for a three

Aug. 25, 2017

PM meets with Bulgaria's parliamentary speaker

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with Bulgaria's parliamentary speaker Wednesday and discussed ways to deepen substantial cooperation between the two countries and move their relations further forward, his office said.During the meeting with National Assembly President Dimitar Borisov Glavchev, Lee expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries will expand beyond trade and investment into areas of defense, energy and agriculture, according to a statement from Lee's office.Lee also said

Aug. 23, 2017

Vice foreign minister to attend Chinese Embassy's anniversary event

South Korea will send a vice foreign minister to the Chinese Embassy's event this week to celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid a row over the ongoing installation of a US missile defense system in South Korea."Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam will join the South Korean-based Chinese Embassy's reception in place of the foreign minister and give a celebratory speech there," ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said in a press briefing."Vice Mini

Aug. 22, 2017

Moon to hold summit with Putin in Vladivostok next month

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold a summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok next month during a trip to take part in the Eastern Economic Forum, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.The forum, to be held Sept. 6-7, will largely focus on the economic and development potentials of Russia's Far East, and possible a chance for South Korean businesses to explore new business opportunities there.However, the venue is also expected to provide a crucial

Aug. 22, 2017

'UK-Korea commerce expedient, bespoke after Brexit'

Mark Garnier, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Department for International Trade (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)After the United Kingdom formally exits the European Union, the commercial relationship between the UK and Korea will be nimbler and tailored to their particular needs and demands, according to a British politician tasked with international trade and investment. As opposed to being constrained by slow and cumbersome stipulations of the 28-member EU, the UK economy -- the world

Aug. 21, 2017

Moon says even slight conflict on Korean Peninsula may threaten many lives

South Korean President Moon Jae-in again urged the United States Monday to refrain from taking any action against North Korea that could start an armed conflict on the peninsula, saying even the slightest conflict here may cost the lives of many South Koreans and US troops."President Moon said he understands why the United States has traditionally said all options were on the table to push North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. But he said even the slightest military action will lead to a

Aug. 21, 2017

Moon urges improved Seoul-Tokyo relations despite need to address history issues

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday stressed the need to improve relations between his country and Japan to jointly deal with North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities, but still noted the need to address their history issues more fairly and squarely."The North Korean nuclear and missile issues are a matter of life or death for South Korea, but I do understand they are also a source of great concern for Japan," the South Korean leader was quoted as saying while meeting wit

Aug. 21, 2017

‘Singapore, Korea pacesetters in low-growth era’

As a small city-state at the foot of peninsular Malaysia, Singapore has blazed a trail through the rough currents of international politics and business over the 52 years since its independence, which it marked on its National Day on Aug. 9. Dubbed the “Lion City,” “Garden City” or “Little Red Dot,” the cosmopolitan metropolis of 5.6 million people has a gross domestic product of $311 billion, or $55,000 per capita, making it the richest Asian country. As the Association of Southeast Asian Natio

Aug. 21, 2017

Mexican diplomat accused of sex crime to cooperate with probe: embassy

The Mexican Embassy in Seoul said Monday its diplomat accused of sexual assault will cooperate with the police investigation.The military attache allegedly sexually harassed a female employee at the embassy on three occasions between June last year and January.  Jongno Police Station (Yonhap)He had defied two previous police orders to show up for questioning and returned to his country.  The embassy said he is currently in Seoul. "The involved officer is in Korea with the willingness to cooperat

Aug. 21, 2017

Korea to provide $300,000 to disaster-hit Sierra Leone

South Korea plans to extend $300,000 in humanitarian assistance to Sierra Leone where massive mudslides killed hundreds of people, the foreign ministry said Monday. Downpours and following mudslides resulted in the deaths of some 350 people in the capital of Freetown a week earlier. Some 600 people remain missing, while 2,000 others have been left homeless, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here. (AP-Yonhap)"The latest damage was done as Sierra Leone was struggling to recover from the

Aug. 21, 2017

China strongly warned N. Korea against further provocations at ASEAN meetings: foreign ministry

China strongly warned North Korea against additional provocations during a foreign ministerial meeting held in the Philippines earlier this month and immediately informed South Korea of the result of the talks, the foreign ministry here said Monday.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho in Manila on Aug. 6 on the sidelines of a string of meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Wang also met with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang

Aug. 21, 2017

Bereaved families to set up association about 1923 massacre of Koreans in Japan

Relatives of the victims of a massacre in Japan more than 90 years ago will launch an association next week to urge Seoul and Tokyo to shed light on an incident of Koreans killed in the turmoil after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and compensation be offered to them, a Korean-Japanese filmmaker said Monday.Oh Choong-kong, who has produced documentaries on the massacre, said the bereaved families are scheduled to hold a ceremony at the state-run National Memorial Museum of Forced Mobilization un

Aug. 21, 2017

Geopolitics come back to haunt ties as Korea, China mark 25 years of improving relations

South Korea and China have made big strides in ties over the past 25 years. The Cold War foes have become "strategic cooperative partners." Trade has surged more than 30-fold with human exchanges up nearly 70-fold. Each is among the other's most favorite tourism destinations.  However, the quarter-century anniversary of diplomatic ties is in no celebratory mood, as geopolitics are returning with vengeance amid tensions over North Korea's nuclear arms and the deployment of a US missile shield in

Aug. 18, 2017