Ethiopia welcomes Korean investors, professors and engineers

The cradle of mankind, Ethiopia, is at the dawn of a national awakening. The country is undertaking a sweep of modernization programs to develop its schools, institutes and industries, to regain its past glory as a powerful and independent African nation. A team of Ethiopian officials led by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen visited Korea to sustain and fast-track this process by learning from Korea’s rapid development experience. The Ethiopian delegation met officials from Korea’s Mi

Dec. 14, 2014

Exhibition shows kaleidoscope of Canada’s Arctic wonders

The Canadian Arctic was once described as the “land that becomes large, alive like an animal; it humbles him. It is not that the land is simply beautiful but that it is powerful.” The literary eulogy continued in “Arctic Dreams,” an award-winning book by American author Barry Lopez, “Darkness and light are bound together within it, the feeling that this is the floor of creation.” Covering over 40 percent of its territory, the Arctic has long been regarded as an indispensable part of Canada’s nat

Dec. 14, 2014

Korea, Poland celebrate silver jubilee of relations

Polish Ambassador to South Korea Krzysztof Ignacy Majka (right) speaks at a reception at Millennium Seoul Hilton hotel on Dec. 8, celebrating the 25th anniversary of bilateral relations and the Polish Army Day. National Bank of Poland president and former Polish Prime Minster Marek Belka (center) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Lee Sang-kyu (left) gave congratulatory speeches. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)Poland and South Korea first made official contact during the 1988 Seoul Olympic G

Dec. 14, 2014

President steps up ASEAN diplomacy

BUSAN ― President Park Geun-hye intensified her summit diplomacy with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations Thursday as she held talks with the leaders of six ASEAN states to bolster strategic cooperation.On the sidelines of the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit here, Park held bilateral meetings with the leaders of Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore as her government strives to court the regional bloc for its economic and political potential.During a

Dec. 11, 2014

Laos beckons Korean investors, tourists

Laos, a small, landlocked country in the center of peninsular Indochina, is a land of opportunity for Korea. Laos has abundant natural resources from its rivers, forests and mountains, which are eagerly awaiting Korean investment and funding. Our country also enjoys high political stability with a low crime rate, few natural disasters and low labor costs. Laos became an independent country in 1975 and an ASEAN member state in 1997. Diplomatic relations with Korea were established in 1995, with b

Dec. 11, 2014

Korea, ASEAN kick off summit

BUSAN ― The special summit between South Korea and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations kicks off its two-day run in Busan Thursday as Seoul seeks to bolster its partnership with the geostrategically vital bloc.Seoul hosted the summit to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of its dialogue relationship with ASEAN, an increasingly crucial group for cooperation in trade, business, culture, tourism, politics and security.Under the main theme of “Building Trust and Bringing

Dec. 10, 2014

[Herald Interview] Sharing Korean development know-how via online archive

Armed with expertise and a multiethnic culture, KDI School is ready to step up its contributions to sharing Korea’s know-how on economic development through an online database, policy advisory projects, and lectures and seminars, its chief said. The Seoul-based school in 2012 launched an online archive called K-Developedia, providing free access to resources accrued over the last six decades on the country’s economic ascent. As of Dec. 10, it boasts more than 28,700 theses, academic journals, re

Dec. 10, 2014

Experts review Helsinki Process for N.K. dilemma

The Helsinki Process that helped thaw the Cold War was in focus at a seminar on North Korea’s human rights and nuclear issues at the Korea Policy Foundation building in Seoul on Nov. 20. The seminar was attended by 10 leading South Korean experts on the North, including Lee In-bae, Korea Polytechnic College Gangseo Campus president. Lee gave a lecture on what should be done on the North Korean human rights and nuclear threat issues.“Closely monitoring the unfolding human rights situations and nu

Dec. 10, 2014

Asia’s emerging growth engine

In his keynote address at the recently held ST Global Outlook Forum last month, Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuwan Yew School of Public Policy, confidently stated that Asia will experience “a new golden era of peace and prosperity over the next 10 years.” With an exploding middle class population and China fast on the heels of the United States in purchasing power parity, few can argue otherwise. The media has also been extensively covering Asia’s burgeoning growth and phrases like “pivot

Dec. 10, 2014

Korea pushes infrastructure projects in Malaysia

South Korea is pushing to participate in infrastructure projects in Malaysia, South Korea’s presidential office said Wednesday.South Korea expressed its wish to secure projects during a summit between President Park Geun-hye and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, according to Park’s office.Malaysia plans to select a successful bidder in the coming years for a $13 billion project to build a high-speed railway that stretches some 400 kilometers between Malaysia and Singapore.South Korean compan

Dec. 10, 2014