Wading into the rough waters of diplomacy in Northeast Asia, President Park Geun-hye has been pushing for a bold initiative to foster peace and cooperation in a region beset by security rivalries and historical and territorial disputes.Buoyed by South Korea’s enhanced diplomatic stature, the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative has fed hopes for regional trust-building, but also raised questions over its feasibility.Supporters for the NAPCI say that it might develop into a crucial mec

April 30, 2014

During the U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent state visit to Japan, the U.S. leader sided with the Japanese in a dispute with China over a group of small islands in the East China Sea. Here are other examples of the many territory disputes in the Asia Pacific region.

April 29, 2014

As Kuwait seeks to diversify its oil-heavy economy, Korea is ready to help expedite the transition by fostering partnerships in low-carbon technologies and the service and other knowledge-based industries, Seoul’s new envoy to the Gulf country said. Shin Boo-nam, former ambassador for climate change and green growth, is anchoring his hopes on Korea’s knowhow in education, healthcare and green technologies, citing these as promising areas for collaboration. “Kuwait is striving to chart its path t

April 29, 2014

This is the fifth installment in a series of interviews with chiefs of United Nations offices in Korea. ― Ed.With Korea’s advanced information technology, its know-how in e-government services could provide a key tool for developing countries to help achieve good governance and effective public administration, the head of the U.N. Project Office on Governance said. “E-government is one of the best paths to good governance that the humans have found so far, playing a key role in achieving a wide

April 27, 2014

The Polish ambassador here received an honorary academic degree from Keimyung University in an official ceremony in Daegu on April 17.Polish Ambassador to South Korea Krzysztof Majka received the degree, a doctorate in law, from the university for his “numerous significant contributions, promoting economic, political, artistic and cultural exchange between Korea and Poland,” according to a statement from the Polish Embassy.The envoy was actively involved in the summit meeting between President P

April 27, 2014

A previously unknown painting by early modern Korean artist Bae Un-seong was discovered by Czech Ambassador to South Korea Jaroslav Olsa Jr. after a yearlong search in the Czech Republic.After an exhaustive search, the ambassador said that at least two paintings by Bae, considered a founding father of modern Korean art, had been located in the Czech Republic, including the previously unknown painting by the artist titled “Weltreise (Trip Around the World).”The painting was found among a collecti

April 27, 2014

Sommeliers, importers and wine connoisseurs of all stripes swirled, sniffed and swished their glasses at a Malbec World Day wine tasting at a hotel in downtown Seoul on Wednesday.The popularity of Argentine wine has been on the rise recently following the boom in wines from its neighbor Chile, which signed an FTA with South Korea in 2004. On World Malbec Day, the embassy commemorates malbec, the South American country’s signature varietal used to make its flagship wine, said Argentine Ambassador

April 27, 2014

Even today, Africa is a continent often judged through a prism of harsh stereotypes. That makes the longevity of South African freedom all the more meaningful as the country marks the 20th anniversary of its democracy this year, according to its top diplomat here.South Africa commemorates freedom and democracy on its National Day, called Freedom Day, which takes place on April 27. “The idea of freedom, 20 years of freedom ― you know, I voted for the first time in 1994 ― is a real, real thing,” s

April 27, 2014

The leaders of South Korea and the U.S. agreed Friday to reconsider the timing of Washington’s transfer of its wartime operational control of Korean troops, scheduled for 2015, in the face of persistent North Korean nuclear threats.During their summit in Seoul, Presidents Park Geun-hye and Barack Obama also warned the communist state against conducting a fourth nuclear test, vowing further pressure and sanctions that have “even more bite.” With Seoul-Tokyo ties remaining frosty, Obama took a swi

April 25, 2014

President Barack Obama says it may be time to consider further sanctions against North Korea ``that have even more bite‘’ as the country is threatening its fourth nuclear test.Addressing a joint news conference alongside South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Obama said threats by North Korea will get it ``nothing except further isolation‘’ from the global community. But Obama acknowledged there are limits to what impacts additional penalties can have on the country.　 ``North Korea already is the

April 25, 2014

The Global Green Growth Institute is committed to crafting low-carbon development strategies for emerging countries by harnessing innovation and fostering public-private cooperation in line with Seoul’s drive for a creative economy, its new chief said. Yvo de Boer, former executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, also expressed his resolve to remake the Seoul-based international organization that has taken flak for its lax budget and personnel management in recent y

April 21, 2014