Marking the 130th anniversary of bilateral ties and 30th anniversary of founding, the French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a gala on Dec. 10 in Seoul that spotlighted its feats and future. The event at Grand Hyatt Seoul attracted some 800 guests related to France commercially and diplomatically. The theme of the event was “Impressive Normandy,” referring to the northern region in France with a rich history and culture as well as a vibrant and creative economy. “These two anniver

Dec. 19, 2016

Philippine Ambassador to Korea Raul S. Hernandez (center) poses with Dr. Lee Hong-koo (left), Asia Society Korea center honorary chairman and former Korean prime minister, and Han Sung-joo, an Asia Society board member and former foreign minister, at a ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 9, where he was conferred the 2016 Ambassador of the Year Award. Hernandez was honored for actively supporting the organization and diplomatic community here, as well as promoting relations between the Philippines and Kor

Dec. 19, 2016

Georgia’s naturally carbonated mineral water, Nabeghlavi, will be available in Korea in the foreseeable future thanks to concerted efforts by the Georgian Embassy in Seoul. The diplomatic mission has strived to strengthen bilateral ties on various fronts between the two countries since opening its office in August 2011.Nabeghlavi, renowned for its unique taste and healthy properties, is a competitive national mineral water brand in the mountainous Caucasus country. Bottling of the Nabeghlavi wat

Dec. 19, 2016

A Korean diplomat in Chile was caught harassing teenage girls on a video released Monday by a television network there, prompting officials to launch an investigation. In an episode of the reality show “En Su Propia Trampa,” which roughly translates to “Caught in Your Own Trap,“ the diplomat attempted to hug and kiss a girl, apparently saying he liked her eyes, lips and breasts. He also sought to take her into another room.Tio Emilio, who runs the program, said via his Facebook and Twitter pages

Dec. 19, 2016

Since the country began doling out development aid in 1987, South Korea has been chiefly focusing on improving education, public administration and health in recipient countries, building on its experience from a rapid economic ascent. Technology transfer and capacity building are the overarching theme across the sectors, given Seoul’s relatively small scale of official development assistance compared with that of countries like Japan and China which are investing heavily in infrastructure build

Dec. 18, 2016

A large portrait of outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was unveiled at the U.N. headquarters on Wednesday.Ban's portrait was placed next to that of his predecessor Kofi Annan on a wall at the lobby of the U.N. secretariat. Ban and his wife, Yoo Soon-taek, pulled blue cloth off the portrait in an unveiling ceremony attended by U.N. officials and diplomats from various countries. The portrait, painted by South Korean artist Lee Won-hee, depicts Ban wearing a blue tie standing next to a gl

Dec. 15, 2016

Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump should send an oral message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il shortly after taking office to propose a preparatory meeting between the two countries in a first step toward reopening formal denuclearization negotiations, a U.S. expert suggested Wednesday.Joel Wit, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University's US-Korea Institute and founder of the website 38 North, made the suggestion in a policy recommendations report to the Trump administration, saying negot

Dec. 15, 2016

With an atypical pick for secretary of state, US President-elect Donald Trump is forecast to abate his predecessor’s refocus toward Asia while toughening the stance against North Korea over its nuclear program. The billionaire real estate magnate picked ExxonMobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson to be his secretary of state Tuesday. The announcement effectively completed his foreign policy team, which includes Secretary of Defense-designate retired Marine Gen. James Mattis and Assistant to the Pre

Dec. 14, 2016

The Finnish Embassy last week marked the 99th anniversary of national independence and thriving ties with Korea centered on innovation, education and tourism.Speaking at a reception in Seoul on Dec. 6, Finnish Ambassador to Korea Eero Suominen said Finland’s image here was “extremely positive,” as Koreans have taken note of its world-class education and innovation as well as the Nordic lifestyle and welfare system. “The relations between Finland and Korea are excellent,” the envoy said. He added

Dec. 13, 2016

In part energized by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s nationwide crackdown on crime and corruption, the Philippines’ business climate has become more stable and secure, according to its commercial bureaus. Duterte’s administration has laid out its 10-point socio-economic agenda aimed at shoring up macroeconomic conditions, international competitiveness, integration into regional and global value chains, rural development, human capital and innovative capacity. The Philippine economy grew a

Dec. 13, 2016

The embassies of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland hosted a forum last week to shine light on policies and experiences related to gender equality. The event, Policy Forum on Gender Equality: Cooperation Between Korea and Nordic Countries, was held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Dec. 5 and co-organized by Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.Delving into policies aimed at utilizing female talents and breaking the glass ceiling, the seminar featured presentations by Pernille Rav

Dec. 13, 2016

The dream of Rendra Umbu Leha, an Indonesian student in Korea, is to improve his country’s health care system by commercializing prescription dispensing machines. “It takes a long time for patients in Indonesia to describe their problems to doctors,” Leha told The Korea Herald last week.“The machine would help them get accurate information about their health and facilitate medical services,” he added. “I believe it would also help fight corruption in our country, as the system would be transpare

Dec. 12, 2016

The United States has told South Korea that it is looking forward to cooperating with Seoul‘s acting president in light of the recent parliamentary passing of the presidential impeachment bill.South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday that Avril Haines, White House deputy national security advisor, spoke to Cho Tae-yong, Seoul’s deputy chief of the National Security Office, on Saturday night.Cheong Wa Dae (Yonhap)According to Cheong Wa Dae, Haines reiterated the U.S. commitment

Dec. 11, 2016

The siege of Mosul, a city in in Iraq held by the Islamic State extremist group, is making headway, and its recapture is “a matter of time,” a top Iraqi envoy to Korea said in late November.Speaking to journalists at the Iraqi Embassy in Seoul, Iraqi Ambassador Wadee B.H. al-Batti stressed that the ongoing onslaught by the Iraqi Army and US-led coalition forces had significantly weakened the IS group, adding the vital issue was safeguarding civilians. The battle for Mosul started on Oct. 17, bac

Dec. 5, 2016

The Korea America Friendship Society hosted an annual year-end reception Thursday, celebrating 66 years of military alliance and burgeoning trust and fraternity between the two countries. At the Millennium Seoul Hilton, KAFS President Han Chul-soo said despite North Korea’s growing nuclear threat and volatile peninsular circumstances, the two sides should further strengthen their alliance.“We have trusted each other and fought shoulder to shoulder in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq War and the

Dec. 5, 2016