[Newsmaker]] Korean to lead U.N. climate change panel

A South Korean environment policy professor was elected to lead a U.N. panel on climate change, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, touting the election as an opportunity to enhance the nation's influence in the global efforts to tackle environmental challenges.  Lee Hoe-sung, professor at Korea University’s Graduate School of Energy and Environment Policy and Technology, will succeed Rajendra Pachauri from India as the sixth chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Lee Ho

Oct. 7, 2015

[Herald Interview] Japan civil group vows to defend pacifist constitution

　Public outcry persists in Japan against Tokyo’s recent legislation that expands the role of its military, and among them is a civic group led by a mom-turned-activist pushing to get a Nobel Peace Prize for those attempting to uphold the Japanese pacifist Constitution.　Despite the latest setback, the campaign will remain undeterred in their promotion of peace as the single most important value of human kind, the 37-year-old activist said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Naomi Dakasu speaks

Oct. 6, 2015

U.K. band strikes military chords in Korea

One of the oldest and best-known bands in the British Army, the Band of the Coldstream Guards, visited Korea over the weekend, sounding Britain’s forceful and disciplined military tunes in front of the public. The band performed and paraded along the Yonsei Street in Sinchon, Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Lotte World Tower in Jamsil in Seoul from Thursday to Sunday. Part of a national campaign to promote the United Kingdom’s culture and industries, the program, titled, “Great Festival Britain,” ha

Oct. 4, 2015

Danish open sandwiches in snug surroundings

The Danish Embassy is organizing a series of cooking events to introduce the country’s home cuisine and recipes to culinary explorers in Korea. The event is part of the program “Delicious Denmark,” designed to showcase Danish open sandwiches, smorrebrod and smushi, to consumers here, who are increasingly searching for different gastronomies. On Wednesday at Mad og Hygge studio in Sinchon in Seoul, journalists and food bloggers participated in a cooking session for the smorrebrod, joined by Danis

Oct. 4, 2015

Colombian carnival meets Korean folk art

A pair of Colombian traditional artists visited Korea in September to showcase the country’s carnival music and dance and engage in a cultural exchange with Korean artists. Dancer and researcher Maribel Egea Garia and instrumentalist and professor Jarry Jose Julio Arjona came to Korea on Sept. 8 at the request of the Colombian Embassy, and performed at schools and events across the country. They also took lessons on traditional Korean music and dance, provided by the Korean Classical Music Corpo

Oct. 4, 2015

Russia, Korea mark growing ties at silver jubilee

Russia and Korea last week celebrated 25 years of diplomatic relations that have moved beyond ideological differences to shared interests in the region and the world. Moscow and Seoul are now close partners in an evolving multipolar international order, drawing on their respective leverage in East Asia and Europe.Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1990, over 50 interstate and intergovernmental agreements were concluded, 27 official summits were held and bilateral trade volume has reached $26

Oct. 4, 2015

[Weekender] Interpretation: Blending art and science

Tension filled the room as a senior Seoul official sat at the negotiating table with his U.S. counterparts and a professional interpreter. Seeking to break the ice, he told them a story starting with a Korean proverb. Word for word, it was supposed to be “Too many boatmen steer a boat to the mountain.” Instead, the interpreter opted for what she believed was a more comprehensible expression, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” Yet the official, who had expected to hear “ship” or “mountain” to his

Oct. 2, 2015

[Weekender] Presidential interpreters: Insiders behind the curtain

Working beside society’s elite, they fly hundreds of thousands of miles every year on charter planes. They speak about pressing brainteasers with the top actors on the world stage. They have access to the heavily fortified Cheong Wa Dae and its inner workings, as well as those of other presidential offices around the globe. Despite their seemingly coveted call of duty, almost the only time they make the headlines is when they blunder. At times, they are bewildered by the convoluted, highfalutin

Oct. 2, 2015

Prospect of Korea-Japan summit grows

The exchange Sunday of seemingly amicable greetings between the leaders of South Korea and Japan has further boosted the prospect of a bilateral summit that has yet to be held amid territorial and historical conflicts. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at a U.N. General Assembly session on Monday. (Yonhap)During a brief encounter with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ahead of a luncheon at the U.N. headquarters in New York, President Park Geun-hye expressed her hope that they can meet

Sept. 29, 2015

Park proposes boosting cooperation with Denmark over Arctic routes

　President Park Geun-hye has proposed that South Korea and Denmark strengthen cooperation in utilizing Arctic shipping routes, which are becoming more viable as the ice in the region continues to melt due to climate change.　Park made the offer during summit talks with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Sunday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, according to Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea‘s presidential office. South Korea’s president Park Geun-hye (left) shakes hand

Sept. 28, 2015