Four Latin American embassies lent a hand this year for the Sejong Dream Tree Orchestra concert, the culmination of a 10-day music camp for orphans and other children from disadvantaged backgrounds, held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Seoul on Wednesday.This year’s concert marks the second iteration here in South Korea of a well-known and innovative program originated decades ago in Venezuela. El Sistema was founded in 1975 by economist and musician Jose Antonio Abreu. Dipl

Aug. 17, 2014

Singaporean Ambassador to South Korea Peter Tan hosted his fourth and final National Day celebration at the Hyatt Hotel on Tuesday by singing with his colleagues in the diplomatic corps.A large group of envoys, diplomatic spouses and friends of Singapore gathered on stage to entertain the assembled guests.“On a personal note, this is the fourth and final year I am hosting a National Day Reception in Seoul. It has been more than 3 1/2 years since my wife and I came to Korea. One of the finest thi

Aug. 17, 2014

South Korea may consider holding a long-delayed meeting between the South Korean and Japanese heads of state if Tokyo takes sincere steps toward resolving bilateral issues including the Japanese imperial army's wartime enslavement of Korean women, Seoul's foreign minister said Sunday."With next year marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (between South Korea and Japan), we would not exclude the possibility (of a Seoul-Tokyo summit meeting) if the Japanese side

Aug. 17, 2014

 VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Francis has expressed outrage at the violence aimed at religious minorities in Iraq, where fleeing children have died of thirst, and said his emissary to the region would leave Monday. In a strongly worded message during his traditional Sunday blessing, Francis said the news from Iraq `'leaves us in disbelief.''  He cited `'the thousands of people, including Christians, who have been brutally forced from their homes, children who have died from thirst during the escape

Aug. 10, 2014

Even after its two-week menu was highlighted at Terrace restaurant in the Hyatt Hotel ended on Sunday, Peruvian cuisine and culture will get one last hurrah Monday with a special demonstration of the ins and outs of the South American nation’s signature cocktail.For the first time, locals here will be able to indulge in Peru’s national liquor, pisco. Peru International Trade will sign an agreement this week with local retailers, including E-mart and Lotte, to start selling pisco. Maria Rosa Vasq

Aug. 10, 2014

More than seven out of 10 European companies are taking advantage of the free trade deal between South Korea and the European Union (EU) to promote their business opportunities, a poll showed Sunday.According to the survey on 360 major companies in 18 EU member countries, 73.7 percent of the respondents said they are aware the free trade agreement (FTA) went into effect in July 2011, and are taking advantage of it in their business.In particular, 28.1 percent said they are directly utilizing the

Aug. 10, 2014

The Malaysian Embassy’s trade promotion arm invite South Korean fashion businesses to take part in this year’s international trade exhibition, INTRADE 2014, in Kuala Lumpur, giving the South Korean fashion sector a chance to make a splash in Southeast Asia.Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, is pumping up demand for Korean fashion and other local cultural products, including cosmetics and accessories, throughout the Southeast Asian region, including Malaysia. The embassy’s trade agency MATRADE is inviti

Aug. 10, 2014

BEIJING (AP) -- Eighteen people who took part in violence that killed almost 100 people near China's border with Pakistan last month have handed themselves in to authorities, Chinese state media said Sunday.Authorities say a terrorist gang attacked a police station and government buildings in Shache county near Kashgar on July 28, killing 37 people before police shot dead 59 of the attackers.Xinjiang has experienced rising unrest in recent months blamed on militants from the region's native Musl

Aug. 10, 2014

NEW YORK, (AFP) -- Former NASCAR racing champion Tony Stewart hit and killed a driver who left his damaged car mid-race at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York, US media reported Sunday.ESPN.com said that Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, first bumped the victim's car and knocked it out of the late Saturday race. On his next time around the track Stewart then struck the driver when the victim left his car to confront the NASCAR champion on the dirt track, O

Aug. 10, 2014

NAYPYITAW -- North Korea's new foreign minister plans to hold a meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Myanmar on Sunday on the sidelines of Asia's biggest security forum amid Pyongyang's threats of another nuclear test and missile launches, officials said.Ri Su-yong, who became the North's top diplomat in April, is visiting the capital of Myanmar to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), slated for later in the day.Ri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks after the ARF's plenary

Aug. 10, 2014

The landmark meeting between White House officials and two Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual enslavement was meaningful as it provided an importance chance for American officials to hear first-hand about what the victims went through, a U.S. lawmaker said."It was a very important meeting and it was a very emotional meeting," Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) said in a telephone interview with Yonhap News Agency. "A lot of good information was shared and I think it was important that both the State D

Aug. 10, 2014

The top diplomats of South Korea and China have agreed to continue talks over whether to join a push by China to set up a new regional bank to fund infrastructure projects in Asia, China's foreign ministry said Saturday. The agreement was reached between South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during bilateral talks on Friday on the sidelines of regional security dialogue in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw, the Chinese ministry said in a statement. China

Aug. 9, 2014

NAYPYIDAW (Yonhap) ― South Korea‘s foreign minister will hold talks with his Japanese counterpart this weekend for the first time this year amid chilly bilateral relations beset by what Seoul sees as Tokyo’s historical revisionism, officials said Friday.South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se is scheduled to meet with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Saturday afternoon on the sidelines of the annual security forum hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as the ASE

Aug. 8, 2014