Renowned Spanish architect and designer Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) famously said: “The straight line belongs to men, the curved one to God.” The surreal, curvaceous contours of his boundless imagination are on display at an exhibition titled “Unique Gaudi. Barcelona” at the Seoul Arts Center’s Hangaram Art Museum from July 3-Nov. 11. A total of 170 works including sketches, sculptures, furniture, paintings, ceramics and mock-up models selected from various organizations in Spain showcase the ingen

Aug. 2, 2015

The Peruvian Embassy Tuesday celebrated its 194th anniversary of national independence from colonial Spain, amid deepening integration with Korea.The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1963 and a strategic partnership in 2012 on the sidelines of a free trade agreement that came into force that year.“Our relations have reached the highest level following President Park Geun-hye’s visit to Peru from April 18 to 21, which added new momentum in diverse fields,” said Peruvian Ambassado

Aug. 2, 2015

Fourteen high achievers from various professions in Korea will commence a yearlong study in Britain in September through the Chevening Scholarships granted by the United Kingdom government. The scholarship, established in 1983, is a global program offered to candidates who have shown potential to be “future leaders, decision-makers and opinion formers” in diverse fields, such as academia, politics, business, media, religion and civil society. The program is offered to some 700 students in more t

Aug. 2, 2015

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (left) shakes hands with Polish President-elect Andrzej Duda in Duda's office in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. The meeting came a few hours after Yun's meeting with his Polish counterpart, Grzegorz Schetyna. (Yonhap)South Korea and Poland will work together to establish peace and reconciliation on the divided Korean Peninsula, their foreign ministers agreed during a meeting in Warsaw, according to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.Foreign Minister Yun Byu

July 30, 2015

WARSAW ― The Organization for Cooperation between Railways will crank up efforts to ratify a new convention, with a special working group, which could pave the way for South Korea’s full membership and boost the pangovernmental rail industry, the agency’s chief said Wednesday.Despite Pyongyang’s unfaltering opposition to Seoul’s joining, Tadeusz Szozda gave an upbeat outlook as the Warsaw-headquartered body seeks to scrap the longstanding consensus-based decision-making procedure in favor of one

July 30, 2015

Two South Korean victims of Japan’s wartime sex slavery Tuesday filed a defamation suit against the Japanese government and companies with a U.S. court, demanding an apology and compensation for insulting them by labeling them prostitutes.The victims, including Yoo Hee-nam, 87, lodged a civil suit at a federal court in San Francisco against the Japanese government, the late Japanese Emperor Hirohito, former Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and seven Japanese companies, including Mitsui and

July 29, 2015

MOSCOW -- At the heart of this sprawling city, a storied cemetery enshrines a once high-flying Korean independence fighter alongside late Russian President Boris Yelchin, novelist Anton Chekhov, composer Dmitri Shostakovich and other luminaries: Gen. Kim Kyu-myun. Gen. Kim Kyu-myun’s memorial is laid at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow on Monday. (Shin Hyon-hee/The Korea Herald)　Kim and his wife Nadezhda are known to be the sole Koreans venerated at the Novodevichy Cemetery. Though the site is

July 28, 2015

The small Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore has good reason to celebrate five decades of progress this year. After gaining independence from Malaysia in 1965, “Singapura,” meaning the Lion City, has charted a course described as “exceptional” even by the highest global standards. The city of 5 million residents is a global hub of finance, commerce, shipping and tourism, and tops international rankings in living standard, education, health care and economic competitiveness. The golden jubil

July 26, 2015

The Colombian Embassy celebrated the country’s 205th anniversary of national independence and 53 years of diplomatic ties with Korea in a reception at Grand Hyatt Seoul on Tuesday, which was jazzed up by vivacious Latin music. “El Combosabroso,” a quintet of three Colombian and two Korean musicians, played salsa, merengue and bachata, which was met by the elated dancing of 2015 Colombian Carnival Queen Felfle Fernandez de Castro and other guests. “Our relations go beyond formalisms that characte

July 26, 2015

Robyn Lippert, wife of U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert, is well-known here as “Sejun’s mom,” one of the great examples of her having earned the hearts of South Koreans enthralled by the dedication the couple has shown to fit in.　Since arriving in Seoul pregnant last year, she has been playing a crucial part in her husband’s people-to-people diplomacy, setting her image as humble and open-minded -- a far cry from what many have seen through local magazines depicting the elegant lives of foreign envo

July 24, 2015

For a country’s external policy to fare well, it needs sufficient backing from both within and outside. It is particularly so when it comes to a defense initiative that is costly and could be perceived as a security threat to its neighbors. In this July 16 phpoto, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a plenary session at the lower house in Tokyo. (AP-Yonhap)Despite its mantra of active contribution to peace, or “active pacifism,” Tokyo’s pursuit of heavier armament and an expanded security

July 22, 2015

   This year’s August is a month of great significance to Singapore as well as Korea. The two countries will commemorate their 50th and 70th anniversary of independence respectively. In addition, this month includes another commemorative day for both countries -- Aug. 8, 1975, when diplomatic relations were formalized 40 years ago. 　Even though Korea had trade representative and consulate general offices in Singapore in the early 1970s, diplomatic relations only began some years later due to the

July 22, 2015

South Korea strongly protested Japan’s repeated claim to its easternmost islets of Dokdo in Tokyo’s 2015 defense white paper on Tuesday, demanding “rectification” and warning of a negative impact on the bilateral relationship.Kenji Kanasugi, minister and deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy, walks out of the building of the South Korean Foreign Ministry in central Seoul Tuesday, after receiving Seoul’s protest over Tokyo’s claim to Dokdo in its defense whitepaper. (Yonhap)Seoul’s cond

July 21, 2015

The leaders of South Korea and Honduras agreed Monday to bolster bilateral cooperation for the development of new energy sources and environment-friendly villages as parts of efforts to join the global drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.The agreement was reached at a summit between President Park Geun-hye and her Honduran counterpart, Juan Orlando Hernandez, at Cheong Wa Dae, officials said.After the meeting, the two leaders observed the signing of memorandums of understanding on improving

July 20, 2015

The South Korean government told foreign diplomats on Monday that the country is now safe from the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak with statistics highlighting that the disease is under control and will soon disappear. Lee Key-cheol, ambassador for Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs at the ministry, speaks during a briefing on the MERS for foreign diplomats at Seoul’s Foreign Ministry in central Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)During the second round of its briefing for embassy staff from

July 20, 2015