Most Popular
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Torrential rainfall forces 1,500 to evacuate, causes widespread damage to homes, roads
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[KH Explains] Can smart chargers ease tensions over EV fires?
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1 in 5 households to have breadwinner over 80 in 30 years
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[Online Predators] Online reviews of sex tourism in Southeast Asia proliferate
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Assembly to review disputed appointment of national soccer team coach
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New Fifty Fifty off to strong start
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Arrival of fall calls for more outdoor festivals
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Evicted guest burns down inn; 3 killed
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[Herald Interview] US election may unleash growth for Korea: Laffer
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[Herald Review] 'Culinary Class Wars': fresh, creative survival show minus the drama
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Japan, N.K. open bilateral talks on abductions
TOKYO (AP) ― Japan and North Korea have begun bilateral talks in Mongolia that Tokyo hopes will shed light on a series of decades-old abductions.The talks in Ulan Bator are scheduled to last through Friday. In August, lower-level negotiators from the two countries held their first bilateral talks in four years, but made little progress.Japan wants information on the abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korean agents in the 1970s and `80s. Japan believes at least one abductee may still be ali
Nov. 15, 2012
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Jill Kelley, key figure in Petraeus sex scandal, serves as 'honorary consul' of S Korea
Jill Kelley, a Tampa socialite who helped expose CIA Director David Petraeus's career-ending affair, serves as an honorary consul of South Korea, diplomats here confirmed Wednesday."The appointment of Kelley as honorary consul followed normal procedures," said Kim Hee-beom, South Korea's consul general in Atlanta. He emphasized that there was no irregularity in tapping her for the largely symbolic post.Kim's jurisdiction covers Florida, since South Korea has no consulate there. Kelley, 37, is at
Nov. 15, 2012
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[Newsmaker] Tibetan unrest in shadow of leaders’ meeting in Beijing
As the eyes of the world focused on the once-in-a-decade change of power in Beijing last week, a story of bitter protest against Chinese rule played out in the country to considerably less attention.Nine Tibetans set themselves on fire in the span of a week, with the latest case reported to have taken place on Monday. The protestor, a 20-year-old man in a village in the county of Tongren in northwest China’s Qinghai province, later died from his injuries. The deaths, along with rallies for great
Nov. 13, 2012
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S. Korea retains seat on U.N. Human Rights Council
South Korea won another term on the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday.South Korea's re-election reflects its efforts for promoting human rights around the world as a member of the 37-member council, South Korean diplomats here said.The U.N. General Assembly voted to pick South Korea and 17 other nations as members of the Geneva-based council for three-year terms beginning on Jan. 1, 2013.South Korea first became a member of the organization in 2006, when it was created to replace the U.N. Huma
Nov. 13, 2012
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[Newsmaker] BBC struggles with crisis upon crisis
The BBC, one of Britain’s most enduring and well-respected institutions, is in crisis. In a case of controversy following controversy, an episode of the broadcaster’s investigative program “Newsnight” on Nov. 2 wrongly implicated Alistair McAlpine, a Thatcher-era treasury minister of the Conservative Party, in allegations of child sex abuse.This came just a month after revelations that the BBC had canceled a “Newsnight” investigation into abuse allegations against the late Jimmy Savile, one of t
Nov. 12, 2012
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IFANS chief urges improved overseas aid policy, private sector engagement
Korea should streamline its policy process and boost cooperation with the non-governmental sector so that it can follow through with its commitment to overseas development aid despite budget constraints, a leading foreign affairs think tank said.Seoul joined the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee in 2010 to become the first member of the international community to turn from aid recipient to donor. But the country fell slightly short of its target amount of foreign aid last year. Hong Ji-in,
Nov. 12, 2012
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‘China may shun adventurism until 2020’
This is the second in the series of articles on the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China and its implications for the two Koreas and East Asia. ― Ed.China is unlikely to adopt an “adventuristic” foreign policy until around 2020 when the emerging global power is expected to surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest economy, said a renowned China scholar.Incoming Chinese leader Xi Jinping would, instead, prioritize tackling domestic challenges, such as a slowing economy, regional inequality, c
Nov. 12, 2012
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ASEAN-Korea Center trains Thai tourism officials
The ASEAN-Korea Center began on Monday a seven-week Korean language training session in Bangkok for officials from the Thai tourism, lodging and food and beverage industries to help them better accommodate increasing Korean travelers. The event is part of the institute’s Korean language education program launched early this year to improve communication skills of tourism workers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The participants will take basic courses involving reading, listening a
Nov. 12, 2012
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British Embassy welcomes all for charity dinner, raffle
For those asking for something to do this coming weekend that will also benefit a worthy cause, the British Embassy in Korea has the answer.The British Embassy is hosting a charity fundraiser on Nov. 16 for the BBC’s corporate charity “Children in Need” and local charity “Holt Ilsan Welfare Town” at the British chancery’s own Broughton’s Club in Aston Hall, locally known as the “Embassy Bar.”“Children In Need” provides grants to projects in Britain which focus on children and young people who ar
Nov. 11, 2012
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Norway offers travelers ‘detour’ in exhibition
Norway does not occupy much room in the popular imagination of many Koreans, save perhaps images of it as the wintry abode of goblins, trolls and fjords that might inhabit a Nordic fairy tale.The public can get a glimpse of a new view of Norway ― this time as a spectacular vacation destination. The Norwegian Embassy here, along with other Norwegian government offices and the Korea Foundation, brought a touring exhibition called “Detour Asia” that highlights Norway’s breathtaking natural vistas a
Nov. 11, 2012
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Egypt touts safety as part of tourism promotion
With recent headlines around the world concerning Egypt focused on demonstrations against Muhammad-defaming videos and the pro-democracy Arab Spring, one cannot be blamed for forgetting the fact that Egypt is one of the world’s main tourist destinations. Some 10 percent of Egypt’s economy and more than 20 percent of its hard currency flows depend on tourism.The Egyptian Embassy in Korea, with the Egyptian Tourist Authority by its side, assured the Korean tour agencies and travel reporters on Tue
Nov. 11, 2012
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Art fair brings Ibero-America to Korea
A slew of European and Latin American diplomatic missions in Seoul are participating, with organizer Gallery Bellarte, in the Ibero-American Art Fair Seoul 2012 at Hangaram Art Museum in Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul from Nov. 15 to 19.Gallery Bellarte brought hundreds of artworks by more than 50 artists, including pieces by art world heavyweights Wifredo Lam of Cuba, Oswaldo Guayasamin of Ecuador and Carlos Cruz-Diez and Jesus Rafael Soto of Venezuela.Gallery Bellarte created the Ibero-Am
Nov. 11, 2012
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New Lebanese envoy sees art beyond strategic ties
Korea has a strategically important relationship with Lebanon, by virtue of its 350-strong troop contingent deployed there since 2007 to help oversee a United Nations peacekeeping operation. But that relationship will now likely further expand into areas of art and culture with newly arrived Lebanese Ambassador to Korea Jad El-Hassan. El-Hassan is keenly interested in traditional Korean furniture and art, and he wants to make artistic exchanges an integral part of his posting here.“I would like
Nov. 11, 2012
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S. Korea, Thailand agree to upgrade ties to 'strategic partnership'
BANGKOK (Yonhap News) -- South Korea and Thailand agreed Saturday to launch preliminary talks and a joint study toward a possible free trade deal as their leaders pledged to upgrade relations between the two countries to a "strategic partnership."South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra reached the agreement during summit talks in Bangkok, pledging to work closely together to expand bilateral trade volume to US$30 billion by 2016, according to a joint stat
Nov. 10, 2012
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Obama to visit Asia for first overseas trip after re-election
U.S. President Barack Obama has chosen Asia as the destination of his first overseas trip since re-election, according to the White House Thursday.Obama is scheduled to visit Thailand, Burma and Cambodia Nov. 17-20, it said.The trip comes as the Obama administration pushes to rebalance U.S. diplomacy towards Asia."In Thailand, he will meet with Prime Minister Yingluck to mark 180 years of diplomatic relations and reaffirm the strength of our alliance," the White House said in a press release. "I
Nov. 9, 2012
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Korea braces for China slowdown
Following is the last in a series of articles on the future relations between China and two Koreas under next Chinese leader Xi Jinping ― Ed.A rising China has been a boon for the Korean economy as its top export market, a major manufacturing base and rich source of investment, tourism and cheap products, despite the countries’ growing competition in the world markets. Their ever-deepening ties are about to take a fresh turn as the world’s second-largest economy shifts toward domestic consumptio
Nov. 7, 2012
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Obama faces tough foreign policy challenges
This is the first in the series of articles on the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China and its implications on the two Koreas and East Asia. The first installation deals with President Barack Obama’s re-election, his foreign policy agenda and its impact on the region. ― Ed.U.S. President Barack Obama has little time to bask in the euphoria of his re-election as he faces an array of daunting foreign policy challenges including an increasingly assertive China, nuclear-armed North Korea, and
Nov. 7, 2012
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Seoul vows to double official development aid by 2015
South Korea will play a key role in devising a new global development cooperation paradigm, and more than double its assistance to developing countries over the next three years, Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said Tuesday.Speaking during the second session of the Asia-Europe Meeting held in Laos for a two-day run from Monday, Kim stressed the necessity of expanding official development aid despite global economic difficulties, according to his office in Seoul.“Development cooperation is an invest
Nov. 6, 2012
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Two religious groups permitted to visit N. Korea for exchanges
Two South Korean religious groups were this week given approval for plans to visit North Korea to promote cooperation with their counterparts in the North, Seoul‘s Unification Ministry said Tuesday.The ministry said it approved the visits of the two group whose religions originated locally, one of which follows the Dangun beliefs and the other a Cheondogyo group, to visit Kaesong on Thursday and Friday, respectively.A total of 10 officials from the groups will travel to the North during the sepa
Nov. 6, 2012
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Social protection key to economic growth: UNDP
Globalization spreads growth and risks. Trade and development have lifted many countries out of poverty but also left inequality and disintegration in their wake.To cope with the “growing pains,” countries should pursue a strategy that intrinsically combines growth and social protection in a way tailored to their unique conditions and specific needs, said Anne-Isabelle Degryse-Blateau, director of the United Nations Development Program’s Seoul Policy Center. “Social protection is actually an ess
Nov. 6, 2012