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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Middle East’s big AI push lures Korean tech firms
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Arrival of fall calls for more outdoor festivals
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New Fifty Fifty off to strong start
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Assembly to review disputed appointment of national soccer team coach
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[Herald Review] 'Culinary Class Wars': fresh, creative survival show minus the drama
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Evicted guest burns down inn; 3 killed
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Darkening shadow of giant neighbor
South Korea needs to grasp China’s tendency to put priority on practical interestsSeoul officials had wished the ceremony would be held with much more fanfare.They had envisioned top leaders from South Korea and China attending the launch of a series of events scheduled throughout this year to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.To their disappointment, both sides were represented by vice culture ministers at the ceremony in the National Mu
April 10, 2012
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Nordic lyricism to sound in Seoul
Norway and Korea are set to be married in music at a spring concert in Seoul. The Norwegian Embassy and the Korea Foundation are hosting the classical music performances from prestigious Norwegian violinist Stephan Barratt-Due and his Korean-born wife Chung Soon-mi, who is a renowned violist.The award-winning duo will be joined by Korean pianist Chong Park for the performance titled “The Lyricism of Norway.”The audience will enjoy Mozart’s “Kagelstadt Trio” and “Liszt Specialist,” with Park also
April 8, 2012
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German envoy awarded honorary doctorate
German Ambassador Hans-Ulrich Seidt has been awarded an honorary degree from a Korean university. Seidt was awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy from Chonnam National University, which previously conferred the same honor on former President Kim Dae-jung. CNU president Kim Yoon-soo presented the honorary degree to Seidt on Friday at a ceremony at the university’s Gwangju campus. “Dr. Seidt has lived an exuberant life as a passionate person devoting his days on aspiration and desire of pea
April 8, 2012
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New ASEAN-Korea chief hails ‘breathtaking’ changes in Myanmar
The new secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre has hailed Myanmar’s democratic changes and new Southeast Asian opportunities for Korean firms. During his inauguration speech at the ASEAN-Korea Centre in Seoul, Ambassador Chung Hae-Moon said that Southeast Asia was experiencing profound transformations to its political and economic landscape. Democracy fighter Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won by a landslide in Myanmar’s recent by-elections, and the reformist governm
April 8, 2012
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Swiss expert calls for more green innovation
A visiting Swiss expert has said that Korea could gain an advantage over neighboring countries in the long-run by promoting green growth now. Swiss Cleantech CEO Nick Beglinger said both Switzerland and Korea should use green innovation to gain a competitive edge while here for a symposium at Sungkyunkwan University.“Korea’s case may be similar to Switzerland, which is a market with very high prices,” he said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “We can never beat some of our surrounding marke
April 8, 2012
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Nigerian educators learning from Korean development
Nigerian teachers are visiting Korea this month to learn how high-tech teaching methods here could translate into better education in their country. The visit to Seoul, Gyeongju, Busan, and Inje by 23 teachers from April 1-22 closely follows a trip by education bosses from the African nation. Education Ministry Deputy Director Awofisayo Olufunke said that Korean teaching through information and communications technology was “out of this world” during her visit sponsored by the Korea Internationa
April 8, 2012
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Japan report claims Dokdo as its own
The government expressed deep regret over Japan’s reiterating of its claims over South Korean islets of Dokdo on Friday.On Friday the Japanese government released a diplomatic report claiming Dokdo as Japanese territory, prompting Seoul to issue a statement refuting the claims. With the development coming days after Japan approved new set of textbooks that claim Dokdo as Japanese territory, Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has responded with unusually firm stance. On March 27, new t
April 6, 2012
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Japan again claims Dokdo as its own in diplomatic report
The Japanese government released a diplomatic report reiterating its claims over South Korean islets of Dokdo on Friday adding further pressure on strained relations.With the development coming days after Japan approved new set of textbooks that claim Dokdo as Japanese territory, Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has responded with unusual firm stance. On March 27, new textbooks citing Dokdo as Japanese territory were released, rekindling concerns over Japan’s continued distortion of
April 6, 2012
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U.S. congressmen to visit Seoul ahead of N.K. launch
A delegation of U.S. Republican congressmen will visit South Korea this week to inspect security conditions, officials said Thursday, as North Korea presses ahead with its plan to launch a long-range rocket. The five U.S. lawmakers, including Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Richard Burr of North Carolina, are scheduled to arrive in Seoul Friday for a three-day visit during which they will meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, the ministry said in a statement. They also plan to vi
April 5, 2012
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Japan to approve annual diplomacy report renewing claim to Dokdo
Japan's cabinet plans to approve an annual foreign policy report Friday that renews Tokyo's territorial claim to Seoul's easternmost islets of Dokdo, a diplomatic source said Thursday. In a move certain to deepen diplomatic tension with South Korea, the Diplomatic Blue Book 2012 will reiterate claims that Dokdo is Japanese territory historically and under international law, the source said on cond
April 5, 2012
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ASEAN pivotal in Korea’s global presence
Chung calls for closer ties with Korea’s second-largest trading blocEven though South Korea has seen its economy rapidly growing over the past several decades, its GDP accounts for only about 1.7 percent of the world’s GDP.Should Korea meaningfully raise its voice and power in the international community, the GDP ratio of Korea could be at least 3 percent ― and an integrated Association of Southeast Asian Nations will play a pivotal role in helping Korea reach that goal, said Chung Hae-moon, sec
April 4, 2012
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Russia likely to seek greater influence on Koreas
Putin’s return to presidency may strengthen Moscow’s engagement with two KoreasIn his phone conversation with President Lee Myung-bak days after being reelected Russian president on March 4, Vladimir Putin pledged to help improve inter-Korean ties and discussed a deal for Russia to pipe natural gas to South Korea through North Korea.Putin was quoted by aides to Lee as saying he would “pay attention” to the project to build a gas pipeline passing through the three nations.The remark reflected th
April 3, 2012
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S. Korea, Italy sign revised pact to prevent double taxation
South Korea and Italy inked a revised pact on double taxation prevention Tuesday to help expand investment and trade between the two countries, officials said. The pact, an amended protocol of a 1989 agreement, was signed in Seoul between First Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Ho-young and Italian Ambassador to South Korea, Sergio Mercuri. The signing of the revised agreement came a week after President Lee Myung-bak and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of th
April 3, 2012
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Uzbek asylum seeker deported for holding fake passport
An Uzbek asylum seeker in South Korea was recently deported to his native country for holding a fake passport, officials said Tuesday, a move likely to spark controversy amid Seoul’s protests over China’s similar treatment of North Korean defectors.The Uzbek national, whose identity was withheld, was sent home from South Korea’s Incheon International Airport two weeks ago, immediately after he was denied refugee status by Seoul’s Immigration Office, according to a source close to the asylum seek
April 3, 2012
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Seoul to offer $1m in aid for Syrian opposition
The South Korean government will provide $1 million in humanitarian assistance for the Syrian opposition, joining a series of international efforts to help end the bloody crackdown by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, government officials said.“The Syrian government has been using military force against protesters over a number of months, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the country by leaving some 9,000 people dead and 40,000 seeking asylum abroad,” the Foreign Ministry said in a sta
April 2, 2012
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Bangladesh celebrates independence
The Bangladeshi ambassador praised his country’s ties with Korea while celebrating its national day. Shahidul Islam marked the 41st anniversary of Bangladeshi Independence with a reception in Seoul on Thursday, where he paid respects to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.“We pay our humble tribute to the 3 million martyrs of the War of Liberation,” he added. “We pay our deepest homage to the valiant freedom fighters who gave their life so tha
April 1, 2012
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Students to get insight into Russia, Belarus
The top Russian and Belarusian envoys to Korea are to host a forum for students interested in their countries on April 7. Russian Ambassador Konstantin Vasilievich Vnukov and Belarusian Ambassador Natalia Zhylevich will deliver speeches to students from more than 30 Korean universities at the forum at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies’ Aegun Hall.A Q&A session will also be held by diplomats, as well as professors who have studied in the countries, with a chance for Russian language students t
April 1, 2012
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Czech minister meets Korean conglomerates
The Czech deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs met the main Korean investors in his country’s economy while in Seoul last week. Karel Schwarzenberg met representatives from Hyundai Motor Company, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, Hanwha and GS Caltex while in Korea to attend the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. He also met representatives from Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, as well as Korean Air, which has been operating direct flights from Incheon to Prague four
April 1, 2012
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Australia picks ambassadors for Expo
Australia has appointed two honorary ambassadors to promote its participation in the 2012 Yeosu Expo in Korea. The Australian government held an event at the Sydney Opera House to appoint swimmer Ian Thorpe and Korean-born Australian fashion designer Bae Yeo-jin as honorary ambassadors for the international event to run from May 12 to Aug. 12 this year. Bae kicked off her honorary ambassadorship by presenting awards to winners of a uniform design competition that had taken place in Sydney. Cheri
April 1, 2012
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Celebration marks Korean-Iranian ties
The finer details may have been hidden from all except those fluent in both Persian and Korean, but it didn’t take long to understand what was happening. With actors on one side of the stage speaking Iran’s official language, and actors on the other side speaking Korean while dressed in the garb of Korea’s bygone times, it soon became clear that this was the story of how the two peoples first came into contact. The dramatic performance, backed by Iranian musicians playing traditional Persian ins
April 1, 2012