U.S. envoy urges N. Korea to improve relations with South

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Sung Kim said if North Korea wants to improve relations with the U.S., it should first work with South Korea.Kim was speaking on U.S. policy on Northeast Asia and the Korea-U.S. alliance at a forum on Wednesday.“We have continued to make it clear to Pyongyang both publicly and privately that they cannot bypass Seoul,” Kim said.“If they want to deal with important issues, concerns, if they want to improve relations with the U.S., if they want come back to negotiatio

April 26, 2012

Ministry launches diplomatic academy

The Foreign Ministry launched a new institute to nurture competent diplomats in Seoul on Tuesday.The Korea National Diplomatic Academy will be led by former presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security Kim Byung-kook. Kim is currently the chief of the Korea Foundation. The new school was established to improve the selection process for and the quality of diplomats.The candidates will be given experience and participation oriented training for one year in order to develop them into ind

April 24, 2012

Envoy to speak on Obama’s Asia policy

U.S. Ambassador to Korea Sung Kim will speak on U.S. policy on the Northeast Asia and the Korea-U.S. alliance at a forum Wednesday.The conference, the Foreign and Trade Policy Symposium, is organized by the Asia-Pacific Policy Research Institute, a private think tank. Kim’s dinner speech will be followed by discussions by panelists including Kim Kyu-hyun, ambassador for performance evaluation at the Foreign Ministry, and Sohn Jie-ae, CEO of Arirang TV. It will be held at Yonsei University at 5 p

April 23, 2012

KOICA reaches out to corners of the globe

World Friends Korea an example of change from donation recipient to donorFor 29-year-old Noh Hayejin, experience teaching in Tanzania has changed the course of her career as well as the quality of science education for the students she taught.“I used to teach children from affluent neighbors at an expensive cram school. Then I thought I could use my talent and skill for the underprivileged deprived of adequate education,” Noh told The Korea Herald. Noh was one of the 4,397 Korean volunteers sent

April 22, 2012

Wine day brings taste of Argentina to Korea

The Argentinean Embassy has held the first celebration in Seoul of Malbec World Day. The day brings together wine-lovers around the world every April 17 and celebrates the anniversary of the development of Argentina’s wine industry by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento almost 160 years ago.Seoul was one of 30 cities across the world to mark the day with a special event at the Banyan Tree Club. “Malbec World Day is a recognition deserving of a grape of this generous flavor and color,” said Argentinean Am

April 22, 2012

Swiss, Korean innovators showcase works

A cap that allows the wearer to control a robot thousands of miles away with brain-power, a fingertip stress detector, and a alpine horn that appears to blow out light were some of the many innovations on display at the 2012 Swiss-Korean Innovation Night in Seoul. The event held at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park brought together Swiss inventors with Korean collaborators to showcase state-of-art technologies. The Lift Conference on April 18 brought together artists, researchers and young profe

April 22, 2012

Pakistani envoy tells Suwon of his country

Pakistani Ambassador Shaukat Ali Mukadam shared news of his country’s diplomatic relations with Korea during a visit to Suwon on Thursday.The ambassador gave a presentation in the city just south of Seoul to scholars of the Research Institute of East Asian Culture. The institute was established in 2005 to help increase cultural understanding throughout the region. The audience at the event included Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young, RIEAC president Kim Yong-kuk, Suwon City’s director general of culture

April 22, 2012

Kenya promotes tourism to Koreans

The Kenyan Embassy has held two tourism forums in Korea ahead of the first chartered flight from Incheon to Nairobi in June. The tourism forums in Seoul and Busan were attended by officials from Kenya Airways, the Kenya Tourist Board and Korean Air. Tourism CEOs and managers also attended to discuss current trends in Korean visitors to Kenya, preferred destinations, security for travelers and tour packages. The number of Korean tourists visiting Kenya has risen in recent years to more than 7,300

April 22, 2012

Korean awarded for work with Peru

A Korean business leader has been awarded an honor from the Peruvian government for his work to strengthen relations between the two countries. Koo Cha-Hoon, who is president of the Korean Council for Latin America and the Caribbean (KCLAC) as well as chairman of LIG Insurance Co., received the award from Peruvian Ambassador Marcela Lopez Bravo. “He has played a very good role to support and the countries of Latin America. Also he has organized many events to strengthen the relations between Per

April 22, 2012

Tunisian minister seeks Korean investment, inspiration

Tunisia and Korea’s economic relations are below his expectations, but Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem said on a visit here that Korea had much to offer the newly democratic country. The cradle of the Arab Spring is seeking more foreign investment following the popular uprisings that toppled long-ruling President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, and the country’s first democratic elections in October. “We have a long rooted diplomatic relationship, but the economic relationshi

April 22, 2012

South Jeolla governor meets with China’s next leader

BEIJING (Yonhap News) ― Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who is in line to become Beijing’s next leader, hosted Park Joon-young, governor of South Korea’s South Jeolla Province, in a rare meeting, Park said. During the Thursday meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi expressed his willingness to fully support the upcoming World Expo to be hosted by South Korea next month, according to Park.  The Yeosu World Expo is scheduled to kick off in May for a 93-day run. The event is expected to dra

April 20, 2012

Seoul snappers set for Scandinavia

Two Korean students are set to fly to Norway after coming first in a photography competition. Sookmung University business student Jung Yu-jin, 23, and Lee Jong-jin, 25, a journalism major at Kyonggi University, won the top prizes in the Norwegian Embassy’s photography contest. Hundreds of images were entered into the contest for Seoul commuters to snap themselves in creative poses in front of promotional images of the Scandinavian country at Seoul’s Samgakji Subway Station. The idea for the com

April 15, 2012

Korea set for glimpse of Guatemala

The Guatemalan Embassy and students from the country are to host their second friendship gathering in Korea on April 28. The event is being held at the Seoul National Museum of History in the Gwanghwamun, Seoul area from 12-5 p.m. It will celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Guatemala and Korea, and give people here an introduction to the country. Traditional Guatemalan food and coffee will be on offer, and cultural performances will be held at the free event hosted by the e

April 15, 2012

Ambassador swings into new position, commits to FTA

New Zealand Ambassador Patrick Rata has swung easily into his new Korean post by organizing a successful visit by his country’s Prime Minister John Key, pursuing the Korea-New Zealand FTA, and has even had time to join a local baseball team. After overseeing Key’s trip for the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit and presenting his credentials to President Lee Myung-bak in March, Rata joined Seoul baseball team the Wolfhounds for his first game, and plans to make the games a regular feature. “As well,

April 15, 2012