The new Indian ambassador to Korea has been announced as Shri Vishnu Prakash. He is the current government spokesperson of the Indian ministry of external affairs and is set to take up his new post in Korea shortly. Prakash is taking over the role from former ambassador Skand Tayal, who returned to New Delhi in December after spending more than three years in Seoul.

Jan. 8, 2012

Kids in Korea have the chance to enjoy dance from Israel this week -- in an adaptation of a classic children’s book. The performance “A Flat for Rent” is based on a children’s story by Hebrew author and poet Leah Goldberg. The show by Israel’s Kibbutz Dance Ensemble reinterprets the famous story of quarreling neighbors -- a hen, cuckoo, squirrel, cat and mouse -- living in the same building. The colorful dance performance promises to tell what happens when the mouse packs up and vacates the apar

Jan. 8, 2012

By Kirsty Taylor North and South Korean students may apply until Jan. 17 for the chance to study in the U.K. through a prestigious scholarship. The Chevening Scholarship program allows South Koreans and North Koreans living here to travel to the U.K. for fully funded postgraduate study. Chevening alumni and director general of Korea’s National Forensic Service Chung Hee-sun praised the scholarship for helping her devote her life to her field. “When I applied for this scholarship I was just a for

Jan. 8, 2012

A new commercial officer and an investment officer are being sought to work at the Embassy of Denmark in Seoul. The embassy is seeking two experienced staff members to promote investment opportunities in Denmark to Korean companies and to assist Danish businesses wishing to enter or already active in the market here. The commercial officer will be responsible for the life science sector, including pharmaceutical products, medical devices and biotechnology. Prior experience in the sector would be

Jan. 8, 2012

Country hopes investment will follow new constitutionBy Kirsty Taylor Nepal is moving to entice Korean tourists and investors as a peace process nears conclusion with a new constitution for the Himalayan country. The top Nepali envoy in Korea, Raja Ram Bartaula, wants his country to become the world’s top Buddhist pilgrimage site thanks to the development of Buddha’s birthplace. But he said the mountainous country is still “desperate” for foreign investment to meet basic power and transport need

Jan. 8, 2012

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, considered the most active user of social networking services among South Korea‘s cabinet ministers, will hold a Twitter conference next week with the public, the ministry said Saturday.It said Kim and Ha Young-sun, a political science professor at Seoul National University, will talk about a range of foreign policy issues as the minister takes and answers questions on Twitter and Facebook.The ministry said the 100 people who registered through Twitter can attend

Jan. 8, 2012

The legacy of Vaclav Havel should inspire commitment to promoting human rights and democracy in North Korea, the director of South Korea’s Human Rights Special Committee has said. Kim Tae-hoon praised the former Czech president, who died in December, at a memorial in Seoul on Friday. “Havel’s life was a most noble one, dedicated to democracy and human rights, and I lack the words to give it due honor,” said Kim at the ceremony on the 35th anniversary of Charter 77. The leader helped author the C

Jan. 8, 2012

South Korea’s foreign ministry said its top priority in carrying out 2012 policy will be keeping the Korean peninsula stable, as a power transition in North Korea under untested young leader Kim Jong-un is likely to add up uncertainties.In the aftermath of the death of the North’s long-time leader Kim Jong-il on Dec. 17, his son -- believed to be in his late 20s -- took over power of the 1.02 million-strong military and the Workers’ Party in a relatively short period of time.However, it is uncle

Jan. 5, 2012

Seoul will request that the U.S. make an exception for Korea in the application of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 that calls for stronger measures against Iran, sources said Monday.“There is a need for the government to visit the U.S. at an appropriate time to hold discussions regarding the National Defense Authorization Act,” an unnamed government official was quoted as saying by a local news agency. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is reported

Jan. 2, 2012

UNITED NATIONS (Yonhap News) ― U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday he hopes to see tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia ease next year, saying 2012 will be a very important one for Koreans.In a New Year’s message to the people of his native South Korea, Ban also said he will provide unsparing support as U.N. chief to help reduce tensions on the divided peninsula and in the region.Ban said that the year 2012 will be “very important” for the Korean Peninsula, apparentl

Jan. 1, 2012

German film “Crazy” is to be shown at the Goethe Institut in Seoul at 7 p.m. on Jan. 6 as part of its ongoing film series.The free screenings offer German movies to the public with either English or Korean subtitles until Feb. 17. The German film “Wholetrain” will be shown with Korean subtitles on Jan. 20, and “Wahrheit oder Pflicht” will be screened with English subtitles on Feb 3. The film “Prinzessinnenbad” will then be shown with English subtitles on Feb. 17. Screenings are being held at the

Jan. 1, 2012

Young people from Korea and the Czech Republic will soon be able to take working holidays in each other’s countries. The Czech and Korean governments have signed an agreement on a Working Holiday Program to allow people under the age of 30 from both countries to stay and work in the other country for a set period of time.The agreement signed by the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg and Korean Ambassador to the Czech Republic Gabriel Oh in December and will take effect in the

Jan. 1, 2012

The Iraqi ambassador to Korea and diplomats from other Arab countries have joined a forum to help future leaders from their countries make connections here.The event co-hosted by the Foreign Ministry and the Korea-Arab Society saw 150 people including Korean and Arab students come together to promote human exchanges between the two regions.KAS Secretary-General Choi Seung-hoh along with Korea’s ambassador for public diplomacy Ma Young-sam, and the country’s director-general for African and Middl

Jan. 1, 2012

A Belarusian diplomat in Korea has been recognized for boosting cooperation between Minsk and Seoul.Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon voiced his appreciation to first secretary Dmitry Sudas at the embassy of Belarus in Korea on FridayKim Jin-man, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s International Cooperation Division congratulated Sudas on his hard work to strengthen ties between the countries, and Sudas added: “Minsk and Seoul now call each other sister cities and this would not have been po

Jan. 1, 2012