Concerns grow over scandal’s impact on foreign policy initiatives

With the Choi Soon-sil scandal taking a toll on President Park Geun-hye, concerns are rising over possible repercussions on Seoul’s diplomatic and security initiatives, such as a trilateral summit with China and Japan, a US missile shield deployment and an intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo. The US, China, Japan and other key diplomatic partners are closely monitoring the development of the scandal involving Park’s confidante Choi, which has virtually placed state affairs at a standstill, dipl

Oct. 31, 2016

South Korea and Cuba discussed ways to boost bilateral ties Monday, holding their first economic cooperation dialogue in 57 years.

South Korea and Cuba discussed ways to boost bilateral ties Monday, holding their first economic cooperation dialogue in 57 years.The meeting of the Korea-Cuba economic cooperation committee was held in Havana, involving some 150 business leaders from the two countries, according to the Federation of Korean Industries, South Korea's largest business lobby that represents the country's top 600 companies.The meeting marked the first of its kind since the countries severed diplomatic ties in 1959,

Oct. 31, 2016

Korea's South Chungcheong Province to deepen ties with Japanese prefectures

The governor of South Korea's South Chungcheong will make a four-day visit to Japan this week to deepen the province's cooperative ties with Japanese prefectures, the South Korean provincial government said Thursday.Gov. Ahn Hee-jung is scheduled to leave for Tokyo on Friday for talks with officials of the pro-Seoul Korean Residents Union in Japan, to discuss ways to promote cultural exchanges for youths of the two countries before heading to Shizuoka, southwest of Tokyo, the next day to take pa

Oct. 27, 2016

New Zealand wants Korea to join TPP: ambassador

New Zealand's top envoy in Seoul said Tuesday she hopes South Korea will join the Trans Pacific Partnership, calling the country a "natural partner."New Zealand is one of 12 countries that have joined what is expected to emerge as the world's largest free trade block. US President Barack Obama has been pushing to ratify the pact before the end of his term. South Korea has yet to decide whether to join.Its actual implementation, however, faces uncertainty as key presidential candidates in the Uni

Oct. 25, 2016

Hungary commemorates 60th anniversary of 1956 revolution

The journal written by Hungarian librarian Gyula Csics vividly recounts the horrors of dictatorship and repression inflicted by the deceased Soviet Union. Csics -- who was 12 when the 1956 Hungarian Revolution broke out -- recorded events that unfolded from Oct. 23 to Nov. 10, when Hungarians fought and died to free their country from communist control. “Oct. 23, 1956, student demonstration: ... I was walking in the street when I saw three trucks carrying university students. They shouted, ‘Russ

Oct. 24, 2016

Turkey honors countrymen’s gallantry in Korean War

Marking the 66th anniversary of the Turkish Brigade’s arrival here to fight in the Korean War, the Turkish Embassy, the 55th Republic of Korea Infantry Division and the city of Yongin commemorated the sacrifices of Turkish soldiers last week. “When South Korea was invaded by the communist North in 1950, Turkey did not hesitate to join forces with the United Nations Coalition Forces to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, liberty and democracy,” said Turkish Ambassador to Korea Arslan Hakan Okcal

Oct. 24, 2016

‘Kazakhstan’s modernization boon to Korean investors’

Ahead of the scheduled visit of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Korea this fall, Kazakh vice minister of investment and development came to Seoul in mid-October to smooth bilateral ties and promote commercial opportunities in his country. Yerlan Khairov, the ministry’s No. 2 representative, had negotiations in Seoul with government officials, potential investors as well as companies that are operating in the Central Asian nation.“Korea has always remained a priority partner for Kazakhst

Oct. 24, 2016

Poland, Korea fete 27 years of economic partnership

The first contact between Polish and Korean government officials took place in late October of 1988 following the Summer Olympics hosted in Seoul. A series of meetings in Korea between the ministries of foreign affairs, trade and sports ripened the conditions for diplomacy, at a time when Poland was still a communist country and Korea a domineered democracy. Over the next 27 years, the two countries pushed forward their ties to become indispensable partners, sharing the commitment to human digni

Oct. 24, 2016

Dignity, investment priorities in girls’ initiatives: UNFPA

Initiatives for girls should take into account the sensitivity of the issue and respecting their dignity should be a top priority, the UN Population Fund told The Korea Herald. Korea’s Health and Welfare Ministry has recently come under fire after launching a program that requires girls from poor households to visit local health centers in person and write down their family background to be eligible to receive sanitary products. Faced with simmering criticism, the ministry changed the rules to a

Oct. 23, 2016

‘Clinton will uphold Asia refocus while hawkish in Middle East’

If elected as the next US leader, Hilary Clinton would likely continue to face a tough task in building trust with China due to the sustained strategic refocus toward Asia, while turning more interventionist in the Middle East, leading French security experts told The Korea Herald. With less than three weeks until the US presidential vote, three specialists from the Institute for Strategic Research, a think tank affiliated with the French Ministry of Defense, explored the prospects for the incom

Oct. 19, 2016

Chinese boats' overfishing dents squid haul in East Sea

South Korea's squid catch from the East Sea has been on a steady decline over the past four years due mainly to Chinese boats' overfishing, data showed Tuesday.According to the data by the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, the amount of squid sold at its 18 cooperatives along the east coast came to 67,479 tons last year, slightly down from 67,941 tons the previous year.Squid catch from the East Sea amounted to 83,566 tons in 2012, but it slumped to 75,660 tons the following year.In

Oct. 18, 2016

Spain, Korea mark soaring ties in tourism, culture

The Spanish Embassy last Wednesday celebrated its National Day -- “Fiesta Nacional de Espana” -- amid a deepening alliance with Korea that spans over diplomacy, trade, tourism and culture. The holiday on Oct. 12 marks Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World in 1492, which occurred under the auspices of Spanish Catholic monarchs. Spain and Korea established diplomatic relations in 1950, and over the next 66 years pushed forward their ties based on a shared commitment to

Oct. 16, 2016

Thailand charts knowledge economy, courts Korean investment

BANGKOK -- Thailand, once perceived to be Southeast Asia’s low-cost manufacturing hub, aims to rebrand itself as the region’s leader in the knowledge-based economy. In line with the government’s “Thailand 4.0” restructuring initiative, Bangkok is transforming the country into an entrepreneurial hot spot of information and communication technology, culture and tourism, creative industries, smart farming and advanced manufacturing. In April, a delegation of seven Thai ministers led by Deputy Prime

Oct. 16, 2016