The Korea Herald

South Korean War dead reunited with kin 66 yrs after death in North Korea

The remains of a South Korean soldier killed in a northwestern North Korean town during the 1950-53 Korean War were reunited with family 66 years after his death and a posthumous journey to the United States, the defense ministry said Thursday.Pfc. Lim Byung-geun was one of 12 South Korean soldiers whose remains were accidentally excavated by a U.S. team that was repatriating its own Korean War dead in 2001. Under a mutual agreement with the North, the U.S. was excavating the site of the Changji

April 21, 2016

Korea to launch preparatory body for foundation for sex slaves

South Korea plans to launch a committee as early as next month to handle preparations for a foundation tasked with supporting South Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, a government source said Thursday.The foundation is a centerpiece of last December's agreement under which the two countries agreed to settle their decades-long dispute over the so-called "comfort women." Tokyo apologized for the crime, acknowledged responsibility, and pledged to pay 1 billion yen ($9.1 million) into

April 21, 2016

Korea to sign Paris Agreement Friday

Some 150 countries including South Korea will sign a universal climate pact this week in a collective step towards the effectuation of last year's landmark deal, Seoul's ministries of foreign affairs and environment said Thursday.The U.N. will hold a high-level signing ceremony on Friday (New York time) for the so-called Paris Agreement adopted in December to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The signing is part of the process for countries to formally join the new pact.Environm

April 21, 2016

Korea, Japan hold director-general talks on sex slavery

South Korea and Japan held director-general-level talks over the implementation of last year's landmark agreement to settle the thorny issue of the latter's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.The meeting was held in Seoul, led by Chung Byung-won, director-general of the South Korean Foreign Ministry's Northeast Asian Affairs Bureau, and Kimihiro Ishikane, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau."In thi

April 20, 2016

Korea to provide $700,000 in aid to quake-hit Ecuador

South Korea plans to provide Ecuador with humanitarian assistance totaling $700,000, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, joining global efforts to support the Latin American country’s search and rescue operations following a massive earthquake. Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck (Yonhap)Saturday’s 7.8-magnitude tremor was the nation’s worst disaster in decades, leaving more than 480 killed and thousands wounded or missing. In all, the quake has affected some 450,000 Ecuadorians, with aro

April 20, 2016

Korea to provide $700,000 in aid to quake-hit Ecuador

Korea names new envoys to Vietnam, Singapore

The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday announced a roster of new ambassadors to 15 countries including Vietnam, Singapore, Uzbekistan and Finland as part of a regular reshuffle of senior envoys. Lee Hyuk, ambassador for international relations to Incheon City and former representative to the Philippines, was tapped to head the embassy in Vietnam. Lee Sang-deok, former director general for Northeast Asian affairs at the ministry, was appointed the new ambassador to Singapore. President Park Geun-hye (

April 20, 2016

Korea names new envoys to Vietnam, Singapore

China urges Russia to jointly keep strategic balance in Northeast Asia

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told his Russian counterpart that Moscow and Beijing should work together to maintain a strategic balance in Northeast Asia, in a thinly veiled warning against the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile-defense shield in South Korea.Wang made the remarks during a bilateral meeting in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, according to a script of his remarks published by China's foreign ministry on Wednesday. "China and Russia

April 20, 2016

Park to make historic visit to Iran next month

President Park Geun-hye plans to make a historic visit to Tehran next month for talks with her Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday, a move that underscores South Korea's efforts to boost ties and tap into business opportunities in the resource-rich country.The trip -- set for May 1 to 3 -- comes as Iran has emerged as a lucrative business destination following the lifting of international sanctions earlier this year.The sanctions imposed on Iran over its disputed nuclea

April 18, 2016

Korea directs overseas missions to check earthquake

South Korea ordered its overseas missions in the quake-prone basin of the Pacific Ocean to check its preparedness against natural disasters after Japan and Ecuador were hit by massive earthquakes, Seoul officials said Monday.The government has directed its embassies and consulates in the countries along the so-called circum-Pacific belt to check the number of Korean residents and tourists in the areas under their responsibility, and see if their disaster response systems are functioning.The 40,0

April 18, 2016

Sri Lanka, the land of Ceylon tea

COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka, a British colony between 1802 and 1948, was called Ceylon until 1972 when the country became a republic. Despite the name change, its hallmark produce -- tea -- has survived and fed the revival of postcolonial Sri Lanka as a national beverage. Much like Koreans who habitually drink coffee throughout the day, Sri Lankans have long taken pride in the production and consumption of Ceylon tea, introduced to the country in 1867 by British planter James Taylor. Unleashing a poten

April 18, 2016

Sri Lankan accommodations dazzle visitors

The hotel industry in Sri Lanka is rising, adding to a growing list of international accolades from guidebooks and magazines, including the Lonely Planet and the National Geographic Traveler. Along with infrastructures being built across the country, its connectivity with the world has improved, and the country welcomes tourists from all corners of the globe. Hilton Colombo, located in the capital city’s business district, offers a wide range of accommodation, from guest and executive rooms to s

April 18, 2016

Sri Lankan accommodations dazzle visitors

Sri Lanka, paradise for the restless

SRI LANKA -- Sri Lanka, known as “the Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” is a cool getaway for restive minds, offering exotic travel, fine food and superb relaxation.From pristine beaches lined with palm trees to Buddhist sites exuding beguiling beauty, Sri Lanka provides a melange of experiences for visitors.Throughout the country, Buddhist shrines, Hindu temples, churches and mosques dot the verdant landscape teeming with wildlife, flora and fauna. Religious festivals such as Kandy Esala Perahera, V

April 17, 2016

[HERALD INTERVIEW] ‘Political solution key to global humanitarian crises’

Amid the exacerbating global humanitarian crises, the world must devise a sound political solution to relieve the suffering of fellow citizens, a United Nations World Food Program officer said.“Humanitarian needs have exploded over the years which have made our work more difficult,” Rasmus Egendal, officer in charge of the agency’s government partnership division, told The Korea Herald on Monday. “We have to generate more resources to meet those needs, which are growing faster than the internati

April 15, 2016

[HERALD INTERVIEW] ‘Political solution key to global humanitarian crises’

With new Assembly, changes loom for Seoul’s foreign policy

Following the opposition camp‘s election sweep, the government is expected to face mounting calls for an overhaul of North Korea and other diplomatic and security policy, as well as a far-reaching Cabinet reshuffle, to include the foreign minister. Cheong Wa Dae appeared devastated the day after the Wednesday vote, which deprived President Park Geun-hye’s Saenuri Party of not only the majority, but also the largest share of the 300-strong National Assembly, with one official saying, “I can’t fig

April 14, 2016

With new Assembly, changes loom for Seoul’s foreign policy

[Reporter's Column] Timing matters

For foreign affairs and unification correspondents in Seoul, the defection of North Koreans has long been one of the trickiest subjects to write on. Apart from the murkiness associated with the escapees’ often months-long, arduous journey away from their oppressive homeland, reporters are not allowed to meet with or speak to those fresh off the boat -- at least during the joint questioning that opens upon their arrival and an ensuing three-month mandatory education period at the Hanawon resettle

April 12, 2016

Korea launches Ping-Pong project in Nepal for disabled

South Korea has joined hands with the U.N. and other international organizations to launch a table tennis project for people with disabilities in Nepal, as part of efforts to support the South Asian country in the aftermath of a massive earthquake last year. Dozens of senior diplomats, officials from the involved institutions and Nepalese citizens gathered for the launching ceremony of the “NepAll” initiative in Kathmandu on April 6, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. Wilfried Lemke (third f

April 12, 2016

Korea launches Ping-Pong project in Nepal for disabled

Norwegian PM to visit Korea

Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway. (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, will visit Korea from Thursday to Saturday, her first visit since her inauguration in 2013.Solberg will have a summit meeting with President Park Geun-hye and discuss bilateral and global issues. She will also be invited to the National Assembly to speak on the importance of implementing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.On Thursday, Solberg will t

April 10, 2016

UNICEF, Korea strengthen collaboration

Following the adoption of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals last year, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund is stepping up humanitarian efforts around the world and garnering Korea’s critical support, a senior agency official said last week. Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of UNICEF, director of public partnership division Olav Kjorven came to Korea to strengthen collaboration. “As Korea is becoming an increasingly important player in international affairs, UNICEF values the di

April 10, 2016

Ambassadors discuss female empowerment

Female envoys and professionals in Korea held a forum in late March to discuss empowering women in society, following the United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace on March 8. The venue at Seoul Club, titled “Empowerment of Women,” was hosted by South African Ambassador Nozuko Gloria Bam, joined by 10 female ambassadors. Korean Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kang Eun-hee and World Bank special representative Joyce Msuya also participated. “Today we recommit ourselves

April 10, 2016

India partners Korea at maiden maritime summit

India will host the first maritime summit to empower global partnerships and unveil investment opportunities, and Korea is the first single-partner country. As Asia’s third-largest economy, India has concentrated efforts to industrialize its mammoth capacities, choosing the marine sector as “a means of driving the country’s economic transformation and enhancing connections with the world,” according to Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami.A maiden undertaking, the Maritime India Summit 2016 will

April 10, 2016

India partners Korea at maiden maritime summit