The Korea Herald

China's premier: Up to Japan to hold trilateral summit this year

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday that it is essentially up to Japan to make a decision on holding this year's trilateral summit among the leaders of Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing, citing "still fragile" ties between Japan and China. The leaders of South Korea, Japan and China resumed a trilateral summit in South Korea last year, marking the first such meeting in about three years, with the aim of repairing relations strained from historical and territorial issues."As to whether the format en

March 16, 2016

China's premier says diplomacy can maintain regional stability

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday that "diplomatic means" can maintain regional stability, with tensions in Northeast Asia spiking over North Korea's nuclear test and rocket launch."It is up to regional countries to maintain stability and harmony," Li said in response to a question about North Korea's provocations and regional security issues. Li, speaking at a press conference at the end of the country's rubber-stamp parliament session, did not mention North Korea by name, but stressed

March 16, 2016

Ambassador says Korea revs up efforts to restore ties with Iran

South Korea is revving up efforts to "restore" economic ties with Iran as the resource-abundant Middle East state is generating fresh business opportunities after the lifting of international sanctions earlier this year, its top envoy to Tehran said Wednesday.During a meeting with reporters here, Kim Seung-ho said that South Korean government officials and businesses are striving to regain some of the lost ground in the increasingly competitive Iranian market with a population of 80 million. "In

March 16, 2016

Korean minister calls for Japan to faithfully carry out deal on wartime sexual slavery

South Korea's Cabinet minister in charge of women's affairs said Monday she hopes Japan will faithfully carry out a landmark agreement with South Korea on resolving the issue of Japan's wartime sexual slavery.Gender Equality and Family Minister Kang Eun-hee made the remark to South Korean correspondents in New York, saying that the December agreement with Japan is a done deal and should be respected, though critics raised objections.Kang was in New York as head of Seoul's delegation to a meeting

March 15, 2016

Yun warns of worsened Chinese ties

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Monday warned of deteriorated relations with China this year as the two nations face tensions over the planned stationing of advanced U.S. missile defense assets and Beijing’s support of peace treaty discussions with North Korea.In his opening speech at an annual meeting of chiefs of overseas diplomatic missions, however, he offered an upbeat outlook for an unprecedented gathering with the U.S. and China “in the near future.” Despite concerns over a raft of poten

March 14, 2016

[HERALD INTERVIEW] Sri Lanka touts South Korea as ideal investment partner

Moving past three decades of civil war, Sri Lanka is transforming itself into a vibrant commercial hub in South Asia, and reengaging the international community and furthering bilateral ties are key, the nation’s top envoy said.“As Korea has made miraculous progress in democracy and economy in such a short period of time, it is an exemplary model for Sri Lanka, which is starting its journey toward economic prosperity,” said Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in an interview with The Korea Hera

March 14, 2016

[HERALD INTERVIEW] Sri Lanka touts South Korea as ideal investment partner

Malaysia welcomes investment in medical devices

Malaysia is aiming to become a regional leader in health care as it pushes its industrial economy toward a knowledge-based one. Under the 11th Malaysia Plan for national development (2016-20), the medical device industry was identified as key to rapid growth alongside the aerospace, chemical, electronics and machinery sectors. Due to its strong links to manufacturing and capacities to deliver high-value-added goods, the industry is poised to lead Malaysia’s economy, which has grown at around 5 p

March 14, 2016

Malaysia welcomes investment in medical devices

Indonesia streamlines investment process

The Indonesian Embassy held a seminar in early March to woo Korean investments into the country’s burgeoning economy, which has seen sweeping reforms in recent months.Under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Indonesia has undertaken a series of stimulus measures, aimed at boosting industrial competitiveness through deregulation, facilitating infrastructure projects and strengthening law enforcement.The government recently overhauled its “negative investment list” -- a catalog

March 14, 2016

Indonesia streamlines investment process

Ethiopia, Korea cooperate on forestry

A delegation of Ethiopian environment officials came to Korea in early March to share knowledge and experience in forest management and sustainable development. Shiferaw Teklemariam, Ethiopian minister of environment, forest and climate change, told The Korea Herald that his team was interested in Korea’s policies, institutions and governance, and how they were practically implemented.Amid Ethiopia’s push to become an industrializing nation, forestry is one of the four pillars of development und

March 13, 2016

[Graphic News] Not forgetting sex slavery victims

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday in New York met with an elderly South Korean victim of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery. It was the first such meeting since Ban took the post in 2006.Ban met with 89-year-old Kil Won-ok at the U.N. headquarters, saying he respects her efforts to raise awareness of the wartime crime to make sure there will be no recurrence.The meeting came amid persistent protest over the landmark agreement in December between South Korea and Japan on resolving the sexu

March 13, 2016

[Graphic News] Not forgetting sex slavery victims

Kerry: U.S., Russia to meet Saturday on Syria ceasefire

KING KHALID MILITARY CITY, Saudi Arabia (AFP) -- Secretary of State John Kerry said US and Russian officials would meet later Saturday on Syrian opposition complaints of truce violations but that peace talks should go ahead as planned.Asked at the end of a visit to Saudi Arabia whether indirect dialogue in Geneva between the Syrian regime and opposition could go ahead as planned on Monday, Kerry said: "Yes, it can.""Our teams are meeting today with Russia in both Geneva and Amman, where very det

March 12, 2016

U.N. chief meets with comfort woman

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United Nations Secretary-General met Friday with one of the less than 50 surviving victims of Japan‘s wartime military-run brothel system known as "comfort women."Ban Ki-moon met with Gil Won-ok and Yoon Mee-Hyang, co-chair of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. 　An agreement in December between South Korea and Japan included an indirect apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a Japanese pledge to provide 1 billion

March 12, 2016

Russia, China oppose U.S. missile-defense in South Korea

MOSCOW (AP) -- The foreign ministers of China and Russia are opposing the possible deployment of an advanced American missile-defense system in South Korea.Amid escalating tensions over North Korea's nuclear arsenal, Washington and Seoul last week began formal talks on deploying the sophisticated THAAD system.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news conference Friday after meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that putting the system in South Korea would ``inflict direct harm to the

March 12, 2016

Russia, China oppose US missile-defense in South Korea

MOSCOW (AP) _ The foreign ministers of China and Russia are opposing the possible deployment of an advanced American missile-defense system in South Korea.Amid escalating tensions over North Korea's nuclear arsenal, Washington and Seoul last week began formal talks on deploying the sophisticated THAAD system.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a news conference Friday after meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that putting the system in South Korea would "inflict direct harm to the s

March 11, 2016

U.N. chief to hold first meeting with victim of Japan's wartime sexual slavery

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will hold a meeting this week with an elderly South Korean victim of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, an activist group for victims said Thursday.The 89-year-old victim, Kil Won-ok, plans to visit Ban at the U.N. headquarters on Friday, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said.The meeting will mark the first time that Ban has met with a sexual slavery victim as U.N. chief. During the meeting, Kil is expected to voice her

March 11, 2016

Four new consuls general appointed

The Foreign Ministry on Thursday introduced new consuls general for San Francisco, Sydney, Chicago and Frankfurt. As part of a regular reshuffle, it also appointed 10 directors general and four deputy directors general including those in charge of North American and Northeast Asian affairs and preparing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Shin Chae-hyun (Yonhap)Shin Chae-hyun, director general for North American affairs, was tapped as the new head of the consulate general in San Francisco.

March 10, 2016

'Comfort women' victims protest Korea-Japan deal

Elderly South Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery held protests in New York and Washington on Tuesday to oppose the landmark agreement between the governments of Seoul and Tokyo on resolving the issue.Lee Yong-soo, one of the surviving victims of the atrocity, said in a news conference in New York to mark International Women's Day that she cannot accept the deal and demanded that Japan offer a clearer apology for her suffering. In Washington, another victim, Kil Won-ok, also held a

March 9, 2016

U.N. panel finds sex slave deal wanting

The women’s rights committee in the U.N. released a report Monday which stated that Seoul-Tokyo’s Dec. 28 agreement on comfort women had failed to adopt a “victim-centered” approach, reigniting a feud here over the controversial deal on Japan’s sexual slavery of Korean women during World War II. The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women pointed out what it viewed as insufficient in a concluding observation on the women’s rights issue in Japan. In the report, the commi

March 8, 2016

Australian, South Korean artists recognized at Cultural Conversations Exhibition

Australian and South Korean artists were recognized Feb. 16 at the opening of the inaugural “Cultural Conversations Project” exhibition. Hosted by Gallery LVS, the opening welcomed the works of 14 artists across Australia and South Korea, with artists Yoon Jin-sup, Yun Suk-nam, Kim Ku-lim and Lee Kun-yong in attendance.The project, conducted by the Australian Centre for Oral History, is an ongoing history archive, giving insight into the lives and works of contemporary Australian and Korean arti

March 8, 2016

Australian, South Korean artists recognized at Cultural Conversations Exhibition

Ukraine, Korea to cooperate in education

EDUCATION COLLABORATION -- Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Marmazov (right) and Korean Deputy Prime Minister Lee Joon-sik held talks on Feb. 19 on facilitating educational cooperation between Ukraine and Korea, with plans to sign memorandums of understanding between their education ministries. Marmazov noted contributions by the Ukrainian studies department of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, where some 80 students are enrolled, while Lee acknowledged Ukraine’s visa liberalization as sm

March 6, 2016

Ukraine, Korea to cooperate in education