The Korea Herald

Park urges Abe to make decision on wartime sex slavery

President Park Geun-hye pressed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday to make a decision to resolve the issue of former South Korean sex slaves for Japan's World War II soldiers.Seoul-Tokyo relations remain badly frayed largely because of Japan's refusal to atone for its past wrongdoings stemming from its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-45. One of the key pending issues is a demand by former Korean sex slaves for an apology and compensation from Japan.Park warned that the

Nov. 13, 2015

China busts Internet scam ring involving Koreans

China's public security authorities have arrested a total of 31 South Korean and Chinese nationals for allegedly running an Internet scam ring in the Chinese northeastern border town of Yanbian. The suspects were among more than 900 people who were detained in a six-month nationwide crackdown on Internet and telephone fraud scams that typically steal victims' money through fake websites where they are asked for personal or financial information.A statement released by China's public security min

Nov. 13, 2015

Asia-Pacific news agencies to convene at summit in Seoul

Leaders of Asia-Pacific news agencies will gather in Seoul to discuss ways to expand exchanges and further cooperation, their association said Thursday.The 39th Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies Executive Board Meeting is slated for next Monday and Tuesday at the headquarters of Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading news wire agency, OANA said. This is the first time Yonhap is hosting the executive board meeting in 20 years.Some 49 leaders of 23 news agencies are expected to atten

Nov. 12, 2015

Seoul, Tokyo fail to bridge differences over sex slavery

South Korea and Japan failed to reconcile their differences over the issue of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women during their 10th round of director-general-level talks in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee Sang-deok (right), director general of Northeast Asian affairs at the ministry, and Kimihiro Ishikane, director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. (Yonhap)They agreed to hold another round of talks “at an early date” in line with their leaders’

Nov. 11, 2015

Seoul, Tokyo fail to bridge differences over sex slavery

‘Korea should go its own way’

Many in Korea have called for a shift in the government’s policy toward Japan since the beginning of this year, which marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries. They argue that Korean President Park Geun-hye’s first-ever summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Nov. 2 must mark a turning point for strained relations. Yet, doubts remain: Would Japan change its policy towards Korea if Korea does toward Japan?　Professor Hwang Jae-ho“Walk a

Nov. 11, 2015

N. Korean minister tells China to 'strengthen' bilateral cooperation

A North Korean minister told a visiting Chinese minister that Pyongyang wants to "further strengthen" bilateral cooperation with Beijing, reinforcing views that their political ties are growing warmer.Kang Ha-guk, North Korea's health minister and chairman of the North Korea-China Friendship Association, made the remarks as he greeted Li Liguo, China's civil affairs minister, at the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang late last month, according to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in North Korea.

Nov. 11, 2015

Korea, Japan hold talks on 'comfort women'

South Korea and Japan began another round of talks Wednesday aimed at resolving the issue of Korean women forced into sexual servitude for Japanese soldiers during World War II.Japanese negotiator Kimihiro Ishikane refused to speak to reporters as he walked into the Foreign Ministry building for talks with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Sang-duk.Ishikane heads the Japanese foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau.The working-level talks -- the 10th of its kind -- came amid skeptic

Nov. 11, 2015

Korea, Japan to hold talks over sex slavery

Officials of Seoul and Tokyo will resume their negotiations over Japan’s colonial-era sexual enslavement of Korean women on Wednesday, the first to be held after their leaders agreed to speed up the talks during a summit last week.Observers say that this round of talks led by directors general of each side would be a touchstone for the neighbors’ will to settle the long-festering issue within this year. They have held talks since April 2014, but no significant progress has been made.Park Ok-seon

Nov. 10, 2015

Korea, Japan to hold talks over sex slavery

‘China’s complex strategic culture raises unpredictability over use of force’

This is the fifth installment in a series of interviews with scholars and experts on China as a resurgent Asian power that is changing the regional order. This installment looks into China’s threat perceptions and its military strategy and modernization. -- Ed.　China’s “strategic culture” is a complex mixture of Confucianism, the revolutionary aspect and the West’s realist streak, raising uncertainties over its possible responses to security threats including one related to the ongoing South Chi

Nov. 10, 2015

‘China’s complex strategic culture raises unpredictability over use of force’

KOICA exhibition to recount Korea’s overseas aid history

The Korea International Cooperation Agency plans to chronicle the country’s rapid ascent from an aid recipient to an emerging donor at an exhibition in central Seoul later this month, the state aid institution said Tuesday.The event will take place from Nov. 24 for six days at the War Memorial in Yongsan, marking the 2015 Development Cooperation Week starting Nov. 23. KOICA president Kim Young-mok, Park Gi-tae ― founder of the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea focusing on cyber public diplomacy

Nov. 10, 2015

Korean lawmakers begin 4-day visit to China

A bipartisan South Korean parliamentary delegation arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a visit expected to focus on further improving relations between the two nations, a Seoul diplomat said. The 10-member delegation, led by Rep. Suh Chung-won of the ruling Saenuri Party, plans to meet with Liu Yunshan, the fifth-ranked leader of the Chinese Communist Party hierarchy, during the four-day trip. Liu held talks with North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un last month and attended a key anniversary of

Nov. 10, 2015

Korea, Japan to hold talks on 'comfort women'

South Korea announced Tuesday it will hold talks with Japan on one of the thorniest bilateral issues: Korean women forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II.The working-level meeting will open in Seoul on Wednesday, according to the Foreign Ministry. The two sides have held nine rounds of relevant negotiations since April last year.The 10th round will fall just days after the first summit between President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Seoul.They agre

Nov. 10, 2015

Korea to boost ties with post-election Myanmar

South Korea expressed hope Tuesday for improved ties with Myanmar, lauding its peaceful general elections over the weekend.In a statement, the Foreign Ministry noted that the Sunday polls were staged in a "peaceful and orderly" manner with the active participation of local people.It described the general elections as a "historic milestone" in the development of the nation's democracy."Our government expects the Myanmar government to continue reform, opening and national development on the basis

Nov. 10, 2015

U.S. human rights envoy to visit Korea

The U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues will visit Seoul later this week for meetings with South Korean officials, the State Department announced Monday.Amb. Robert King will be in Seoul Nov. 11-18 "as part of regular consultations with senior Republic of Korea officials on a range of human rights and humanitarian issues," the department said in a release without elaborating.The visit comes as the international community is gearing up to increase pressure on Pyongyang over it

Nov. 10, 2015

Korea, Iceland agree to strengthen cooperation on Arctic region

South Korea and Iceland agreed Monday to strengthen cooperation on the Arctic region, Cheong Wa Dae said, a move that could help explore the northern polar route that holds large potential for cost and saving time for shipping companies.The agreement was reached during the summit between President Park Geun-hye and her Iceland counterpart, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, at the South Korean presidential office.The two sides also agreed to push for a consultative meeting to discuss their policies on the

Nov. 9, 2015

Minister Yun calls out on N.K. in Iran

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se set foot in Tehran on Saturday as Seoul’s first top diplomat in about 14 years, meeting with top officials and urging North Korea once again to follow its path to forsake nuclear weapons and regain international confidence. Yun’s trip comes after that of former minister Han Seung-soo in 2001 and three previous rounds of bilateral talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of international conferences over the past year. The ministerial

Nov. 8, 2015

Colombia’s infrastructures open to Korean investment

Colombia is an emerging country in South America that needs expertise in upgrading its inexpedient infrastructures. The country registered a 4.6 percent economic growth last year, and to tread close to its target of 3.3 percent for this year and beyond, it requires massive investments in infrastructure and residential construction. For the period 2015 to 2035, the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos has unveiled an ambitious Intermodal Transport Master Plan, aimed at boosting nationwi

Nov. 8, 2015

Colombia’s infrastructures open to Korean investment

Ireland’s Concern Worldwide opens office in Korea

Ireland’s largest humanitarian organization, Concern Worldwide, opened an office in Korea last week, laying the ground for higher cooperation between Ireland, Korea and the world, and fund-raising in Asia’s fourth-largest economy. Founded in 1968 in the wake of the Biafra Famine in Nigeria, the organization has marked its presence in all of the world’s major crises since, tackling poverty, epidemics, broken sanitation situations and natural disasters. “Our work is driven by our humanitarian iden

Nov. 8, 2015

Ireland’s Concern Worldwide opens office in Korea

Georgian alphabet aspires for UNESCO listing

Like Korea’s Hangul, Georgia has its own alphabet. Although the script’s precise origins are unclear, it has existed for some 2,500 years, inscribed in ancient scriptures. The writing is one of the 14 predominant writing scripts around the world. It employs 33 letters that are pronounced exactly the same as in writing, being a phonemic alphabet “literally.”The Tbilisi government listed it as a national cultural heritage in March, and nominated it for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List,

Nov. 8, 2015

Georgian alphabet aspires for UNESCO listing

Ambassadors forecast rise of Indo-Pacific region

A new geopolitical concept is emerging that has far-reaching implications for the global maritime trade and security. The “Indo-Pacific” region ― comprised of the Indian Ocean’s tropical waters, the western and central Pacific Ocean and the Southeast Asian seas ― has grabbed the attention of policymakers, scholars and naval strategists worldwide. The construct has come to the fore in recent years, besetting the “Asia-Pacific” and “East Asia” in political discourse, as it better incorporates the

Nov. 8, 2015

Ambassadors forecast rise of Indo-Pacific region