The Korea Herald

Seoulites light candles for peace after Pakistani school massacre

Amid the hustle and bustle of Seoul’s Itaewon district on a busy Saturday night, a group of people gathered solemnly in response to an atrocity in their faraway home country. Candles in paper cups formed a large peace sign on the sidewalk in Seoul’s largest international district on Dec. 20, where some six dozen citizens joined hands in a solemn prayer vigil for the victims of Pakistan’s Peshawar school massacre on Dec. 16, in which 145 innocent people, 132 of them children, were killed.The even

Dec. 28, 2014

Seoulites light candles for peace after Pakistani school massacre

Ukrainian exhibition marks ‘Revolution of Dignity’

In Ukraine during the Euromaidan uprising last year, civil protests took the form of piano performances, painting and singing in front of riot police near the city square. The blue and yellow flags of Ukraine and the European Union were waved beside the smoke of burning tires and street food, with hardboiled Ukrainians bent on resetting the course of their country’s history. Chanting “Glory to Ukraine, Glory to Heroes,” throngs of nationalists congregated in Independence Square in central Kiev,

Dec. 28, 2014

Ukrainian exhibition marks ‘Revolution of Dignity’

Georgian wines titillate at reception

The last of this year’s embassy receptions fell on the eve of Christmas Eve, and befitting the seasonable occasion, featured red and white decorations and wine. Tables full of Georgian wine and food enriched the flavors of the annual year-end reception organized by the Georgian and Ukrainian embassies at Lotte Hotel in Seoul last Tuesday, where wine lovers sampled Georgia’s finest spirits. A variety of homey Georgian cuisines ― highlighted by vegetable and herb dishes, grilled lamb and nutty pas

Dec. 28, 2014

Japan's vice foreign minister to visit Seoul this week

Japan's vice foreign minister plans to visit Seoul this week to discuss an array of bilateral and regional issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday. Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki will fly to Seoul on Monday for a one-day visit to have talks with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yong, according to the foreign ministry. The planned meeting comes as bilateral relations have been at their lowest ebb in recent years due to Japan's attempts to deny its wartime atrocities, s

Dec. 28, 2014

U.S. hopes to seal nuke accord with Seoul early next year: envoy

United States hopes that the ongoing negotiations over revising its nuclear cooperation accord with South Korea can be completed early next year, the U.S.ambassador to Seoul said Sunday. Seoul and Washington have entered the final stretch of renewing the 1974 accord over Seoul's civilian nuclear energy use, but the two sides are widely expected to miss the year-end target of concluding the talks due to several issues, such as whether to allow Seoul to reprocess spent nuke fuel. Mark Lippert,

Dec. 28, 2014

Danish Embassy comforts orphans with Lego donations

Children’s tear-stained faces lit up with smiles at the sight of Lego blocks spread across the orphanage floor. Thanks to donations by Lego Korea in collaboration with the Danish Embassy, the children of Haesim Orphanage in Seoul will enjoy a Christmas chock-full of creative joy and wonder. The Christmas charity event on Dec. 12 was the second partnership between the embassy and Lego Korea. The donation was comprised of different Lego sets for children from babies to high-school students. Danish

Dec. 21, 2014

Danish Embassy comforts orphans with Lego donations

Juan Valdez Cafe introduces Colombian coffee to Korea

In the Hollywood film “Bruce Almighty” (2003), protagonist Bruce Nolan, played by Jim Carrey, is given a cup of coffee after an all-nighter by character Juan Valdez, wearing his trademark sombrero and poncho and holding a carriel bag. After taking a sip, Nolan sighs with relief and exclaims, “Now that’s fresh mountain-grown coffee from the hills of Colombia!” Korean connoisseurs thirsty for top-notch coffee might utter similar words of joy after visiting Juan Valdez Cafe, which opened its second

Dec. 21, 2014

Juan Valdez Cafe introduces Colombian coffee to Korea

Bulgaria marks 10th anniversary of NATO membership

As an eastern Balkan state, Bulgaria has tactfully aligned itself with hegemonic powers, including the Ottoman, German and Soviet empires, throughout its tumultuous history. Bulgaria’s London Embassy wrote, “Bulgaria has proved to be a constructive force in the region under socialist and democratic governments alike,” thanks to its strategic relations with neighboring countries.Following the fall of the Eastern Bloc in November 1989, Bulgaria became part of greater Europe by adopting parliamenta

Dec. 21, 2014

Bulgaria marks 10th anniversary of NATO membership

Equestrian spectacle steals Seoulites’ breath

A horde of muscular horses gallop at full throttle, splash water as they abruptly turn about and perform perfectly synchronized moves. Witnessing this display of equestrian art resembling a scene right out of a medieval horse-riding saga, normally introverted Korean audience members, from babies to grandmothers, let out whoops of fascination. The equestrian theatrical spectacular “Cavalia,” which kicked off on Nov. 12 at Jamsil Seoul Sports Complex’s Big Top Theater, will be performed until Dec

Dec. 21, 2014

Equestrian spectacle steals Seoulites’ breath

Int'l commission on constitutional law seeks details on South

An international commission has asked South Korea's Constitutional Court to provide a translation of its recent ruling to disband a political party accused of exercising pro-North Korean principles, officials said Sunday.The Venice Commission, made up of independent specialists, advises countries on constitutional matters. According to the officials, the commission has asked to see the full ruling statement as soon as possible. South Korea is a member of the 47-state organization.South Korea's C

Dec. 21, 2014

U.N. chief thanks S. Korea for joining fight against Ebola

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon thanked South Korean aid officials for joining the global fight against the Ebola virus, saying the contribution is "very meaningful," Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday.On Saturday, Ban met with a team of three officials from South Korea's foreign and health ministries at a hotel in Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone.The officials arrived in the West African country last week to help a 10-member medical team that South Korea dispatched to the Ebola-h

Dec. 21, 2014

Seoul urges N.K. to follow Cuba’s path

South Korea called on North Korea Friday to follow Cuba’s footsteps in improving ties with the U.S. and other nations.The U.S. and Cuba announced their decision earlier this week to end five decades of Cold War hostility and revive diplomatic ties.It has effectively made North Korea the only diplomatically isolated nation on the planet. “With this latest decision, (we) expect acceleration of Cuba’s fence-mending with the international community and hope that North Korea would actively join the t

Dec. 19, 2014

N.K. replaces deputy chief of mission to U.N. after human rights resolution

NEW YORK (Yonhap) ― North Korea has recently replaced the deputy chief of its mission to the United Nations in New York, diplomatic sources said Wednesday, a personnel change that followed the recent U.N. passage of a unusually strong human rights resolution against the communist country.“Around two weeks ago, North Korean deputy ambassador to the U.N., Ri Tong-il, was replaced and he returned to the North,” one of the sources, well-versed in U.N. matters, told Yonhap News Agency. “As far as I k

Dec. 18, 2014

Yoon embarks on seven-day trip to Middle East

South Korea’s foreign minister left for Jordan on Thursday in a seven-day visit to the Middle East to discuss ways of cooperating and security issues in the region, officials said.The trip will also take Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia, foreign ministry officials said.The move is part of Seoul’s efforts to expand its scope of diplomatic activities to the Middle East where tension between Israel and Palestine has recently intensified and the extremist Islamic S

Dec. 18, 2014

U.S. lawmaker urges Japan to apologize over wartime sex slavery

A U.S. lawmaker on Thursday called on Japan to apologize over its wartime sexual enslavement of South Korean women in the near future in the latest diplomatic pressure put on Tokyo to face up to history.Rep. Michael Honda (D-California) said it is “nonsense” to raise questions about the coercive nature of the sex slavery, adding that the issue has gained urgency as the number of surviving victims is on the decline. Only 54 victims remain alive in South Korea, with their average age standing at 8

Dec. 18, 2014

U.S. lawmaker urges Japan to apologize over wartime sex slavery

S. Korea asks China to clamp down on illegal fishing

South Korea called on China on Thursday to take "strong and effective" measures to clamp down on Chinese fishermen's suspected illegal fishing in the waters off South Korea's west coast, Seoul's foreign ministry said. South Korea made the request during a meeting with China in Shanghai. The two also exchanged views on how to cooperate better in the fishery field, the foreign ministry said. One of the major topics of the talks was Seoul's consistent concerns about Chinese fishermen's illegal fi

Dec. 18, 2014

Seoul hails US-Cuba agreement to restore diplomatic ties

South Korea expressed hopes Thursday that an agreement between the United States and Cuba to restore their diplomatic ties could help create an atmosphere that leads to an improvement in Seoul-Havana relations. In a surprise move, the U.S. and Cuba announced the agreement Wednesday to restore their diplomatic relations that were severed in 1961. The two countries have harbored ideological animosity toward one another since Fidel Castro seized power through the 1959 revolution and chose to walk

Dec. 18, 2014

Seoul FM embarks on seven-day trip to Middle East

South Korea's foreign minister left for Jordan on Thursday in a seven-day visit to the Middle East to discuss ways of cooperating and security issues in the region, officials said. The trip will also take Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia, foreign ministry officials said. The move is part of Seoul's efforts to expand its scope of diplomatic activities to the Middle East where tension between Israel and Palestine has recently intensified and the extremist Isl

Dec. 18, 2014

Mayor calls for affirmative action for migrants

With a soaring number of migrants in society, Korea should push for affirmative action measures to help curb discrimination, promote coexistence with those from various backgrounds and bring about inclusive growth, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said. The city government has been working with the International Organization for Migration for the first International Migrants Day campaign in Seoul to kick off Thursday, aimed at promoting awareness about migrants by highlighting their contributions to Ko

Dec. 17, 2014

Mayor calls for affirmative action for migrants

It’s time to recognize migrants’ contributions

2014 was the deadliest year for migrants. The International Organization for Migration reported that the number of migrants dying on migratory routes, whether at sea or on land, has more than doubled from last year to close to 5,000. In October 2013, 366 migrants died when their boat caught fire and sank off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy. Less than a year later, 500 migrants were feared dead after their ship was rammed by another boat near Malta, only days after a different vessel carrying 200 p

Dec. 17, 2014

It’s time to recognize migrants’ contributions