Doors to Korean companies open in El Salvador, says vice minister

The doors for Korean businesses, investors and projects are open in El Salvador, according to Nelson Reyes, El Salvador's vice minister of transportation, referring to a recent infrastructure project deal won by two South Korean builders. South Korea's Dongbu Corp. has won a bid for the construction of the Los Chorros road project that would expand the Los Chorros highway and connect key regions of El Salvador. Dohwa Engineering also has won its bid for the supervision of the Los Chorr

May 18, 2023

Uzbekistan, a diverse, ancient cultural crossroads

Uzbekistan is home to rich cultural diversity, fresh organic food and spiritual sites for some of the world's oldest religions. The country has all the potential of a world-class tourism ecosystem with its harmonization of cultural diversity, efficient connectivity and ongoing infrastructure development under the "New Uzbekistan" vision. The ancient civilization of Uzbekistan was a crossroads of advanced cultures. Uzbekistan's cities such as Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiv

May 16, 2023

Peru is Korea's gateway to Latin America, says vice FM

Peruvian Vice Foreign Minister Ignacio Higueras urged South Korea to partner with the Peruvian government’s "Con Punche Peru" measures in an interview with The Korea Herald last month. Con Punche Peru is a rapid execution plan initiated by the Peruvian government with investments of $1.5 billion. The plan aims to create 130,000 jobs by 2023 and recover from a critical economic situation by focusing on families, as well as the regional and national economy, to reactivate Peru&rsqu

May 15, 2023

Swiss-Korean innovation week showcases emerging technologies

The annual Swiss-Korean Innovation Week kicked off Thursday to showcase emerging technologies and topics such as quantum technology, the metaverse, artificial intelligence, ESG and advanced manufacturing. On the sidelines of the 60th anniversary of South Korea-Switzerland diplomatic relations, the event aims to create an innovative environment through exhibitions, seminars, and workshops to discuss the age of quantum technology. Starting with the exhibition "Travel Across Boundaries,"

May 12, 2023

[From the Scene] Uzbeks pin hopes for 'New Uzbekistan' on constitutional referendum

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- Nargiza Kamalova, 23, believes the constitutional referendum held Sunday will build a foundation for a "New Uzbekistan," a prosperous country with a stable economy and a better social safety net. "A referendum will help our country prosper," said Kamalova, who was on election duty on Sunday at polling station no. 747. "It will help Uzbekistan achieve a bright future." O'tkir, 42, said he was voting for the future of his child. "I am

May 3, 2023

Ambassador Failla introduces Italian food tech

Italian Ambassador to Korea Federico Failla stressed the importance of gastronomic tradition in the history of civilization while describing the most recent trends in Italian food technology at a forum hosted by The Korea Herald last month. At the Global Business Forum held in Seoul on April 19, the ambassador said such gastronomical innovation could play a significant role in further fostering Italy-Korea bilateral relations. Failla has been the top Italian envoy to Seoul since 2019. Prior to c

May 2, 2023

[From the Scene] Uzbekistan unveils policy vision for foreign investors

By Sanjay Kumar Korea Herald correspondent TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev shared visions, policies, and reforms supportive of foreign investors at the Tashkent International Investment Forum on Thursday. Started last year under the agenda of enhancing Central Asia’s role in the international investment market, the forum facilitated a solid package of firm contracts and investment agreements worth $7.8 billion. Participating parties reached agreements and implemen

April 28, 2023

[Contribution] From Tesla to Rimac -- a highway to EV mobility

Following its energy transition strategy, the European Union has announced that the production of petrol cars within the EU market will be halted after 2035, as confirmed by the European Parliament last week. Overall adherence to this goal among EU member states has thus far been encouraging. In 2021, 19 percent of all newly registered passenger vehicles in the EU were electric, with more than 1.2 million EV cars sold. In some countries, such as Norway, 75 percent of all newly registered cars we

April 25, 2023

Ukraine hopes for S. Korean arms in fight against Russia

Ukraine is hoping for South Korea's defense support in its fight against Russia, said the Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul on Monday. The comments came after President Yoon Suk Yeol said that South Korea could provide aid beyond humanitarian or financial support if Ukraine comes under large-scale attacks against civilians in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday. Korea can support Ukraine by providing state-of-the-art Korean-made defense equipment, said the embassy. "The continuation of tim

April 25, 2023

Korea Herald, Pakistan discuss 40th anniversary of ties

Pakistan's ambassador to Korea shared ideas to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Pakistan-Korea relations this year in a meeting with Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young. During his courtesy visit to The Korea Herald, Nabeel Munir suggested to enhance media cooperation through content exchange, facilitate business at many levels and activate people-to-people ties through tourism. Pakistan established diplomatic relations with South Korea in November 1983. Korean companies have made huge inves

April 21, 2023

British ambassador talks about life in NK

The British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks shared his life in North Korea, where he previously served as a foreign ambassador from 2018 to 2021, at a forum in Seoul on Wednesday. At the Korea Safety Leaders Forum, Crooks showcased photographs of architecture, modern taxis and traditional North Korean liquors that he took in 2019. He witnessed a huge gap between Pyongyang and the countryside in terms of people’s lifestyles, standards of living and infrastructure. "Bullock carts are v

April 19, 2023

[Contribution] Uzbekistan chooses path of protecting human rights, freedoms

On April 30, a referendum on amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan will be held. The new constitution is aimed to change the principle "state -- society -- person" to "person -- society -- state," in other words, to put the interests of an individual above everything else. According to the draft of the new constitution, human honor and dignity are inviolable, and nothing can be grounds for its discrimination. At the same time, ambiguities in legislation

April 18, 2023

Germany looks back on 140-year ties with Korea

Revisiting the trade, friendship and shipping treaty signed between the then German Empire and Joseon Kingdom on Nov. 26, 1883, German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel said Germany and Korea have developed a close partnership and trustful friendship in the 140 years since. The two countries established consular relations in 1954 and upgraded to full diplomatic relations in 1957. "A unique bond between German and Korean societies is the shared experience of being a divided nation,&qu

April 18, 2023

[Contribution] Uzbekistan guarantees development of sustainable education system

By Ranokhon Tursunova It is an undeniable fact that in the 21st century the success in development can only be achieved by those countries that have chosen to prioritize investment in human capital, since accumulated knowledge and information have now become strategic resources. A state system of sustainable education, which consists of pre-school, general secondary and primary vocational education, higher and postgraduate education, professional development and retraining, is well-developed in

April 18, 2023

Experts call for supply chain boost, digital trade between ASEAN, Korea

Trade ties between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc and South Korea have been rapidly developing in recent years, but they need to advance to the next step, particularly in the area of supply chain, digital trade and climate change, according to experts at a roundtable held last week in Seoul. The roundtable hosted by the ASEAN-Korea Center and the Korea Institute of International Economic Policy suggested future directions to benefit businesspeople and stakeholders with the ASEAN

April 18, 2023

Polish-Korean economic partnership gaining momentum: envoy

The economic partnership between Poland and Korea is gaining momentum, said Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski at the Global Business Forum hosted by The Korea Herald on April 5. "Poland shares many similarities with Korea in their histories, and both countries realize how to cooperate so as never to have a repetition in history," he said. Ostaszewski highlighted recent partnerships in infrastructure, nuclear energy and defense projects. He emphasized the strategic partnershi

April 18, 2023

French Navy frigate Prairial in Korea

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna reiterates French government priorities and solidarity with Korea during a reception aboard Prairial, the French Navy's Floreal-class frigate docked in Incheon on Saturday. The Floreal-class frigate is the French Navy's light surveillance warship, designed after the end of the Cold War in 1989.

April 18, 2023

Rwanda Embassy in Seoul honors victims of 1994 genocide

The Rwandan Embassy in Seoul marked the 29th anniversary of a genocide that killed more than one million people, mostly Tutsi and moderate Hutu, among others. Tutsi and Hutus are ethnic groups from the African Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes region encompasses Burundi, Rwanda, northeastern Congo, Uganda, and northwestern Kenya and Tanzania. On April 7, the embassy gathered more than 200 people at the War Memorial of Korea to participate in Kwibuka29. "Kwibuka" means to remember in

April 17, 2023

Indian envoy calls for S. Korea collaboration on startup ecosystem

Indian Ambassador to South Korea Amit Kumar said Wednesday that collaboration with Korea on India's digital transformation would create synergy, highlighting his country's emergence as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. India has gone through a vast digital transformation in banking, health, finance and governance, along with the rise of startups in the country. India has more than 100 unicorns valued at $332 billion, and is ranked third globally in the number of unicorn

April 16, 2023

New Uzbek constitution a milestone to democratization: top envoy

Constitutional reform in Uzbekistan would pave the way for a "New Uzbekistan," said Uzbek Ambassador to Korea Vitaliy Fen in a recent interaction with The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young. Uzbekistan is holding a constitutional referendum on April 30. Fen said that the referendum strengthens the foundations of social, democratic and legal statehood and upholds human rights to achieve liberalization across all spheres of life. "The life and outlook of Uzbek people are to change,&quo

April 11, 2023