Nigeria, Korea to boost cooperation on climate change, strengthen economic ties

The Nigerian government is responsively taking steps to address climate change, establishing a ministry for environment and advancing cooperation with Korea on climate change, Ali Magashi, Nigerian envoy to Korea, said in an interview with The Korea Herald. According to the Nigerian ambassador, Africa is the “greatest victim” of climate change. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has seen increases in drought and extreme flooding in recent years that has damaged agricult

Oct. 12, 2021

Korea Herald, Uzbek Embassy pledge to expand media cooperation

The Korea Herald and the Embassy of Uzbekistan in South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding to expand media cooperation on Thursday. A signing ceremony was held at the embassy in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Oct. 7, with Ambassador Vitali V. Fen and Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young in attendance. Uzbekistan offers many opportunities for joint investment projects, Fen said. He mentioned climate change, energy, establishing inclusive infrastructure, the transition to a low-carbon economy, and Kore

Oct. 12, 2021

ASEAN Week 2021 showcases trade opportunities, culture

ASEAN Week 2021, organized last week by the presidential committee on New Southern Policy, presented a variety of trade opportunities, potential and cultural visuals of ASEAN member countries. In congratulatory remarks at the Oct. 5-6 event, KITA chairman Christopher Ko said the New Southern region was a young and dynamic market of 2 billion people, and was developing faster than any other in the world. “New Southern region is now transforming into a new business place for global compan

Oct. 12, 2021

Top security adviser to discuss end-of-war declaration, other issues with US

A top South Korean national security official said Monday that he plans to discuss President Moon Jae-in's recent proposal for the declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War and other issues with senior US officials in Washington this week. Suh Hoon, director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, made the remarks upon arrival in the US, as Seoul strives to bring North Korea back to dialogue and pave the way for the resumption of nuclear talks between the United States and the North,

Oct. 12, 2021

DP chief asks Italian ambassador for support for end-of-war declaration

The chief of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) met with Italy's ambassador on Friday and asked for support for President Moon Jae-in's push for a declaration to formally end the Korean War. "It is a shame that the war on the Korean Peninsula remains undone," Rep. Song Young-gil, chairman of the party, said during the meeting with Italian Ambassador Federico Failla at the National Assembly. The South and the North are still technically in a state of conflict as the 1950-53 Korean War en

Oct. 8, 2021

US supports humanitarian aid for N. Korean people: State Dept.

The United States supports efforts to alleviate the suffering of North Korean people and is engaged in efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to such people in the reclusive North, a State Department spokesman said Thursday. Ned Price also noted the US would support humanitarian assistance for the North even if its efforts to denuclearize the country do not move forward. "Even when we disagree with a particular regime, we believe that we must work to the best of our ability to do all we

Oct. 8, 2021

FM Chung meets with counterparts from US, Italy, Croatia during OECD gathering

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has held a series of bilateral talks with his counterparts from the United States, Italy and Croatia to discuss bilateral cooperation on the margins of a gathering of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), his office said Wednesday. Chung is in Paris to attend the Meeting of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level, which opened Tuesday under the main theme of "Shared Values: Building a Green and Inclusive Future." So

Oct. 6, 2021

Deepened Georgia, Korea cooperation offers new grounds in post-COVID era’

South Korea and Georgia are significant strategic partners, with great potential for furthering cooperation in trade, technology and cultural exchange, says Alexander Khvtisiashvili, Georgian deputy foreign minister. He said deepened bilateral cooperation could achieve new grounds in the post-COVID-19 era.　 According to Khvtisiashvili, Georgia’s geopolitical location between the East and West makes the country a corridor of trade, capital, human and natural resources, adding that Korea-G

Oct. 5, 2021

DP leader congratulates PM Kishida on election victory, urges against Yasukuni Shrine visit

The chairman of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Friday congratulated Fumio Kishida on his recent victory in the Japanese ruling party's leadership race and urged the incoming prime minister to avoid making a diplomatic faux pas, such as visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine. "In order to resolve the strained South Korea-Japan relationship, (Kishida) should abstain from conduct that hampers the national sentiment of neighboring countries like South Korea and China, such as a visit t

Oct. 1, 2021

Top nuke envoy returns from Indonesia after N. Korea talks with US

South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, returned home from Indonesia Friday after holding talks with his US counterpart, Sung Kim, on efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea. "We've discussed various ways for humanitarian cooperation projects with North Korea, and we did again this time, on (the provision) either jointly by the South and the US, or through international organizations," Noh told reporters at the airport upon arrival. "We also explained our position on t

Oct. 1, 2021

Foreign ministry reaffirms continued efforts with US to reengage with N. Korea

South Korea remains committed to working closely with the United States on measures that would bring North Korea back to dialogue, including envisioned humanitarian cooperation with Pyongyang, the foreign ministry said Friday. The ministry made the point in a policy report for the parliamentary audit, as Seoul seeks to resume the stalled nuclear diplomacy with the North despite the regime's renewed saber-rattling with a series of weapons tests, including the latest reported test of a new anti-ai

Oct. 1, 2021

S. Korea, Uruguay to speed up negotiations for trade pact with Mercosur

South Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday it has agreed with Uruguay to make joint efforts to speed up negotiations for a free trade pact with a group of South American countries. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo plans to meet his Uruguayan counterpart, Francisco Bustillo, virtually later in the day to discuss ways to expand economic ties, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "Uruguay is one of the key partners for South Korea, as the two can make joint efforts to overcome cha

Sept. 29, 2021

S. Korea ready to promote trade ties with Japan: minister

South Korea will seek to strengthen trade cooperation with Japan amid challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a more friendly business environment will be offered to Japanese firms here, Seoul's top trade official said Wednesday. "The government will spare no efforts to promote the economic ties between South Korea and Japan," Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said during a meeting with Japanese business officials based here. "South Korea will offer an open and transparent business en

Sept. 29, 2021

Spirit of ASEAN and Korea lies in sustainable development and mutual recognition of member states’ potential.

  The spirit of the ASEAN Korea Center is in cooperation and mutual support, say officials selected from four among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- Brunei, Laos, Malaysia and the Philippines -- who are working at the South Korea-based center on a three-year term. Ahead of ASEAN Week, an annual week of events to promote the association, The Korea Herald interviewed four officials representing their nations at the ASEAN Korea Center.  Siti Maisarah Haji Majid

Sept. 28, 2021

ASEAN Week 2021 to highlight partnerships between Korea, Southeast Asian countries

The ASEAN-Korea Centre, an intergovernmental organization, will hold ASEAN Week 2021 online and offline Oct. 5-6 to highlight partnerships between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. According to the center’s Secretary-General Kim Hae-yong, the flagship event will be co-hosted by the Presidential Committee on New Southern Policy and the Korea International Trade Association. Throughout the week there will be programs on trade, investment, culture and youth. The t

Sept. 28, 2021

First Vice FM Choi to visit Pakistan for policy talks

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun will visit Pakistan this week for policy talks with senior officials there on bilateral cooperation and regional security, the foreign ministry said Monday. Choi is set to attend the 11th South Korea-Pakistan policy consultative meeting with ranking Islamabad officials Wednesday. The two countries last held the policy session in Seoul in November 2018. Choi plans to use the meeting to express appreciation to the Pakistani government for its support for S

Sept. 27, 2021

N. Korea slams Japanese PM Suga over UN Assembly speech

A North Korean researcher berated Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Sunday for his recent remarks at the UN General Assembly, stressing Pyongyang would not associate with whoever his successor will be if Tokyo's "hostile policy" toward it continues. Ri Byong-dok, a researcher at the Institute of Japan, made the remarks in a piece posted on the website of the North's foreign ministry, after Suga made the video message Friday (New York time), stressing the North's recent ballisti

Sept. 26, 2021

Poland Business Week promotes polish technology

The Polish Embassy in Seoul held the first edition of Poland Business Week on Sept. 13-17 to promote Polish companies in tech sectors such as fintech, cybersecurity and drones. The embassy said the event was aimed at bringing together internationally acclaimed Polish companies and offering them a fresh occasion to seek potential business partners in Korea. The inaugural event was held virtually due to COVID-19 but the embassy hinted that future editions could come in a hybrid form that comp

Sept. 24, 2021

S. Korea, US to hold regular defense talks next week

South Korea and the United States will hold biannual defense talks in Seoul next week to discuss regional security situations and pending alliance issues, the defense ministry said Thursday. During the 20th Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD), which will kick off Monday for a two-day run, the two sides will discuss "major pending security issues," such as the assessment of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and the policy coordination on North Korea, according to th

Sept. 23, 2021

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan to hold talks in New York amid frayed ties

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan plan to hold talks in New York this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in what would be only their second one-on-one meeting amid strained relations between the two countries. The talks between Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, are expected to take place Thursday (New York time), a day after the two held trilateral talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, officials said. It will ma

Sept. 23, 2021