[Diplomatic circuit] Yang In-mo to lead Honorary Consular Corps of Korea

Former Samsung Executive Yang In-mo was elected as the new dean of the Honorary Consular Corps of Korea, an organization of diplomats promoting friendship and cooperation among countries. Yang, the honorary consul general of Croatia to Korea, started his two-year term as the sixth dean of the corps on July 1, after a unanimous vote at a regular annual meeting on June 26.  The corps of honorary consuls in Korea consists of honorary consuls in the private sector appointed by foreign governmen

July 8, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Korea, Japan, China to discuss ways to save crested ibis in Seoul

Experts and government officials from South Korea, Japan and China will gather in Seoul next week to discuss ways to improve the environment for the crested ibis, an endangered species, an international organization said Monday. The crested ibis, a species that had mainly nested in Northeast Asia and parts of Russia, is at the brink of extinction. It is listed as Korea’s National Monument No. 198, but was last seen in the wild in 1979.  In an effort to save the species, a trilateral c

July 2, 2019

Ithra holds Saudi Arabia culture week

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, kicked off an event to promote Saudi Arabia’s culture in Seoul this week. The event has been held across the world to promote Saudi culture and history and expand cultural exchanges with other countries. In Asia, South Korea is the first to hold the event, titled “Bridges to Seoul,” which will run until Wednesday at Grand Hilton Seoul. “I am very pleased to promote the history and culture of Saudi Arabia to Korea

June 27, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Foreign minister, diplomats visit DMZ hiking trail

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Seoul-based foreign diplomats visited a new hiking trail on the eastern coast portion of the Demilitarized Zone on Saturday.Kang, ambassadors and representatives from 52 countries traveled to the DMZ Peace Trails in Goseong, Gangwon Province, which the government opened to the public on April 27 to mark the first anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration signed by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Kang said while hiking the course

June 24, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] KOICA builds biggest national museum for Congo

The Korea International Cooperation Agency on Friday held a ceremony marking the completion of a national museum in Congo, a project that was begun in 2012. The construction of the Congo National Museum in the capital city Kinshasa was funded by KOICA, a state-run aid organization. The museum will be the biggest museum in the country when it opens, KOICA said.  The South Korean aid group said it has funded $21 million for the project that is aimed at preserving cultural artifacts and to en

June 17, 2019

S. Korea, Sweden to expand ties on new industries, inclusive growth

The leaders of South Korea and Sweden agreed Saturday that their tech-savvy, like-minded countries have great potential for closer partnerships in various sectors, including in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Seoul's pursuit of inclusive growth.Speaking after a summit with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, President Moon Jae-in noted that the two-way trade volume reached an all-time high of US$2.9 billion in 2018."The amount of investment is fast increasing as well. But

June 16, 2019

[Newsmaker] S. Korea, Sweden sign MOUs on trade, economic cooperation

South Korea and Sweden have signed six memorandums of understandings (MOUs) to expand trade and cooperation in emerging industries, the government said Saturday.The MOUs were signed in line with President Moon Jae-in's visit to Sweden on the last leg of his eight-day Northern Europe trip that also took him to Finland and Norway.The agreements include those signed by the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, as well as the signings between res

June 15, 2019

S. Korea keeps membership on UN economic-social council

South Korea has been reelected as a member of a UN council in charge of economic and social issues, a position it has held since 2008, the foreign ministry said Saturday.South Korea received membership on the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from 2020 to 2022 in a vote at a UN general meeting Friday, the ministry said. It marks the country's eighth successive entry on the 54-member council.A total of 18 countries were elected to be members for the next three years in the latest election.&nbs

June 15, 2019

ASEAN cultural festival kicks off

The ASEAN-Korea Center, an intergovernmental organization, has kicked off ASEAN Week 2019 in Seoul. The ASEAN-Korea Center Secretary-General Lee Hyuk, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Thai Ambassador Singtong Lapisatepun joined the opening ceremony held Friday at Seoul Plaza and delivered congratulatory remarks.Seoul Mayor Park has pledged to strengthen ties with major cities of the 10 ASEAN member countries.First lady Kim Jung-sook, who is on an overseas trip with President Moon Jae-in, also deliv

June 14, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Africa, Korea to exchange cultural, business opportunities in 2019 Africa Week

African embassies in Korea will host events as part of 2019 Africa Week from Wednesday to Saturday in an effort to share their culture and exchange business opportunities. According to the Embassy of Egypt in South Korea, which holds chairmanship of the African Union, 19 embassies will participate: Algeria, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Zambia.  The events

June 10, 2019

[Diplomatic Circuit] ASEAN cultural festival to kick off Friday

The ASEAN-Korea Center, an intergovernmental organization, is organizing ASEAN Week 2019 in Seoul to showcase the diverse cultures of the 10 ASEAN member states. From Friday through Sunday, special events and exhibitions will be held at Seoul Plaza to raise public awareness of ASEAN cultures and tourism ahead of the ASEAN-South Korea Commemorative Summit scheduled for November this year. The center invited the citizens of Seoul and anyone with an interest in the ASEAN region to “take

June 10, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Experts discuss gender equality in Seoul

World leaders, activists and academics gathered to discuss gender equality in South Korea during a conference organized by the Canadian Embassy in Seoul on Monday. The event held in Seoul marked the opening of the Women Deliver Conference 2019, which is being held over three days in Vancouver, Canada. According to the embassy, some 7,000 participants from over 160 countries were to participate in the conference, with an additional 100,000 people joining online.  During the conference in Seo

June 4, 2019

[Diplomatic Circuit] Moon to make state visit to Sweden June 14-15

President Moon Jae-in will make a state visit to Sweden from June 14-15 at the invitation of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul said. The president will lead a delegation comprising South Korean government ministers and business representatives. First Lady Kim Jung-sook will be joining him on the trip. As a part of his eight-day Nordic visit, which begins June 9, Moon will also visit Finland and Norway.The upcoming trip is “a part of his efforts

June 3, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau to hold roadshow in June

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau will host its annual roadshow in June for travel agencies of South Korea and Sri Lanka to exchange latest industry information.The event will take place at Lotte Hotel in Busan on June 4 and Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul on June 10.  According to the tourism bureau, 10 Sri Lankan tour and resort companies will participate, and the event will provide opportunities for Korean and Sri Lankan travel agencies to hold business-to-business meetings.The bureau

May 27, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] UNICEF Korea holds forum on child-friendly urban planning

Regional government officials and experts gathered to discuss child-friendly urban planning at a forum organized by UNICEF Korea on Friday. A consultative group of regional governments held the forum with the UNICEF Korea Committee at a children’s culture center theater in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Opening the forum, Tim Gill, a UK-based children’s rights specialist, explained that creating a child-friendly city starts from understanding how children view cities. He stressed that

May 27, 2019

[Diplomatic Circuit] Swiss Embassy opens hanok-inspired building in Seoul

The Embassy of Switzerland has opened its new building that reinterprets hanok -- traditional Korean houses -- in central Seoul, in the hope that it will serve as a platform for cooperation between the two countries. “This reconstruction of the embassy is a symbol of our longstanding friendship with the Republic of Korea and of Switzerland’s sincere desire to further expand our excellent and mutually beneficial relations in all fields,” Ambassador Linus von Castelmur said during a media conferen

May 20, 2019

S. Korea's finance chief calls China competitor, partner

South Korea's finance minister has called China a competitor but also said there is ample room for expanding bilateral economic cooperation with its larger neighbor.  "China is an economic partner and a well-intentioned competitor," Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, said in a recent interview with global credit appraiser Fitch Ratings posted on its website.  Competition between South Korea and China has been intensifying in recent years as the world's second-largest economy has b

May 17, 2019

S. Korea, Switzerland hold policy talks on bilateral cooperation

South Korea and Switzerland held a bilateral policy consultation meeting in Seoul on Friday to discuss security on the Korean peninsula and in Europe, as well as bilateral cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said.Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Pascale Baeriswyl, state secretary at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, held the fifth such meeting, a key bilateral diplomatic channel on issues of mutual concern.Cho called for Switzerland's continued support for Seoul's policy of bu

May 17, 2019

Danish crown prince to visit S. Korea next week

Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, will visit South Korea next week to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the Seoul government said Thursday.The Danish royal couple are scheduled to arrive in Seoul on May 20 for a three-day trip, which will include dinner with South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, according to the prime minister's office. The Crown Prince Couple of Denmark during their visit to ESO’

May 16, 2019