[Herald Interview] How Sweden’s trustworthy diplomacy aids inter-Korean dynamics

Swedish Ambassador to Korea Jakob Hallgren (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)Sweden’s diplomacy -- centered on neutrality, peace and humanitarianism -- has won plaudits the world over. Some pundits say it goes deeper than other Nordic nations’ individual commitments.As the two Koreas step up their efforts to achieve reconciliation and advance cooperation, Sweden can play a special role as an honest broker and authority on disarmament and nonproliferation, according to the country’s top envoy here. “Swe

Oct. 29, 2018

Ambassadors discuss merits of Hangeul

Before starting his tenure here, Singaporean Ambassador Yip Wei Kiat took a semester learning the Korean language at a university in Seoul four years ago. Now nearing the end of his ambassadorship, he can read and write Korean, even if he is not fully cognizant of the meaning. “King Sejong’s creation of Hangeul is amazing, because it provided opportunities for all Koreans, including the commoners, to learn their own language,” he told The Korea Herald during a tour of the National Hangeul Museum

Oct. 29, 2018

‘Iran, Korea will wade through tough times as true friends’

Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Badamchi Shabestari (Iranian Embassy)New Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Badamchi Shabestari said he will do his utmost to strengthen bilateral ties based on the two nations’ historic friendship, which goes back more than 1,000 years. “Like the Korean saying, ‘A friend who helps in times of difficulty is a true friend,’ we hope that our friendly ties will continue with the support of the Korean people and cooperation,” he told The Korea Herald. “The people of

Oct. 29, 2018

[Herald Interview] ‘Future of Malaysia, Korea lies in ASEAN’: international trade minister

Despite having advanced infrastructure and connectivity in the heart of Southeast Asia, until now Malaysia was not able to fully exploit its capacities as an outward-looking trading economy.With the launch of a new government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in May, Kuala Lumpur has set its sights clearly on moving up the value chain and engaging the world with a focus on ASEAN and its Asian-Oceanian partners, according to Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Darell Leikin

Oct. 22, 2018

EU supports IPCC call for drastic climate-change mitigation efforts

European Union Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiterer and the ambassadors of 28 EU member states issued a joint statement on the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, emphasizing the “unprecedented urgency” of stepping up global efforts to curb climate change. “Climate change is happening and its effects are being felt all over the world,” the EU’s representative mission in Seoul said. “The IPCC’s Special Report on the global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindust

Oct. 22, 2018

‘Spain, Korea can forge golden future with creativity, innovation’

By Spanish Ambassador to Korea Gonzalo OrtizSpain and Korea celebrated the Spanish National Day in Seoul on Oct. 12, followed by another commemoration in Busan on Oct. 15. As ambassador, I addressed the attendees in Spanish, a lingua franca spoken by over 530 million people across 31 countries. The King and Queen of Spain were in Covadonga this year to commemorate the 1,300th anniversary of the victory of Visigoth leader Don Pelayo against Muslim invaders in 718. This historic event gave birth t

Oct. 22, 2018

Lisbon to host Web Summit for 10 years

Lisbon will remain the host city for the Web Summit technology conference until 2028, according to the Portuguese Embassy and Aicep Portugal Global in Seoul. Under a new 110 million-euro ($127 million) deal that includes a large-scale venue expansion, the company behind the technology conference has come to a new agreement with the Portuguese government.The decision, which was revealed by Web Summit Chief Executive Officer Paddy Cosgrave and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa in early Octob

Oct. 22, 2018

Team Australia bicycles Korea for charity

Members of the Australian Embassy, led by Ambassador James Choi, and the Australian community here took part in a challenging 375-kilometer cycling journey in Korea for three days to promote diversity and multiculturalism.The team of 15 Australian and Korean riders started their campaign at the Unification Observatory in Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province, on Oct. 6. They traveled southward along the east coast to the city of Gangneung on the first day, rode over the mountain range of Baekdudaegan th

Oct. 15, 2018

Latin American films expose rich emotions, imaginations

A poster for the Latin American Film Festival (KOFA)The Latin American Film Festival will be held in Seoul from Tuesday to Sunday for its fourth straight year, showcasing films that unveil the desires and concerns of contemporary Central and South Americans. The embassies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay will each present a movie that highlights its own culture, society and history, including internatio

Oct. 15, 2018

Philippine culture celebrated at migrants’ festival

Philippine Ambassador Raul S. Hernandez speaks at the Migrants Arirang Multicultural Festival in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, from Oct. 5-7. (Philippines Department of Tourism-Korea)The Migrants Arirang Multicultural Festival -- Korea’s largest celebration for foreign residents -- was held in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, from Oct. 5-7, feting Korea’s multiculturalism through art, dance, music and food. This year’s event featured the Philippines as the main host, with numerous Fil

Oct. 15, 2018

[Herald Interview] Costa Rica, South Korea kindred spirits in sustainability: first lady

Costa Rica, a country prioritizing sustainability in Central America, looks to South Korea for greater cooperation based on shared values of peace and dialogue, multilateralism, sustainable development and human emancipation, its first lady Claudia Dobles Camargo told The Korea Herald in an exclusive interview.Dobles Camargo came to Korea last week to strengthen bilateral ties and celebrate the 197th anniversary of Costa Rican independence, which fell on Sept. 15. Her agenda focused on vitalizin

Oct. 15, 2018

‘Decarbonization must be hastened via energy transition’

The world must hasten its economic decarbonization via energy transition to prevent the worst of global environmental catastrophes, said Germany’s leading climate experts, adding nuclear energy will be driven out by market forces. With the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report urging the global community to take drastic measures to limit the increase in the Earth’s temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius, moving away from fossil fuels is “inevitable,” stressed scientists Peter Henni

Oct. 15, 2018

‘Germany, Korea allies in multilateralism, partners in unification’

With the two Koreas upping their efforts at rapprochement, a reunified Germany looks to the Korean Peninsula with particular interest and passion, said Germany’s top envoy to Korea, adding that Berlin and Seoul are important partners in an “alliance for multilateralism.” “As a reunited country celebrating the 28th anniversary of unification, Germany is looking with a particular interest to the Korean Peninsula. People in Germany feel for Koreans. We see Korea as an important value-based partner

Oct. 8, 2018

[Herald Interview] UK trade minister calls for increased access to Korean services market

British Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox said that Britain and Korea could become more prosperous after Brexit by liberalizing and “unlocking” wealth in the two countries’ services industries. The Conservative Party politician is an arch-Brexiteer, and has consistently made the case that Britain’s future prosperity lies beyond being part of the European Union in engaging Asia’s booming economic powerhouses. “I have been speaking to companies that operate in the Korean market,

Oct. 8, 2018

India celebrates Gandhi’s legacy at 150th birth anniversary

The Indian Embassy in Seoul has begun a two-year commemoration of national hero Mohandas K. Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, ahead of the 150th anniversary of his birth next year. The diplomatic mission is preparing for a series of events to mark the legacy of India’s foremost freedom fighter, who waged a nonviolent struggle against British colonial rule and inspired the world toward peace.“Mahatma Gandhi, who was born on Oct. 2, 1869, is revered in India as Bapu, the father of the nati

Oct. 8, 2018

‘LGBTI community fosters vibrant, competitive society’

As a gay person living in Ireland in the 1980s, life was difficult for Rory O’Neill, who is now the country’s foremost drag queen and LGBTI rights activist. Over the past 35 years, however, Ireland, thought of as a traditionally conservative Catholic nation, has undergone profound transformations, so much so that the country legalized same-sex marriage in 2015. Ireland’s experience of toleration of minorities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people, has made the countr

Oct. 8, 2018

Nepal progresses with republican constitution, grassroots democracy

Nepal is progressing economically and democratically following the overthrow of monarchy and transformation into a republican state in 2008, according to the country’s top envoy to Korea. Nepalese Ambassador Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh said that the country has moved on to an era of “peace, stability and prosperity” after last year’s successful federal, provincial and local elections. “After our historic people’s movement of 2006 that overthrew the monarchy, Nepal became a federal republic in May 2

Oct. 1, 2018

‘Chile-Korea commerce clear sailing with revised FTA’

On the back of a bilateral free trade agreement that entered into force in 2004, Chile and South Korea are enhancing two-way trade and investment in comprehensive areas and diversifying their export products, Chile’s top envoy to Korea said during a National Day reception on Sept. 18. The free trade accord -- the first signed by Chile with an Asian country -- has increased bilateral trade at an average of 10 percent a year over the last 15 years, said Chilean Ambassador to Korea Fernando Danus d

Oct. 1, 2018

Indian community celebrates Hindu deity’s birthday

Participants perform traditional music at the Ganesh Chaturthi festival at Seoul National University on Sept. 16. (Rohidas Arote)Indian communities in Korea on Sept. 16 celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi, the birthday of Hindu god Ganesha and India’s landmark festival, at Seoul National University. Some 400 Indians, Koreans and international participants from various parts of the country joined in the jubilant honoring of the elephant-headed deity associated with intelligence, knowledge, wisdom and pro

Oct. 1, 2018

Jeju Island inspires ASEAN with sustainable, natural heritage tourism

Seongsan Ilchulbong on Jeju Island (Visit Jeju)The ASEAN-Korea Center and United Nations Institute for Training and Research CIFAL Jeju will jointly organize a workshop for sustainable tourism and natural heritage promotion from Wednesday to Friday at the Jeju International Convention Center.International experts will deliver lectures on developing sustainable tourism programs to industry professionals from both the public and private sectors across the 10 member states of the Association of Sou

Oct. 1, 2018