The Korea Herald

Colombia, a land of opportunity

By Colombian Ambassador Tito Saul Pinilla After more than 50 years of struggle to end an armed conflict with guerilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, peace has been ushered in to Colombia, which now stands at a momentous juncture with newfound optimism. The government of President Juan Manuel Santos has stamped a definite end to the violent warfare through negotiations and signing of a cease-fire with the insurgency group in Havana, Cuba on June 23.Even though the peace deal is

Aug. 28, 2016

‘Diplomacy never too late to curb NK nuke’

With Pyongyang ratcheting up its nuclear brinksmanship and missile provocations, the international community has stood firm in sanctioning the regime through United Nations Security Council resolution 2270, considered the toughest in history. Predicting “North Korea will fall on a path of isolation and self-destruction through strengthened sanctions and pressure by the international community,” South Korean President Park Geun-hye has justified her preference for using sticks over carrots in dis

Aug. 28, 2016

‘Diplomacy never too late to curb NK nuke’

Korea, China, Japan kick off trilateral foreign ministers' meeting

The top diplomats of South Korea, China and Japan began their trilateral meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday to discuss ways to expand cooperation and check pending issues of mutual concern.The talks, which started earlier in the day, marked the first time that foreign ministers of the three countries got together following the last such event held in Seoul back in March of 2015.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Fumio Kishida and Wang Yi, attended the gathering.T

Aug. 24, 2016

Korea, China, Japan to hold foreign ministers' meeting this week

Top diplomats of South Korea, China and Japan will hold a meeting this week to discuss cooperation and make preparations for a summit of their heads of state likely to be held this year, the foreign ministry here said Monday.South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will meet with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Wang Yi and Fumio Kishida, in Tokyo on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)

Aug. 22, 2016

Pakistan-Korea ties celebrated on Independence Day

The independence days of Pakistan and Korea are just one day apart, on Aug. 14 and 15, respectively. The two countries also have in common experiences of colonialism, emancipation and partition, which have inspired their postwar international engagement. The Pakistani Embassy hosted a reception earlier this month to celebrate its 70th Independence Day and expanding ties with Korea, as the two middle power nations seek to cooperate with one other for regional and global initiatives. “The Independ

Aug. 21, 2016

Pakistan-Korea ties celebrated on Independence Day

Singapore lays down sustainable future with Korea

Over the last few years, Singapore has navigated through a rough sea of global financial unpredictability, making structural reforms to secure its footing. The small island state at the foot of Malaysia, acclaimed for international competitiveness and openness, is moving past nearly six decades of guidance under national founder Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away last year in March. Amid the uncertainties of low growth in economy and population, it is searching for innovative solutions to ensure the

Aug. 21, 2016

Singapore lays down sustainable future with Korea

Pakistan bids to join Nuclear Suppliers Group

Pakistan, one of nine states worldwide to possess nuclear weapons, aspires to be a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an association of 48 nations that oversees the international trade of atomic and atomic-related materials and technologies with a shared commitment to global nonproliferation. Although not a signatory of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons or the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the country’s experience in civil nuclear program warrants attention of the NSG, s

Aug. 21, 2016

Pakistan bids to join Nuclear Suppliers Group

Fire breaks out at Japanese consulate in Busan

A fire broke out on the premises of the Japanese Consulate in the southeast coastal city of Busan on Thursday, blackening a wall, with no other damage reported, police said. (Yonhap)The blaze, which erupted around 6:00 a.m. at a spot that is off-limits to the public and where wooden delivery boxes to the consulate are stored, was put out in seven minutes. (Yonhap)The police are investigating what caused the fire, including the possibility of an arson attack. (Yonhap) (Yonhap)

Aug. 18, 2016

Fire breaks out at Japanese consulate in Busan

Talks under way to set date for trilateral foreign ministers' meeting

Negotiations for a meeting of foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan are under way, but the timetable has yet to be determined, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.A Japanese media report earlier said that the three countries are fine-tuning the timetable for the trilateral meeting, saying that it could take place either Tuesday or Wednesday next week in Tokyo. Speculation spread that the three might not be able to get together within this month as territorial disputes between Bei

Aug. 17, 2016

U.S. pledges 'credible deterrent' for allies amid concern about nuclear 'no first use' policy

The United States will maintain a "credible deterrent" for friends and allies even though the administration is looking for additional ways to move President Barack Obama's vision for a nuclear-free world forward, the State Department said Tuesday.The Obama administration is reportedly considering renouncing the preemptive nuclear strike option to bolster his legacy as champion of a world without nuclear weapons. The so-called "no first use" policy has unnerved allies depending on U.S. nuclear w

Aug. 17, 2016

U.S. Army chief: THAAD is 'not a threat in any way to China'

The U.S. Army chief of staff told his Chinese counterpart Tuesday that the THAAD missile defense system the U.S. plans to deploy to South Korea is "not a threat in any way to China," the Army said in a statement.Gen. Mark A. Milley made the remark during a two-hour meeting with People's Liberation Army Gen. Li Zuocheng in Beijing, stressing the missile defense system is aimed only at defending against North Korean threats, according to the Army statement."He told his counterpart that the U.S.-Re

Aug. 17, 2016

U.S. Army chief: THAAD is 'not a threat in any way to China'

Proactive handling of North Korean threats, U.S. security assurances key to preventing nuclear-armed South Korea: experts

The United States should focus on curbing North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and reaffirm nuclear protection of South Korea, including giving Seoul a greater say in its nuclear contingency planning, if it wants to keep the Asian ally away from a nuclear path, a former senior U.S. official said.Robert Einhorn, who served as a top State Department nonproliferation official, made the point in a lengthy article to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, stressing that recent calls in South Kor

Aug. 17, 2016

Ivory Coast marks national recovery at reception

The Ivory Coast Embassy last week put the country’s rising prospects in the limelight at its 56th independence anniversary reception.Its National Day on Aug. 7 commemorated the West African nation’s liberation from colonial France, which ruled from the mid-19th century to 1960. The country’s late first President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, who was a medical aide, union leader and planter before being elected to the French Parliament, led the country toward independence. He is widely credited for his

Aug. 16, 2016

Ecuador enchants with treasures of Galapagos Islands

Coinciding with the country’s Independence Day, the Ecuadorian embassy has organized an exhibition that showcases the wonders of the Galapagos Islands, acclaimed for its pristine wildlife and unadulterated landscape. Titled “Enchanting Galapagos Islands,” the show runs until Aug. 17 at D-Cube City’s Daesung Art Center in Seoul. It displays 30 pictures captured by Korean photographer Kim Byung-ho, who visited the volcanic archipelago off the western coast of Ecuador last year. The National Day on

Aug. 16, 2016

Ecuador enchants with treasures of Galapagos Islands

Sowing seeds of future in Afghanistan with soybeans

With a scorching sun and arid air, steeped in rugged terrain, Afghanistan seems from afar to be an unlikely place for farmland. Up close, many areas of the country straddling central and south Asia have ripe conditions for agriculture: sweltering days, fertile soil and water trickling down from snowcapped mountains to irrigate the lands. For Dr. Steven Kwon, founder and president of Nutrition and Education International, Afghanistan was an opportunity rather than a threat during the war on terro

Aug. 16, 2016

Sowing seeds of future in Afghanistan with soybeans

Korea, Hong Kong to streamline automated immigration checks

South Korea's government on Tuesday said it has agreed with Hong Kong to simplify the automated immigration procedures for each other starting next week, by eliminating the mandatory online preregistration.The Ministry of Justice said South Korean nationals and Hong Kong citizens will be able to use the automated immigration system when visiting each other's countries without preregistering online starting Monday.Under the new plan, South Koreans aged 17 or older visiting Hong Kong can register

Aug. 16, 2016

Park renews calls for N.K. to stop nuke development, provocations

President Park Geun-hye on Monday renewed her calls for North Korea to "immediately" cease its nuclear program and threats of provocations, saying its saber-rattling would only aggravate its isolation and economic travails.During a speech to mark Liberation Day, Park also defended the planned deployment of an advanced U.S. antimissile system as a "self-defense" measure to protect the nation from Pyongyang's "reckless" provocations, stressing that the plan must not be politicized."I urge (North K

Aug. 15, 2016

Park renews calls for N.K. to stop nuke development, provocations

Korea, Japan agree on usage of comfort women fund: report

South Korea and Japan have agreed on the thorny issue on how to use the fund Tokyo will provide Seoul to compensate victims of sexual enslavement during the colonial occupation era, a Japanese media report said Friday.The two countries' foreign ministers will hold telephone talks later in the day to confirm the agreement and officially announce it, Kyodo News said.To put an end to the decades-old diplomatic row over the wartime atrocity committed during the colonial period (1910-45), the neighbo

Aug. 12, 2016

Kerry says U.S.-Korea alliance brings peace in Northeast Asia

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday the "critical security alliance" with South Korea is key to peace and stability in Northeast Asia, as he issued a congratulatory message ahead of South Korea's Liberation Day."Our bilateral partnership continues to thrive based on our shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Our enduring relationship brings opportunities and prosperity to our two countries, and our critical security alliance brings peace and stabilit

Aug. 12, 2016

Korea to confer state media on Japanese diplomat

South Korea will confer a state medal on Japan's U.N. ambassador, Koro Bessho, for his contribution to relations between the two countries.South Korean Ambassador Oh Joon will award the Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit to the Japanese envoy in a ceremony at the South's mission to the U.N. in New York on Friday, the office said.The medal is the highest honor in the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit.Before taking office as U.N. ambassador in June, Bessho served as Japan's to

Aug. 12, 2016