S. Korean FM holds first meeting with Japan's new top diplomat in Liverpool

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has met bilaterally with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi for the first time since Hayashi's inauguration last month as they attended a Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in Britain, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday. The two top diplomats briefly held a meeting on the sidelines of the G-7 meeting in Liverpool on Saturday and shared the consensus to improve strained bilateral ties, the ministry said. Chung delivered the Seoul gov

Dec. 12, 2021

Vietnam on track to draw Korean investors: National Assembly chief

Despite the prolonged pandemic, Vietnam is on track to draw foreign and Korean investors, and addressing their difficulties remain the nation’s top priority, said Vuong Dinh Hue, president of the Vietnam National Assembly, on Saturday. “Vietnam has created all favorable conditions to assist foreign experts and managers, including Korean ones, in sustaining their economic operation,” Vuong said in an email interview with The Korea Herald. He arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a fo

Dec. 12, 2021

‘Eat breakfast like a king, lunch as prince, and dinner like a pauper’

Korean and Colombian cuisines have a lot in common, according to Alvaro Clavijo, a top Colombian chef on a tour of Korea. Both are concentrated on nutritional completion and components of all essential food groups on the plate, he told the Korea Herald. Clavijo was in Korea for a brief visit, preparing exclusive meals and hosting a class at Kyonggi University. The following is taken from an interview with The Korea Herald: Korea Herald: Please tell us about Colombian food. What is a typical Co

Dec. 7, 2021

Korea, Australia celebrate 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations

The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea hosted a reception Thursday marking the 60th anniversary of Australia-Korea diplomatic relations. The reception was attended by Australian Ambassador Catherine Raper, Posco Vice-President Lee Jae-wan, and KOTRA foreign investment ombudsman Kim Sung-jin. Raper said that public and private engagements between Australia and Korea throughout the anniversary year had highlighted a long history of close cooperation and friendship. They had also showcased

Dec. 7, 2021

Finnish Embassy celebrates Independence Day

INDEPENDENCE DAY – Finnish Ambassador Pekka Metso delivers welcome remarks at his residence in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, to mark his country’s 104th Independence Day. Finland gained independence from the Soviet Union on Dec. 6, 1917. (Sanjay Kumar/The Korea Herald)

Dec. 7, 2021

Kazakhstan reaffirms drive for carbon neutrality by 2060

Kazakhstan will push forward in developing renewable energy sources as part of the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy, Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin has reaffirmed. Chairing a meeting of the Council for the Improvement of the Investment Climate on Friday, Mamin reaffirmed the plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Under the plans, the country plans to increase use of renewables to account for 15 percent of its energy use from the current 3 percent by 2030 and to plant

Dec. 7, 2021

Moon says S. Korea-US alliance 'linchpin' of Northeast Asian peace

 President Moon Jae-in stressed Wednesday that the alliance between South Korea and the United States serves as a key pillar in maintaining peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. At a dinner reception celebrating the bilateral alliance in Seoul, Moon said that the alliance served as the foundation for "South Korea's security and diplomacy" while describing it as the "linchpin of peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia." M

Dec. 1, 2021

Culinary would unite minds and hearts of Indonesians and Koreans: Indonesian charge d’affaires

The Indonesian Embassy has cohosted the Kriuk Cooking Competition to give South Koreans and local Indonesians a chance to demonstrate their skills with noodles. The competition is an example of how cooking can unite the minds and hearts of both Indonesians and South Koreans, the Indonesian Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Zelda Wulan Kartika said. The participants used instant noodles, a popular food among students in Indonesia and Korea, as the main ingredient. ASEAN Culture House Di

Nov. 30, 2021

Bulgaria honors ex-Korean ambassador

HONORING SERVICE The Bulgaria Embassy in Seoul honors Jeong Jin-kyu, former ambassador of Korea to Bulgaria, with the Order of the Madara Horseman of the First Degree, the highest Bulgarian award conferred to foreign diplomats, at a reception at the embassy on Nov. 24. Bulgarian Ambassador to Korea Petko Draganov applauded Ambassador Jeong’s outstanding contribution to the development of bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Korea on behalf of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. (Bulgari

Nov. 30, 2021

Queensland-Korea relationship strengthens over decades

The Australian state of Queensland marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of its office in Seoul with an official reception on Nov. 24. The reception was attended by Australian Ambassador to Korea Catherine Raper, the Gyeonggi provincial government ambassador, Kim Young-jun, and over 50 dignitaries and members of the local business community, at the Millennium Hilton Seoul.  Cameron Dick, Queensland’s treasurer and minister for trade and investment, said Korea and Queensla

Nov. 30, 2021

Korea, Costa Rica only grasping ‘tip of the iceberg’ of potential, Costa Rican president says

Intel, Bayer and others have established and increased operations in Costa Rica, trusting its political, social and economic stability, but Korean companies are only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possibilities in Costa Rica, the country’s President Carlos Alvarado Quesada said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Nov. 24. Alvarado encouraged Korean companies to make the most of key opportunities in aerospace, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, transnational servic

Nov. 30, 2021

EU envoy speaks out on S. Korea’s ‘discriminatory’ vaccine pass system

EU Ambassador to South Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez on Thursday criticized the Korean government’s “vaccine pass” system, saying it discriminates against foreigners working and residing here who have been vaccinated overseas. Under the country’s “living with COVID-19” policy, in effect since Nov. 1, those who wish to enter high-risk public places such as gyms, karaoke establishments, public bathhouses and buffets must present proof of vaccination or n

Nov. 25, 2021

GGGI to open office in Costa Rica to support green agenda

Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) will open an office in Costa Rica, as part of an agreement reached Monday.  The agreement was signed following a meeting between Costa Rican delegation led by President Carlos Alvarado Quesada and GGGI President Chair Ban Ki-moon and GGGI Director-General Frank Rijsberman. “With the host country agreement and a new country office in San Jose, I hope GGGI can help Costa Rica to do more in-country and share Costa Rica’s experience with other

Nov. 24, 2021

Korea’s New Southern Policy Plus offers strong foundation for sustainable development in ASEAN.

Win Pa Pa Thu, economic counselor at the Myanmar Embassy KH: What drew you to G-Star 2021? Win: Myanmar participated in G-Star 2021 as part of the ASEAN-Korea Center to connect Myanmar and Korean game developers and the industry for business cooperation, sharing knowledge and business trends. KH: How can G-Star 2021 help companies from ASEAN and Korea? Win: Myanmar game developers and game companies can learn the current market trends not only in Korea but also worldwide via the game capac

Nov. 23, 2021

‘The history of cooking is the history of the world’: Italian ambassador discusses food sustainability, climate change

The climate crisis is one that the world must respond to quickly and in a concerted manner, Italian Ambassador Federico Failla said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday, emphasizing food sustainability ahead of the sixth World Week of Italian Cuisine, which runs Nov. 22-28. Failla said the week’s theme is food sustainability from a traditional perspective of Italian cuisine, because food culture is deeply rooted in tradition. The World Week of Italian Cuisine is an initiativ

Nov. 23, 2021

Consideration of socioeconomic interests in public administration for sustainable peace in Afghanistan

One of the key issues on the international agenda is Afghanistan today after the Taliban came to power. It is a central topic of the 2021 Shanghai Cooperation Organization heads of state summit held Sept. 17, 2021, in Dushanbe. Most SCO states share a common border with Afghanistan and directly feel the negative consequences of the unfolding crisis. Achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan is one of the main security goals in the SCO region. The seriousness of the issue and high degree of

Nov. 18, 2021

Peru hosts seminar on climate and investment opportunities

The Peruvian Embassy hosted a seminar on Climate and Investment Opportunities in Peru on Nov. 11 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Central Seoul. The seminar presented major infrastructure investment projects that Peru offers to public and private companies in Korea. The seminar was held as part of Peruvian government’s efforts to attract companies and investment to Peru. This year’s seminar aimed to introduce Peru government’s foreign direct investment policies and existing fac

Nov. 18, 2021

‘Ready to eat’ Italian pork in Korean market

The Pig Breeders Product Organization (OPAS) is to showcase three of its ready-to-eat products -- bacon tenderloin, bacon tenderloin with herbs and pulled pork -- at Coex Food Week 2021, to be held Nov. 24-27. “Easy to eat” recipes are also to be presented with useful Italian pork product information. OPAS is the largest product organization in Italy, representing 12 percent of Italian pig farming, where they are able to breed heavy and medium-sized pigs by planning and diversify

Nov. 18, 2021

[Herald Interview]World Energy Council welcomes Kepco pledge on carbon neutrality

GWANGJU -- South Korea’s state-run energy firm, which announced last week a complete exit from coal by 2050, is headed in the right direction, says World Energy Council Secretary-General Angela Wilkinson. Speaking on the sidelines of the 2021 BIXPO energy forum hosted by Korea Electric Power Corp. in Gwangju, Wilkinson said the company’s “Zero for Green” carbon neutrality plan was a symbolic move. “Making public commitments together is a highly symbolic act, it&r

Nov. 16, 2021

South African Week kicks off in Korea

The South African Embassy and Interpark Mall is co-hosting a South African promotion week through Nov. 11-17, showcasing South African products currently available in Korea including Rugani carrot juice, Ceres juice, Renewallife rooibos tea and Bio-Oil, amongst others. According to the South African ambassador to Korea, Zenani Dlamini, Korea has a diversified economy that has invested significantly in the development of innovation and technology. “Platforms of this nature afford South A

Nov. 15, 2021