FM Kang asks Bangladesh to support S. Korean minister's bid for top WTO post

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha asked Bangladesh on Tuesday to support South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid for the top post of the World Trade Organization, Kang's office said. She made the request during phone talks with her Bangladeshi counterpart, Abul Kalam Abdul Momen, in which they also discussed other bilateral issues, including cooperation in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Yoo is competing with candidates from Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Britain in the seco

Oct. 6, 2020

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Canada hold phone talks on COVID-19

The top diplomats of South Korea and Canada held phone talks Friday to discuss joint responses to the new coronavirus and other bilateral cooperation issues, the foreign ministry said. During the talks, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Canadian counterpart, Francois-Philippe Champagne, shared the view that the two countries, as "like-minded" ones, should closely cooperate bilaterally and multilaterally to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry said. The ministers also note

Sept. 11, 2020

Vice FM Choi leaves for US for talks with Biegun on peninsula peace process, alliance issues

Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun left for Washington on Wednesday for talks with his US counterpart over joint efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula and other bilateral alliance issues. Choi, who took office last month, is scheduled to meet US. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on Thursday local time, as the two countries strive to address an array of pending issues, including stalled dialogue with North Korea and deadlocked defense cost-sharing talks. "We will check the p

Sept. 9, 2020

Moon receives Pope Francis' message on Korean peace

Pope Francis has sent a verbal message to South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressing hope for peace and reconciliation with North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. The pope also said he's "continuously praying for the gift from God" of peace and prosperity for the South Korean people in the message recently delivered by Alfred Xuereb, the Holy See's representative in Seoul, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. The Holy Father said he "cherishes" dialogue

Sept. 6, 2020

Applications open for Chevening Scholarships for 2021-2022 academic year

The British Embassy in South Korea is accepting applications from Korean students for the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarships until Nov. 3 for the 2021-2022 academic year, the embassy said Thursday. Korean nationals with a bachelors’ degree and more than two years of work experience are eligible to apply for the UK government’s global scholarship program that offers an opportunity to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any subject at any university in the United

Sept. 3, 2020

Moon congratulates, supports UAE-Israel normalization ties

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Saturday congratulated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel on reaching an agreement to normalize their diplomatic relations. In congratulatory telegrams sent to UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Moon stated that South Korea fully supports the move. Moon added that he hopes the agreement will serve as an opportunity for stability and peace in the Middle East. Israel and the UAE agreed Thurs

Aug. 15, 2020

Moon says gov't ready to discuss wartime forced labor at any time with Japan

President Moon Jae-in said Saturday his government is ready to sit down with Japan at any time to resolve a longstanding dispute over compensating Korean victims of Japan's forced labor during World War II. "The (South Korean) government has consulted with Japan on a smooth resolution, on which victims can agree, and leaves the door of consultations wide open now as well," he said during his nationally televised Liberation Day speech. "Our government is ready to sit face to fac

Aug. 15, 2020

[Herald Interview] ‘Australian English as prestigious as American English’

In South Korea, known for its education fervor, the English widely taught at schools and private institutes is American English. Challenging the US dominance in the Korean English education market is one of the tasks facing the Embassy of Australia here, an Australian diplomat told The Korea Herald. “Australia wants to make clear to Koreans we should be the destination of choice for people who want to study English language,” James Bourne, second secretary at the Embassy of Aust

July 2, 2020

[Photo News] Pakistani ambassador makes courtesy visit

[Diplomatic circuit] Mumtaz Zahra Baloch (right), ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to South Korea, shakes hands with Herald Corp. CEO and Publisher Kwon Chung-won during a courtesy visit to Herald Corp. headquarters in central Seoul on Tuesday.

June 16, 2020

Korea appoints new ambassadors to 9 countries in regular reshuffle

South Korea on Thursday appointed new ambassadors to nine countries, including Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, in a regular reshuffle, the foreign ministry said.  Suh Jeong-in, who led the preparatory office for last year's commemorative summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was appointed ambassador to Mexico. Kang Jeong-sik, former deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, took the ambassadorial post for Australia, while

May 7, 2020

US Embassy in Seoul halts routine visa services

The US Embassy in South Korea suspended routine visa services as part of efforts to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, the embassy said Thursday. According to the embassy, the measure is in line with the US State Department’s decision to halt nonimmigrant and immigrant services in countries with level 2, 3 or 4 travel advisories. The State Department has issued a level 4 travel advisory for virus-hit Daegu, with the rest of South Korea at level 3.  The suspension, however, does not af

March 19, 2020

[Diplomatic circuit] Embassies join ‘social distancing’ campaign

Foreign missions here, while keeping a close watch on the coronavirus situation, are joining the South Korean government’s “social distancing” drive to contain the outbreak. Many have put public events on hold, including national day celebrations, and have authorized flexible work hours and remote work for employees. The British Embassy told The Korea Herald that it is encouraging its staff to work from home to reduce direct human contact and the potential for virus transm

March 10, 2020

[Herald Interview] Women a pillar of modern Algeria, says ambassador

Algerian women joined the country’s fight for independence, taking on an equal role with men on the frontlines during the 1954-1962 Algerian Revolution. Due to their significant role in this historic event, women are given relatively equal legal rights to men in Algerian society, according to the country’s Ambassador to South Korea Mohammed El Amine Derragui. “During our Liberation War everybody participated for the freedom from foreign occupation. Ladies too took part in

March 10, 2020

[Diplomatic circuit] Bulgaria celebrates Liberation Day

The Bulgarian Embassy in Seoul said Monday it celebrated its Liberation Day last week in a quiet manner, amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In celebration of its March 3rd National Day, the Bulgarian Embassy had initially planned a reception, which was canceled due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus here and health experts’ advice to avoid large gatherings. Bulgaria, one of the oldest nations in Europe and the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet in the ninth century, was founded in

March 10, 2020

UAE evacuates Arab nationals from Wuhan

The United Arab Emirates has evacuated some 210 Arab nationals -- both of the UAE and its neighbors -- from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus is believed to have originated, via aircraft, embassy officials in Seoul said Thursday. The evacuees are to be received at the new Emirates Humanitarian City in the UAE, where they will undergo medical testing and a 14-day quarantine for maximum safety. “The move follows the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa

March 5, 2020

[Diplomatic circuit] British Embassy hosts Coffee for Zero Plastic event

The British Embassy poured free coffee for anyone who brought in a reusable cup on Friday, at an event it hosted in Seoul to promote climate change awareness. “This is a critical year for our planet. A truly global effort is required from governments, businesses and each member of society. If we work together to develop and deploy clean technologies, we can accelerate innovation, increase economies of scale, and bring down costs more quickly,” said Mike Welch, country director at t

Feb. 25, 2020

[Meet the diplomat] Athens seeks to attract Korean film, TV producers: top Greek envoy

Greece is seeking to attract South Korean film and TV producers in the hope that more of them will choose Greece as a shooting location and keep the momentum going for tourism. The country has long been popular among honeymooners and historians, but it received a big boost as a dream holiday destination for Koreans thanks to the 2016 smash hit television series “Descendants of the Sun,” featuring Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki. The Korean TV series was shot in Zakynthos, a Gre

Feb. 25, 2020

[Diplomatic circuit] Hungarian envoy envisions ‘Invented in Hungary’ goods with Korean firms

More than just a production base, Hungary wants to become a hub for creative innovations for Korean companies, Ambassador to Seoul Mozes Csoma said. “We would like to move together with Korea,” Csoma told The Korea Herald at the embassy on Feb. 7. “Hungarian and Korean engineers jointly innovating and developing products -- that would be the best.” Last year, South Korea became Hungary’s No. 1 foreign investor, as more companies sought to capitalize on its comp

Feb. 21, 2020

[Diplomatic circuit] FKCCI opens larger office

The French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry has opened a new business center with a spacious office for business representatives and meetings, the group said Monday. The expansion comes amid a rise in the number of French companies tapping into the South Korean market. The FKCCI said it added 25 new members in 2019, for a current total of 370. “This is a milestone for us to be able from now on to welcome our members and the French-Korean community in our own premises,” said

Feb. 21, 2020

[Diplomatic circuit] Hungary’s top diplomat releases book on Korea-Hungary relations

Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma has published a photo book that looks back on 30 years of friendship between Seoul and Budapest. Titled “The Relations of the Korean Peninsula and Hungary Seen Through Rare Photos,” the book contains rare pictures that depict the long history of ties between Korea and Hungary. “I wanted to release a book introducing relations between the Korea Peninsula and Hungary to commemorate last year’s 30th anniversary of diplomatic tie

Feb. 10, 2020