With reforms, Indian economy becomes more open to investment, trade

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s externally focused economic drive, India jumped 23 spots on the World Bank’s 2018 Ease of Doing Business ranking to No. 77, according to the Indian Embassy in Seoul. The rapid rise follows 2017’s upward move of 30 spots, placing India on near course to enter the world’s top 50 economies in terms of ease of doing business. “That’s remarkable progress. It sets India apart from other countries in the region,” according to Long Island University economics profess

Jan. 7, 2019

Korea, Denmark to promote cultural ties via various events

South Korea and Demark will initiate a yearlong special culture exchange program next week meant to commemorate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.The two sides agreed to designate 2019 as "the year of mutual culture" when President Moon Jae-in visited Denmark last October. The logo of the South Korea-Denmark culture exchange program in 2019 is shown in this photo provided by Seoul`s foreign ministry. (Yonhap)A series of planned cultural events wi

Jan. 7, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Hungary can help inter-Korean ties, innovation with Central Europe’

 Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma is a fluent speaker of the Korean language and has written numerous books and papers on the country’s history and relations with Central European countries (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)Hungarian Ambassador to South Korea Mozes Csoma speaks Korean better than any other language other than Hungarian. Korean being his first foreign language, he is about as good as a nonnative can get.He is so fluent that this interview was entirely conducted in Korean. As th

Dec. 31, 2018

President Moon receives six new ambassadors to Seoul

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday welcomed six new ambassadors to his country, including those from Brazil, Canada and Iran.The president received the credentials of the six new ambassadors in a ceremony held at his office Cheong Wa Dae.The new ambassadors are Peniana Lalabalavu of Fiji, Elrayih Mohamed Elawad Hydoub of Sudan, Damir Kusen of Croatia, Luis Henrique Sobreira Lopes of Brazil, Saeed Badamchi Shabestari of Iran and Michael Danagher of Canada. (Yonhap) President Moon Jae-in (right) g

Dec. 26, 2018

‘Mekong-Korea cooperation spearheads sustainable development’

Diplomats and government officials from the Mekong region and Korea pose at the sixth Mekong-ROK Business Forum on Dec. 13 in Seoul. (ASEAN-Korea Center)The Greater Mekong Subregion is a transnational area along the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia, spanning some 5,000 kilometers through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Despite being a latecomer in the regional development of Southeast Asia, the countries have swiftly advanced their economic and social standings in recent years

Dec. 24, 2018

Georgian Embassy paves way for synergy with Korea

Georgian Ambassador to Korea Otar Berdzenishvili (Georgian Embassy)The year 2018 has been a highly productive one for the Georgian Embassy in Seoul. It marked the centennial anniversary of Georgia’s declaration of independence on May 26, 1918, highlighted by a series of partnership events with Korean institutions and businesses from diplomacy, trade and investments in food, tourism, culture, sports and education.Georgian Ambassador to Korea Otar Berdzenishvili felt that Tbilisi and Seoul had a y

Dec. 24, 2018

‘Colombia-Korea ties to expand through FTA, Pacific Alliance’

Under the new administration of President Ivan Duque Marquez, Colombia is steadily moving toward peace and development, said the country’s top diplomat during a visit to Korea last week.Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo Garcia said that Bogota looks for greater collaboration with Seoul ahead of the potential visit of its leader next year.“The Colombian government attaches great significance to our bilateral relations that were elevated in 2011 to the ‘association of strategic coo

Dec. 24, 2018

PMs of Korea, Morocco hold third talks of year to discuss closer cooperation

South Korea and Morocco on Thursday signed six MOUs on deepening bilateral relations in trade, environment and education on the occasion of their prime ministers' talks in the North African country.South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon arrived in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, earlier in the day and held talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Saadeddine El Othmani. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon(left) and Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani during press briefing in Rabat, Moro

Dec. 21, 2018

US ambassador praises Washington-Seoul alliance at friendship gala

Harry Harris, US ambassador to the Republic of Korea (KAFS)Several months ago in Seoul, US Ambassador Harry Harris had a chance to think about the alliance between his country and South Korea when a young college student asked him, “Ambassador, I hear you had a distinguished military career. Did you fight in the Korean War?”The envoy was born in 1956, some three years after the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. He told the student that it was his father who fought in the war.“This story illustrates

Dec. 17, 2018

Arab economies’ diversification to unlock new wealth

Arab countries are moving beyond the oil and gas industries to diversify and innovate their economies, and this is where the next wave of global cooperation in commerce and culture can happen, says Omani Ambassador Mohamed al-Harthy.“Most Arab countries, including the oil-and-gas-dependent Gulf Cooperation Council member states to which Oman belongs, lately launched a strategy of economic diversification, focusing on logistics, information communications technology, manufacturing and industry, h

Dec. 17, 2018

[Herald Interview] ‘Investing in Ukraine’s IT, agriculture offers high returns’

Andriy Parubiy, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament Verkhovna Rada, believes that interparliamentary exchanges can open up diverse channels of cooperation between countries. It is what translates the abstract language of diplomacy into real connections and frank understanding, spanning the whole spectrum of national industries and communities. In order to elevate bilateral political relations and explore new avenues of prosperity, he signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Wednesday wi

Dec. 17, 2018

Korean PM vows to solidify trade and exchange with Algeria

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon vowed on Sunday that his country will further expand trade and exchanges with Algeria on the basis of a 12-year-old bilateral strategic partnership. Lee made the remarks after arriving in this northwestern African country on the first leg of his three-nation trip that will also take him to Tunisia and Morocco. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon (L) holds talks with his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Ouyahia in Algiers on Dec. 16, 2018. (Yonhap)"I'm the fi

Dec. 17, 2018

Sweden, Korea unveil logo for 60th bilateral anniversary in 2019

The Swedish Embassy in Seoul and Korean Embassy in Stockholm jointly announced the winner of the Sweden-Korea 60 Years Logo Design Competition last week. The honor went to Jo A-ra, who works as an editorial designer at a company in Korea, out of 200 entrants. Her design will be used at promotional events and on items for next year’s 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomacy.“I really like the playfulness of the logo. It represents key features of the Sweden-Korea relationship: innovation and frien

Dec. 10, 2018

Hungarian envoy discovers forgotten connection from yesteryear

A photo shows Korean participants at the Second World Festival of Youth and Students in Budapest, Hungary, in 1949. Dancer Kim Baek-bong is second from right. (Hungarian Embassy/Fortepan)Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma on Friday brought back to life a forgotten page of history connecting Hungary and a prewar Korean Peninsula. At the Arko Arts Theater in Seoul, he presented an archival photo he discovered to Kim Baek-bong, a 92-year-old woman who took part in the Second World Festival o

Dec. 10, 2018

[Contribution] Spain celebrates 40th anniversary of constitution

By Spanish Ambassador to Korea Juan Ignacio Morro The people of Spain recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Spanish constitution that was approved in a national referendum and ratified on Dec. 6, 1978. Since the historic day, the supreme law has united all Spanish citizens, and launched Spain’s journey as an open, modern and inclusive country.Over the last four decades, Spain has established itself as a democratic state based on the rule of law. We have deeply committed ourselves to th

Dec. 10, 2018

[Contribution] World’s peaceful tomorrow hinges on mindful cooperation

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (AP/Yonhap)By Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu Istanbul recently hosted two separate, but interrelated and imperative, conferences on conflict mediation. The Second Organization for Islamic Cooperation Member States’ Conference on Mediation on Nov. 29 analyzed the geography of conflict and our capacity for mediation as key regional stakeholders. The Fifth Istanbul Mediation Conference on Nov. 30 discussed the connections between sustainable deve

Dec. 10, 2018

ASEAN connectivity projects offer lucrative partnerships

The sixth ASEAN Connectivity Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul on Nov. 27. (AKC)Despite being a giant economic bloc with high growth prospects, Southeast Asia has not fully reaped the benefits of its potential due to a shortage of advanced and efficient infrastructure. That is about to change gradually, as member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increasingly connect their domestic territories physically, technologically and institutionally, as well

Dec. 10, 2018

[Contribution] Vietnamese top parliamentarian’s Korea visit heralds bright bilateral partnership

By Dr. Kim Hyun-jae, director of the Vietnam Research Institute at Youngsan University At the invitation of Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Thi Kim Ngan will visit Korea from Dec. 4-7, accompanied by a high-level delegation of her fellow politicians. Her visit occurs as Hanoi and Seoul celebrate 10 years of “Vietnam-Korea Strategic Cooperative Partnership” (2009-2019).Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on Dec. 22, 1992, our re

Dec. 3, 2018

Azerbaijani carpets show hypnotic patterns, delicate hues

Azerbaijani Ambassador Ramzi Teymurov (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)Carpets have been woven in Azerbaijan through the centuries, forming the essential fabric of its multicultural society and heritage.Displaying chic color compositions, intricate patterns and designs, they are appreciated by Azerbaijanis and foreigners alike. Despite being world-class, Azerbaijani carpets are not universally recognized. To help promote them, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Seoul has organized an exhibition of the count

Dec. 3, 2018

‘New Zealand, a whole nation of innovation’

New Zealand is pushing the boundaries of innovation as a “country-sized incubator,” and seeking further synergies with Korean small and midsized companies and startups, according to the country’s top envoy to Korea. “Innovation starts at the edge, and New Zealand is perfectly situated to change the world for the better,” Ambassador Philip Turner said at the 2018 Kiwi Chamber Year-end Grand Hui in Seoul on Thursday. “New Zealand’s place at the edge of the world has bred a unique way of looking at

Dec. 3, 2018