French minister to give lecture in S. Korea

French State Reform Minister Jean Vincent Place will give a special lecture on the digital revolution in the South Korean port city of Busan later this week, a city official said Monday. The lecture, titled "The Digital Revolution as a Solution to the Democratic and Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century," will be given at the city's inaugural Global Talk Show on Thursday, the official said.  South Korean President Park Geun-hye (wearing red) is greeted by Jean-Vincent Place (L), French mi

Nov. 7, 2016

UNSC negotiations being protracted amid Sino-US rivalry, political uncertainties in US

Negotiations at the UN Security Council over a new sanctions resolution on North Korea are being drawn out with no signs of an imminent breakthrough nearly two months after Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test.Analysts said that the delay appears to be in part because of political uncertainties in the United States, which will hold a presidential election this week, and a strategic rivalry between the US and China.Following Pyongyang's Sept. 9 nuclear test, the most powerful one to date, the US, along

Nov. 6, 2016

Little Mermaid’s replica statue unveiled in Seoul

“The Little Mermaid,” a bronze sculpture designed by sculptor Edvard Eriksen and located near Copenhagen’s Langelinie waterside promenade, was replicated and unveiled as a miniaturized monument in Seoul last week. The inaugural ceremony took place at Yeouido Hangang Park on Oct. 24 and was attended by Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen and Danish Ambassador to Korea Thomas Lehmann, among other dignitaries and officials. Borrowing

Oct. 31, 2016

Turkey fetes Republican founding, recuperating stability

The Turkish embassy on Friday celebrated the 93rd anniversary of the country’s founding amid steady recuperation from the foiled putsch in mid-July and strengthening relations with Korea. The National Day holiday on Saturday marked the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 under the auspices of Mustafa Kemal Pasha (1881-1938), an army commander, revolutionary and the first national president, referred to as “Ataturk,” the father of the Turks. “As we celebrate the 93rd anniversary, our

Oct. 31, 2016

Film exposes Poland’s embrace of North Korean orphans

During the 1950-53 Korean War, around 2,000 North Korean orphans settled in Poland, then a communist ally in the Warsaw Pact, through a covert arrangement of socialist care and schooling. Some 1,270 of them went to the tranquil forested village of Plakowice in the southwest, where from 1951 to 1959 they lived under the nurturing eyes of 300 Polish teachers. Living off their humane guardianship, the children came to learn the Polish language and found a second home in the fledgling socialist soci

Oct. 31, 2016

New Zealand wants Korea to join TPP: ambassador

New Zealand's top envoy in Seoul said Tuesday she hopes South Korea will join the Trans Pacific Partnership, calling the country a "natural partner."New Zealand is one of 12 countries that have joined what is expected to emerge as the world's largest free trade block. US President Barack Obama has been pushing to ratify the pact before the end of his term. South Korea has yet to decide whether to join.Its actual implementation, however, faces uncertainty as key presidential candidates in the Uni

Oct. 25, 2016

Hungary commemorates 60th anniversary of 1956 revolution

The journal written by Hungarian librarian Gyula Csics vividly recounts the horrors of dictatorship and repression inflicted by the deceased Soviet Union. Csics -- who was 12 when the 1956 Hungarian Revolution broke out -- recorded events that unfolded from Oct. 23 to Nov. 10, when Hungarians fought and died to free their country from communist control. “Oct. 23, 1956, student demonstration: ... I was walking in the street when I saw three trucks carrying university students. They shouted, ‘Russ

Oct. 24, 2016

Turkey honors countrymen’s gallantry in Korean War

Marking the 66th anniversary of the Turkish Brigade’s arrival here to fight in the Korean War, the Turkish Embassy, the 55th Republic of Korea Infantry Division and the city of Yongin commemorated the sacrifices of Turkish soldiers last week. “When South Korea was invaded by the communist North in 1950, Turkey did not hesitate to join forces with the United Nations Coalition Forces to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, liberty and democracy,” said Turkish Ambassador to Korea Arslan Hakan Okcal

Oct. 24, 2016

‘Kazakhstan’s modernization boon to Korean investors’

Ahead of the scheduled visit of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Korea this fall, Kazakh vice minister of investment and development came to Seoul in mid-October to smooth bilateral ties and promote commercial opportunities in his country. Yerlan Khairov, the ministry’s No. 2 representative, had negotiations in Seoul with government officials, potential investors as well as companies that are operating in the Central Asian nation.“Korea has always remained a priority partner for Kazakhst

Oct. 24, 2016

Poland, Korea fete 27 years of economic partnership

The first contact between Polish and Korean government officials took place in late October of 1988 following the Summer Olympics hosted in Seoul. A series of meetings in Korea between the ministries of foreign affairs, trade and sports ripened the conditions for diplomacy, at a time when Poland was still a communist country and Korea a domineered democracy. Over the next 27 years, the two countries pushed forward their ties to become indispensable partners, sharing the commitment to human digni

Oct. 24, 2016

Chinese boats' overfishing dents squid haul in East Sea

South Korea's squid catch from the East Sea has been on a steady decline over the past four years due mainly to Chinese boats' overfishing, data showed Tuesday.According to the data by the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, the amount of squid sold at its 18 cooperatives along the east coast came to 67,479 tons last year, slightly down from 67,941 tons the previous year.Squid catch from the East Sea amounted to 83,566 tons in 2012, but it slumped to 75,660 tons the following year.In

Oct. 18, 2016

China calls on S. Korea, U.S. not to raise tension with large-scale naval drills

South Korea and the U.S. should remain calm and self-controlled and not raise unnecessary tension in the region, China's defense ministry said on Monday of the recent large-scale naval drills by the two allies.The official comment, released on its account of the social media service Weibo, came as a response to a question from a reporter about the Chinese government's stance on the joint drills that involved the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the waters near C

Oct. 17, 2016

Spain, Korea mark soaring ties in tourism, culture

The Spanish Embassy last Wednesday celebrated its National Day -- “Fiesta Nacional de Espana” -- amid a deepening alliance with Korea that spans over diplomacy, trade, tourism and culture. The holiday on Oct. 12 marks Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World in 1492, which occurred under the auspices of Spanish Catholic monarchs. Spain and Korea established diplomatic relations in 1950, and over the next 66 years pushed forward their ties based on a shared commitment to

Oct. 16, 2016

Thailand charts knowledge economy, courts Korean investment

BANGKOK -- Thailand, once perceived to be Southeast Asia’s low-cost manufacturing hub, aims to rebrand itself as the region’s leader in the knowledge-based economy. In line with the government’s “Thailand 4.0” restructuring initiative, Bangkok is transforming the country into an entrepreneurial hot spot of information and communication technology, culture and tourism, creative industries, smart farming and advanced manufacturing. In April, a delegation of seven Thai ministers led by Deputy Prime

Oct. 16, 2016