ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Hurriedly taking turns with his wife to feed their hyperactive 1-year-old son, Alexander Lee seemed restless, yet happy to be consumed by his family. I met Lee, a reporter at Kazakh TV of Korean ethnicity, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s summit in Astana in June, when I covered several key events at the time as a journalist. When I came back to Astana for a second time in late August, he was one of the first people I got in touch with. “I moved here in 2011 after

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 11, 2017

White asparagus meals at Millennium Seoul HiltonThe Millennium Seoul Hilton’s Italian restaurant Il Ponte is holding a promotion of Italian dining featuring a five-course menu of white asparagus throughout September. The meal starts with a salad of white asparagus, shrimps and micro leaves, followed by a white asparagus veloute with truffle-flavored parsley and garlic croutons. The next course offers pan-fried sea scallops on white asparagus in lemon butter. The entree is US beef tenderloin serv

Food Sept. 8, 2017

Every time Goksel Turkozu browsed through a bookstore in Turkey, he felt there could be more books of Korean literature in translation in his country where the passion for everything Korean runs high.A devotee of Korean literature and professor at Erciyes University in the city of Kayseri, Cappadocia, Turkozu has adapted several well-known Korean novels into the Turkish language since he first set foot in Seoul in 1990 as a student. His decadeslong dedication to spread Korea’s literary imaginati

Culture Sept. 5, 2017

Inside the roughly gentrified studio Haenghwatang in northern Seoul, another attempt at innovative engineering is taking place, this time unveiling lush, local imaginations of Indonesian architects before the public eye.As a collateral event to the International Union of Architects World Congress in Seoul under the theme of “soul of the city,” works of more than 53 Indonesian architects that came to Korea are being showcased through Sept. 10.According to architects and event curators Danny Wicak

Foreign Affairs Sept. 4, 2017

The Latin American embassies, in collaboration with the Korea Film Archive, will organize a film festival in Seoul from Tuesday to Sunday, introducing their rich and diverse cultures and lifestyles through critically acclaimed films. The event will feature a variety of genres, encompassing drama, comedy, adventure, romance, thriller, biography and science fiction. Thirteen movies from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Ve

Foreign Affairs Sept. 4, 2017

Amid celebrations of 60 years of official diplomacy with Korea, the Turkish Embassy on Wednesday observed its national holiday -- Victory Day -- and paid tribute to the triumph against occupying Greek forces in the Battle of Dumlupinar on Aug. 30, 1922, which helped create a modern, republican nation state. During a reception in Seoul, Turkish Ambassador to Korea Arslan Hakan Okcal also noted the thriving strategic partnership since 2012 between Ankara and Seoul, as the two nations have bolstere

Foreign Affairs Sept. 4, 2017

Building on the last 50 years of fruitful cooperation and integration, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is forging ahead with pragmatic plans to secure a future of common prosperity and security, the regional bloc’s top diplomats said last week, urging South Korea’s continuing engagement as an indispensable strategic partner. This year marks the golden jubilee of ASEAN, a group of 10 nations that have moved beyond their ideological, political, cultural, ethnic and linguistic difference

Foreign Affairs Sept. 4, 2017

Indian cuisine at Sheraton Seoul D Cube CityThe Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering authentic Indian cuisine at its restaurant Feast from Sept. 8-28. Star chefs from Le Meridien Gurgaon Delhi Hotel has been invited to introduce popular local dishes, including Indian-style salad, soup, diverse curry dishes such as lamb, shrimp cream, paneer butter masala, as well as the famous grilled tandoori chicken, seekh kebab and more.At the live station guests can taste Indian bread “tawa paratha,”

Food Sept. 3, 2017

Piqued by growing educational and employment opportunities in Southeast Asia, a select group of Korean students will study across Indonesian universities for a year starting from the fall semester through the Darmasiswa scholarship program.The one-year scholarship is organized by Indonesia’s Ministry of National Education in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs, and offered to foreign students from countries with diplomatic ties to Indonesia. Students learn about the Southeast Asia

Foreign Affairs Aug. 28, 2017

Marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Korea, the Turkish Embassy in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism will organize a series of cultural events this week ranging from music and dance to food and a reception. This year has also been marked the year of Turkey-Korea cultural relations, whose ties stretch back over 1,500 years.The first event at the National Theatre of Korea’s Daloreum Theater in Seoul at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday will featur

Foreign Affairs Aug. 28, 2017

As a small city-state at the foot of peninsular Malaysia, Singapore has blazed a trail through the rough currents of international politics and business over the 52 years since its independence, which it marked on its National Day, Aug. 9. Dubbed the “Lion City,” “Garden City” or “Little Red Dot,” the cosmopolitan metropolis of 5.6 million people has a gross domestic product of $311 billion, or $55,000 per capita, making it the richest Asian country on an individual basis. As the Association of

Foreign Affairs Aug. 28, 2017

Wedding package at Millennium Seoul HiltonThe Millennium Seoul Hilton will offer a personalized wedding package designed to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for couples from Oct. 13 through Dec. 22. The package is for a minimum 100 guests and to be held after 5 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays. Various discounts are available for food, wine and decorations, among others. For more information, call the hotel’s Wedding Gallery at (02) 317-3431 or visit www.thehwedding.co.kr. Fruit desserts at Sh

Travel Aug. 25, 2017

Mark Garnier, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Department for International Trade (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)After the United Kingdom formally exits the European Union, the commercial relationship between the UK and Korea will be nimbler and tailored to their particular needs and demands, according to a British politician tasked with international trade and investment. As opposed to being constrained by slow and cumbersome stipulations of the 28-member EU, the UK economy -- the world

Foreign Affairs Aug. 21, 2017

As a small city-state at the foot of peninsular Malaysia, Singapore has blazed a trail through the rough currents of international politics and business over the 52 years since its independence, which it marked on its National Day on Aug. 9. Dubbed the “Lion City,” “Garden City” or “Little Red Dot,” the cosmopolitan metropolis of 5.6 million people has a gross domestic product of $311 billion, or $55,000 per capita, making it the richest Asian country. As the Association of Southeast Asian Natio

Foreign Affairs Aug. 21, 2017

Birthday package at Sheraton Seoul D Cube CityThe Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel will celebrate its sixth anniversary by offering a package of accommodations and promotions at its Lobby Lounge Bar and Aequalis Spa from Sept. 1-30. The Happy Birthday Sheraton Package offers a stay in an executive, honeymoon, hospitality or presidential suite for an additional cost, access to the Sheraton Club Lounge with breakfast and a bottle of Andeluna 1300 Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 wine. Guests receive Club L

Food Aug. 18, 2017