In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and South Korea are indispensable partners coping with irreducible challenges across the globe, said the chief of NATO during a visit to Korea last week.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg came to Korea on a two-day trip starting Wednesday to deepen the Euro-Atlantic alliance’s partnership with Seoul. He discussed common security challenges with Korean President Moon Jae-in, Foreign Minister Kang Kyun

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 6, 2017

Moving beyond 50 years of existence, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is strengthening its relations with South Korea for a mutually profitable future, said the chair of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul, presenting the ASEAN market as a competitive and trustworthy alternative to China.Cambodian Ambassador to Korea Long Dimanche, who chairs the committee comprising 10 ASEAN ambassadors, told The Korea Herald that ASEAN is playing an increasingly hefty role on the world stage on the back of

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 6, 2017

Turkish Ambassador Arslan Hakan Okcal was a third grader in elementary school in Mainz, West Germany, when his father suddenly passed away in 1963. Left with his bereaved mother and two younger brothers, Okcal would not forget the help his family received from a Turkish consul during their arduous time away from home.“My mother used to say, ‘You should become a patriotic diplomat like the consul,’” the envoy told The Korea Herald last week at the recently reopened Turkish Embassy in Seoul. “That

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 31, 2017

Milan Stech, president of the Czech Republic’s Senate (right) and Czech Ambassador to Korea Tomas Husak pose at the country’s recently reopened embassy at the K Twin Tower B-dong, Jongno-1-gil 50, Jongno-gu, in Seoul. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)Milan Stech, president of the Czech Republic’s Senate, said during a visit to Korea last week that the Central European nation will participate in the PyeongChang Winter Games in Korea next February with a National Olympic House in Gangneung, Gangwon Prov

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 31, 2017

Food and beverages of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were in the limelight last week at the ASEAN Trade Fair 2017, organized by the ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul. The fair was held in conjunction with Food Week Korea -- the country’s largest international culinary exhibition -- at Coex in Seoul from Wednesday through Saturday. Under the banner “Taste the Happiness,” the event invited 100 food and beverage companies from the block of 10 nations -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, S

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 31, 2017

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Korea Ramzi Teymurov (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)Taza Pir Mosque in Baku (Azerbaijani Embassy)In Azerbaijan, mosques, synagogues, churches and temples fill the landscape forming a kaleidoscopic mosaic. Shia and Sunni Muslims pray side by side inside mosques, a rare scene in the Islamic world where intra-religious tensions have remained toxic over centuries. That the Muslims -- regardless of their denomination and background -- practice their faith in harmony, is a demons

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 31, 2017

Singapore national dishes at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s all-day-dining and international buffet restaurant, Cafe 395, has added two signature dishes of Singapore -- Bak Kut Teh and Laksa -- to its menu. Bak Kut Teh is a pork rib dish simmered in an aromatic broth of herbs and spices and slow-cooked to tenderness. Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup with a base of spicy curry or tamarind with rice vermicelli and topped with chicken, prawns or fish.Cafe 395 uses fresh market

Food Oct. 29, 2017

“Korean Society: An Introduction” by Andrew Eun-gi Kim; Korea University Press (732 pages, $30) For observers of Korean society, including all its idiosyncrasies and mystique, a new book attempts to help interpret the country by offering a sweeping elucidation on crosscutting issues.“Korean Society: An Introduction” is an academic compilation scrutinizing wide-ranging topics, covering ethnological culture, gender politics, family patterns, educational fever, nationalist religion, ageing society,

Books Oct. 26, 2017

In Iran, where hard-line conservatives feel emboldened to have more say over statecraft these days, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Ali Najafi has been a time-tested defender of globalization and market-oriented reform. At a time when nation-states are mired in ideological infighting and hegemonic rivalries, Tehran and Seoul -- by relying on civic passion, corporate investment and public goods -- can together contribute to international peace, prosperity and sustainable development, Najafi said during his

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 23, 2017

The recent “2+2” meeting of foreign and defense ministers of Australia and Korea demonstrated the strength of their bilateral strategic partnership, Australia’s top envoy to Korea said, noting the two middle powers increasingly face similar challenges in an uncertain global security landscape. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and her counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, and Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne and her counterpart Song Young-moo, held their third biannual dialogue in Seoul on

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 23, 2017

Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Marek Magierowski (right) poses beside newly appointed Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski (center) at the ambassador’s residence in Seoul on Oct. 17 (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)As a country that successfully transformed from communism to capitalism and democracy, Poland stands incontrovertibly on the side of South Korea in thwarting North Korea’s nuclear and missile program, and urges Pyongyang to respect international laws and principles, according to P

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 23, 2017

Every year around this time of the season, Korea’s forests turn into a palette of colors, palpably signaling the onset of autumn and advent of winter on the horizon.Wondaeri Birch Forest in Inje County, Gangwon Province, is an ideal place to experience the fall foliage, as groves and greeneries bring out their inner colors of reds, scarlets and ambers toward a clear blue sky. The park, which opened in 2012 as an ecological tourism site, has over 700,000 birch trees that were planted between 1989

Culture Oct. 20, 2017

Seaside getaway at Hilton Namhae Golf Spa ResortHilton Namhae Golf and Spa Resort is offering a seasonal package of accommodation, food, spa and coffee through Nov. 30. The Colorful Autumn Package features a one-night stay in a suite room, breakfast at the restaurant Breeze and access to the spa, as well as take-out coffee. The Namhae area in the southern coast of Korea is ideal for travel in fall, with its seaside walking trails and close proximity to scenic mountains. The resort has rooms offe

Travel Oct. 20, 2017

RAQA, Syria (AFP) - US-backed forces combed the ruins of Raqa for survivors and bombs Wednesday, after retaking the Syrian city from Islamic State group jihadists and dealing their dreams of statehood a fatal blow.A lightning final assault by the Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday saw jihadist defences collapse faster than expected and the SDF claim a landmark victory in the three-year fight against IS.SDF fighters flushed jihadist holdouts from Raqa‘s main hospital and municipal stadium, wrapp

World News Oct. 18, 2017