WASHINGTON -- Top US senators who led the introduction of a resolution welcoming South Korean President Moon Jae-in's first official visit to the United States issued a separate statement Friday reiterating their calls for closer cooperation on North Korea and other issues.Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD), John McCain (R-AZ), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) led the resolution together with 15 co-sponsors, welcoming Moon's visit, reaffirming the importance of the alliance and calling for further

Diplomatic Circuit June 24, 2017

The National Theatre of Great Britain in London -- one of the United Kingdom’s most prominent, publicly funded performing arts venues -- is a seedbed of artistic expression and commercial innovation producing world-class plays.Established in 1963 as the National Theatre Company, the organization has thrust Britain’s cultural prowess onto the world stage with imaginative interpretation of classical and contemporary performances. Some of its finest productions have been played in London’s West End

Culture June 22, 2017

Korean actress, singer and model Choi Jin-ri, better known by her stage name Sulli, was criticized online for posting a video clip on her social media account, which showed a chopped eel being burnt alive with a women saying “Please help me, please help me,” in the background. Following a hailstorm of criticism, Sulli deleted the clip and replaced it with a photo of a barbecued eel. With a provocative movie “Real” already revealing her sensitive body parts, Sulli has been gathering interests onl

Performance June 20, 2017

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- As visitors walk through the glistening “Nur Alem” Kazakh pavilion in the center of the Astana International Exposition site, they are awestruck by the futuristic design of the spherical edifice, the largest of its kind in the world, built to showcase Kazakhstan’s vision and plans for sustainable energy. Standing 100 meters from the ground with an 80-meter diameter, the building illuminates the Central Asian country’s future energies -- water, kinetic, biomass, wind, solar

Foreign Affairs June 19, 2017

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- It was a snowy onset of winter in October 1937. The order came from Joseph Stalin to deport ethnic Koreans from Russia’s Far East to the barren steppes of Central Asia. Running out of time to gather their belongings, the Koreans picked up what little they could -- mostly vital rice seeds secured inside their pillows. The “Koryo-saram,” as they have been called, took with them the seeds of hope for their unknowable future. Many elderly and sick died on the trains used to car

Foreign Affairs June 19, 2017

Summer package at Sheraton Seoul D Cube CitySheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a summer package that includes a one-night stay in a Club Room, express check-in at the Club Lounge on the 38th floor overlooking the city, continental breakfast for two and happy hour coffee, tea and snacks. Guests also receive an eco bag with a teddy bear, skincare products and other goodies. The package starts from 290,000 won and runs until Aug. 31. For information and reservation, call (02) 2211-2100.Ja

Food June 16, 2017

Korean actress Lee Young-ae donated roughly $50,000 to Sri Lanka to help support flood relief in the country. Flooding was caused by a heavy monsoon in the latter half of May. The money was handed over to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Seoul on June 5 through the Korea Foundation for Persons with Disabilities, where Lee is an advisory chairperson.Lee Young-ae (Sri Lankan Embassy)The actress said she was “deeply saddened by the lost lives and homes from the severe flooding” and that she wanted to help

Foreign Affairs June 12, 2017

Every so often, Swiss citizens go to the polling stations to vote on issues relevant to their lives, ranging from national energy to local roads and everything in between. They often cast votes more conservatively than their elected officials would, believing firmly that nothing is free and pork barrel politics ultimately comes out of their pockets.In a prudent and wise decision on the country’s national energy, Swiss citizens voted to phase out nuclear power and switch to renewable sources in M

Foreign Affairs June 12, 2017

Ahead of their centenary of proclaiming statehood next year, the three Baltic countries have unveiled a myriad of tourism offers for international travelers, introducing the northern European nations as an integrated destination. As only Latvia among the Baltic States -- Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia -- has an embassy in Korea, the diplomatic mission organized a tourism promotion seminar in Seoul on May 15, where some 20 public tourism officials and numerous other travel company representatives

Foreign Affairs June 12, 2017

Filipino cuisine at Millennium Seoul HiltonThe Millennium Seoul Hilton’s flagship buffet restaurant Cafe 395 will introduce Phlippine cuisine prepared by Filipina celebrity chef Michelle Adrilliana until June 13. Adrilliana is renowned in the Philippines for her culinary prowess, working as chef, restaurant consultant as well as ambassador of Filipino cuisine around the world. Adrilliana visited Guangzhou, Sydney and Doha prior to coming to Seoul.Alongside a live cooking station offering beef, s

Food June 9, 2017

As the world focuses on neutralizing North Korea’s nuclear and missile brinksmanship, equal attention should be given to grave human rights violations in the country, a former United Nations official said, stressing “there can be no security without accountability.”For Michael Kirby, former chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the issue has been close to his heart. He grew up in postwar Australia watching newsreels of Nazi concentration

Foreign Affairs June 5, 2017

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the ASEAN-Korea Cultural Exchange Year, a culinary and tourism promotional event took place at Coex in Seoul from Thursday to Sunday. Ten celebrity chefs from the 10 member states flew to Korea for the event and showcased their national dishes, including Brunei’s ilkan goreng berkuah, Cambodia’s prahok ktiss, Indonesia’s sate maranggi, Laos’ laab kai, Malaysia’s pulut kuning and rendang, Myanmar’s shan noodle salad, t

Foreign Affairs June 5, 2017

The Eastern Economic Corridor in Thailand is an axis of industrial estates southeast of Bangkok. It is the Thai government’s flagship project to turn the country into the hub of the region’s advanced industries and commercial networks. Comprised of the Pin Thong Industrial Estate, Hemraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, Amata City Industrial Estate and Rayong Industrial Estate, the scheme integrally underpins the “Thailand 4.0” economic restructuring initiative, aimed at spurring entrepreneur

Foreign Affairs June 5, 2017