BUSAN -- Ahead of the highly anticipated summit in Busan next month between the leaders of South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, top officials from participating countries gathered in the southern port city Wednesday and voiced high expectations for the future of the relationship between South Korea and the ASEAN nations.South Korean Ambassador to ASEAN Lim Sung-nam, ASEAN-Korea Center Secretary-General Lee Hyuk, Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don and Myanmar Ambassador to South Korea

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 17, 2019

ASEAN-KOREA TRAIN LAUNCH -- (From first, from fifth left to right) Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Korea Center Lee Hyuk, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy of Brunei Ahmaddin Abdul Rahman, KOICA President Lee Mi-Kyung, Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun and Myanmar’s Minister for Information Pe Myint pose at the launch ceremony of the three-day ASEAN-Korea Train: Advancing Together program, which started its journey at Seoul Station on Wednesday. (ASEAN-Korea Center)

Foreign Affairs Oct. 16, 2019

Colombia’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Jose Manuel Restrepo said the country is keen to bolster South Korea-bound exports, stressing now is the time to reshape bilateral trade between the two nations. “Exports from Colombia (to Korea) are (valued at) $600 million. The number of exporters (from Colombia) is growing. On the other side, we have imports of Korea at around $800 million. This means the balance is against Colombia. But that balance improving,” Colombian Mi

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 14, 2019

German Ambassador to South Korea Stephen Auer said last week he hopes for the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas in the near future, as Germany celebrated the 29th anniversary of its reunification and the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.“Today is an emotional day not only for the German people but also for Koreans. The day of German unity and the fall of the Wall are special occasions because of our shared history of the separation of our nations,” Auer said at

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 14, 2019

The International Vaccine Institute, an international organization based in Seoul, held a forum on its 22nd anniversary where the participants exchanged ideas on ways to boost global collaboration on research and development on vaccines and their delivery.“I hope for greater cooperation among IVI members and non-IVI members to expedite research and development, and distribution of vaccines,” International Vaccine Institute Director General Jerome Kim said in his welcoming speech.Abou

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 14, 2019

Top officials from ASEAN countries and South Korea will hop on a train to travel across the country alongside citizens of the participating countries. The event, marking the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-Korea dialogue, also aims to promote next month’s ASEAN-Korea summit in Busan, the organizers said Monday.“The program aims to promote people-centered connectivity between ASEAN and Korea under the overarching theme of People, Prosperity, and Peace. … The journey will be featuring

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 14, 2019

Alexander Mankowsky, art director at leading German carmaker Daimler, said Thursday that empathy should be the priority in future mobility so that companies can roll out innovative automated vehicles capable of interacting with pedestrians.“If we have to talk about ethics, we need to talk about what is human. What are we humans? How would you like to be? That process is always for people. We need to see what we are and what do we want to be,” Mankowsky said at Herald Design Forum 201

Arts & Design Oct. 10, 2019

Award-winning South Korean actress Gong Hyo-jin, who has also made a name for herself as a popular fashionista, shared her inner conflict as an environmentally conscious fashion model, encouraging the public to take small steps every day to save the environment.“I have a nickname, ‘fashionista.’ Part of my job as a model is to convey, ‘Isnt’ this pretty? Would you like to purchase one?’ But since I saw this data, I have been experiencing an inner conflict, inn

Arts & Design Oct. 10, 2019

Amid South Korea’s strengthened economic relations with Poland, the European country is seeking to bolster cooperation in nuclear energy, defense and cybersecurity, Polish top envoy said.“South Korea is now our main economic partner in Asia. We are talking of increasing cooperation with Korean companies,” Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz told The Korea Herald in an exclusive interview in Seoul.“There is also potential (to cooperate in) in nuclear energy. Of cours

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 8, 2019

Saudi Arabia will issue travel visas for South Koreans and citizens of 48 other countries as part of its Vision 2030, the Saudi Embassy in Seoul said.The visa issuance starting Sept. 27 comes amid a series of decisions to ease strict laws and regulations in one of the most conservative countries in the Middle East.“Saudi Arabia is now opening its doors to international tourists. We are expecting that the tourists from all around the world can enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Red

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 7, 2019

The French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry and newly appointed French Ambassador to South Korea Philippe Lefort held a networking event for members of the FKCCI, highlighting the upcoming French-Korean tech summit, the FKCCI said. The event, the “FKCCI Networking Evening With the New French Ambassador to Korea,” took place Oct. 2 in central Seoul with roughly 80 FKCCI members and related officials in attendance.Its purpose was to give the French business community here a

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 7, 2019

The Embassy of India in Seoul has launched an annual festival showcasing India’s diverse culture. The fifth edition of “Sarang: The Festival of India in the Republic of Korea” kicked off Oct. 2 and will run until Nov. 22, introducing different aspects of Indian culture including classical bharata natya dance and traditional carnatic instrumental music, as well as Indian film, art and food.“We begin tomorrow, Oct. 2, which is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 7, 2019

The Korea Foundation, a nonprofit organization under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has opened an office in Jakarta, marking its eighth overseas office aimed at promoting public diplomacy.The office in Indonesia will function as a hub for public diplomacy targeting Southeast Asian countries as part of the Moon Jae-in administration’s New Southern Policy. “Indonesia has a population of 260 million people, standing as the world’s fourth most populous country. It is the lar

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 7, 2019

British community-dance professional Diane Amans led a dance workshop for seniors in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, at the invitation of the British Council in Korea. The event held Sept. 25 to Oct. 2 aimed to promote healthy and “creative aging” through the arts as well as to foster arts programs here tailored for the older generation.“The British Council in Korea has held a number of arts projects by inviting UK professionals to share their inclusive approaches to arts.

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 7, 2019

The Embassy of Argentina here held an opening ceremony for the Sala Mirtha Legrand hall and the launch of El Ciclo de Cine Argentino 2019 on Thursday, with an aim to strengthen cultural ties between Argentina and South Korea. “Films are a bridge connecting the two countries culturally. Just as diplomatic relations expand into trade and politics, films will also help form friendly ties. This is why we have decided to screen Argentinian movies,” Argentine Ambassador to South Korea Alfr

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 30, 2019