The governments of Germany and Korea can set the right regulatory conditions and incentives to leverage the maximum amount of private investment into clean energy, German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel said at a Thursday webinar titled “KR-DE Road to 2050: Financing Clean Energy Transition.”  The event was co-hosted by the Embassy of Germany in Korea, Solutions for Our Climate, Climate Transparency and Rep. Lee So-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Accor

Foreign Affairs Oct. 5, 2021

South Korea and Georgia are significant strategic partners, with great potential for furthering cooperation in trade, technology and cultural exchange, says Alexander Khvtisiashvili, Georgian deputy foreign minister. He said deepened bilateral cooperation could achieve new grounds in the post-COVID-19 era.　 According to Khvtisiashvili, Georgia’s geopolitical location between the East and West makes the country a corridor of trade, capital, human and natural resources, adding that Korea-G

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 5, 2021

The Russian Embassy in South Korea held an opening ceremony for the Russian Seasons at Seoul Arts Center on Saturday. Russian seasons is a project run by Russia’s Ministry of Culture aimed at introducing Russian culture worldwide and presenting the “Firebird” to the hosting country. The Firebird is the symbol of the Russian Seasons inspired by the mythical creature from Russian folk tales. The project in Korea started with a performance by the Soloists of Moscow, a chamber en

Foreign Affairs Oct. 5, 2021

  The spirit of the ASEAN Korea Center is in cooperation and mutual support, say officials selected from four among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- Brunei, Laos, Malaysia and the Philippines -- who are working at the South Korea-based center on a three-year term. Ahead of ASEAN Week, an annual week of events to promote the association, The Korea Herald interviewed four officials representing their nations at the ASEAN Korea Center.  Siti Maisarah Haji Majid

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 28, 2021

The ASEAN-Korea Centre, an intergovernmental organization, will hold ASEAN Week 2021 online and offline Oct. 5-6 to highlight partnerships between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. According to the center’s Secretary-General Kim Hae-yong, the flagship event will be co-hosted by the Presidential Committee on New Southern Policy and the Korea International Trade Association. Throughout the week there will be programs on trade, investment, culture and youth. The t

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 28, 2021

The Polish Embassy in Seoul held the first edition of Poland Business Week on Sept. 13-17 to promote Polish companies in tech sectors such as fintech, cybersecurity and drones. The embassy said the event was aimed at bringing together internationally acclaimed Polish companies and offering them a fresh occasion to seek potential business partners in Korea. The inaugural event was held virtually due to COVID-19 but the embassy hinted that future editions could come in a hybrid form that comp

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 24, 2021

Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tung met on Wednesday with Choi Jin-young, CEO of The Korea Herald, and they exchanged views on bilateral ties between the two countries and the struggles of small businesses coping with COVID-19. “Next year Vietnam and Korea will celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Many opportunities lie ahead,” the Vietnamese ambassador said. “It’s the right time to enhance bilateral cooperation.” Choi echoed

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 10, 2021

Climate change is the biggest existential challenge for humankind and the world needs to make a collective effort to use the rapidly narrowing window of opportunity to tackle the issue, says Indonesian Ambassador to Korea Umar Hadi. “We shall think green and transform now,” Hadi said in an interview with The Korea Herald, underscoring a need for a new ideology on sustainable development and for industries to undergo a green transformation. “I think, right now, what humanity t

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 7, 2021

FRIENDLY TIES -- Bader Al Awadi (right), ambassador of Kuwait to South Korea, fist-bumps with The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young during a courtesy visit to the Herald Corp. headquarters in central Seoul on Tuesday.

Diplomatic Circuit Sept. 6, 2021

Korea is leading the world in the green transition with its Green New Deal, Carlos Eduardo Correa, Colombia’s environment and sustainable development minister said in an interview with the Korea Herald. Recognizing that Colombia also had a significant role to play in environmental issues, he said the two countries could work more effectively to achieving their aims if thy worked together “Colombia and Korea have big responsibility of sustainable development in post-COVID-19, if w

Diplomatic Circuit Aug. 30, 2021

Colombia welcomes Korean companies to bid for energy and mining projects, Diego Mesa, Colombia’s minister of energy and mining said on Aug. 25, during an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul. According to Mesa, Colombia has two major auctions for renewable energy and oil and gas coming up in October and December.  “Colombia’s main policy has been energy transition and multiplication. Korean companies can take part in upcoming biddings either directly or through prov

Diplomatic Circuit Aug. 30, 2021

The Latvian Embassy in Seoul unveiled an exhibition Teusday to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and Korea. The exhibition titled “Latvia: A New Beginning” was unveiled at the Geumjeong Cultural Center in Busan and will showcase diversity of Latvia’s culture until Oct. 9. One part of the exhibition, “Latvia. Architecture at Convergence,” reflects the rich culture of Latvia and has been created as a follow-up to a special issue of th

Diplomatic Circuit Aug. 27, 2021

  Colombian President Ivan Duque on Thursday expressed hopes of expanded economic ties with Korea, touting the brotherhood between the two nations forged during Colombia’s participation in the 1950-53 Korean War. “More than 5,000 Colombians came into this nation to defend liberty and democracy. More than 230 were killed. Four hundred were injured. And they gave the best of their lives to protect this nation. So, there is a brotherhood that has existed since then,” the p

Diplomatic Circuit Aug. 27, 2021

Colombia can help Korean businesses with their popular cosmetics and food products by supplying exotic ingredients, Colombia’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rodolfo Enrique Zea, said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. He gave the example of copoazu, an Amazon fruit that can be used to make desserts and confectionery. The minister was visiting Seoul this week, accompanying President Ivan Duque’s three-day state visit. The president held summit talk

Diplomatic Circuit Aug. 27, 2021