Aug 6, 2019

[Herald Interview] Korea, Pakistan should increase economic cooperation, says Pakistani adviser

Minister-level delegate discusses need for a trade pact

Jul 16, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Laos seeks Korea’s support for regional connectivity projects

Sharing borders with five member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Laos is seeking to facilitate the connectivity of infrastructure across the region by strengthening cooperation with South Korea. “There have been already a number of projects supported by the Korean government and implemented by Korean private companies in the past that contributed to the ASEAN connectivity in Laos,” Bounchanh Sinthavong, Laos’ minister of public works and transport, said in

Jul 11, 2019

Nuke envoys of S. Korea, US discuss cooperation ahead of working-level talks with N. Korea

Top nuclear negotiators from South Korea and the United States held talks in Germany on Thursday to discuss cooperation toward progress in working-level talks with North Korea, which are expected to resume this month, Seoul's foreign ministry said.South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, Lee Do-hoon, met with his US counterpart, Stephen Biegun, in Berlin as Washington and Pyongyang are seeking to re-launch their nuclear talks, likely in the middle of this month.During their impromptu meeting at the De

Jul 9, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Yang In-mo to lead Honorary Consular Corps of Korea

Former Samsung Executive Yang In-mo was elected as the new dean of the Honorary Consular Corps of Korea, an organization of diplomats promoting friendship and cooperation among countries. Yang, the honorary consul general of Croatia to Korea, started his two-year term as the sixth dean of the corps on July 1, after a unanimous vote at a regular annual meeting on June 26.  The corps of honorary consuls in Korea consists of honorary consuls in the private sector appointed by foreign governmen

Jul 2, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Korea, Japan, China to discuss ways to save crested ibis in Seoul

Experts and government officials from South Korea, Japan and China will gather in Seoul next week to discuss ways to improve the environment for the crested ibis, an endangered species, an international organization said Monday. The crested ibis, a species that had mainly nested in Northeast Asia and parts of Russia, is at the brink of extinction. It is listed as Korea’s National Monument No. 198, but was last seen in the wild in 1979.  In an effort to save the species, a trilateral c

Jun 28, 2019

Ithra holds Saudi Arabia culture week

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, kicked off an event to promote Saudi Arabia’s culture in Seoul this week. The event has been held across the world to promote Saudi culture and history and expand cultural exchanges with other countries. In Asia, South Korea is the first to hold the event, titled “Bridges to Seoul,” which will run until Wednesday at Grand Hilton Seoul. “I am very pleased to promote the history and culture of Saudi Arabia to Korea

Jun 25, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Foreign minister, diplomats visit DMZ hiking trail

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Seoul-based foreign diplomats visited a new hiking trail on the eastern coast portion of the Demilitarized Zone on Saturday.Kang, ambassadors and representatives from 52 countries traveled to the DMZ Peace Trails in Goseong, Gangwon Province, which the government opened to the public on April 27 to mark the first anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration signed by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Kang said while hiking the course

Jun 18, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] KOICA builds biggest national museum for Congo

The Korea International Cooperation Agency on Friday held a ceremony marking the completion of a national museum in Congo, a project that was begun in 2012. The construction of the Congo National Museum in the capital city Kinshasa was funded by KOICA, a state-run aid organization. The museum will be the biggest museum in the country when it opens, KOICA said.  The South Korean aid group said it has funded $21 million for the project that is aimed at preserving cultural artifacts and to en

Jun 16, 2019

S. Korea, Sweden to expand ties on new industries, inclusive growth

The leaders of South Korea and Sweden agreed Saturday that their tech-savvy, like-minded countries have great potential for closer partnerships in various sectors, including in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Seoul's pursuit of inclusive growth.Speaking after a summit with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, President Moon Jae-in noted that the two-way trade volume reached an all-time high of US$2.9 billion in 2018."The amount of investment is fast increasing as well. But

Jun 15, 2019

[Newsmaker] S. Korea, Sweden sign MOUs on trade, economic cooperation

South Korea and Sweden have signed six memorandums of understandings (MOUs) to expand trade and cooperation in emerging industries, the government said Saturday.The MOUs were signed in line with President Moon Jae-in's visit to Sweden on the last leg of his eight-day Northern Europe trip that also took him to Finland and Norway.The agreements include those signed by the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, as well as the signings between res

Jun 15, 2019

S. Korea keeps membership on UN economic-social council

South Korea has been reelected as a member of a UN council in charge of economic and social issues, a position it has held since 2008, the foreign ministry said Saturday.South Korea received membership on the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from 2020 to 2022 in a vote at a UN general meeting Friday, the ministry said. It marks the country's eighth successive entry on the 54-member council.A total of 18 countries were elected to be members for the next three years in the latest election.&nbs

Jun 15, 2019

ASEAN cultural festival kicks off

The ASEAN-Korea Center, an intergovernmental organization, has kicked off ASEAN Week 2019 in Seoul. The ASEAN-Korea Center Secretary-General Lee Hyuk, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Thai Ambassador Singtong Lapisatepun joined the opening ceremony held Friday at Seoul Plaza and delivered congratulatory remarks.Seoul Mayor Park has pledged to strengthen ties with major cities of the 10 ASEAN member countries.First lady Kim Jung-sook, who is on an overseas trip with President Moon Jae-in, also deliv

Jun 11, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Africa, Korea to exchange cultural, business opportunities in 2019 Africa Week

African embassies in Korea will host events as part of 2019 Africa Week from Wednesday to Saturday in an effort to share their culture and exchange business opportunities. According to the Embassy of Egypt in South Korea, which holds chairmanship of the African Union, 19 embassies will participate: Algeria, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Zambia.  The events

Jun 11, 2019

[Diplomatic Circuit] ASEAN cultural festival to kick off Friday

The ASEAN-Korea Center, an intergovernmental organization, is organizing ASEAN Week 2019 in Seoul to showcase the diverse cultures of the 10 ASEAN member states. From Friday through Sunday, special events and exhibitions will be held at Seoul Plaza to raise public awareness of ASEAN cultures and tourism ahead of the ASEAN-South Korea Commemorative Summit scheduled for November this year. The center invited the citizens of Seoul and anyone with an interest in the ASEAN region to “take