South Korea’s instant ramyeon exports have officially surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time this year, reflecting surging global demand. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs reported on Friday that instant noodle exports from January to October reached an impressive $1.02 billion (1.4 trillion won), representing a 30 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Last year’s exports totaled $952 million, meaning this year's exports exceeded tha

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island – South Korea, China and Japan adopted a joint communique on Sunday promising to collaborate on addressing the environmental challenges of yellow dust and climate change. The declaration came at the end of the annual meeting of environment ministers from the three countries held at International Convention Center on Jeju Island. Specifically, the three countries said they will enhance "3+X cooperation" to mitigate yellow dust levels, particularly through par

The annual Global Green Hub Korea 2024 conference, organized by the Environment Ministry in collaboration with the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, commenced Wednesday at BEXCO, Busan. Scheduled activities over the three-day conference include a panel discussion on international green goals, private export counseling sessions, briefings on overseas green projects and meetings focused on intergovernmental cooperation, according to Environment Ministry officials. The globa

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will open “Korea Agri Expo 2024,” the largest agricultural exposition in the country, at aT Centre in Seoul on Thursday for a four-day run. Marking its sixth year, this annual event has been a platform for showcasing the diverse value and growth potential of agriculture and rural regions since its inception in 2019, ministry officials said Tuesday. Last year's exposition drew significant interest, attracting approximately 94,00

A South Korean export delegation arrived in Vietnam on Monday for a weeklong trip aimed at promoting high-quality Korean agricultural products and facilitating their entry into the Vietnamese market. Led by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the delegation includes a diverse range of exporters, such as manufacturers of fertilizers, eco-friendly agricultural chemicals, agricultural equipment, animal feed and machinery. Since 2018, the ministry has consistently s

The Korean government has launched the “K-Community Challenge” competition for foreigners, set to run until Sept. 22, officials said Thursday. The contest is being promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. This initiative invites participants to submit videos showcasing performances and demonstrations across four categories: Joseon pop, "sogochum" (Korean folk dances) "taekwonm

The government announced Tuesday the opening of exports for heat-treated chicken products, including frozen chicken, dumplings and the ginseng chicken soup known as samgyetang to Britain. This strategic initiative marks a pivotal entry into the British market following the successful negotiation of an export sanitary and quarantine agreement for such products with the European Union (EU) in December of the previous year. Bolstered by a robust strategic partnership established during the South Ko

The United Nations World Food Program expressed its appreciation to the Korean government for its rice support amid the global food crisis during a meeting between WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain and Korean Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung in Seoul on Tuesday. McCain conveyed her gratitude to the Korean government and its citizens for doubling the provision of rice aid in 2024 amid a worsening global food crisis caused by conflicts, diseases, and climate change. "I am deeply thankful

SEJONG -- Leaders of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) expressed high expectations for the success of its 2027 summer sports games after inspecting the event locations in South Korea’s central region of Chungcheong this week. The high-level delegation team led by President Leonz Eder from FISU, the governing body of the worldwide sports competitions for student-athletes, came to South Korea on July 7 to receive an update on the preparations from the organizing committee

Mayor Choi Min-ho, the driving force behind Sejong City, stands out as a seasoned public administrator boasting 31 years of comprehensive service in pivotal roles spanning central and local governance. Originating from Daejeon in 1956, he completed his education at Boseong High School and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. Subsequently, he pursued a master's degree in public administration at Yonsei University, a law degree at Tokyo University in Japan, and achieved a doctorate

Sejong City, strategically located in the heart of South Chungcheong Province, emerged as a pivotal player in the nation's balanced regional development strategy when it was established in 2012. Situated approximately 150km south of Seoul, Sejong City shares borders with Daejeon, Gongju, Cheongju, and Cheonan, creating a unique urban landscape in an otherwise rural setting. Despite its relatively modest population of around 400,000 residents, Sejong City boasts administrative significance c

SEJONG -- To commemorate his second year in office, Mayor Choi Min-ho of Sejong City shared his vision for transforming the government administrative city into a global standard capital model. During an exclusive interview at his office early this month, Mayor Choi underscored Sejong's forthcoming identity as the "Hangeul Culture Capital" of the nation, highlighting a commitment to nurturing the legacy of King Sejong the Great within the city's development plans until his ter

Patents, which are the exclusive rights granted for creative ideas and innovative inventions, can be considered one of the driving forces behind technological innovation, industrial competitiveness, and economic growth. Paul Romer, an American economist at New York University and co-recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in economics, demonstrated through his life’s research that investment in technology encouraged by patents can bolster economies. This is all the more evident in business setti

[Contribution] How to restore deforested land in North Korea　By Nam Song-heeThe restoration of deforested and degraded land in North Korea is becoming a critical issue not only in the two Koreans and among international organizations. According to the “Forest Resource Assessment” by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, the country’s forest cover has dramatically decreased from 8.2 million hectares in 1990 to 5.67 million hectares in 2010, representing a deforestation rate of 127,000 hecta

North Korean athletes at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics refused to accept smartphones offered on condition they returned them after the Games, news reports said, as the IOC backed down over a similar demand for Iranians.The IOC is providing Galaxy Note 8 devices from Olympic sponsor Samsung to all athletes and officials at the Games, loaded with essential logistical and competition information. North Korean athletes attend the ceremony for team's entrance into athletes' village for Olympics thi

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putinsaid on Thursday that a strike on North Korea by the United States would have catastrophic consequences and that he hoped to work with Washington eventually to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula.Russia does not accept North Korea's nuclear status, Putin told an annual news conference. But he also said that some of Washington's past actions had provoked North Korea into violating a 2005 agreement to curb its nuclear program."We believe th

European Union ministers adopted on Tuesday a blacklist of 17 non-EU tax havens including Panama, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates after a year of tough negotiations.The Paradise Papers leak last month gave a new impetus to the plan, making public some of the intricate ways the world's rich evade tax using offshore havens. Buildings in central Seoul (Bloomberg)"We have adopted at EU level a list of states which are not doing enough to fight tax evasion. This blacklist includes 17 states,

 BEIJING (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea and China held talks on Wednesday during which they sought to mend ties ahead of an upcoming summit between their leaders. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for the talks with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. On Tuesday, Kang said that she and Wang will focus on fine-tuning preparations for the visit by South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Beijing next month.  Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha meets he

No South Korean casualties have been reported during a shooting spree in Las Vegas that left at least 50 people dead, the foreign ministry in Seoul said Monday.On Sunday (local time), more than 200 people were wounded in an attack on a Las Vegas concert, making it the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.  A view of the main stage at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival during a performance by 'Big & Rich' a few hours before Sunday nights deadly shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada on Su

The US military will send "strategic assets" to Korea in a stern response to North Korea's firing of another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korea's defense chief said Saturday.Strategic assets refer to high-profile weapons systems, such as stealth bombers and aircraft carriers. Defense Minister Song Young-moo speaks at a news conference on Saturday. (Yonhap)In a statement, Defense Minister Song Young-moo said the North's ICBM test is a "grave provocation" that jeopardizes the s