The Korea Herald

[Herald Interview] ‘Unique culture on each island’

PeopleJun 12, 2011

Indonesia is more than just a honeymoon destinationBali, beautiful island of Indonesia filled with luxury resorts and hotels, has been grabbing the attention of Korean tourists, particularly after Korea’s hugely famous celebrity couple Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young chose Bali for their honeymoon last year.However, the South Asian country has a lot more to offer, a tourism official said.“Not just B
[Editorial] Big change in labor

EditorialJun 12, 2011

Labor-management relations will undergo a drastic change, with multiple trade unions set to be permitted in the same workplace next month. Moreover, a group of trade unions are set to launch a new nationwide umbrella group as their representative ― possibly later this month. Unions and corporate employers will have to brace for one of the greatest transformations in labor ― at both the national an
[Editorial] Fighting inflation

EditorialJun 12, 2011

The central bank’s commitment to putting inflationary pressure under control sounds credible at long last. It sounds convincing not because it hints at another benchmark rate hike next month after a 25-basis-point increase to 3.25 percent last weekend. Rather, much of the credibility comes from the administration, which promises to take all measures possible to rein in inflationary pressure.Friday
[Dick Polman] Democrats sing new tune on finances

ViewpointsJun 12, 2011

Obviously, if we had a dime for every time the politicians junked their avowed convictions, we’d all be living in luxury. But it’s still breathtaking to behold the Democrats’ blatant embrace of a sleazy campaign tactic that they condemned just eight months ago.Last autumn, President Obama and his political allies insisted that secret donations were a “threat to democracy.” On the eve of the 2010 c
[David Ignatius] Obama’s ‘partnership deficit’

ViewpointsJun 12, 2011

WASHINGTON ― There was some head-scratching in Washington at the recent presentation of the Medal of Freedom to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The previous foreign recipients included Pope John Paul II, who championed the freedom of Eastern Europe; Nelson Mandela, who triumphed over apartheid in South Africa; and Helmut Kohl, who reunited Germany. Did Merkel, for all her good qualities, really f
[Peter Goldmark] GOP playing with fire on debt ceiling

ViewpointsJun 12, 2011

There they go again.The Republicans in the House of Representatives are acting like jackasses. And they’re doing it on the critical issue of the debt ceiling, which could undermine confidence in the United States around the world if it is mishandled.The Republican-dominated House of Representatives recently said they would refuse to raise the national debt limit unless their draconian spending cut
[Anne Michaud] Arab Spring must not leave women behind

ViewpointsJun 12, 2011

This year’s Arab Spring uprisings against authoritarian regimes included many prominent women: There was a Tunisian blogger who was among the first to alert the world to the country’s growing turmoil. And there were demonstrators, journalists, bloggers and tweeters in Egypt who forced the February ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.But since those inspiring days, the news from this region has paint
How new is Egypt’s ‘new’ foreign policy?

ViewpointsJun 12, 2011

CAIRO ― In the months since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, his successors have signaled a shift in foreign policy by reaching out to former adversaries. Egypt’s government has welcomed Iranian diplomats and embraced the Palestinian group Hamas. Many interpret such moves as clear evidence of Egypt’s desire for a diplomacy that is not subordinate to American interests.But Mubarak ne
[Robert Reich] Sliding back toward a double dip

ViewpointsJun 12, 2011

The recovery has stalled. Only 54,000 jobs were created in May. That’s hardly enough to make a dent in the nation’s sky-high unemployment.Even those who have jobs are sliding back toward recession. The average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory employees ― who make up 80 percent of non-government workers ― are now lower than they were in the depths of the recession, adjusted for inf
Japan envoy optimistic about Korea ties

Foreign affairsJun 12, 2011

Muto expects this century to bring greater prosperity to both countriesJapanese Ambassador Masatoshi Muto sees a brighter future for Korea-Japan relations. The growing dinning culture found in each other’s countries symbolizes the strengthening ties.“Korean food in Japan is becoming very popular,” he told The Korea Herald. But also, Muto noticed that during the last three years, Japanese restauran
African culture to heat up Seoul summer

TheaterJun 12, 2011

Korean Foreign Ministry hosts festival, photo and painting exhibitions to introduce wide spectrum of African artJust in time for summer, events and exhibitions featuring African culture have arrived in South Korea. The “African Cultural Festival,” hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and organized by Seoul Selection of the International Dance Council, will offer a wide range of Afri
Ancient Korean royal books welcomed back home

BooksJun 12, 2011

Lee stresses efforts to recover Korean artifacts kept by foreign countriesKorea celebrated the return of nearly 300 copies of its ancient royal documents that were looted by French troops 145 years ago with welcome ceremonies and performances in Seoul and Ganghwa Island on Saturday. The ceremonies came after the final batch of 297 volumes of Uigwe arrived in Seoul from Paris late last month. The b
Artists connect Seoul with Venice Biennale

Foreign affairsJun 12, 2011

For the first time in its 115 year history, the Venice Art Biennale is crossing borders by involving the entire network of Italian Cultural Institutes. The Venice Art Biennale is the most famous festival of its kind.“The Italian Pavilion in Seoul illustrates one of the characteristics of great Italian Art during the centuries ― the capability of Italian artists to meet and investigate foreign cult
Summer hours at Canadian Embassy

Foreign affairsJun 12, 2011

The Canadian Embassy will be closed every Friday at lunch time from now until Sept. 2.The hours of operation at the embassy are from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Monday to Thursday.On Fridays, the embassy will operate from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.For more details on the hours of operation for Consular or Immigration services, visit the embassy’s website at www.korea.gc.ca.(yoav@heraldm.com)
Korea-Iraq partnership off to strong start

Foreign affairsJun 12, 2011

Economic and energy cooperation between Korea and Iraq is growing since the two countries concluded a landmark deal in April. STX Heavy Industries recently signed a deal with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity to establish 25 diesel power plants in the Middle Eastern country, with a combined capacity of 2,500 megawatts.Under the agreement, Korea will assist Iraq in carrying out large-scale economic