Two leading Korean guitarists from the genres of classical and Latin jazz will meet for a live duet performance this spring. Titled as “Two Guitars,” classical guitarist Park Kyu-hee and Spanish jazz guitarist Park Ju-won will perform together at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul’s Songpa-gu on March 17, performance agency MusicandArtCompany announced Friday. This will be the duo’s second appearance on stage together, following their first in June last year. Park Kyu-hee

South Korea is providing training to poorer countries wishing to produce their own vaccines and treatments as the World Health Organization’s global training hub. The country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare told reporters Friday the training hub has been established with the aim of combatting inequity in access to tools to combat health crises, including vaccines. Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said in a statement that the South Korean training hub is part of the WHO plan to

Koreans, still living with legacy of hostile era, unnerved by what’s unfolding in Ukraine

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Friday stressed that the alliance between Seoul and Washington is steadfast, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine renewed concerns here over the credibility of the US security commitment to its allies.  “The South Korea-US alliance, by nature, is steadfast and firm for the security of the Korean Peninsula, so there’s no need to compare with the situation in Ukraine,” Chung told lawmakers during an emergency meeting of the

South Korea’s top financial regulator said Friday that a support program worth 2 trillion won ($1.66 billion) will be launched to cushion local businesses from economic woes stemming from the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, if needed. “We will thoroughly review the extent of damages and the financial state of our exporters and importers to prevent any difficulties stemming from the Ukraine crisis,” Financial Services Commission Chairman Koh Seung-beom said at a joint

South Korea and the United States have reached an agreement for the US to return 165,000 square meters from the Yongsan US Base in Seoul and Camp Red Cloud, a US Army camp located in Uijeongbu city, officials said Friday. Im Sang-woo, director of the North American Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and joint chairperson of the Korea-US Status of Forces Agreement, and Scott Pleus, deputy commander of the US Forces Korea, adopted a joint statement containing these details by phone on the

Vaccine passes, post-travel quarantines still in place

Govt. to invest W734b into space development this year

The two frontrunners in the quickly approaching presidential election addressed the Russian invasion of Ukraine with different focuses. While Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea spoke of economic aspects, Yoon Suk-yeol from the main opposition People Power Party attacked the Moon Jae-in administration’s security policies. Lee tried to bring the focus on how the war will affect the Korean economy in an attempt to emphasize his capability in handling economic matters. Lee

SEJONG -- The tax administrative agencies of South Korea and India have agreed to closely coordinate on easing tax burdens for businesses by holding a bilateral meeting of chiefs, the National Tax Service said Friday. The two also have decided to exchange know-how in uncovering practices of offshore tax evasion. During their meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, NTS commissioner Kim Dae-ji expressed gratitude to his counterpart Tarun Bajaj for the Indian tax authority’s recent policy to prev

Korea-US Vice Ministers talk over Ukraine crisis by phone; strongly condemn Russian invasion

Two Korean illustrated books, by Lee Su-zy and Choi Deok-kyu, respectively, won recognition in this year’s Bologna Ragazzi Awards for children’s literature The prestigious annual international awards identify the best products in terms of graphic and editorial quality, innovation and communication with young readers. Evaluated by an international jury of experts, the categories are divided into four genres: fiction, nonfiction, opera prima (debut work) and comics. Lee Su-zy&rsquo

South Korea’s hip-hop artist Choiza of Dynamic Duo is set to make a solo debut with his first EP, “Jaeho,” at 6 p.m. on Friday, according to the artist’s agency Amoeba Culture. It will mark the rapper’s first step as a solo musician, about 20 years after his debut as a member of hip-hop trio CB Mass in 2000. The title of the album “Jaeho” is Choiza’s first name. The upcoming EP will talk about the hardships that he had to face as an artist and J

As the US Biden administration imposes economic sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, South Korean firms including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are expected to take collateral damage. On Friday, President Joe Biden unveiled comprehensive economic sanctions to cripple the Russian economy. The sanctions would limit the export of products that can potentially increase Russia’s ability to advance its military and aerospace sector. The sanctions would prohibit companies from s