The Korea Herald

Through their eyes, Vargos find creation

May 8, 2011

The Swedish artistic duo of Ambassador Lars Vargo and his wife, textile artist Eva, have teamed up for a joint exhibition titled “Through your Eyes.”This is not the first time the artists have shown their work in Seoul.Vargo displayed his painting skills during his solo exhibition “MindSpace” last year while Eva has participated in many solo and group exhibitions in Korea, Sweden, Japan and Lithua
Queensland emerging from devastating floods

May 8, 2011

Four months after the Queensland flood and cyclone disasters, the state government told Korean authorities and business leaders that the Australian state is open for business.The series of disasters that hit Queensland, including the capital city Brisbane, forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. “Our estimate for the flood damage is in the order of ($6 billion),” Queens
Taiwan seeks safer Asian skies

May 8, 2011

Taiwan has had no direct contact with the International Civil Aviation Organization since it was excluded from the organization in 1971, yet over 200,000 Koreans traveled to Taiwan last year.“In order to ensure the safety of international air transport within the Taipei Flight Information Region, Taiwan’s civil aviation authority has nevertheless followed, to the best of its abilities, the rules e
EU FTA ratified, but what’s next?

May 8, 2011

Envoy says pact offers advantages for Korea over EU’s other Asian trading partnersThe rollercoaster ride on the road to ratify the Korea-EU free trade agreement was completed last week, bringing with it better opportunities for both Korea and EU members.The pact is the first major step in eliminating Korea’s practices of protecting local industries.“This is very unique and special not only for Kor
U.N. to tighten monitoring of food distribution in N.K.

May 3, 2011

The World Food Program will increase its personnel residing in North Korea to tighten monitoring of the distribution of donated food, a U.S.-funded radio station reported Tuesday. The plan comes as the U.N. agency prepares to launch an emergency operation to help feed 3.5 million starving North Koreans by providing 310,000 tons of food within the next year. The WFP plans to keep 59 agents in the N
Seoul, Washington agree to discuss ‘nuclear safety’ in multinational summit

May 3, 2011

In the run-up to the Nuclear Security Summit next year, South Korea and the U.S. agreed that “nuclear safety” should top the agenda of the multinational conference scheduled for Seoul, the Foreign Ministry here said Tuesday. As the host of the international conference usually plays an important role in setting the agenda, the North Korean nuclear issue was expected by analysts to be the main focus
iPad for take-out at Starbucks?

May 3, 2011

(Yonhap News)New York police announced that thieves seeking unattended electronic devices at Starbucks cafes are increasing. Due to increasing reports of larceny, NYPD is now even setting up sting operations, reported the New York Times. Decoy bags were applied to arrest a thief.The world famous coffee chain draws customers around the globe who want to enjoy comfortable seats, drinks, and especial
‘Hijacked tanker expected to reach Somalia today’

May 2, 2011

A hijacked Singapore palm oil tanker was expected to reach Somalia Monday, where negotiations will begin with pirates over the release of its 25-member crew including four South Koreans, an official here said.Somali pirates seized the 21,000-ton MT Gemini as well as more than 28,000 tons of crude palm oil off the coast of Kenya the previous day, the vessel’s owner had announced in a statement. Acc
Senior diplomat suspected of smuggling ivory from Africa

May 2, 2011

A South Korean diplomat has been caught allegedly attempting to smuggle expensive elephant tusks into the country upon his return from a post in Africa, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. Some 16 pieces of ivory, which is among the nation’s contraband goods, were found in the shipment of the diplomat who returned to the country in March and currently holds a high-ranking post at the central governm
Somali pirates hijack ship with four S. Koreans aboard: official

May 1, 2011

In this file photo, an armed Somali pirate along the coastline while the Greek cargo ship, MV Filitsa, is seen anchored just off the shores of Hobyo, northeastern Somalia, where its being held by pirates. (AFP-Yonhap News) A Singapore-registered chemical tanker with crew that include four South Koreans has been hijacked by Somali pirates, foreign ministry officials here said Sunday. The MT Gemi
Seoul under fire over East Sea name policy

May 1, 2011

South Korea’s recent offer to simultaneously use the “East Sea” and the “Sea of Japan” to name the waters between the peninsula and Japan is drawing criticism from people here, who fear the decision will give the international community the wrong idea. The appellation for the body of waters, called the “East Sea” by Koreans and the “Sea of Japan” by the Japanese, has long been a source of tension
Chernobyl lessons, 25 years on

May 1, 2011

The recent tragic events at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant have forced the international community to re-analyze the safety of nuclear power stations. And 25 years on, the Chernobyl catastrophe remains the worst ever nuclear plant disaster, said Volodymyr Belashov, the Ukrainian ambassador to Korea. Aftermath of Chernobyl disaster“Several dozens of firefighters, plant workers and reporter
Daewon Univ. scholarships open to Filipinos

May 1, 2011

Daewon University College in Jecheon City, in cooperation with the Philippines Embassy, is providing scholarship opportunities for Filipino students interested in pursuing a two-year associate degree.The scholarship is open to Filipino high school graduates and college undergraduates, aged 15 to 25.Programs covered by the scheme are engineering, natural sciences and social service.The scholarship
New leaders at German chamber

May 1, 2011

The German Chamber of Commerce elected Friedrich Stockinger, president of Trumpf Korea, as its new president during the annual meeting earlier this month.Stockinger succeeds Josef Meilinger, president & CEO of Siemens, Seoul, who will leave Korea in the middle of the year.Korea-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Cho Hae-hyeong and Meilinger thanked the chamber team for their performa
Easier U.K. visa process for students

May 1, 2011

The British government has streamlined visa applications for students from countries whose nationals pose a low immigration risk to the United Kingdom.South Korea has been identified as one of the countries that will benefit from this streamlined process, which will be put in place starting this summer.“International students not only make a vital contribution to the U.K. economy but they also hel