Yun Sang-koo, director of the Rotary Foundation and eldest son of fourth Korean President Yun Po-sun, received the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, conferred by Queen Elizabeth II, at a ceremony held at the British ambassador’s residence in Seoul on Thursday. “Yun Sang-koo brought great creativity into commemorating his father’s association with Edinburgh University, providing the funds and ideas for a series of symposiums which have brought tog

　Indonesian batik fabric will now be available online in the Korean market after Wastra Cantik Indonesia (Batik Chic) signed an agreement with online retailer Idus. According to Indonesia’s top envoy to Korea Umar Hadi, the introduction of the country’s traditional dyed fabric to the Korean market will lead to wealth creation not only for the two parties, but also for small and medium-sized enterprises dealing in batik. Hadi said the landmark agreement between a Korean e-commerce

The Korea Challenge Festival commemorated Challenge Day, which falls on July 8, by honoring those who overcame adversity in various fields at the World Taekwondo Headquarters on Thursday. The festival was organized by the nonprofit Challenge Korea Association Headquarter and supported by The Korea Herald, Korean Senior Citizens Association, World Taekwondo Headquarters, Miracle City World Group, Arirang TV and World Korea New Deal Public Group. The festival was held under the theme of &ldq

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon officially launched his new book titled “Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World” in Seoul on Thursday. “Without the United nations troops, humanitarian agencies and advisers, Korea would not be where she is today, such experiences grounded in me importance of peace, opportunity, security, stability, and collective responsibility, beliefs that shaped my life and my tenure as (UN) secretary-general,” Ban said at the book launc

    President Moon Jae-in will take Japan's attitude into account when deciding whether to visit Tokyo for the opening ceremony of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and bilateral summit talks, according to his office Monday.    "Our government intends to have South Korea-Japan summit talks," a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters, requesting anonymity. "But it maintains the position that there should be an accomplishment if talks are held."    The

A UNESCO committee on Monday expressed strong regrets over Japan not fulfilling its pledge to honor victims of wartime forced labor at an information center on its industrial revolution site registered on the World Heritage List.  Japan opened the Industrial Heritage Information Center last year, introducing 23 modern Japanese Meiji-era sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the notorious Hashima Island, also known as Battleship Island, where many Koreans were forced int

A UNESCO committee will adopt a decision next week calling for Japan to live up to its promise to honor forced labor victims at an information center on industrial revolution sites registered on the World Heritage list, an official said Monday. The World Heritage Committee (WHC) is expected to adopt the decision between July 21-23 during the 44th annual session slated to run virtually through the end of this month, a foreign ministry official said. In the decision, the WHC plans to express &qu

A South Korean missionary couple kidnapped by an unidentified group in Haiti were released over the weekend, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. 　 The two Korean nationals were freed at around noon on Saturday, local time, after being held captive for 17 days. They left the country on Sunday and are to return home via a third country. The couple remain in good health, the ministry said. 　 The two were abducted by a gang on the outskirts of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on June 24 while m

A South Korean missionary couple, who were abducted by an unidentified group in Haiti, have been released over the weekend after 17 days in captivity, the foreign ministry said Monday. The two Korean citizens were set free at 12:06 p.m. on Saturday (Haiti time) and left the country the following day to return home via a third country, the ministry said. They remain in good shape. Soon after learning that the couple were kidnapped on the outskirts of Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince on June 24

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae reiterated Sunday that the decision on President Moon Jae-in's potential attendance at the opening ceremony of the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games depends on whether the visit would guarantee a fruitful summit meeting between the two countries' leaders. Cheong Wa Dae has left the door open for Moon's possible attendance at the opening ceremony set for July 23 and a summit meeting between Moon and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on that occasion. The possibil

The South Korean passport was found to be the third most effective one for travelers around the world, allowing its bearers to travel to 191 countries visa-free, data showed Sunday. Asia's fourth-largest economy and Germany tied for third, only after Japan and Singapore, in the latest edition of the Henley Passport Index. The Japanese passport provides visa-free travel to 193 countries and Singapore to 192 countries. The index released by immigration consulting firm Henley & Partners Co

Ham Sang-wook, deputy foreign minister for multilateral affairs, met senior officials of the Republic of the Congo to discuss bilateral ties and economic cooperation during his trip there this week, the foreign ministry said Friday. On Wednesday, Ham paid courtesy calls on Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso and Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, the minister of international cooperation and promotion of public-private partnership. Ham's trip to the capital city of Brazzaville was designed to dee

The UN nuclear watchdog has formed a team of experts, including a South Korean researcher, to monitor Japan's planned discharge of treated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the government said Friday. Kim Hong-suk, a nuclear expert from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), joined the team that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formed Thursday, it said, noting his participation will help ensure the safety of the planned water release. The team is known

WASHINGTON -- The United States is still considering the possibility of its first lady, Jill Biden, traveling to Japan for the summer Olympics there, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday. "We are still assessing the feasibility of the first lady attending and our advance team arrives in Tokyo later this week," Jen Psaki told a daily press briefing. Her remarks come shortly after Tokyo said the Olympics will take place without any spectators, amid a resurgence in COVID-19 infection

The foreign ministry expressed "deep condolences" Thursday over the death of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise, pledging to support efforts to restore political and social stability in the country. Moise was killed during an attack at his private residence on Wednesday morning, creating political turmoil when the country struggles with poverty. First lady Martine Moise was also attacked and is under treatment, according to reports. "We express deep condolences to the bereaved fam