The Korea Herald

Filipinos vote in national election

May 15, 2016

As part of this year’s national election to choose the Philippine’s new batch of leaders, one-quarter of all registered Filipino voters in Korea cast their ballots on May 9 at the embassy chancery in Seoul. A total of 3,473 Filipino residents exercised their suffrage rights in the highest turnout in 12 years. It marked the end of the 31-day voting period for overseas polls, with 3,131 voting personally, and 292 travelling to Busan and Daegu in late April to vote. “Overseas Filipinos living in Ko
Latvia to join OECD

May 15, 2016

On May 11, the Council of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development unanimously reached a decision to invite Latvia as its 35th member, confirming the Baltic nation has met all conditions for membership. Latvia will sign its accession agreement during the OECD’s annual ministerial council meeting in Paris on June 2, after which it will become a full-fledged member. “We have covered a distance comparable to a marathon and earned our right to belong to ‘the club of best practices,’
‘Poland-Korea relations to drift skyward’

May 15, 2016

The Polish Embassy celebrated its National Day last week at a reception that highlighted enhancing ties with Korea. In Poland, May 3 commemorates the creation of the world’s second constitution in 1791, after the U.S. constitution written in 1787.“The constitution was a remarkable historical achievement and a modern democratic triumph,” Polish Ambassador Krzysztof Ignacy Majka said at Millennium Seoul Hilton on Wednesday. “Although Poland was occupied and removed from the European map for 123 ye
Transitional justice vital to integration of Korean Peninsula

May 15, 2016

If North and South Korea unifies, integration will be paramount, say experts, highlighting Germany’s ongoing efforts to bridge identities formerly divided by the Cold War. In North Korea, where the Kim dynasty has ruled with a bloodstained, ironfisted grip for over 70 years, many people have suffered pain and trauma over the years, according to observers. Thus, they note, redressing such physical and psychological baggage will prove more arduous than institutional and financial harmonization. P
Korea looks to give back to Ethiopia for Korean War service

May 15, 2016

ADDIS ABABA/BOLE -- More than 60 years ago, Kostle flew thousands of kilometers away from his homeland to fight in the Korean War while serving as a young bodyguard of then Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. Until he passed away a year ago after suffering a stroke, he vividly remembered the snowy winter during which the whole world turned sheer white, and how he had developed skills to fix telephone lines amid the chaos. In one heartwarming episode recounted to his son, he gave his rations to oth
Korea to send 16 fire engines to developing countries this year

May 15, 2016

South Korea plans to send 16 fire engines to developing countries this year as part of its broader national assistance program aimed at promoting global balanced growth, the government said Sunday.The Ministry of Public Safety and Security said it will refurbish retiring firefighting trucks, water tankers and ambulances to Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Mongolia.The equipment will be provided for free and will help these countries strengthen their emergency services. South Korea se
Korea, Russia agree to hold regular disaster cooperation meetings

May 15, 2016

South Korea and Russia agreed to hold regular disaster cooperation meetings to better facilitate the exchange of know-how and technology to cope with disaster situations, the government said Sunday.According to the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, a deal was inked in Moscow last week with Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations that called for policy and overall information sharing on anti-disaster operations.It said the deal signed by Public Safety Minister Park In-yong and his counter
[REPORTER’S COLUMN] Hiroshima, and Japan’s unfinished business

May 12, 2016

With Japan welcoming U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima later this month, a frosty and bitter air has gripped diplomatic and academic circles in Seoul. The White House gave reassurances that there would be no apology for the U.S. nuclear bombing 71 years ago or a major speech during his visit. Yet concerns persist that the stopover itself would be tantamount to indulging a government that has been accused of raising the specter of militarism through its revisionist moves. The Hiros
Korea boosts community-driven rural development in Uganda

May 11, 2016

KAMPALA/MPIGI/MUGONGO, UGANDA -- “I work first! I serve first! I sacrifice first!”About 35 community leaders of this rural district of Mpigi stood up, clenched their fists and chanted this slogan after mapping out challenges faced by their villages and detailing action plans to tackle them. The leaders, some as young as 25 and up to 70 years old, were handpicked by their own people to spearhead rural development, taking a page from the Saemaul (new village) movement that unfolded in the 1970s in
Traditional Algerian fashion enthralls foreign eyes

May 8, 2016

Models dressed in colorful traditional clothes walked down the aisle, riveting audiences with their dazzling drapery. The glittery show was a collaboration between Algerian and Korean designers, showcasing the unique identities of both countries’ fashion. Part of a joint cultural program, the event at Coex in Seoul on Thursday featured clothing by Algerian designer Samir Kerzabi and Korean designers Park Hyo-hee and Ham Eun-jeong. A model showcases a newly interpreted traditional dress by Algeri
Arab film festival to woo movie lovers

May 8, 2016

To mark its fifth anniversary, the Arab film festival will showcase movies this month that will unravel the intricate tapestry of culture and humanity in the Middle East and North Africa. The event will run from May 25-June 1 at the Arthouse Momo in Ewha Women’s University in Seoul and Busan Cinema Center. Tickets are free and first come, first served. Fifteen films encompassing a broad range of genres and subjects will be presented. Most of them premiered last year, and they include: “A Mile in
Europeans discuss challenges of integration

May 8, 2016

Today is Europe Day: an annual celebration of the continent’s peace and unity. However, with the prospect of Britain exiting the European Union looming large, the EU’s state of integration is being questioned more frequently the world over. The supranational union of 28 member states, with a total population of 508 million people, has been divided by the issue of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa, and shattered by terrorist attacks, with the latest in Brussels in late March that kil
Korea to send more personnel to int'l bodies

May 8, 2016

South Korea plans to increase the number of personnel working at international organizations to 100 next year, the Ministry of Personnel Management said Sunday, amid the country's stepped-up efforts to bolster its diplomatic profile on the global stage.The ministry said that it would expand a government system that allows public servants to take a leave of absence to serve at international organizations for three years and extend the period by two years if necessary.Currently, 85 public servants
N. Korea may conduct live fire exercise at party congress

May 6, 2016

North Korea may carry out a live fire exercise during the key party congress that kicks off Friday as part of its ongoing effort to ramp up tensions and get the people to rally behind its leader, an informed source said.The government insider said there is a chance that Pyongyang could show off an artillery attack against a mockup Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office, to participants who have converged on the capital city this week to take part in the critical Workers' Party of Korea
Korea says alliance with U.S. will develop regardless of U.S. presidential election

May 4, 2016

South Korea's alliance with the United States "based on shared values" will continue to develop irrespective of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election in November, a senior Seoul official said Wednesday.His remarks came amid growing concerns that Republican front-runner Donald Trump's electoral win could hurt the alliance given his past statements depicting America's core allies -- South Korea and Japan -- as free riders on U.S. security protections."We are confident that regardless of th