The Korea Herald

S. Korea appoints ex-security adviser as new envoy to China

Mar 27, 2015

South Korea on Friday formally appointed Kim Jang-soo, a former national security adviser, as its new ambassador to China amid a growing need to cooperate in the fields of peace and security in the region.The 67-year-old Kim, also a former defense minister, will replace predecessor Kwon Young-se, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.It marks the first time that an official with a military background has served as Seoul's ambassador to China after Seoul and Beijing established diplomatic ties in
Beijing welcomes S. Korea's decision to join China-led bank

Mar 27, 2015

China on Friday welcomed South Korea's decision to join a Chinese-led development bank to fund infrastructure projects in Asia, widely viewed as a potential counterbalance to U.S.-led multilateral lenders such as the Asian Development Bank. South Korea announced its decision on Thursday, becoming the latest U.S. ally to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), despite U.S. concerns about the bank's governance structure and decision-making process. "The Chinese side welcomed South Ko
S. Korean, U.S. military chiefs hold talks on security issues

Mar 27, 2015

The top military officers of South Korea and the United States held talks on bilateral security issues on Friday amid swirling speculation they could discuss the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile-defense system here.Adm. Choi Yun-hee, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, and his U.S. counterpart Gen. Martin Dempsey began their 90-minute meeting in Seoul "to deal with a wide range of issues, including how to deal with North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats and their prep
S. Korea to seek AIIB stake commensurate with its economic size

Mar 27, 2015

South Korea will seek a stake in the China-led investment bank that matches the country's economic size and capability and maximizes its national interest, the finance ministry said Friday.After eight months of deliberation, Seoul announced late Thursday it will join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a founding member.The basic rule is for stakes to be distributed according to the GDP of member states and contributions to the eventual authorized capital set at $100 billion.The ministry
S. Korea to join China-led infrastructure investment bank

Mar 26, 2015

South Korea agreed to join the China-led regional development bank as one of its founding members, the finance ministry announced Thursday, a move that can bolster the Asian neighbor's growing clout in the region as well as further Seoul's own economic interests.The ministry said the decision to play a part in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has been made to better help provide regional economies with the necessary funds to carry out critical development projects vital for growth. It ar
Japan’s media blitz raises eyebrows

Mar 25, 2015

Tokyo is facing flak for its advertisement on a major U.S. news channel depicting itself as having laid the groundwork for the development of Asian nations, in an apparent move to whitewash its wartime atrocities.It aired the two-minute ad on CNN and also posted it on YouTube in 10 languages, including Korean and French. The advertisement comes a month before Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to deliver a speech at a joint session of the U.S. Congress during his visit to the U.S. sl
Greece celebrates Independence Day

Mar 24, 2015

Korea, Greece expand economic partnership
Sino-U.S. competition intensifies

Mar 23, 2015

China seeks to bolster influence in security, financial, economic realms
Korea, China, Japan agree to hold summit

Mar 22, 2015

The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan agreed to work together to hold a trilateral summit at the most “mutually convenient, earliest time” during their first meeting in nearly three years in Seoul on Saturday. Seoul’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (middle) and his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Wang Yi (right) and Fumio Kishida respectively (Yonhap)When the summit will be held remains unclear, but the agreement is expected to give a much-needed boost to the efforts to restore
Ireland’s reform spurs recovery

Mar 22, 2015

The Irish economy’s remarkable recovery from the 2007-08 banking crisis is an envy of governments the world over. The country had the highest growth rate within the European Union last year at 4.8 percent, and is well-poised to keep up its performance this year.Brendan Howlin, Irish Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform, visited Korea last week coinciding with the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, to strengthen partnership in government, business and education.Among the things he did ― from eng
St. Patrick’s Day gains ground in Korea

Mar 22, 2015

With the number of foreigners in Korea increasing steadily, celebrations of overseas festivals are becoming quite familiar.On St. Patrick’s Day ― Irish cultural and religious festival ― Koreans and foreigners wore green and drank Guinness together, celebrating the onset of spring. The globalization of the holiday has found a comfortable niche in Seoul’s expat hangouts of Itaewon and Hongdae, helping outsiders get a taste of what it means to be Irish.“Irish people like to gather like Koreans, alt
Romania, Korea strengthen partnership

Mar 22, 2015

Marking the silver jubilee of diplomatic relations, Romanian Vice Foreign Minister Carmen Burlacu visited Korea last week to earmark progress in bilateral cooperation and sustain the momentum into the future. Burlacu participated in the eighth round of high-level policy consultations at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, meeting Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yong. They exchanged views on regional political developments; strengthening strategic partnership; and boosting investment in infrastructure,
‘Korea should preserve tradition for tourism’

Mar 22, 2015

Despite Korea’s obsession with doing things at breakneck speeds, French Ambassador Jerome Pasquier thinks Koreans should slow down and appreciate finer things in life ― traditional houses, bucolic roads and national parks. Speaking at the second anniversary of the 5.4 Club, Pasquier said for Korea to take the next qualitative leap forward to become an attractive tourism destination, “You don’t need to modernize too much.”“French people like tradition and traditional places,” Pasquier told The Ko
S. Korea, China, Japan vow efforts to hold summit at early date

Mar 22, 2015

The top diplomats of South Korea, China and Japan agreed on Saturday to continue efforts to hold a trilateral summit of their leaders at an early date as they seek to revive cooperation amid history and territorial rows.The pledge came at a meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Chinese and Japanese counterparts Wang Yi and Fumio Kishida. The trilateral meeting was held for the first time in almost three years."The three ministers decided to continue their efforts to
Seoul, Beijing FMs don't discuss THAAD: official

Mar 21, 2015

The foreign ministers of South Korea and China held bilateral meetings in Seoul on Saturday, but Beijing did not bring up the controversial issue of Washington's possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile-defense system on Korean soil, a Seoul official said.The meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, came as Seoul's diplomacy has been put to the test amid a mounting Washington-Beijing row over a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (TH