The Korea Herald

S. Korea, Germany to ink deal on unification advisory panel

Sept 18, 2014

South Korea plans to ink a preliminary deal with Germany to create an advisory group in an effort to learn lessons from the European country's unification, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.The two countries' foreign ministries are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding late Thursday (German time) to establish an advisory group consisting of mostly officials from both countries and some professors. Both sides will develop and share information and wisdom about foreign policies towa
(Photo News) Headed for Incheon

Sept 17, 2014

Lee Ho-yeon, a member of the Incheon Asian Games steering committee, lights the torch at Seoul Plaza two days before the event kicks off. The torch arrived in the host city of Incheon later in the day. After a 36-day pilgrimage through 17 cities in South Korea, the flame reached the city two days before the opening ceremony. The torch will be left overnight in the port city for the next two days before completing the final leg of its 6,000-kilometer journey to Incheon Asiad Main Stadium. (Yonhap
Korea, Japan to hold strategic talks: report

Sept 17, 2014

South Korea and Japan plan to resume their strategic dialogue ― stalled for over a year and a half ― next month as they explore ways to mend relations severely dented by feuds over wartime history, a news report said Wednesday. The talks will take place in Tokyo on Oct. 1 between Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong and his Japanese counterpart Akitaka Saiki, Kyodo News reported. The meeting was last held in January 2013 and will be the first since President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo
S. Korea, Japan to hold talks on cultural exchange

Sept 17, 2014

South Korea and Japan plan to hold a director-general level meeting on cultural exchange in Tokyo this week for the first time in four years despite strained bilateral ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.Kim Dong-gi, director-general of the cultural affairs bureau at Seoul's foreign ministry, will meet with his Japanese counterpart Jun Shimmi on Thursday to assess the current state of cultural exchanges as well as the future direction of people-to-people exchanges, it said.The two side
Merkel named this year's Seoul Peace Prize winner

Sept 17, 2014

Peace Prize for her repeated, heartfelt apologies for Germany's past war atrocities, the prize's judging committee said Wednesday."The 12th Seoul Peace Prize goes to German Chancellor Angela Merkel," Lee Chul-seung, the chairman of the judging committee said in a press conference. "Her apology over Germany's past affairs has reminded the international community of the importance of human dignity and human rights, and this again set off an alarm about the harmful consequences of war and highlight
‘S. Korea, U.S. need radar, interceptor system for N.K. drones’

Sept 16, 2014

Seoul and Washington should jointly develop a radar and interceptor system for unmanned aircraft to cope with the growing number of North Korean drones encroaching on South Korean airspace and a globally intensifying robotics arms race, a U.S. defense expert said Monday. Van Jackson, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, stressed the need for the allies to adapt to an “evolving global and regional context” in which military robotics has become a domain of strategic competit
Seoul to support IS fight with humanitarian aid

Sept 15, 2014

South Korea is expected to support the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State militants with additional humanitarian assistance, Seoul’s presidential national security adviser said Sunday.Kim Kwan-jin made the remark to reporters after arriving in Washington for talks with U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice. The fight against IS is expected to be a topic for Kim’s discussions with Rice as Washington is rallying international support for the drive.“Operations to defeat IS are expected to
Hopes for Korea-Japan thaw grow

Sept 15, 2014

Hopes are rising slowly for a long-awaited thaw in relations between Korea and Japan as Seoul appears to be sending out reconciliatory signals while pressing Tokyo to come clean about its wartime atrocities. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se sat down with Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho for tea on the sidelines of a joint culture event on Sunday, marking their first one-on-one consultation. During the one-hour talk, the two diplomats concurred on the need for consistent efforts to shore up the relat
World united against wartime sexual slavery

Sept 14, 2014

The following is the eighth in a series of articles on Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement of Asian women on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the foundation of The Korea Herald on Aug. 15. ― Ed.In the grueling campaign to make Japan own up to its wartime sexual slavery, South Korea has not been alone. The United States, the European Union and other countries, as well as international organizations such as the U.N., have been key drivers of the campaign.Recognizing Japan’s sexual enslavemen
Papua New Guinean marks Independence Day

Sept 14, 2014

Papua New Guinean Ambassador to South Korea Bill Veri lauded his country’s democratic government during a reception celebrating its 39th Independence Day in Seoul on Thursday. “Thirty-nine years on, after concluding eight successful national parliamentary elections, Papua New Guinea continues to enjoy a strong and vibrant democracy,” Veri said. “We remember the peaceful transition of administrative powers from our good neighbor and friend Australia on Sept. 16, 1975, with the simultaneous procla
Malaysia lauds ‘Look East Policy’

Sept 14, 2014

Malaysian Ambassador to South Korea extolled the 50-plus years of bilateral ties with South Korea by underscoring her country’s renewed Look East Policy, during a reception celebrating the Southeast Asian nation’s 57th National Day at a hotel in Seoul in earlier this month. Dato Rohana Ramli, Malaysia’s ambassador here, said Malaysia’s first Look East Policy was so successful that the country reintroduced it 30 years later in 2012 in the policy’s “second wave.” “The difference from the first wav
Korea eyes democratic Myanmar

Sept 14, 2014

Seoul fast becoming major investor in Myanmar’s future
Korea-Uzbekistan diplomacy to raise profile of ‘Koryosaram’

Sept 14, 2014

Bakhtier N. Ibragimov, charge d’affaires of the Uzbek Embassy here, underscored the role strong diplomatic ties will play in raising awareness about ethnic Koreans living in the Central Asian nation, during a reception celebrating the 23rd anniversary of his country’s Independence Day in Seoul on Wednesday.The Korean diaspora “has become an indispensable and active part of Uzbek society and it plays an important role in strengthening bilateral relations, serving as a linking element between the
U.K. Embassy accepting scholarship applications

Sept 14, 2014

The British Embassy is now accepting applications from Korean students for the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarships until Nov. 15 for the 2015-2016 academic year.North Korean settlers in South Korea are also invited to submit applications for the scholarship, an official at the embassy said. Chevening Scholarships offer the opportunity to study for a one-year master’s degree at any U.K. university, including tuition fees and a monthly stipend. The Chevening Scholarships are awarded to outstan
[Weekender] Incheon courts international organizations

Sept 12, 2014

With a diverse portfolio of international organizations, Songdo is seeking to become a leading business, tourism and logistics destination in Northeast Asia. Long known for its seaside amusement park, the reclaimed island is the linchpin of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, which, since its 2003 inception, has been grappling with budget woes, flagging foreign investment and a moribund property market. The launch of U.N. offices and other multinational bodies in recent years was deemed a much-neede