The Korea Herald

Beijing accuses Vietnam of ramming vessels over 1,500 times

Jun 13, 2014

BEIJING, (AFP) - China on Friday said that Vietnamese ships have rammed its vessels more than 1,500 times since early last month, as the two countries increasingly trade accusations over a South China Sea territorial dispute.At a special briefing with reporters Friday, Chinese foreign ministry official Yi Xianliang accused Vietnamese vessels of ramming Chinese ships near an oil rig in contested waters a total of 1,547 times since May 2.Vietnam now has 61 ships in the area while China has 71,
Thousands of Iraqis volunteer to battle militants

Jun 13, 2014

BAGHDAD (AFP) -- Hisham Issa Kamel slipped out of his home in Baghdad early Friday and headed to a recruitment centre, joining thousands of others signing up to fight an offensive by Sunni Arab militants.His wife opposed the move, but she did not understand how serious the situation in the country has become, "so I did not listen to her," Kamel said.The assault spearheaded by jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group has overrun a vast swathe of northern and north cen
Gov't tells construction firms in Iraq to evacuate from troubled areas

Jun 13, 2014

The South Korean government on Friday recommended construction companies operating in Iraq to evacuate from areas captured by Arab militants for their safety.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport sent out messages through the International Contractors Association of Korea for the companies and their staff to leave Iraq's Nineveh province.Sunni Arab militants captured Mosul, the capital city of Nineveh, earlier this week. They are also said to have captured Tikrit, the provincial cap
China's Xi to visit Seoul 'soon': S. Korean FM

Jun 12, 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping will "soon" visit Seoul for a summit meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Thursday, voicing hope that the upcoming visit by Xi will help strengthen bilateral relations. Yun made the remarks in his congratulatory speech for a public diplomacy forum in Beijing between South Korea and China. The speech was read by South Korean Ambassador to China Kwon Young-se. "Chinese President Xi Jinping will soon visit So
Seoul, Beijing to sign deal on consular affairs soon

Jun 11, 2014

South Korea and China are seeking to sign a deal on consular affairs when the leaders from the two nations meet for a summit in Seoul soon, sources said Wednesday.The agreement mainly calls for the two countries to notify each other within four days when a national from the other country is arrested or detained. Meeting with consular officials will be also allowed within four days, according to the sources.Following 11-year-long negotiations, the two countries reached the agreement on consular a
China asks UNESCO to list documents on wartime sex slaves

Jun 10, 2014

BEIJING (Yonhap) ― China said Tuesday that it has asked UNESCO to recognize documents related to Japan’s sexual enslavement of women during World War II, as part of its bid to get Tokyo to sincerely repent its wartime atrocities.In a faxed statement to Yonhap News Agency, China’s foreign ministry said it has submitted the documents for inclusion in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register “to prevent such crimes against humanity from happening again.” China has been reportedly seeking to have UNESC
S. Korea, U.S., China seek options to resume nuke talks with N.K.: envoy

Jun 10, 2014

BEIJING (Yonhap) ― South Korea, the United States and China have been seeking for “various options” to resume long-stalled nuclear talks with North Korea, Seoul’s chief nuclear envoy said Tuesday, but he declined to comment on prospects for a resumption of talks with the North. Hwang Joon-kook, South Korea’s chief envoy for the six-nation talks, also said the three nations would not ease pressure on North Korea until it shows a “practical progress” in taking denuclearization steps before any res
S. Korea, China nuclear envoys to hold talks in Beijing

Jun 9, 2014

The chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and China will hold talks in Beijing this week to discuss ways to resume long-stalled negotiations aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Seoul officials said Monday, ahead of a widely-anticipated visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Seoul later this month.Hwang Joon-kook, Seoul's chief envoy for the six-party talks, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei, during his two-day visit starting Tuesday, South Korea's foreign ministry sa
Former sex slave’s death piles pressure on Seoul

Jun 9, 2014

The death of another victim of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery is expected to heap pressure on Korea as negotiations over an apology and compensation by Japan have made little headway and public sentiment is growing bitter. A throng of ranking officials, politicians and ordinary citizens on Monday flowed in and out of a funeral home in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, for the wake of Bae Chun-hee, who died Sunday at age 91.Born in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Bae at age 19 was coaxed into appl
Memorial unveiled for 1983 Myanmar bombing

Jun 8, 2014

YANGON, Myanmar ― Solemnity, sobs and scents of incense filled the air as some 90 South Koreans gathered here on Friday to mark the establishment of a memorial for the victims of North Korea’s deadly bombing in 1983.The 1.5-meter-high, 9-meter-wide stone monument was unveiled on a 258-square-meter site at the entrance of the Martyrs’ Mausoleum in the former Myanmar capital, engraved with the names of the 17 officials who died during the attack. The assassination attempt apparently targeted then-
[Herald Interview] IOM leads anti-human trafficking drive

Jun 8, 2014

This is the eighth installment in a series of interviews with chiefs of United Nations offices in Korea. ― Ed.In late January, shock and disbelief swept through the country as two people with disabilities were rescued from a salt farm on a remote southwestern island after years of forced labor, sleep deprivation, confinement and beatings. A probe found at least 18 other such victims around the region, with the back pay for one of them topping at least 120 million won ($117,000) over the past 10
[Newsmaker] Korea real winner in new Eurasian union?

Jun 8, 2014

Park could visit Kazakhstan for presidential summit as early as this month
‘Sustainable Sweden’ celebrates iconic brands, innovation

Jun 8, 2014

In one of the biggest receptions ever for the diplomatic community here, Swedish Ambassador to South Korea Lars Danielsson hosted hundreds of guests, including high-level government officials and foreign envoys, showcasing iconic Swedish brands and eye-catching entertainment at the Grand Hyatt in Seoul on Tuesday. The sprawling event occupied two large ballrooms and included booths for a number of the Nordic nation’s iconic companies such as Saab Group and Absolut vodka. Swedish Ambassador to S
Pakistan to produce Adidas Brazuca balls for World Cup

Jun 8, 2014

The following is a contribution by Aamir Nazir Gondal, the commercial counsellor at the Pakistani Embassy in South Korea, in anticipation of the start of the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil on June 12. ― Ed.Pakistan won the 1992 Cricket World Cup but it has not been so victorious in soccer. Ranked 159th by FIFA, the South Asian nation will not be among the 32 teams vying for glory at the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil from June 12.But Pakistan will make a strong presence as a key supplier of the of
Southeast Asian tourism gets boost at World Travel Fair

Jun 8, 2014

Southeast Asian tourism got a healthy boost from the ASEAN-Korea Center during the 29th Korea World Travel Fair at Coex with a showcase of major tourist destinations throughout the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.A special ASEAN Pavilion was set up at the fair to introduce visitors to “the culturally rich and diverse attractions located in ASEAN countries, and through the distribution of ASEAN tourism guide books and the promotion of the Korean-language version of