The Korea Herald

Embassy, nonprofits host charity bazaar for landslide victims

Jun 8, 2014

The Afghan Embassy in South Korea cohosted a charity event with a number of local nonprofits in Yeouido, Seoul, on Friday to raise money for families affected by a massive landslide that struck the Central Asian nation in early May.Dubbed the Hope Sharing Bazaar, the event was cohosted by the Korea-Afghanistan Friendship Association and Nutrition, Education, International (NEI) at Yeouido Middle School. More than 4,000 villagers were displaced by a massive landslide on May 2 that struck the vill
One more victim of Japan's wartime sex slavery dies

Jun 8, 2014

A South Korean woman who was forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese imperial army during World War II died Sunday, a civic group said, another sign that time is running out for the aging victims to receive an apology and due compensation.Bae Chun-hee died at the age of 91, according to the House of Sharing, which runs a shelter for victims of Japan's sexual enslavement.Her death leaves only 54 surviving victims of one of the most serious wartime crimes by Japan. Initially, 237 women were on
Foreign Minister Yun pledges support for Myanmar’s reform

Jun 5, 2014

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar ― Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Thursday pledged greater support for Myanmar’s reform push in line with its recent political, economic and administrative strides following decades of military rule. At their talks in the Myanmar capital, Yun and his counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin praised a “leap” in the two countries’ ties on the back of a sharp increase in Seoul’s investment and development aid, diplomatic visits and people-to-people exchanges over the last few years. The Sou
Seoul lashes out at Tokyo for renewing Dokdo claim

Jun 5, 2014

South Korea strongly protested against a Japanese rally that renewed its territorial claims to Dokdo on Thursday, calling on Tokyo to “immediately stop making such an absurd claim.”Masazumi Gotoda, senior vice minister of the Cabinet Office, was sent to the rally held in Tokyo by Japanese lawmakers and officials from Japan‘s Shimane Prefecture earlier in the day to call for a swift resolution of the bilateral territorial issue over the set of rocky islets. The meeting was the second of its kind
Memorial to open for victims of Yangon bombing

Jun 3, 2014

South Korea this week will unveil a memorial for victims of North Korea’s 1983 bombing in Yangon, Myanmar, officials said Tuesday, in a new sign of progress in the two countries’ relations. The 730 million won ($712,000) project was initiated last year on a 258-square-meter site at Aung San National Cemetery to commemorate 17 officials who were killed while accompanying then-President Chun Doo-hwan during his visit.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se plans to attend a launch ceremony on Friday along w
Seoul seeks U.S. help with probe into GIs' alleged sexual abuse

Jun 2, 2014

South Korea's foreign ministry said Monday it has requested the United States Embassy in Seoul and U.S.Forces Korea to cooperate with a local police investigation into an alleged sexual molestation case involving three U.S. soldiers. On Saturday, police in Yongin, south of Seoul, arrested three U.S. servicemen from the 210th Field Artillery Brigade on suspicion of being involved in sexual harassment that happened at a water theme park.The U.S. soldiers are suspected of sexually molesting a femal
S. Korea, U.S., Japan push for intelligence-sharing pact

Jun 1, 2014

The defense chiefs of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan on Saturday agreed to shape up their pursuit of an agreement on sharing military intelligence to better deal with North Korea’s provocations. During the trilateral talks in Singapore, Kim Kwan-jin, Chuck Hagel and Itsunori Onodera “reaffirmed the importance of sharing intelligence about North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” they said in a joint statement.“We shared the view that a continued review of the issue is necessary,” it said, in
Envoys, Korea chart future ties on Africa Day

Jun 1, 2014

S. Korea and African partners to convene 4th Korea-Africa Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
‘Russia violated cease-fire,’ says Georgian envoy

Jun 1, 2014

Georgian Ambassador to South Korea Nikoloz Apkhazava accused Russia of violating a cease-fire agreement that ended hostilities between the neighboring countries in 2008 and demanded that it withdraw forces, during a National Day reception at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Monday. Apkhazava made the comments during a reception celebrating Georgia’s Independence Day attended by dozens of foreign ambassadors and government officials. Georgian Ambassador to South Korea Nikoloz Apkhazava delivers a speech d
Ukrainian residents cast votes in crucial election

Jun 1, 2014

The Ukrainian Embassy here was open on May 25 to receive Ukrainians casting ballots for its presidential election, in which a pro-West billionaire emerged the winner. By midday on the drizzly Sunday, more than half of the 230 Ukrainians who are registered to vote had cast their ballots, including the country’s top diplomat, at the chancery in Itaewon, Seoul. “The election for the president is one of the main preconditions for further development of Ukraine and is a key step to normalization and
Arab envoys join cultural festival kickoff

Jun 1, 2014

The seventh Arab Cultural Festival kicked off in Seoul on May 21 with numerous events slated throughout Seoul and Busan until July 4. Co-organized by the Korea Arab Society and a number of other cultural organizations, the festival officially got started at a reception for a contemporary Arabic art exhibition at Blue Square gallery NEMO in Itaewon, Seoul, on May 22. Salam Fayyad, former prime minister of Palestine, delivered a lecture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies on May 27. Omani Amba
Argentina sets sights on Korean travelers in tourism push

Jun 1, 2014

Argentine Ambassador Jorge Roballo promoted travel to his country in a special seminar and luncheon geared mostly to established local tour operators and travel agencies at Buenos Aires Wine & Steak House in southern Seoul on Wednesday.Argentina is now making a focused effort in South Korea to promote travel to the South American country. “The idea is to introduce to (tour operators) opportunities in Argentina to take into account the vast number of activities all year round, especially so-calle
S. Korea, U.S. agree to decide on OPCON transfer timing by Oct.

May 31, 2014

South Korea and the United States agreed Saturday to fix the timing of and conditions for the transfer of wartime control of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul by October, officials here said Saturday.During the bilateral talks in Singapore earlier in the day, Seoul's defense minister Kim Kwan-jin and his U.S. counterpart, Chuck Hagel, agreed upon the work plan that specifies the timetable to decide when and under what conditions the South will regain the wartime operational control (O
Korean 'comfort women' honored near US capital

May 31, 2014

A suburb of the US capital dedicated a monument Friday to World War II sex slaves in the latest local victory by Korean Americans in historical disputes with Japan.After a campaign and fundraising by Korean American activists, the government center of Fairfax County, Virginia, unveiled twin sculptures of butterflies and a plaque in honor of so-called "comfort women" -- the up to 200,000 women from Korea and elsewhere forced into brothels for imperial Japan's soldiers.On a green knoll on the gove
China reports 'progress' in free trade talks with S. Korea

May 31, 2014

China has reported "positive progress" in its latest round of negotiations with South Korea aimed at forging a bilateral free trade agreement, but it remains unclear if the two sides made headway in sensitive issues. The comments by China's commerce ministry on Friday came shortly after South Korea and China wrapped up their 11th round of negotiations in Meishan, located in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan. In a brief statement posted on its website, the Chinese ministry said the "po