FLOWERS OF COLOMBIA Attendees pose for a group photo at a floral workshop co-hosted by the Colombian Embassy in Korea and ProColombia, a government agency promoting exports, tourism and foreign direct investment, at the Grand Mercure hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Friday. The event, attended by over 60 local buyers and representatives from seven Colombian companies affiliated with flower exporters association Asocolflores, showcased a stunning array of Colombian flowers. Varieties such as carnat

The Kazakhstan Embassy in Seoul celebrated expanded economic ties between its former capital Almaty and Busan, calling South Korea’s largest port city a global player in the world economy on Wednesday. Kazakhstan was celebrating the first anniversary of the friendly cooperation city agreement between Almaty and Busan, a pact signed on Sept. 14, 2022, according to a statement from the embassy. The agreement aimed to enhance human exchanges and extend cooperation in diverse fields, including

Ftetam el-Asry, the 82-year-old daughter of a Moroccan soldier killed during action in the 1950-53 Korean War, came to South Korea to participate in a ceremony honoring her father, according to the Moroccan Embassy in Seoul. The memorial ceremony organized by the Korean Ministry of Veterans and Patriots was held to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice on Nov. 11 at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan. El-Asry paid a touching tribute to her father, Mohamed el-Asry, whose story rema

The Georgian Ambassador to Korea, Tarash Papaskua, talked about the country's potential as an emerging market and its rich 8,000-year-old wine culture at a forum hosted by The Korea Herald on Wednesday. Speaking at the fourth edition of the Global Biz Forum, Papaskua urged Korean CEOs in attendance to explore his country's potential as the shortest and most reliable East-West transportation route and efficient logistics. Highlighting Georgia's economic landscape, Papaskua undersco

South Korea's foreign minister held a series of talks with his Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts in San Francisco this week and requested for their countries' support in South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, his office said Saturday. Park Jin made the request during separate meetings with Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Tuesday on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meet

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up a visit to San Francisco on Friday after attending an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit that demonstrated South Korea's growing solidarity with the United States and Japan and its commitment to leading global action on climate change and supply chain risks. This year's APEC gathering was held under the theme, "Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All," and brought together leaders of the 21 member econom

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed Friday to work together to cut costs and establish international rules in the hydrogen sector. During a discussion at Stanford University, the two leaders talked about ways their countries can cooperate in the hydrogen sector, given South Korea's wide use of hydrogen cars and Japan's large number of hydrogen-related patents. Both Yoon and Kishida attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) s

US President Joe Biden expressed worries about North Korea's "illicit" nuclear and missile programs during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California this week, a senior US official said Thursday. National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs Sarah Beran made the remarks during an online press briefing on the summit that took place at the Filoli estate in Woodside, south of San Francisco, on Wednesday. "He raised concerns regarding the

WOODSIDE, California (Reuters) -- US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he had not changed his view that Chinese President Xi Jinping was effectively a dictator, a comment likely to land with a thud in Beijing after the two leaders held straightforward summit talks. Biden held a solo news conference after four hours of talks with Xi on the outskirts of San Francisco. At the end of the news conference, he was asked whether he still held the view that Xi was a dictator, something he said in Jun

GENEVA (AFP) - The UN human rights chief on Thursday decried serious allegations of international law violations in the Israel-Hamas war and suggested an international investigation was needed. Volker Turk said, "Extremely serious allegations of multiple and profound breaches of international humanitarian law, whoever commits them, demand rigorous investigation and full accountability." Turk was speaking after a visit last week to the Middle East, where he warned that both sides were c

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo highlighted the World Expo's role of sharing the host country's experience of its rise from the ashes of the war, should it take place in Busan in 2030. "We envision the World Expo in Busan that is not just a six-month event, but a forum to share the experience of our rapid development with other BIE members," Han said in a news conference in Seoul on Thursday. The Bureau International des Expositions oversees the international exhibitions. "O

The less contentious tone struck at talks Wednesday between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping is a sign South Korea could inject fresh momentum for better Seoul-Beijing ties, experts said as the two Asian neighbors look to move past the US-China rivalry. The four-hour dialogue made “real progress,” Biden said of the meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. The conversation, the first in a year, led to resuming mi

A US congressional commission official raised the need Wednesday to leverage more space-based defense capabilities, noting a ground-based interceptor system may have limits in dealing with the growing missile threats from North Korea, China and Russia cost-effectively. During a House Armed Services Committee session, John Kyl, the vice chair of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, made the remarks, saying the US' GBI program is "adequate today&quo

A UN General Assembly committee on Wednesday passed a resolution on North Korean human rights for the 19th consecutive year amid growing concerns for the safety of North Korean escapees who were repatriated from China. The Third Committee handling human rights and social affairs adopted by consensus the resolution, which calls on countries to honor the international principle of non-refoulement. The resolution will be sent to a full General Assembly session for approval in December. The passage

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted their shared desire to avoid conflict and pursue cooperation during a high-stakes summit in California on Wednesday, raising hopes for improved ties between the two superpowers. Their first in-person meeting in a year took place at Filoli estate in Woodside south of San Francisco, where South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and other world leaders will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum this week. The summit came