Envoys from countries belonging to the Pacific Alliance, a Latin American trade bloc, pitched to some 150 Korean executives and entrepreneurs from manufacturing, energy and mining sectors on investment opportunities during a day-long seminar in Seoul on Thursday. Heads of diplomatic missions and commercial chiefs from Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Chile took turns proffering the advantages of investing in their countries, members of the Pacific Alliance, a new trade bloc that is fast becoming an im

Turkish Ambassador to South Korea Naci Saribas said farewell to colleagues, friends and the foreign diplomatic community during a reception celebrating his country’s 91st anniversary of Victory Day at a hotel in Seoul on Thursday. Turkey’s Victory Day is celebrated on Aug. 30 to commemorate the Turkish victory in the Battle of Dumlupinar, a decisive fight in August 1922 during the Turkish War for Independence.Anticipation within the diplomatic community for the Turkish ambassador’s farewell anno

Five embassies here opened their chanceries to the public on Friday as part of the foreign diplomatic community’s participation in “2013 Seoul Open Night,” which took place over the weekend at several sites around the capital. The embassies of Oman, New Zealand, Poland, Turkey and Brazil opened their doors as part of the Seoul metropolitan government’s “Open House Seoul,” when more than 200 facilities opened to the public including the mayor’s official residence, large companies, museums and gal

Shigeo Iwatani, a former Japanese ambassador to Austria and Kenya, has been named the new secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat of Korea, China and Japan, the agency said Tuesday. The three countries set up the organization in May 2011 to facilitate and document their summits and other key tripartite dialogues, devise joint projects and conduct related research. Iwatani will begin his two-year term on Sept. 1, replacing Shin Bong-kil, the TCS’ inaugural chief and Korea’s fo

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Japan to face up to history and foster forward-looking relations with its neighbors, expressing concerns over heightened tension in the region. In a news conference in Seoul, Ban also called on the leaders of Korea, China and Japan to “open-mindedly” discuss contentious issues for a “future-oriented solution based on the correct historical understanding.” “I think the political leaders of the Japanese government need a very profound introspectio

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry launched a local forum on Monday to discuss new international aid agendas to replace the United Nations millennium development goals when they expire in 2015. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se attended the event held in the ministry building to launch the annual Post-2015 Korea Forum, with about 200 civic activists, lawmakers and government officials also on hand.The local forum is designed to formulate South Korea’s proposals for

Singaporean Ambassador to South Korea Peter Tan put the bilateral ties between South Korea and the island city-state center stage during his country’s National Day celebration this year.“It is not only about Singapore’s National Day. It is also about Singapore’s excellent relations with South Korea,” said Tan during welcome remarks at the 48th anniversary of Singapore’s independence from Malaysia during a reception in Seoul on Thursday.Singapore officially celebrates its National Day on Aug. 9.B

The Ecuadorian Embassy here rounded off its celebration of the Andean nation’s Independence Day with a musical performance by acclaimed violist Simon Gangotena and his equally talented younger brother, Tadeo, who accompanied him on piano at Ilshin Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul, on Friday.Ecuador celebrated its Independence Day on Aug. 10.The embassy first featured Ecuadorian music during a reception celebrating its Independence Day at a hotel in Seoul earlier this month. The musical duo of Noreia M

Israel is lending its know-how to South Korean educators on how the Middle Eastern nation preserves Holocaust history, know-how that could help them raise awareness of Japanese aggression before and during World War II, including Japan’s colonial rule over Korea and the sexual enslavement of women and girls, the so-called “comfort women.”The two countries are organizing a delegation of South Korean educators to visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s state-of-the-art Holocaust history museum in Jerusalem, to