The Korea Herald

Korea, Australia launch strategic dialogue

Jul 30, 2012

South Korea and Australia launched a regular high-level meeting here on Monday to boost cooperation in politics and defense between the two middle powers in the Asia Pacific, Seoul officials said. The first strategic dialogue was designed to provide a wider framework for detailed bilateral discussions to better cope with the region’s changing security environment, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.It is an integration of two high-level talks between the two sides, which have separately co
Activist considers petition over alleged torture

Jul 29, 2012

A South Korean activist who claimed have been tortured by Chinese authorities while under detention is considering bringing his case to the International Criminal Court, his close aides said Sunday.Kim Young-hwan and three other activists trying to help North Korean refugees in China were arrested in late March and accused of endangering Beijing’s national security. After being deported to South Korea last week, Kim said he was physically abused and criticized the Seoul government for taking a c
Korea to allow CCTV on trekking courses

Jul 29, 2012

The government has revised laws to allow surveillance cameras on major trekking courses, officials said Sunday, after growing safety concerns over a recent murder of a female hiker.Concerns over unfrequented trekking paths mounted after a 40-year-old woman was killed while walking a popular coastal walking trail on the southern resort island of Jeju earlier this month. Following the incident, some parts of the trekking paths have been temporarily closed. In response, the Ministry of Public Admin
Czech photographer’s work tours Korea

Jul 29, 2012

The hand-tinted photographs of Jan Saudek, one of the Czech Republic’s most famous photographers, are on display at the Chuncheon Art Gallery in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, until Aug. 1.According to the Czech Embassy, more than 150 of Saudek’s works from the past 40 years will be displayed at the gallery on a traveling tour. The exhibition was featured at the Insa Art Center in Seoul and will continue on to Daegu, Busan, Gwangju and Incheon.The 77-year-old’s work is largely characterized by pro
Indian probationary workers train in Korea

Jul 29, 2012

India has sent probationary officers from its foreign service division to Korea on a familiarization trip, according to the embassy on Wednesday.The 10 Indian Foreign Service Probationary Officers met with Korean Trade Minister Bark Tae-ho and the Foreign Ministry’s director general for South Asia Park Hae-yun, and will meet other dignitaries during their week-long trip.The first-ever training visit from India’s Foreign Service is seen as a reflection of the increasing relations and the strength
Paraguayan ambassador to help single mothers

Jul 29, 2012

Paraguayan Ambassador Ceferino Valdez on Wednesday was named honorary ambassador of a Korean non-profit campaign to help single mothers in Korea.According to officials from the Korea Sarangbat Society which leads the campaign, Valdez showed keen interest in the campaign and was happy to be named honorary ambassador.“It would be nice to deliver Benet Chogoris to Paraguay,” said the ambassador.The Benet Chogori campaign seeks to provide newborn baby clothes, called “benet chogori” here in Korea, t
Israel, Korea hope to start negotiations on free trade pact

Jul 29, 2012

Israel and Korea hope to begin formal free trade negotiations next year, according to Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister on Thursday.Both countries have already concluded preparations for free trade agreement negotiations, which they are looking to begin next year, Danny Ayalon told reporters.“I hope we will do it sometime during next year,” replied Ayalon when asked when Korea and Israel would begin negotiations.Ayalon met Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-hwan during his visi
Swiss-Korean science, trade ties bloom

Jul 29, 2012

Switzerland and Korea can expect a long future of good relations and increased economic ties, according to Swiss Ambassador Thomas Kupfer.“I see two countries that don’t have major problems on the horizon,” said Kupfer, adding that both countries have enjoyed “very positive relations.”And through these positive relations both countries could benefit from more cooperation in science and technology, which is considered a forte for Korea and Switzerland, according to the soon-to-depart ambassador.S
Seoul hopes U.S. gives more professional visas

Jul 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― South Korea is pushing to expand the quota of non-immigrant U.S. visas for its citizens with a “specialty occupation,” a diplomatic source said Thursday.With the U.S. stuck in high jobless rates and politicians preoccupied with upcoming elections, South Korea is aiming to achieve the goal next year, added the source.“Riding on the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the South Korean government will step up efforts to increase the number of H-1B visas for its c
Supporters appeal to U.N. over activist’s treatment

Jul 27, 2012

Group of some 130 activists demands probe into alleged Chinese torture of South KoreanLawmakers and activists said Friday they plan to appeal to international bodies over alleged physical abuses, including electrical torture, by Chinese investigators of an activist for North Korean human rights.They sharply criticized the South Korean government for its tardy and tepid response to the claims by Kim Young-hwan. He was deported to Seoul last week after 114 days of detention in China alongside thre
Gov’t under pressure after activist claims abuse in Chinese prison

Jul 26, 2012

Controversy has sparked over the South Korean government’s mishandling of a diplomatic issue surrounding a human rights activist who was allegedly the victim of brutal treatment during his four-month detention in China. The North Korea-sympathizer-turned-human rights activist Kim Young-hwan was deported from China following a 114-day detention on charges of endangering China’s national security.Kim went to China to discuss cooperation on North human rights improvement and assistance for North Ko
Budget strains Seoul’s aid programs

Jul 24, 2012

World’s 17th-largest donor struggling with shortage of funds and personnelSouth Korea is struggling to meet its commitments to an increased overseas assistance as its financial stability is threatened by ever-growing welfare outlays and shriveling tax revenues. The country has touted its astonishing transformation from a major aid recipient to the world’s 17th largest donor in a few decades. In 2010, it joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Com
KOICA builds power plant in Haiti, technical college in Nepal

Jul 23, 2012

The Korea International Cooperation Agency said Monday it has completed a power plant in Haiti as part of its efforts to help rebuild the disaster-stricken country. The state-run aid agency has funneled $3 million into the project over the last two years in the sea town of Leogane, some 40 kilometers west of Port-au-Prince and the epicenter of a powerful earthquake that swept through the country in February 2010. The facility is expected to supply about 4,000 households and entails a mobile elec
EAI soars in global think tank map

Jul 23, 2012

Institute builds on global knowledge network in security, Asia, public policyWhen it started out in the spring of 2002, the East Asia Institute looked no different from many independent academic projects ― pure, proud but doomed to obscurity.Its organization was untenably tiny with only two staffers. It declared financial independence from government and businesses. Its motto ― “Ideas can change the world” ― sounded fairly idealist A decade later, the experiment has transformed into one of the w
Fiji opens embassy in Seoul

Jul 22, 2012

Fiji opened an embassy in Seoul on Thursday in the year of the 41st anniversary of diplomatic relations with Korea.The establishment of an embassy in Seoul will strengthen diplomatic relations and economic ties between the two countries, according to Fijian Ambassador Filimoni Kau.The move comes after Korea established an embassy on the island-group nation in 1980 while Fiji was represented by an embassy in Japan which also represented Fiji for Russia and the Philippines.Prime Minister Voreque B