Korea should ramp up efforts to defend its interests in the continental shelf that promises access to vast seabed resources and opportunities for scientific discovery, Park Yong-ahn, vice chairman of the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, said. The professor emeritus of oceanography at Seoul National University was reelected to the New York-based body in June for his fourth five-year term. The agency was established in 1997 to facilitate the U.N. Convention of the Law of the

Three neighbors jockeying for control of huge oil, gas, mineral reserves in East China SeaThe East China Sea has been contested for decades by South Korea, China and Japan, all seeking to tap huge oil, gas and mineral reserves believed be buried under the seabed. With their extended continental shelves overlapping in the northeastern part of the ocean, the Asian powers are laying formal claims with a U.N. body in charge of sea shelf carve-up.The three-way jousting recently took a twist. Seoul an

Working-level officials from South Korea and China have already agreed to submit a joint claim to an extended portion of continental shelf to a U.N. body to counter Japan’s increasing maritime assertiveness, a source with close knowledge of the matter told The Korea Herald. The two countries have been preparing formal documents to present to the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. They filed their respective preliminary reports in May 2009, maintaining that their continental

The Indian Embassy hosted heads of tourism and airlines at the Indian Residence to promote exchanges between the two countries, in Seoul on Thursday.“The reason it (cultural exchanges) is important is that India and Korea are two ancient civilizations and I think there is a lot that we have to offer each other,” said Indian Ambassador Vishnu Prakash.For the ambassador, there is no better way to promote cultural exchanges than through tourism. “I’m so happy that with the growing relationship incl

Poland held a celebration at the ambassador’s residence to mark the finals of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship on July 2.Together with Ukraine, the other co-host of the tournament, envoys from both countries applauded the success of EURO 2012, acknowledging the  promotional effect it had on both countries.Polish Ambassador Krzysztof Majka and Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Marmazov both attended the event marking the finale.The Ukrainian Embassy held a similar celebration in June to mark

While migrants flock to Korea for work opportunities here, foreign diplomats say their countries’ people often face language barriers, long work hours and problems with pay. Those marrying here may face cultural differences with Korean spouses, while their children often struggle to settle at school. Diplomats from Southeast Asia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal attended the 9th edition of The International Conference on Foreigners’ Welfare to discuss issues facing their countries’ workers in Kor

Ambassadors do not have a lot of personal time, so making an effort to experience and travel around their appointed country is not easy for most. But soon-to-depart German Ambassador Hans-Ulrich Seidt has not only made the time ― he is one of the most traveled ambassadors of the diplomatic corps after three years here.Seidt’s efforts to familiarize himself with the country started even before he was appointed as the ambassador.“Before our appointment as ambassador we decided that we should go to