By Costa Rican Ambassador to Korea Rodolfo Solano Quiros Seventy years ago, on Dec. 1, 1948, Costa Ricans stood arm in arm to say goodbye to a history of violence and war: We abolished our army as a nation forever.Instead of a military parade where soldiers march brandishing their guns and artillery, our national celebrations are marked by children and youths carrying the Costa Rican flag, colorfully dressed in school uniforms. The decision has allowed the force of reason to guide our history, f

“The Great Famine (a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration in Ireland from 1845-49) still has immediacy in our consciousness, and people are still aware of it.”

Lebanese Ambassador to Korea Antoine Azzam (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)In the aftermath of the Syrian Civil War, which broke out in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring uprising, Lebanon has welcomed more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees in addition to the 500,000 Palestinians taking shelter in the country, according to the Lebanese Embassy in Seoul. With refugees comprising one-third of Lebanon’s population of more than 6 million, their presence has placed a large burden on the country’s resources.

Marking the centenary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Seoul organized a conference and photo exhibition Nov. 19 at the National Assembly in cooperation with the Korea-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship Group. “Azerbaijan Democratic Republic -- the first parliamentary democracy with a republican form of governance in the Muslim world -- was also the first model of a democratic secular state all over the East, including the Turko-Muslim world,” said the coun

South Korea will send its top diplomat to the inauguration ceremony of new Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador next month, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will join the ceremony in Mexico City on Dec. 1 and plans to deliver South Korean President Moon Jae-in's handwritten letter to the new leader, which expresses his hope to strengthen bilateral ties, the ministry said.Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (Reuters)During her stay, the

French Ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone honors fallen comrades and active-duty servicepersons at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Nov. 11. (Yonhap)Marking the centenary of the end of World War I, French diplomats, veterans and their international colleagues paid homage to fallen comrades and active-duty servicepersons at a commemorative ceremony at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Nov. 11.Veterans of the French Batt

“Our survival depends on the liberal, rules-based international order and cooperation in multilateral frameworks.”

The tomb of King Kija in Pyongyang is photographed by Hungarian scholar Aladar Soveny in 1955. (Hungarian Embassy in Seoul)By Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes CsomaImproving relations between the two Koreas cannot be done in the absence of cultural collaboration.In this regard, the two Koreas’ joint compilation of the Korean-language Gyeoremal Comprehensive Dictionary and exploration of the palace of Manwoldaegung in the North’s Kaesong -- the royal seat of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) -- re

The ASEAN-Korea Center collaborated with several Korean institutions to host an entrepreneurship forum on Nov. 12. The event, titled ASEAN-Korea Youth Innovation Forum, brought together the creative business ideas of some 400 participants from Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It was held at Yongsan Dragon City in Seoul and jointly organized with the Science and Technology Policy Institute, Seoul Metropolitan Government and Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation. Held in conjuncti

“Because our development experience is more recent than those of European countries and the United States, I think many developing countries feel it is more relevant and compelling to them.”

Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars (right) and Korean Bar Association President Kim Hyun (Latvian Embassy)The Latvian Embassy in Seoul signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean Bar Association on Nov. 6 to promote legal cooperation between Latvia and Korea. Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars and Korean Bar Association President Kim Hyun signed the agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral mutual exchanges, including training programs, the provision of legal assistan

A picture of a home powered by electronic devices charged by TechNovatorXE (TechNovator)Polish-Ukrainian company TechNovator has developed a wireless smartphone charger and showcased its prototype at the K-Startup Grand Challenge Startup Campus in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. TechNovatorXE is a remote wireless charger that energizes multiple devices simultaneously within 5 meters, and is safe for people and the environment alike, according to the company. The system also has a unique fe

Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski (front row, left) poses with the winners of the Polish Independence Run at Ttukseom Hangang Park in Seoul on Sunday. (Polish Embassy)To mark the 100th anniversary of the country regaining its independence, the Polish Embassy organized a friendly marathon at Ttukseom Hangang Park in Seoul on Sunday morning.Over 400 people participated in the annual Polish Independence Run, which comprised 10- and 5-kilometer runs and a 1-kilometer walk for families. Th

“The JCPOA is a key element of the global nuclear nonproliferation architecture and multilateral diplomacy, endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council through Resolution 2231. It is crucial for the security of Europe, the region and entire world.”

Korean journalists, communication officers and staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross missions in Seoul and Beijing, including head of Seoul office Georgios Georgantas (top, fifth from right), pose at a workshop on international humanitarian law in Seoul on Thursday (ICRC)In their truth-seeking and public service, many journalists risk their lives reporting in some of the most dangerous places around the world. In many cases, they are arrested, detained, reported missing, wounded