If there were verity in Joseph S. Nye’s assumption, the Korean government has wisely followed through on the celebrity scholar’s insight to magnify its soft power, drawing on public diplomacy tools such as K-pop, Korean drama series, taekwondo, food, etc.

The International Committee for the Red Cross is committed to assisting humanitarian projects between the two Koreas amid their conciliatory efforts, even as it copes with the consequences of some of the world’s most calamitous man-made crises, said the chief of the Switzerland-based organization in Seoul last week. Peter Maurer, the president of the ICRC, came to Korea from June 4-5 to strengthen cooperation with Seoul by drawing the country’s continuing contributions and raising its public awa

Ahead of the historic summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, a coalition of human rights organizations from around the world sent a letter to the communist leader, urging him to undertake “meaningful reforms” to reverse the grave human rights situation in the country. Trump and Kim are due to hold talks -- the first-ever between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader -- in Singapore, with Trump describing the summit as a “one

The recent Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal made us realize how important strong data protection rules are for the society as a whole, including for the very functioning of the democratic process. These and other developments have shown that the protection of privacy is crucial, both as an individual right and democratic imperative as well as economic necessity.Without consumers’ trust in the way their data is handled, our data-driven economies will not thrive.The General Data Protection Reg

The United Kingdom is committed to simultaneously spurring national economic development and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring clean growth and the supply of affordable energy for businesses and consumers, according to the UK Embassy in Seoul. At the same time, it added that it was seeking to elicit international collaboration.“Achieving clean growth, while ensuring an affordable energy supply for businesses and consumers, is at the heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy,” the embassy re

The facade of the Seoul Square building is illuminated with images celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations between the European Union and Korea from Friday to Tuesday, after 8 p.m. (European Union External Action)Until Tuesday, the facade of the Seoul Square building is being illuminated in the evening with images celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations between the European Union and Korea. The anniversary is being celebrated under the theme of “connectivity” between European and Asian

Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars (left) poses with participants at an event to sign a memorandum of understanding at the embassy in Seoul on Wednesday. (Latvian Embassy)The Latvian Embassy in Seoul held a ceremony Wednesday to sign a memorandum of understanding between Latvia and Korea on the mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates.Latvia’s chairman of the board of the Maritime Administration, Janis Krastins, signed the document, alongside Korea’s director general of the Shippin

The European Union Delegation to Korea hosted a panel seminar on the security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula and EU-Korea partnership on May 28, joined by high-profile experts, scholars and former and current diplomats. The event, “Towards Peace on the Korean Peninsula and the EU-ROK Partnership,” at Seoul Square Building, also marked the launch of the Korea Foundation-Vrije Universiteit Brussel Korea Chair. Participating discussants included EU Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiterer; Director G

Mexico offers attractive options for foreign investors backed by ambitious reforms undertaken over the last five years, and looks to further harness synergies with Korean enterprises with a free trade agreement on the horizon, according to the chief of a Mexican state agency for internationalization, trade and investment. “Mexico is open for business. We are a country that for the last 30 years has chosen a path of trade and investment, internationalization, opening and liberalizing our market,”

South African Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom (right) and Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe ring the bell signaling the start of the 2018 African Travel Indaba on May 8 at the Durban International Convention Center. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)DURBAN, South Africa -- Holding his deputy minister’s hands, South African Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom boisterously rang the bell that signaled the launch of the 2018 African Travel Indaba in Durban in early May. The continent’s largest tourism trade sho

British Ambassador to Korea Simon Smith (left) raises a glass with Democratic Party Rep. Park Young-sun, who heads the Korea-UK parliamentary friendship group; Rep. Kim Seang-tae of the Liberal Korea Party (second from right); and Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum, at the Queen Elizabeth’s 92nd birthday party reception at the envoy’s residence in Seoul on Thursday. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)The British Embassy in Korea marked the 92nd birthday of Queen Elizabeth at the ambassador’s resi

Azerbaijan is rapidly modernizing and diversifying its economy, increasing its potential in transport, logistics, tourism and agricultural developments across the South Caucasus and Eurasia, and enhancing cooperation with Korea on all fronts, according to the country’s top envoy here.The Azerbaijani Embassy in Korea marked the centenary anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-20), a short-lived nation-state precursor to the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan, at a National Day rec

For the first time in history, a senior Canadian military officer will help steer the United Nations force in Korea as deputy commander, announced Canada’s Department of National Defense.Lt. Gen. Wayne Eyre will become the first non-American general to hold the post at the United Nations Command since the multinational force was established 68 years ago to thwart communist aggression during the 1950-53 Korean War. Eyre’s new assignment comes as United States President Donald Trump and North Kore

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Embassy of Bangladesh and Korean public institutions jointly held the first Bangladesh Investment Seminar in Seoul on Friday, with the aim of attracting global capital to the booming, lucrative South Asian market.The three-hour event was attended by BIDA executive chairman, Kazi M. Aminul Islam, Bangladeshi Ambassador to Korea Abida Islam, and senior officials from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources as well as the Banglad