Most Popular
-
1
Korea enters full election mode
-
2
Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
-
3
Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
-
4
Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
-
5
Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
-
6
Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
-
7
Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
-
8
S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
-
9
Kia EV9 wins world car of year
-
10
Korea misses out on global bond index boost
-
New home for Oman Embassy in Seoul
Oman’s embassy in Korea has moved to a new specially-designed building. The Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Seoul moved to the new building located in the Jongno-gu area of the city and resumed operations Monday. “Oman was keen to build an embassy using Omani architectural design in combination with Korean and modern design to appreciate art and history of both Oman and Korea,” an official at the Omani Embassy said. “We hope that the new building will be a landmark in Seoul, the world design
Dec. 11, 2011
-
Award for boosting Spanish tourism
A Korean who has helped grow tourism from here to Spain is to be honored with a decoration this week. Chung Tae-wan helped to increase the number of Koreans visiting the European country over the last 17 years from 2,000 to 80,000 annual visitors. He is to be conferred on Tuesday with the Encomienda de la Orden de Isabel la Catolica for developing friendship and economic relations between the two countries. The Korean representative of the National Office of Tourism of Spain and Air Europa from
Dec. 11, 2011
-
Vote open for Ireland’s EU logo
The Irish embassy is asking people to help choose a logo to represent its EU presidency. The poll has been launched by the Irish Tanaiste (deputy prime minister) and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore, and Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton. Go to www.eu2013.ie to find details about the four designs and vote. The winning logo will be featured online and in print when Ireland holds the presidency during the first six months of 2013. Voting is open now unti
Dec. 11, 2011
-
Diplomats learn more about Korea
New ambassadors and diplomatic staff in Korea have taken part in a program to introduce them to the country. The program run by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, which is affiliated with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, held cultural and information events for 62 people from 43 countries. Ambassadors to Korea from Belarus, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Gabon, Laos, Norway, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka attended events on Wednesday and Thursday last week. Diplomatic
Dec. 11, 2011
-
Fiji to open embassy in South Korea
Fiji is to open a new embassy in South Korea next year, sending an ambassador from Suva to Seoul. The new embassy is expected to open in the first half of 2012 to foster trade and investment between Korea and the archipelago about 2,000 km northeast of New Zealand. It will employ about 5 staff, a Fiji government official said, adding that an ambassador may be selected in the next month. “We want to open an embassy there because Korea is right in the heart of Asia,” he added. “Korea and Fiji have
Dec. 11, 2011
-
Jang transports envoys to the ‘Beautiful World’
He may be small in stature, but Jang Sa-ik proved he had the voice of a mountain when he entertained Seoul’s diplomatic community in an end-of-year concert Friday.The haegeum traditional fiddle and Korean percussion fused with piano and guitar as Jang took the audience on a “Voyage to the Beautiful World” at Seoul Women’s Plaza.At times he sang from the side of his mouth, at others he tilted his head back and let the emotive Korean lyrics pour freely out of him. His body bobbed up and down as if
Dec. 11, 2011
-
H.K. proves might of an open legal market
Secretary says territory’s experience shows more foreign law firms may benefit KoreaHong Kong’s justice secretary has praised the opening-up of Korea’s legal market on a trip to Seoul, saying a more international outlook could be a “positive development.”During his relationship-building visit Thursday, Wong Yan Lung commented on foreign law firms’ new chance to work in Korea following the U.S. Fair Trade Agreement, likely to take effect Jan. 1, and the EU FTA which came into force this July. “Th
Dec. 11, 2011
-
U.S. visa quota not in sight despite FTA
Seoul pushing U.S. Congress for visa allocation for Korean professionalsThe Korean government once set a U.S. visa quota for Korean professionals as a major goal of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.However, the bilateral trade deal, ratified by the Korean parliament last month, did not include the visa issue at all, disappointing many Korean professionals who hoped to find getting a job in the U.S. easier ― just like Australians who earned a quota of 10,500 a year through a bilateral trade de
Dec. 7, 2011
-
South Korea, U.S. resume talks on revising nuclear energy pact
South Korea and the United States resumed talks Tuesday on revising a bilateral pact that defines the boundaries of the Asian country’s use of nuclear energy, with Seoul aiming to gain concessions in the area, officials said.The discussions in Seoul were led by Park Ro-byug, South Korea’s envoy for the talks and a former ambassador to Ukraine, and Robert Einhorn, the U.S. State Department’s special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control.The two sides were holding their fourth round of tal
Dec. 6, 2011
-
Japan to return ancient books Tuesday
Some 1,200 Joseon Dynasty-era books looted by Japan during the colonial era will be returned to Korea on Tuesday afternoon, a government official said.According to the official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the books will be divided and delivered on two flights, each carrying 600 books. The books will arrive at the Incheon International Airport at 3:35 p.m. and 4:35 p.m., respectively, said the official.Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Park Suk-hwan and Japan’s ambassador to Seoul,
Dec. 5, 2011
-
U.S. calls on S. Korea to add pressure on Iran
The United States called on South Korea Monday to add pressure on Iran over its alleged nuclear weapons program, indicating that the Seoul government could soon impose fresh sanctions on Tehran.The remarks by Robert Einhorn, the State Department‘s special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control, came after the U.S. and several other nations recently announced additional economic sanctions against the Islamic state for its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. The measures, targeting Iran’s o
Dec. 5, 2011
-
Lindenbaum Concert looks to North Korea
Young Korean musicians have been given the chance to perform with top-notch international artists at a Swiss concert in Seoul. So far, 180 talented Korean musicians have practiced for and performed in the annual Lindenbaum Festival Concerts under Swiss Maestro Charles Dutoit, who founded the event along with Hyung Joon-won in 2009.Dutoit started establishing contacts with North Korea this year with the aim of being able to also invite young North Korean musicians to join future Lindenbaum Festiv
Dec. 4, 2011
-
Denmark brings advent calendars to Korea
The Danish Embassy is bringing some European Christmas sparkle to Seoul by introducing shoppers to advent calendars. The tradition in northern Europe sees kids receive a small gift or sweet every day until Christmas. “A calendar can come in every shape and size, and the main point is that you open a new window every day from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24, the day we celebrate Christmas in Denmark,” explained Jens Busk Gronbech. “We want to introduce this tradition to the Korean people and therefore we are c
Dec. 4, 2011
-
U.K. event to boost charities, scholarships
The Korea Britain Society will hold its annual dinner at the Westin Chosun Hotel on Wednesday. The dinner in the hotel’s grand ballroom will start at 6:45 p.m. with a speech from Minister of Strategy and Finance Bahk Jae-wan and a performance from celebrated South Korean pianist Yiruma. Funds raised will go toward several Korean charities as well as scholarships funded by the KBS. The society funds students via the Duke of Edinburgh and Chevening scholarships as well as supporting Korean school
Dec. 4, 2011
-
UAE celebrates national day
The United Arab Emirates celebrated 40 years of its union with events around the world and in Korea on Friday.UAE Ambassador Abdulla Al Romaithi held a reception in Seoul to mark the anniversary of the joining of seven emirates on the oil-rich Arabian Peninsula in 1971.Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain joined as a federation of monarchies under one president that year with Abu Dhabi as the capital. The ambassador, who took his Korean posting this April
Dec. 4, 2011
-
Poland, Germany share how they moved from foes to friends
Polish and German former politicians have visited Seoul to tell how “vanquishing prejudices” moved their countries from conflict to friendship, and ask whether Korea and Japan can learn from their experience. Both Polish-German and Korean-Japanese relations have been marred by long histories of conflict, culminating in the Second World War. While the two European nations are celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their Treaty of Good Neighborhood and Friendly Cooperation this year, Korea-Japan
Dec. 4, 2011
-
Ambassador plans Korean industrial area for India
He may be leaving Seoul for New Delhi, but the exiting Indian ambassador to Korea is keen to take a patch of this country’s industry back to his home turf. Skand Tayal wishes to establish a South Korean industrial complex in his homeland to help this country’s manufacturers take advantage of Indian human resources and technology. “What we have been trying to do is create some special zone in India which would be devoted to Korean industry,” Tayal said. “That way Korean workers and managers who s
Dec. 4, 2011
-
Rwanda aims to learn and earn from Korea
The Rwandan president has urged Korea to invest in his country as a gateway to Africa, and said he will take lessons from rapid development here. President Paul Kagame said in a speech in Seoul on Friday that his once civil war-torn nation had created an accommodating investment environment. Rwanda is rebuilding its economy following Africa’s worst genocide in modern times. The 1994 killing of an estimated 800,000 people and involvement in conflict in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo
Dec. 4, 2011
-
BRICs boost global aid partnership
BRIC nations’ agreement at the Busan aid forum to join a new global development partnership is a significant breakthrough, sources said.While advanced countries have had difficulty expanding or maintaining their budgets for international aid due to the recent global economic downturn, the increased role of Brazil, Russia, India and China at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness may point to a new era. These emerging countries struggled to draft a final version of the document with mo
Dec. 1, 2011
-
UAE celebrates 40th National Day
The following article was contributed by Abdulla Al Romaithi, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, to mark its 40th National Day, which falls on Dec. 2. ― Ed.With the theme “Spirit of the Union,” the United Arab Emirates celebrates its 40th National Day on Dec. 2, noting the great achievements it has made since the establishment of the federation in 1971 thanks to the policies of our late leader and founding president Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan and his fellow members of the Supreme Co
Dec. 1, 2011