The Korea Herald

Japanese upper house agrees to return Korean books

May 27, 2011

TOKYO, May 27 (Yonhap) -- The upper house in the Japanese Diet on Friday ratified an agreement on the return of ancient Korean texts to Seoul, completing a legal process for the transfer considered key to improving bilateral relations. The House of Councillors in Tokyo approved the ratification bill on a 145-86 vote, about a month after the House of Representatives, the lower house, passed the b...
Latin center unveils more artifacts

May 25, 2011

It takes more than 24 hours to travel to Latin America, but just a short drive from Seoul to Goyang to experience the continent’s colorful and rich history. The Latin American Cultural Center has grown to accommodate over 2,500 articles from Mayan and Incan civilizations, in addition to a large selection of earthenware found in Latin countries, especially Mexico. “I assure you, I have been arou...
U.S. delegation due in N.K. over food aid

May 24, 2011

A U.S. fact-finding team will be departing for North Korea on Tuesday with some of its members staying over a week for detailed inspection of the food conditions there, officials here said, confirming the mission that may lead to Washington’s resumption of aid and dialogue with the communist state. The team, led by special envoy for North Korean human rights issues Robert King, is expected to st...
S. Korean nuclear expert to join Japan probe team

May 23, 2011

South Korea’s state nuclear regulator said Monday that it will send a nuclear expert to Japan as part of an international team to review the Fukushima disaster. The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety said Sung Key-yong, head of the regulator’s atomic risk assessment office, has been named as a member of the 18-person review team created by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency. The...
‘Micro’ showing for 50th year of Portugal ties

May 22, 2011

Portuguese artist Joao Tabarra is presenting the exhibition “The Age of Micro Voyages” as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ties between Portugal and Korea. Taking place at Korea National University until May 31, the exhibition will also display video installations from Pedro Costa, Miguel Palma and Maria Lusitano. Developed by Japanese curators Atsushi and Rika Sugita, “The Ag...
U.S. envoy tweets with new account

May 22, 2011

United States Ambassador Kathleen Stephens has a new Twitter account. Her thoughts and experiences can be followed at @AmbStephens, where she micro-blogs about U.S. and Korean news, her activities, American history, and answers questions. Stephens also writes a blog that is available in Korean and English: http://blog.daum.net/ambassadorstephens/. Through her blog, Stephens provides insight in...
Philippine Festival in Yeouido

May 22, 2011

Seoul will once again set the stage for a multicultural fanfare as the Philippine Embassy organizes the “Philippine Festival in Yeouido.” The daylong celebration of Filipino culture will be enjoyed through songs, dances and traditional games scheduled to be held at the Yeouido Hanggang Park on May 29. The annual festival, which attracts hundreds of Filipinos, Koreans and enthusiasts of Filipino...
App showcases Australia year

May 22, 2011

The Australian Embassy has launched the “Australia-Korea 50” application for smartphone users in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. “This application is the first-ever service created by an embassy in Korea and contains a lot of information about Australia, such as politics, diplomacy, culture and travel,” said Australian A...
Literary club discovers fierce woman poet

May 22, 2011

The Seoul Literary Society, a group of diplomats, expats and locals, celebrated the works of one of Korea’s prolific poets. Kim Seung-hee is not only a poet but an acclaimed novelist who credits poet Lee Sang for leading her to poetry. Swedish Ambassador Lars Vargo introduces local poet Kim Seung-hee (center, standing) at the Seoul Literary Society meeting. (Sweden Embassy) “It was after readi...
Italy envoy showcases elegant brands

May 22, 2011

Leonardo da Vinci once said, “What is essential is perfect.” While this phrase was not intended for shoppers in Seoul, the idea behind it has spurred the top Italian brands in finding a home on Korean shelves and in the minds of consumers. Yet, there are still a plethora of smaller, boutique brands looking to enter the Korean marketplace. Italy Ambassador Sergio Mercuri and his wife Maria Giov...
Couple’s Korea journey comes to end

May 22, 2011

U.S. diplomat: ‘Korea has come a long way during the past 10-20 years’ The Patrick Linehan and Emerson Kanegusuke’s four-year journey in Korea is coming to an end and with it, memories they take with them forever. As minister-counselor for public affairs, Linehan has been responsible for bringing relations to a warmer, friendlier level within all sectors of the relationship between Korea and th...
Korea, Europe to start parliamentary forum

May 20, 2011

The National Assembly and the European Parliament will launch an annual bilateral forum to strengthen ties and cooperation as the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement comes into effect in July. The annual “ROK-EU Leaders Forum” will be hosted alternately by both sides. ROK is the abbreviation of the Republic of Korea. A preparatory meeting to launch the forum was held at the 63 City building in Seoul ...
Daehangno bust honors Indian anti-colonialist

May 18, 2011

Seventy years after his death, Indian Poet Rabindranath Tagore will stand proud in a country he never visited ― one he had described as the “The Lamp of the East.” Years before Korea was freed from Japanese colonial rule, Tagore, a literary genius and champion of human freedom and dignity, prophesied the future of the Peninsula. In 1929, Tagore predicted in his famous poem “The Lamp of the East...
New target for thieves in U.S. : human hair

May 18, 2011

They don’t want money from cash register or jewels from the safe. Thieves in the U.S. are now on a quest for human hair, The New York Times reported Tuesday. During the past two months, robbers looking for human hair have killed a beauty shop supplier in Michigan in the worst of a rash of crimes involving the theft of human hair nationwide. Thugs have taken tens of thousands of dollars of hair a...
‘U.S. may send delegation to N.K. over food aid’

May 17, 2011

The U.S. is likely to soon send a delegation to North Korea to examine its food shortages, but allies’ cooperation over the issue of resuming aid on a full-scale basis will not be undermined by the move, officials from Washington and Seoul said Tuesday. Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special envoy on North Korea policies, held talks with Seoul’s chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac here as the two ally natio...