[Meet the diplomat]

The French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry has opened a new business center with a spacious office for business representatives and meetings, the group said Monday. The expansion comes amid a rise in the number of French companies tapping into the South Korean market. The FKCCI said it added 25 new members in 2019, for a current total of 370. “This is a milestone for us to be able from now on to welcome our members and the French-Korean community in our own premises,” said

Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma has published a photo book that looks back on 30 years of friendship between Seoul and Budapest. Titled “The Relations of the Korean Peninsula and Hungary Seen Through Rare Photos,” the book contains rare pictures that depict the long history of ties between Korea and Hungary. “I wanted to release a book introducing relations between the Korea Peninsula and Hungary to commemorate last year’s 30th anniversary of diplomatic tie

A delegation of South Korean content companies visited the Philippine capital last week to research investment opportunities there. The Feb. 4-7 trip to Manila was organized by the ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul as part of the follow-up to last year’s summit in Busan between Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “The Philippines is not only an attractive content market with a high demand for the Korean Wave, but also a promising outsourcing partner with an immense tec

[Meet the diplomat] Danish ambassador discusses renewable energy, life satisfaction and ‘Parasite’

The UK has left the EU as of Jan. 31, but its trade with South Korea will see no major changes, the country’s envoy said Thursday. “My message is that nothing changes … for the time being at least, nothing in the arrangements that set out how trade between Korea and Britain will be done will change because there will be continuity,” British Ambassador Simon Smith said in an interview at the embassy in central Seoul. Korea’s free trade agreement with the European

The 2020 Korea Herald Young Diplomats Academy, a three-day youth camp, has inspired students who wish to become diplomats by providing an opportunity to benefit from the advice of a senior career diplomat. Ian Mcconville, minister and deputy head of mission at the Australian Embassy in Seoul, shared his experience with some 100 young people, the organizer said Tuesday. “Diplomacy is very important. Currently there are conflicts between many countries. Persuading other countries through

New Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming on Tuesday called on Seoul to follow the World Health Organization’s recommendations on handling the new coronavirus, as Korea began barring entry of noncitizens who have visited China’s virus-hit Hubei province. “I will not assess (Seoul’s measure). … But an international and scientific method would be to follow the WHO’s recommendation,” said Xing in a press conference at the Chinese Embassy in cen

The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea named Pepper Savings Bank business of the year during the Australia-Korea Business Awards 2020, held Friday in Seoul. PSB, a unit of Australia’s Pepper Group and the only Australian savings bank operating here, was recognized for its efforts to provide loans to small and medium-sized enterprises and create jobs in the North and South Jeolla provinces and Gyeonggi Province, the organizer said. The annual awards presentation also honored other

For the fifth year in a row, the German and Israeli embassies in South Korea joined hands to commemorate victims of the Holocaust on Jan. 29, the embassies said Monday. A commemorative event was held at the Seoul Museum of History in central Seoul two days after International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was also opening day for the exhibition “The Auschwitz Album” at the museum. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a Nazi death camp in Poland. Si

Australian envoy emphasizes countries’ ‘like-mindedness,’ potential to be explored

[Diplomatic circuit] Herald Corp. CEO and Publisher Kwon Chung-won shakes hands with Indian Ambassador to South Korea Sripriya Ranganathan (right) during a meeting in central Seoul on Wednesday. (Indian Embassy in Korea)

Seven-member Korean boy band BTS rang in the new year with a live performance at New York City’s Times Square. Film director Bong Joon-ho rewrote the history of Korean film with his black comedy “Parasite,” which has been nominated for best picture at the Oscars. Korean culture as a whole is reaching new highs on the international stage.To keep the momentum going, Korean creators should continue to pursue innovation, said Lee Soo-man, one of the most important figures in the K-

As pro-democracy protests continue for over 8 months with no sign of abating, Hong Kong Tourism Board in Korea has introduced various tips for tourists hesitant to travel to Hong Kong. Hong Kong Tourism Board said Monday that it has carved out a section of its official blog dedicated to offering real time information on Hong Kong starting Jan. 14. Local Hong Kongers will share their daily lives through the blog and the blog is also expected to launch a system to answer tourists’ questions

The International Vaccine Institute, a Seoul-based international organization, has renewed its cooperation with the Swedish International Cooperation Agency for continued efforts to accelerate vaccine research and development for global health, the organization said Monday.As part of a longstanding partnership between the Swedish government and the IVI, the Swedish International Cooperation Agency has pledged to fund the IVI some $5.24 million over the next five years.“We’re proud to