Deoksugung Palace, Seoul (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)As dusk turns to darkness, the palace of Deoksugung in the heart of Seoul is illuminated by vivid lights and silhouettes. Visitors revel in the venue’s magnetic optics created by palace buildings from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), including forested gardens, fountains and neoclassical structures. Deoksugung’s main structures are its principle hall Junghwajeon, two-story building Seokeodang, reception room Jeonggwanheon and Hamnyeongjeon,

Culture Nov. 8, 2018

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

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 5, 2018

Turkey and Korea carry on their long history of exchanges, and increasingly cooperate to secure prosperity and a harmonious world order, according to Turkish Ambassador to Korea Ersin Ercin.“Turkey has continued to grow and develop across all fields over the last 95 years. We have emerged as one of the fastest developing nations in the world by the early 21st century,” he said in a speech at the country’s 95th anniversary reception last week in Seoul. “Our hope is that Turkey will reach its long

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 5, 2018

The Nordic booth at last year's SIWA Bazaar (SIWA)The Seoul International Women’s Association will organize its 56th annual SIWA-Diplomatic Community Bazaar under “Share Culture, Share Love, Share Life” on Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. at Lotte Hotel. The event is one of the largest fundraisers in Seoul, attracting thousands of locals, expats and tourists. Last year, over 30 embassies and several expat organizations, local businesses, sponsors, welfare groups and SIWA volunteers worked tog

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 5, 2018

Since the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring uprising, Turkey has welcomed more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees, offering shelter, food, health care and education. As a result Turkey was the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor last year in terms of the ratio of official humanitarian assistance to national income at 0.85 percent. Ankara’s foreign policy prioritizing humanitarian assistance needs more international recognition and support, the top Turkish envoy to Ko

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 5, 2018

The Seoullo 7017 park opened in May 2017, having been refashioned from a dilapidated overpass as part of the Seoul government’s urban regeneration program. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Walking on the Seoullo 7017 Skypark on a chilly autumn day, I didn’t feel a trace of delight or pleasure, but sheer tedium. A cracked concrete floor stretched for a kilometer, flanked by large pots of flowers, trees and shrubs. Maudlin poetry excerpts and purple prose bedecked the pots, with tourists trying to

Travel Nov. 1, 2018

Egyptian Defense Attache Col. Maged Elwan (second from right) poses at a reception for the 45th anniversary of Egyptian Armed Forces Day on Wednesday. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)The Egyptian Embassy in Seoul and its Defense Office marked Egyptian Armed Forces Day on Wednesday. On Oct. 6 each year, Egypt celebrates the October War of 1973, also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War or Yom Kippur War. The war began with the Egyptian Army’s crossing of the Suez Canal as part of Operation Badr, which c

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 29, 2018

Swedish Ambassador to Korea Jakob Hallgren (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)Sweden’s diplomacy -- centered on neutrality, peace and humanitarianism -- has won plaudits the world over. Some pundits say it goes deeper than other Nordic nations’ individual commitments.As the two Koreas step up their efforts to achieve reconciliation and advance cooperation, Sweden can play a special role as an honest broker and authority on disarmament and nonproliferation, according to the country’s top envoy here. “Swe

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 29, 2018

Before starting his tenure here, Singaporean Ambassador Yip Wei Kiat took a semester learning the Korean language at a university in Seoul four years ago. Now nearing the end of his ambassadorship, he can read and write Korean, even if he is not fully cognizant of the meaning. “King Sejong’s creation of Hangeul is amazing, because it provided opportunities for all Koreans, including the commoners, to learn their own language,” he told The Korea Herald during a tour of the National Hangeul Museum

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 29, 2018

Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Badamchi Shabestari (Iranian Embassy)New Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Badamchi Shabestari said he will do his utmost to strengthen bilateral ties based on the two nations’ historic friendship, which goes back more than 1,000 years. “Like the Korean saying, ‘A friend who helps in times of difficulty is a true friend,’ we hope that our friendly ties will continue with the support of the Korean people and cooperation,” he told The Korea Herald. “The people of

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 29, 2018

Oberlin College Bosworth Hall (Oberlin College)According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, Americans changed jobs every 4.2 years on average and could be expected to hold between 10 and 12 jobs over a career. In an increasingly complex global economy, the key to success lies in mastering transferable skills that help people deal with complexity and change, as well as the “cultural competency” needed to understand different perspectives and work with a wide range of people, according

Social Affairs Oct. 25, 2018

Representatives of Korean small and midsized companies pose at the Social Cooperative of Korean Small and Medium Business Federation building in Seoul on Friday following a business meeting with Ethiopian Embassy officials. (Social Cooperative of Korean Small and Medium Business Federation)The Social Cooperative of Korean Small and Medium Business Federation held a business forum on Ethiopia at its headquarters in Seoul on Friday, inviting Ethiopian diplomats to offer their advice on trade and i

People Oct. 25, 2018

Despite having advanced infrastructure and connectivity in the heart of Southeast Asia, until now Malaysia was not able to fully exploit its capacities as an outward-looking trading economy.With the launch of a new government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in May, Kuala Lumpur has set its sights clearly on moving up the value chain and engaging the world with a focus on ASEAN and its Asian-Oceanian partners, according to Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Darell Leikin

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 22, 2018

European Union Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiterer and the ambassadors of 28 EU member states issued a joint statement on the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, emphasizing the “unprecedented urgency” of stepping up global efforts to curb climate change. “Climate change is happening and its effects are being felt all over the world,” the EU’s representative mission in Seoul said. “The IPCC’s Special Report on the global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindust

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 22, 2018

By Spanish Ambassador to Korea Gonzalo OrtizSpain and Korea celebrated the Spanish National Day in Seoul on Oct. 12, followed by another commemoration in Busan on Oct. 15. As ambassador, I addressed the attendees in Spanish, a lingua franca spoken by over 530 million people across 31 countries. The King and Queen of Spain were in Covadonga this year to commemorate the 1,300th anniversary of the victory of Visigoth leader Don Pelayo against Muslim invaders in 718. This historic event gave birth t

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 22, 2018