Envoy is cooking something special in bilateral relations Asia is filled with economic miracles; such is the case with two of the four Asian Tigers, Singapore and Korea. Both countries were former colonies, both shook off the shackles of poverty to become economic powerhouses, both lack the natural resources needed to power those economies and both depend on free and open markets with transpare...

The Egyptian Embassy is offering free Arabic language lessons for beginners. The classes, conducted in English, are offered every Tuesday at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Egyptian Embassy in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Arabic is the official language of 26 states, making it the language used in the third most countries after English and French, according to The New York Times Almanac. These 26 countries rep...

Canadian Ambassador-Designate David Chatterson arrived in Seoul last month, eager to resume where his predecessor left off. Chatterson brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from over thirty years of representing Canadians’ interests at home and abroad. He was posted to Tokyo as First Secretary in 1984 and then as Counsellor in 1994. Between the two postings he was manager of research for...

Norway Day, the annual social event for the Norwegian Business community organized by the embassy has been announced. It will be held on Oct. 28 at the Grand Ball Room at Paradise Hotel in Busan. This year, the event will be hosted during Kormarin when Norwegian business presence and interests are at their strongest. The embassy hopes that by hosting the event, they will create a good opportun...

Those applying for visas to Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway should take note that the consular section of the Swedish Embassy will be closed on Oct. 21 and Oct. 24 for IT maintenance. The Swedish Embassy will also be closed on Oct. 21 and will reopen on Oct. 24. More information is available at www.swedenabroad.se/seoul. In case of an emergency, contact the embassy’s emergency mobile numbe...

As a child, arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies related to making things with one’s hands and skill. As young artists become adults, their work into the realm of craft art evolves and takes on a new dimension reflecting the inner nature of a country’s people. “As Swedes, we are very close to nature so you see a very different expression of art related to nature, whic...

The British government’s chief scientific advisor highlighted the importance of collaboration in science and innovation during a visit to Seoul last week. Sir John Beddington emphasized the importance of cross border collaboration in science and innovation and to promote closer Korea-British research collaboration. He explained that problems associated with climate change are happening now and ...

Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that can take nations decades to bring under control. It is a phenomenon that can not always be completely eradicated but controlled to a slight dim. Countries like South Korea, South Africa and Indonesia have taken tough action in the fight against corruption while others like Burundi, Chad and Myanmar keep humming at the same c...

South Korea should rule out political considerations when handing out humanitarian aid to North Korea, Seoul’s top presidential aide said Friday. “Humanitarian aid should continue and when sending aid, the North Korean leadership and ordinary North Korean residents should be considered as separate entities,” Chun Yung-woo, senior secretary to President Lee Myung-bak for foreign affairs and natio...

S. Korean foreign minister reiterates call for talks on wartime sex slaves Leaders of South Korea and Japan will hold a summit meeting Oct. 19 to discuss bilateral ties and other pending issues, Japanese foreign minister told a press conference in Seoul on Thursday. Foreign ministers of Seoul and Tokyo agreed on Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visiting South Korea on Oct. 18 and meeting ...

Parliamentary panel adopts resolution urging China to stop sending N.K. defectors back home The Chinese government informed the South Korean foreign ministry Thursday that it will take more time interrogating over 20 North Korean defectors or illegal aliens in its custody. Beijing delivered its position through the South Korean embassy in Beijing and the Chinese embassy in Seoul, a foreign mini...

South Korea named a former senior diplomat to China as its new chief nuclear negotiator, apparently noting the growing importance of Beijing in restarting multinational effort on disarming North Korea. Lim Sung-nam, formerly minister at the Korean Embassy in China, will officially take the new post beginning Thursday, taking over from his predecessor Wi Sung-lac who served as Seoul’s special rep...