The top diplomats of South Korea and Canada held phone talks Friday to discuss joint responses to the new coronavirus and other bilateral cooperation issues, the foreign ministry said. During the talks, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Canadian counterpart, Francois-Philippe Champagne, shared the view that the two countries, as "like-minded" ones, should closely cooperate bilaterally and multilaterally to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry said. The ministers also note

Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun left for Washington on Wednesday for talks with his US counterpart over joint efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula and other bilateral alliance issues. Choi, who took office last month, is scheduled to meet US. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on Thursday local time, as the two countries strive to address an array of pending issues, including stalled dialogue with North Korea and deadlocked defense cost-sharing talks. "We will check the p

Pope Francis has sent a verbal message to South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressing hope for peace and reconciliation with North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. The pope also said he's "continuously praying for the gift from God" of peace and prosperity for the South Korean people in the message recently delivered by Alfred Xuereb, the Holy See's representative in Seoul, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. The Holy Father said he "cherishes" dialogue

The British Embassy in South Korea is accepting applications from Korean students for the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarships until Nov. 3 for the 2021-2022 academic year, the embassy said Thursday. Korean nationals with a bachelors’ degree and more than two years of work experience are eligible to apply for the UK government’s global scholarship program that offers an opportunity to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any subject at any university in the United

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Saturday congratulated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel on reaching an agreement to normalize their diplomatic relations. In congratulatory telegrams sent to UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Moon stated that South Korea fully supports the move. Moon added that he hopes the agreement will serve as an opportunity for stability and peace in the Middle East. Israel and the UAE agreed Thurs

President Moon Jae-in said Saturday his government is ready to sit down with Japan at any time to resolve a longstanding dispute over compensating Korean victims of Japan's forced labor during World War II. "The (South Korean) government has consulted with Japan on a smooth resolution, on which victims can agree, and leaves the door of consultations wide open now as well," he said during his nationally televised Liberation Day speech. "Our government is ready to sit face to fac

In South Korea, known for its education fervor, the English widely taught at schools and private institutes is American English. Challenging the US dominance in the Korean English education market is one of the tasks facing the Embassy of Australia here, an Australian diplomat told The Korea Herald. “Australia wants to make clear to Koreans we should be the destination of choice for people who want to study English language,” James Bourne, second secretary at the Embassy of Aust

[Diplomatic circuit] Mumtaz Zahra Baloch (right), ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to South Korea, shakes hands with Herald Corp. CEO and Publisher Kwon Chung-won during a courtesy visit to Herald Corp. headquarters in central Seoul on Tuesday.

South Korea on Thursday appointed new ambassadors to nine countries, including Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, in a regular reshuffle, the foreign ministry said.  Suh Jeong-in, who led the preparatory office for last year's commemorative summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was appointed ambassador to Mexico. Kang Jeong-sik, former deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, took the ambassadorial post for Australia, while

The US Embassy in South Korea suspended routine visa services as part of efforts to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, the embassy said Thursday. According to the embassy, the measure is in line with the US State Department’s decision to halt nonimmigrant and immigrant services in countries with level 2, 3 or 4 travel advisories. The State Department has issued a level 4 travel advisory for virus-hit Daegu, with the rest of South Korea at level 3.  The suspension, however, does not af

Foreign missions here, while keeping a close watch on the coronavirus situation, are joining the South Korean government’s “social distancing” drive to contain the outbreak. Many have put public events on hold, including national day celebrations, and have authorized flexible work hours and remote work for employees. The British Embassy told The Korea Herald that it is encouraging its staff to work from home to reduce direct human contact and the potential for virus transm

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The Bulgarian Embassy in Seoul said Monday it celebrated its Liberation Day last week in a quiet manner, amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In celebration of its March 3rd National Day, the Bulgarian Embassy had initially planned a reception, which was canceled due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus here and health experts’ advice to avoid large gatherings. Bulgaria, one of the oldest nations in Europe and the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet in the ninth century, was founded in

The United Arab Emirates has evacuated some 210 Arab nationals -- both of the UAE and its neighbors -- from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus is believed to have originated, via aircraft, embassy officials in Seoul said Thursday. The evacuees are to be received at the new Emirates Humanitarian City in the UAE, where they will undergo medical testing and a 14-day quarantine for maximum safety. “The move follows the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa

The British Embassy poured free coffee for anyone who brought in a reusable cup on Friday, at an event it hosted in Seoul to promote climate change awareness. “This is a critical year for our planet. A truly global effort is required from governments, businesses and each member of society. If we work together to develop and deploy clean technologies, we can accelerate innovation, increase economies of scale, and bring down costs more quickly,” said Mike Welch, country director at t