Australian Embassy marks national day

Over 1,500 people gathered in Seoul on Jan. 25 to celebrate Australia’s national day with an event hosted by the Australian Embassy in South Korea with a theme in recognition of the Australian Open.The annual tennis tournament inspired fans here and abroad alike last year with the memorable sporting achievement made by Korean semifinalist Cheong Hyun.  Australian Ambassador to South Korea James Choi plays an exhibition on a custom-built mini-tennis court during the 2019 Australian Day event, hel

Feb. 7, 2019

Denmark and Korea: Celebrating 60 years of partnership

It is a great pleasure to usher in the Year of the Golden Pig, a joyous occasion that also marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Korea. And although the diplomatic ties were established in March 11, 1959, the friendly relations between our countries go even further back to 1902, when the Empire of Chosun and the Kingdom of Denmark concluded the “Friendship, Trade, and Sea-trade Treaty.” In more modern years, we can also look back to 1951 when Denmark sent the hos

Feb. 7, 2019

[Contribution] Iran celebrates 40 years of Islamic Revolution, republic

Saeed Badamchi Shabestari (Iranian Embassy)By Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Badamchi Shabestari As the Iranian ambassador to the Republic of Korea, I am delighted to address readers of esteemed newspaper Korea Herald about our National Day.This year, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and birth of the Islamic Republic of Iran.Over the years, the spirit of the revolution has borne fruitful results in the face of great adversities and misfortunes. The event sought to p

Jan. 21, 2019

Success of New Southern Policy hinges on local acumen: Indonesian ambassador

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right) and Indonesian President Joko Widodo shake hands during a summit in Seoul in September 2018. (Indonesian Embassy)As Seoul implements its New Southern Policy across Asia, it is crucial to grasp the region’s diverse local situations and tap into opportunities in emerging cities, according to Indonesian Ambassador Umar Hadi. Speaking in an interview at the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul last week, the envoy advised South Korean companies, particularly automak

Jan. 21, 2019

[Herald Interview] Gamelan music, an elixir for monotonous modern life

Indonesian Ambassador to Korea Umar Hadi (left) and gamelan composer Nyoman Wenten (third from right) pose at the premiere of “Bali: Beats of Paradise” at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California, on Nov. 7, 2018. (Indonesian Embassy)On the Indonesian island of Bali, music and dance are deeply ingrained in people’s daily chores and rhythms, effortlessly blurring the lines between work and leisure. Before going to school in the morning, children stop by the vil

Jan. 21, 2019

S. Korea welcomes planned second Trump-Kim summit

South Korea on Saturday welcomed a planned second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying that it expects the summit to serve as a turning point toward permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman at South Korea's presidential office, made the remarks after the White House announced that Trump and Kim will hold the meeting near the end of February at a location to be announced at a later date. (Yonhap)"We expect this North Korea-

Jan. 19, 2019

Azerbaijan honors dead in independence struggle

Azerbaijani citizens lay wreaths at the Martyrs’ Avenue in Baku in commemoration of the Black January martyrdom. (Azerbaijani Embassy)Azerbaijan mourns the death of its compatriots in the “Black January” massacre of Jan. 19-20, 1990, and pays homage to their sacrifice, which ushered in freedom upon the modern democratic market economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, according to its embassy in Seoul. The Black January commemoration annually marks the martyrdom of 147 Azerbaijanis -- women, childr

Jan. 14, 2019

[Herald Interview] Imagining a bona fide global Korea

When Korea’s foremost civilian ambassador, Choi Jung-wha, walked along Paris’ Champs-Elysees Avenue last year, she was struck by familiar tunes sung in Korean.Young French people belted out K-pop band BTS’ songs in Korean, to the surprise of Choi, who first landed in France in the late 1970s for her studies. Back then, Korea, much less South Korea, was barely on the mental map of an average French person. But with the country’s continuing economic and cultural ascent on the global stage, the Kor

Jan. 14, 2019

Myanmar invites foreign investment with business-friendly reforms

Myanmar’s Ambassador Thura Thet Oo Maung (right) and Korean Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Yoon Soon-gu pose at the Burmese National Day reception in Seoul on Jan. 7. (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)As Seoul fleshes out its New Southern Policy to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian nations and other countries, Myanmar presents fresh opportunities with its business-friendly policies, according to the country’s top envoy to South Korea. During the Burmese National Day reception on Jan. 7 in S

Jan. 14, 2019

Tongyeong’s luge attraction makes coveted tourism list

Visitors at Skyline Luge Tongyeong ride carts downhill. (Skyline Luge Tongyeong)Skyline Luge Tongyeong has made a list of South Korea’s “100 Must-Visit Tourist Spots,” as compiled by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, according to Skyline.The entertainment facility in South Gyeongsang Province is owned by New Zealand firm Skyline Enterprises, which has a diversified portfolio in leisure and entertainment in New Zealand and overseas. The accolade is a tr

Jan. 14, 2019

Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, Japan hold phone call

Nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan had a telephone conversation on Friday, during which they discussed recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said. Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenji Kanasugi, director-general of Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau, also discussed cooperation on complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the ministry sai

Jan. 11, 2019

Omani Embassy introduces rich heritage to students

The Omani Embassy in Seoul launched its annual program “Welcome to Oman,” aimed at promoting understanding between the peoples of Oman and Korea through the exchange of knowledge, the arts, tourism and business. At the inaugural event at the diplomatic mission on Friday, 26 students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Myongji University, Dankook University, Chosun University and Busan University of Foreign Studies participated. Twenty of the students will visit Oman soon to study the Arab

Jan. 7, 2019

Costa Rica-Korea commerce to rise with CABEI entry, FTA

Ambassador Rodolfo Solano Quiros (Costa Rican Embassy)With South Korea’s recent entry into the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, Costa Rica -- the multilateral institution’s founding member -- looks forward to stronger trade and investment ties with Korea, its embassy told The Korea Herald.Seoul entered the bank on Dec. 28, becoming its second-largest extraregional partner. CABEI President Dante Mossi and Korean Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Ho-seung signed the agreement

Jan. 7, 2019

ASEAN-Korea Center opens hall for Southeast Asia-related businesses

ASEAN Hall at the ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul (AKC)The ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul has opened its main hall from this year onward to companies and individuals doing or planning business with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ corporate partners. The opening of the ASEAN Hall is aimed at spurring ASEAN business-related activities, and comes as part of celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the center’s establishment in 2009. It was created as an intergovernmental organization entru

Jan. 7, 2019

Sustainable local tourism shows bright prospects for ASEAN

Students give a bath to an elephant at a local elephant sanctuary as part of a community-based tourism program in Thailand last year. (AKC)The ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul organized a sustainable local tourism course in the tourism village of Nglanggeran, located in the special region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, over the weekend. The ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Program from Thursday to Monday hosted 25 university students from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc and Korea. Its theme -

Jan. 7, 2019

With reforms, Indian economy becomes more open to investment, trade

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s externally focused economic drive, India jumped 23 spots on the World Bank’s 2018 Ease of Doing Business ranking to No. 77, according to the Indian Embassy in Seoul. The rapid rise follows 2017’s upward move of 30 spots, placing India on near course to enter the world’s top 50 economies in terms of ease of doing business. “That’s remarkable progress. It sets India apart from other countries in the region,” according to Long Island University economics profess

Jan. 7, 2019

Korea, Denmark to promote cultural ties via various events

South Korea and Demark will initiate a yearlong special culture exchange program next week meant to commemorate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.The two sides agreed to designate 2019 as "the year of mutual culture" when President Moon Jae-in visited Denmark last October. The logo of the South Korea-Denmark culture exchange program in 2019 is shown in this photo provided by Seoul`s foreign ministry. (Yonhap)A series of planned cultural events wi

Jan. 7, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Hungary can help inter-Korean ties, innovation with Central Europe’

 Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma is a fluent speaker of the Korean language and has written numerous books and papers on the country’s history and relations with Central European countries (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)Hungarian Ambassador to South Korea Mozes Csoma speaks Korean better than any other language other than Hungarian. Korean being his first foreign language, he is about as good as a nonnative can get.He is so fluent that this interview was entirely conducted in Korean. As th

Dec. 31, 2018

President Moon receives six new ambassadors to Seoul

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday welcomed six new ambassadors to his country, including those from Brazil, Canada and Iran.The president received the credentials of the six new ambassadors in a ceremony held at his office Cheong Wa Dae.The new ambassadors are Peniana Lalabalavu of Fiji, Elrayih Mohamed Elawad Hydoub of Sudan, Damir Kusen of Croatia, Luis Henrique Sobreira Lopes of Brazil, Saeed Badamchi Shabestari of Iran and Michael Danagher of Canada. (Yonhap) President Moon Jae-in (right) g

Dec. 26, 2018