[Diplomatic circuit] Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau to hold roadshow in June

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau will host its annual roadshow in June for travel agencies of South Korea and Sri Lanka to exchange latest industry information.The event will take place at Lotte Hotel in Busan on June 4 and Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul on June 10.  According to the tourism bureau, 10 Sri Lankan tour and resort companies will participate, and the event will provide opportunities for Korean and Sri Lankan travel agencies to hold business-to-business meetings.The bureau

May 27, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] UNICEF Korea holds forum on child-friendly urban planning

Regional government officials and experts gathered to discuss child-friendly urban planning at a forum organized by UNICEF Korea on Friday. A consultative group of regional governments held the forum with the UNICEF Korea Committee at a children’s culture center theater in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Opening the forum, Tim Gill, a UK-based children’s rights specialist, explained that creating a child-friendly city starts from understanding how children view cities. He stressed that

May 27, 2019

[Diplomatic Circuit] Swiss Embassy opens hanok-inspired building in Seoul

The Embassy of Switzerland has opened its new building that reinterprets hanok -- traditional Korean houses -- in central Seoul, in the hope that it will serve as a platform for cooperation between the two countries. “This reconstruction of the embassy is a symbol of our longstanding friendship with the Republic of Korea and of Switzerland’s sincere desire to further expand our excellent and mutually beneficial relations in all fields,” Ambassador Linus von Castelmur said during a media conferen

May 20, 2019

S. Korea's finance chief calls China competitor, partner

South Korea's finance minister has called China a competitor but also said there is ample room for expanding bilateral economic cooperation with its larger neighbor.  "China is an economic partner and a well-intentioned competitor," Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, said in a recent interview with global credit appraiser Fitch Ratings posted on its website.  Competition between South Korea and China has been intensifying in recent years as the world's second-largest economy has b

May 17, 2019

S. Korea, Switzerland hold policy talks on bilateral cooperation

South Korea and Switzerland held a bilateral policy consultation meeting in Seoul on Friday to discuss security on the Korean peninsula and in Europe, as well as bilateral cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said.Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Pascale Baeriswyl, state secretary at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, held the fifth such meeting, a key bilateral diplomatic channel on issues of mutual concern.Cho called for Switzerland's continued support for Seoul's policy of bu

May 17, 2019

Danish crown prince to visit S. Korea next week

Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, will visit South Korea next week to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the Seoul government said Thursday.The Danish royal couple are scheduled to arrive in Seoul on May 20 for a three-day trip, which will include dinner with South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, according to the prime minister's office. The Crown Prince Couple of Denmark during their visit to ESO’

May 16, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Australia, New Zealand embassies commemorate Anzac Day

More than 200 people gathered at the Korean War Memorial in Seoul on Thursday to commemorate Anzac Day, marking the 104th anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps’ landing at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.Anzac Day commemorates the service and sacrifice of men and women of the Australia and New Zealand defense forces and their allies, who have served in wars and peacekeeping operations.The Australian Embassy in Korea said the shared experience of the Australian and New Z

April 29, 2019

Experts discuss ways to enhance cultural exchange between Korea, ASEAN

The Korean Wave has enhanced cultural exchange between Korea and the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, building a close regional bond, experts said at a forum organized by The Korea Herald on Wednesday. Under the theme of “ASEAN and Korean Waves,” some 30 high-level representatives from leading media organizations in Southeast Asian countries and Korea, as well as the government, academia and business communities, discussed ways to spread the phenomenon through mutu

April 24, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] NORDtalks to discuss quality of life in Nordic countries

Why are Nordic countries ranked among the best countries to live? Seeking to answer this question, the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are to hold the second NORDtalks on Thursday.Titled “Welfare, Gender Equality, and Quality of Life,” the event will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Oil Tank Culture Park in Seoul.  Nordtalks (Embassy of Sweden in Korea)Participants will engage in dialogue about major societal topics, the Swedish Embassy in Korea said. In addition, the event aims to

April 22, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] UNDP urges Korean private sector to engage in sustainable development initiatives

The United Nations Development Program’s Seoul Policy Center held a workshop for South Korean companies to help them contribute to and benefit from global sustainable development initiatives in more strategic ways. The conference, titled “Private Sector: Business as SDG Accelerator Workshop” and co-hosted by the center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took place Friday in Seoul.  (UNDP`s Seoul Policy Center Facebook)The sustainable development goals, or SDGs, are targets set and adopted by a

April 15, 2019

[Diplomatic Circuit] K-movie gathering

Leila Rachadi (fifth from left), the spouse of the Moroccan ambassador, Chafik Rachadi (sixth from left), the Moroccan ambassador, and CICI President Choi Jung-wha (seventh from left) pose for a photo after a lecture titled the “Present and Future of K-movies and the Story of Food Scenes in Movies” at the residence of the Moroccan ambassador to Korea on April 2. (Corea Image Communication Institute)

April 8, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] KOICA supports removal of land mines, unexploded bombs in Vietnam

Korea International Cooperation Agency said Monday it had hosted several events to raise awareness of land mines and unexploded bombs in Vietnam, marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, which fell on Thursday.A state-run aid group here, KOICA has been working to remove land mines and unexploded bombs still buried in parts of Vietnam, together with the Vietnam National Mine Action Center and United Nations Development Program since 2016.  Vietnamese people

April 8, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Korea Foundation hosts environmental program for youths

Some 100 young Korean volunteers participated in a project to help transform the world’s ninth-largest desert in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region into green land, as well as to exchange views regarding environmental problems with Chinese youths, said the Korea Foundation, a nonprofit public diplomacy organization, which hosted the event. During the 2019 Korea-China Green Corps project, held from Wednesday to Tuesday, the participants planted about 800 trees in the Kubuqi Desert in Inner

April 1, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] ASEAN-Korea Media Forum to be held April 24

Journalists and experts from Korea and Southeast Asian countries will gather for the ASEAN-Korea Media Forum in Seoul next month to discuss ways to promote cultural and socio-cultural exchanges, ASEAN-Korea Centre said Monday.The forum, which will be held on April 24 at Lotte Hotel in Seoul, kics off a series of events throughout 2019 marking the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-Korea relations, and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the ASEAN-Korea Centre. (ASEAN-Korea Centre)ASEAN-Korea Cen

April 1, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Ireland minister encourages Koreans to visit Ireland

Irish Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan, in Seoul from March 17-20 as part of the country’s outreach to strengthen ties with Korea, was impressed by the energy of the capital.“I was struck by the way the ancient culture has been harmonized with the people’s ambitions and vision here,” she said in an interview with The Korea Herald in Myeong-dong, Seoul, on March 19. Irish Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan speaks in an interview with T

March 25, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Belgium king to meet President Moon for bilateral talks

King Philippe of Belgium and his wife Queen Mathilde kicked off their four-day state visit to South Korea on Monday, aimed at boost economic cooperation and cultural ties between the two countries. President Moon Jae-in and King Philippe Leopold Louis Marie will discuss ways to deepen substantive cooperation in diplomatic relations and expand business collaborations, especially in the information and communication technology, chemicals, logistics and food industries. King Philippe and Queen Math

March 25, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Ethiopia’s peacemaking effort with Eritrea resembles Korea’s initiative

Ethiopia can share its recent experience of ending a 20-year border war with longtime foe Eritrea to encourage South Korea’s initiative to create a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. The border between Ethiopia and Eritrea reopened in September last year following a peace agreement that put an end to what once seemed an irresolvable conflict, having led to war from 1998 to 2000. Shiferaw Shigutie, Ethiopian ambassador to South Korea, poses during an interview with The Korea Herald at the Ethi

March 25, 2019

S. Korea recognized by WFP for transforming from recipient to donor

South Korea has been recognized by the World Food Programme for its active aid to poorer nations, years after being on the receiving end of international help.In an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday, South Korean Agriculture Minister Lee Gae-ho said he received the plaque of appreciation from WFP Executive Director David Beasley in Rome the previous day.South Korean Agriculture Minister Lee Gae-ho (right) shakes hands with WFP Executive Director David Beasley at a meeting held in Rome

March 19, 2019