Ministry claims report was wrongly analyzed South Korea’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade, which came under fire earlier this year for making hundreds of translation errors in overseas trade deals, is again being criticized for its officials’ suspected lack of ability to communicate in English. According to a ministry document obtained by a ruling party lawmaker, four in every 10 diploma...

There is a new and positive feeling in the air at the Colombian Embassy, not only because of the Colombian president’s visit but also because of plans to heighten overall relations with Korea. The once-small embassy has doubled in size to welcome three new attaches who will work to promote science and technology, education, culture and sports, and tourism. “The focus of the embassy was very dif...

Swiss product designers have always emphasized a balance between form and function, a perfect example being the Swiss Army Knife. To offer a glimpse into the world of Swiss industrial design, the Swiss embassy is running an art exhibition in Seoul and then Busan next month. “The basic thing about Swiss design is its practicality,” said Swiss Cultural and Commercial Counselor Raoul Imbach. The ...

An art exhibition showcasing the Alchimia group, one of the artistic movements that shaped Italian design, art and architecture, is running at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center. “The exhibition ‘Drawings by Alchimia,’ bears witness to one of the great periods of the Italian artistic movement and especially to the synergy among artistic creativity, architecture and design in their different ex...

The Swedish ambassadorial couple left a piece of themselves here in Korea before moving to their next posting in Japan. Before they left, Lars Vargo was the guest of honor during the last Seoul Literary Society meeting. It was not because the president of the society was leaving; it was because Vargo released a collection of haiku poetry titled “Winter Moon” presented in four languages: Swedish...

Some 50 state leaders will also deal with North Korea uranium issue Following Japan’s nuclear crisis at Fukushima, next year’s nuclear security summit in Seoul will focus on how to improve safety in atomic energy, organizers said Monday. Since the March Fukushima Daiichi plant disaster ― considered the world’s worst nuclear-related disaster in 25 years ― nuclear safety has become the most impor...