Seoul can learn from Quebec’s climate-conscious building design and Barcelona’s walkable neighborhoods, while Quebec and Catalonia can draw lessons from Seoul’s public transportation and urban renewal, architects attending the Catalonia-Quebec-Korea Architecture Forum say. As cities face rising temperatures and pressure for denser development, they argued that new housing should go hand in hand with better public spaces and preservation of neighborhood identity. Their comments came at the Catalo

Peru is rolling out privately managed special economic zones, also known as free zones, to attract South Korean investment in critical minerals processing and manufacturing and better connect the resource-rich country to global supply chains, Peruvian Ambassador to South Korea Paul Duclos says. According to Duclos, the new framework for special economic zones is designed to attract investment in manufacturing and processing rather than simply facilitate trade. “We are seeking to generate new lev

The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul marked the country's 81st Independence Day on Sunday in an outdoor event highlighting the "people" aspect of the Korea-Indonesia partnership. The embassy held the event at the Mulbit Stage in Yeouido, where the reception was held alongside Festival Indonesia, featuing Indonesian food, traditional games, music, dance and fashion, along with programs involving participants from both countries. The setting marked a departure from diplomatic national day receptions ty

As Korean companies reassess global supply chains and seek new growth platforms in Southeast Asia, the choice of investment location has become more strategic than ever. Cost competitiveness remains important, but successful expansion now depends equally on supply-chain resilience, infrastructure, access to skilled talent, energy security, market connectivity and the ability to move quickly from investment approval to commercial production. Malaysia already offers many of these advantages. Its m

Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright who helped lead the former Czechoslovakia's peaceful transition from communist rule, is being remembered in Seoul at a former interrogation site that became a symbol of South Korea's own fight for democracy. A photo exhibition marking the 90th anniversary of Havel's birth opened Thursday at the National Museum of Korean Democracy in Seoul, organized by the Korea Democracy Foundation, the Czech Embassy and the Czech Center Seoul. The museum stands on the for

Peru is looking for more South Korean investment in infrastructure, transport and minerals, pitching a $39 billion portfolio of projects to Korean companies in Seoul. Peru's investment push comes as Korean companies seek diversified mineral supply chains, building on a bilateral free trade agreement in force since 2011. The portfolio, presented by Peru's private investment promotion agency ProInversion at an investment seminar Monday, has 85 projects and six contract addenda. Among them are Line

Tajikistan is looking to deepen economic cooperation with South Korea in critical minerals, investment and connectivity after the two countries established their first comprehensive partnership at a summit in Seoul this month. Speaking at a reception in Seoul on Monday marking the 35th anniversary of Tajikistan's independence, Tajik Ambassador to South Korea Salohiddin Kirom described the upgrade as a "qualitative breakthrough" in bilateral relations. He identified critical minerals and mining a

China highlighted expanding economic and people-to-people exchanges with South Korea on Monday while calling for closer cooperation, as Beijing pointed to renewed momentum in bilateral ties. Speaking at a reception in Seoul marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing said relations had gained momentum following reciprocal visits by Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. "China and the R

South Korea and the European Union need closer regulatory alignment to ease trade friction between the two sides, Anna Cavazzini, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection says. According to Cavazzini, European companies have flagged regulatory barriers ranging from offshore wind and automobile certifications to public procurement and access to South Korea's defense market. "The more Korea and the EU align on certain standards, the easier and mor

Russian and South Korean artists shared a stage in Seoul on Friday, keeping cultural exchanges alive at a time when relations between the two countries face political and security challenges. The Russia-Korea Festival of Culture and Arts, held Friday at the National Gugak Center, presented performances and exhibitions by artists from both countries. The event took place amid a diplomatic landscape that has changed considerably since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. South Korea joined i

German beer, oompah bands and traditional food shared the table with chimaek as Korea's first Munich-authorized Oktoberfest drew visitors to western Seoul. Oktoberfest Seoul 2026 ran through Sunday at Oil Tank Culture Park in Mapo-gu, with a ticketed Big Tent and a free outdoor beer garden hosting food, beer and live performances. Visitors sampled German beer with schweinshaxe, sausages, schnitzel and pretzels, while chimaek — fried chicken and beer — provided familiar Korean flavors. “It was gr

The deep notes of the gargy tuyduk and the plucked strings of the dutar sounded through a Seoul concert hall at the Days of Turkmen Culture event hosted by the Embassy of Turkmenistan at Prugio Art Hall in central Seoul on Thursday, a day after the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit. “Culture gives relations between countries a human dimension,” Turkmen Ambassador to Korea Begench Durdyyev said, describing cultural exchange as a way to deepen mutual understanding between the two countries. He s

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province — Cultural outreach with Southeast Asia in South Korea expanded outside its traditional centers in Seoul and Jeju Island on Thursday with the opening of a permanent venue in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. The ASEAN-Korea Center opened the Jeonju ASEAN Hall at the Korea Traditional Culture Center, the first such venue in the southwestern region and its third nationwide. The opening ceremony was attended by more than 20 Southeast Asian diplomats who joined local resid

Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov's first state visit to South Korea expanded diplomatic and economic ties from cooperation in energy and plant construction to include shipbuilding, transportation, logistics and water infrastructure. The Turkmen president attended the Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum at Lotte Hotel Seoul on Tuesday alongside South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook and about 180 government and business representatives from the two countries. The two sides signed 14 memo

Uzbekistan has opened a bonded warehouse in Incheon, giving its exporters a logistics base for storing and distributing goods in South Korea, the Uzbek embassy in Seoul said Monday. The facility began operations Saturday, with Uzbekistan's Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Shokhrukh Gulyamov attending the opening, according to a statement shared with The Korea Herald. Uzbek manufacturers and exporters will be able to store goods at the warehouse before supplying them to Korean bu