Andriy Parubiy, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament Verkhovna Rada, believes that interparliamentary exchanges can open up diverse channels of cooperation between countries. It is what translates the abstract language of diplomacy into real connections and frank understanding, spanning the whole spectrum of national industries and communities. In order to elevate bilateral political relations and explore new avenues of prosperity, he signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Wednesday wi

The Swedish Embassy in Seoul and Korean Embassy in Stockholm jointly announced the winner of the Sweden-Korea 60 Years Logo Design Competition last week. The honor went to Jo A-ra, who works as an editorial designer at a company in Korea, out of 200 entrants. Her design will be used at promotional events and on items for next year’s 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomacy.“I really like the playfulness of the logo. It represents key features of the Sweden-Korea relationship: innovation and frien

A photo shows Korean participants at the Second World Festival of Youth and Students in Budapest, Hungary, in 1949. Dancer Kim Baek-bong is second from right. (Hungarian Embassy/Fortepan)Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma on Friday brought back to life a forgotten page of history connecting Hungary and a prewar Korean Peninsula. At the Arko Arts Theater in Seoul, he presented an archival photo he discovered to Kim Baek-bong, a 92-year-old woman who took part in the Second World Festival o

By Spanish Ambassador to Korea Juan Ignacio Morro The people of Spain recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Spanish constitution that was approved in a national referendum and ratified on Dec. 6, 1978. Since the historic day, the supreme law has united all Spanish citizens, and launched Spain’s journey as an open, modern and inclusive country.Over the last four decades, Spain has established itself as a democratic state based on the rule of law. We have deeply committed ourselves to th

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (AP/Yonhap)By Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu Istanbul recently hosted two separate, but interrelated and imperative, conferences on conflict mediation. The Second Organization for Islamic Cooperation Member States’ Conference on Mediation on Nov. 29 analyzed the geography of conflict and our capacity for mediation as key regional stakeholders. The Fifth Istanbul Mediation Conference on Nov. 30 discussed the connections between sustainable deve

The sixth ASEAN Connectivity Forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul on Nov. 27. (AKC)Despite being a giant economic bloc with high growth prospects, Southeast Asia has not fully reaped the benefits of its potential due to a shortage of advanced and efficient infrastructure. That is about to change gradually, as member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increasingly connect their domestic territories physically, technologically and institutionally, as well

By Dr. Kim Hyun-jae, director of the Vietnam Research Institute at Youngsan University At the invitation of Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Thi Kim Ngan will visit Korea from Dec. 4-7, accompanied by a high-level delegation of her fellow politicians. Her visit occurs as Hanoi and Seoul celebrate 10 years of “Vietnam-Korea Strategic Cooperative Partnership” (2009-2019).Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on Dec. 22, 1992, our re

Azerbaijani Ambassador Ramzi Teymurov (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)Carpets have been woven in Azerbaijan through the centuries, forming the essential fabric of its multicultural society and heritage.Displaying chic color compositions, intricate patterns and designs, they are appreciated by Azerbaijanis and foreigners alike. Despite being world-class, Azerbaijani carpets are not universally recognized. To help promote them, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Seoul has organized an exhibition of the count

New Zealand is pushing the boundaries of innovation as a “country-sized incubator,” and seeking further synergies with Korean small and midsized companies and startups, according to the country’s top envoy to Korea. “Innovation starts at the edge, and New Zealand is perfectly situated to change the world for the better,” Ambassador Philip Turner said at the 2018 Kiwi Chamber Year-end Grand Hui in Seoul on Thursday. “New Zealand’s place at the edge of the world has bred a unique way of looking at

By Costa Rican Ambassador to Korea Rodolfo Solano Quiros Seventy years ago, on Dec. 1, 1948, Costa Ricans stood arm in arm to say goodbye to a history of violence and war: We abolished our army as a nation forever.Instead of a military parade where soldiers march brandishing their guns and artillery, our national celebrations are marked by children and youths carrying the Costa Rican flag, colorfully dressed in school uniforms. The decision has allowed the force of reason to guide our history, f

The Mancho Stream inside the Yongsan Garrison, Seoul (Yonhap)On US Thanksgiving Day in November, the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul was idle and blue. Looking at the emptiness of the vast compound, it was hard to believe the place was once a thriving community of tens of thousands of US service members and their families.The garrison -- formerly home to United States Forces Korea, the Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command -- will be turned into a park, fulfilling the 2003 agreement b

Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugees receive support from Concern Worldwide. (Concern Worldwide)Imagine the following situation: A mother and her children are abused by their husband-father, starved, beaten and neglected over a long time.Without outside help, they might not survive. If you heard the news, would you exhort the father to rectify his behavior, then simply turn a deaf ear? Or, knowing there’s no hope in him, take matters into your own hands to help them?The latter approach -- helping the

Lebanese Ambassador to Korea Antoine Azzam (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)In the aftermath of the Syrian Civil War, which broke out in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring uprising, Lebanon has welcomed more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees in addition to the 500,000 Palestinians taking shelter in the country, according to the Lebanese Embassy in Seoul. With refugees comprising one-third of Lebanon’s population of more than 6 million, their presence has placed a large burden on the country’s resources.

Marking the centenary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Seoul organized a conference and photo exhibition Nov. 19 at the National Assembly in cooperation with the Korea-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship Group. “Azerbaijan Democratic Republic -- the first parliamentary democracy with a republican form of governance in the Muslim world -- was also the first model of a democratic secular state all over the East, including the Turko-Muslim world,” said the coun

French Ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone honors fallen comrades and active-duty servicepersons at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Nov. 11. (Yonhap)Marking the centenary of the end of World War I, French diplomats, veterans and their international colleagues paid homage to fallen comrades and active-duty servicepersons at a commemorative ceremony at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Nov. 11.Veterans of the French Batt

Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars (left) poses with his spouse, Rina (center), and Latvian Embassy staff at the National Day reception in Seoul on Friday. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Latvian declaration of independence from Russia following the end of World War I. The brief period in 1918 opened up a window of opportunity for the three Baltic States -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- to assert their freedom and sovereignty from foreign power

The tomb of King Kija in Pyongyang is photographed by Hungarian scholar Aladar Soveny in 1955. (Hungarian Embassy in Seoul)By Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes CsomaImproving relations between the two Koreas cannot be done in the absence of cultural collaboration.In this regard, the two Koreas’ joint compilation of the Korean-language Gyeoremal Comprehensive Dictionary and exploration of the palace of Manwoldaegung in the North’s Kaesong -- the royal seat of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) -- re

The ASEAN-Korea Center collaborated with several Korean institutions to host an entrepreneurship forum on Nov. 12. The event, titled ASEAN-Korea Youth Innovation Forum, brought together the creative business ideas of some 400 participants from Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It was held at Yongsan Dragon City in Seoul and jointly organized with the Science and Technology Policy Institute, Seoul Metropolitan Government and Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation. Held in conjuncti

A view of snow-covered Ansan Jarak-gil in Seoul (Seodaemun District Office)If anyone asks me for advice on Seoul’s most beautiful getaway, without hesitation I would pick Ansan Jarak-gil in the northwestern part of the city.The 7-kilometer walkway encompasses the 300-meter-high mountain across several urban districts, and offers some of the most scenic views of nature and the city.During late autumn, you can enjoy the last bits of the fall foliage, with canopies and leaves betraying tinges of re

With the three-year extension of the World Bank Group Korea Office Trust Fund Agreement (2018-20), the loan-providing international financial institution’s office here will continue to leverage Korean experience to tackle sustainable development challenges worldwide, according to its Special Representative Soh Hoon Sahib.“The WBG Korea office can work with Korean stakeholders to help the latter participate in development projects throughout Asia and beyond,” he told The Korea Herald. “Our cooper