Participants, including Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars (center) and Estonian Ambassador to Japan and Korea Jaak Lensment (back, sixth from right), pose at the Latvian Embassy in Seoul, which organized the midsummer celebration on June 19 on behalf of Baltic diplomatic missions in East Asia. Baltic countries Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania celebrate the Midsummer Day annually on June 23, when the sun is visible for the longest time. People decorate their homes with wild flowers and tre

The Korea Foundation, in collaboration with Colombian, Peruvian, Mexican and Chilean embassies, has organized a plethora of public events through Aug. 17. “The Pacific Alliance Festival Hola” showcases in Seoul photographs, musical and dance performances and films of the four countries that make up the Pacific Alliance. As part of the festival, the exhibition “Land of the Pacific Embrace” features works of Colombian photographer Fernando Cano, Chilean photographer Christian Jamet, 13 Peruvian ph

People formed a ring encircling a “chacana” -- a space lavished with artfully juxtaposed fruits, grains and flower petals -- genuflecting, reaching out to the sky and expressing through mystical body language in a mimicry of a ritual leader donning a colorful mask. The theatricals replicated the ceremony of “Inty Raymi,” or festival of the sun, the ancient Incan Empire’s essential rite of passage every year centered on the agricultural cycle and harvest. The Ecuadorian Embassy, in collaboration

For comprehensive educational firm Due West’s co-founders, Andrew Sohn and Michael J. Novielli, China has been a thrilling place to do business. The Columbia University graduates founded the company in 2009, and have made inroads into the Chinese market offering consulting and guidance for students wanting to study in the United States. In an interview at The Korea Herald headquarters in Seoul on Friday, the duo said there was a “real hunger” and drive for learning and entrepreneurship in China,

Backed by an ambitious infrastructure program and comprehensive reforms, the Philippine economy is expected to grow by 7 percent next year, forecast the country’s top envoy to Korea last week, citing the International Monetary Fund. “The Philippines is enjoying not only freedom but also prosperity,” Ambassador Raul Hernandez said at a reception in Seoul on Thursday marking the 120th anniversary of the Philippines’ declaration of independence from colonial Spain. “Last year, amid global uncertain

American political scientist Joseph S. Nye Jr. once said, “What is soft power? It is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments. It arises from the attractiveness of a country’s culture, political ideals and policies.”If there were verity in Nye’s assumption, the Korean government has wisely followed through on the celebrity scholar’s insight to magnify its soft power, drawing on a whole set of public diplomacy tools such as K-pop, Korean drama series, t

The International Committee for the Red Cross is committed to assisting humanitarian projects between the two Koreas amid their conciliatory efforts, even as it copes with the consequences of some of the world’s most calamitous man-made crises, said the chief of the Switzerland-based organization in Seoul last week. Peter Maurer, the president of the ICRC, came to Korea from June 4-5 to strengthen cooperation with Seoul by drawing the country’s continuing contributions and raising its public awa

Ahead of the historic summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, a coalition of human rights organizations from around the world sent a letter to the communist leader, urging him to undertake “meaningful reforms” to reverse the grave human rights situation in the country. Trump and Kim are due to hold talks -- the first-ever between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader -- in Singapore, with Trump describing the summit as a “one

The recent Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal made us realize how important strong data protection rules are for the society as a whole, including for the very functioning of the democratic process. These and other developments have shown that the protection of privacy is crucial, both as an individual right and democratic imperative as well as economic necessity.Without consumers’ trust in the way their data is handled, our data-driven economies will not thrive.The General Data Protection Reg

The United Kingdom is committed to simultaneously spurring national economic development and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring clean growth and the supply of affordable energy for businesses and consumers, according to the UK Embassy in Seoul. At the same time, it added that it was seeking to elicit international collaboration.“Achieving clean growth, while ensuring an affordable energy supply for businesses and consumers, is at the heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy,” the embassy re

The facade of the Seoul Square building is illuminated with images celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations between the European Union and Korea from Friday to Tuesday, after 8 p.m. (European Union External Action)Until Tuesday, the facade of the Seoul Square building is being illuminated in the evening with images celebrating 55 years of diplomatic relations between the European Union and Korea. The anniversary is being celebrated under the theme of “connectivity” between European and Asian

Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars (left) poses with participants at an event to sign a memorandum of understanding at the embassy in Seoul on Wednesday. (Latvian Embassy)The Latvian Embassy in Seoul held a ceremony Wednesday to sign a memorandum of understanding between Latvia and Korea on the mutual recognition of seafarers’ certificates.Latvia’s chairman of the board of the Maritime Administration, Janis Krastins, signed the document, alongside Korea’s director general of the Shippin

The European Union Delegation to Korea hosted a panel seminar on the security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula and EU-Korea partnership on May 28, joined by high-profile experts, scholars and former and current diplomats. The event, “Towards Peace on the Korean Peninsula and the EU-ROK Partnership,” at Seoul Square Building, also marked the launch of the Korea Foundation-Vrije Universiteit Brussel Korea Chair. Participating discussants included EU Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiterer; Director G

Mexico offers attractive options for foreign investors backed by ambitious reforms undertaken over the last five years, and looks to further harness synergies with Korean enterprises with a free trade agreement on the horizon, according to the chief of a Mexican state agency for internationalization, trade and investment. “Mexico is open for business. We are a country that for the last 30 years has chosen a path of trade and investment, internationalization, opening and liberalizing our market,”

South African Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom (right) and Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe ring the bell signaling the start of the 2018 African Travel Indaba on May 8 at the Durban International Convention Center. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)DURBAN, South Africa -- Holding his deputy minister’s hands, South African Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom boisterously rang the bell that signaled the launch of the 2018 African Travel Indaba in Durban in early May. The continent’s largest tourism trade sho

British Ambassador to Korea Simon Smith (left) raises a glass with Democratic Party Rep. Park Young-sun, who heads the Korea-UK parliamentary friendship group; Rep. Kim Seang-tae of the Liberal Korea Party (second from right); and Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum, at the Queen Elizabeth’s 92nd birthday party reception at the envoy’s residence in Seoul on Thursday. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)The British Embassy in Korea marked the 92nd birthday of Queen Elizabeth at the ambassador’s resi

The Argentine government has carried out reforms to enhance its economic competitiveness, and awaits stronger and more balanced trade with Korea, Argentina’s top envoy to Korea said last week. “The administration of President Mauricio Macri has reconstructed our business environment, reestablished trust and recovered our credibility for international investors,” Ambassador Jorge Roballo said at a National Day reception in Seoul on May 23. “As a result, we have experienced seven consecutive quart

Azerbaijan is rapidly modernizing and diversifying its economy, increasing its potential in transport, logistics, tourism and agricultural developments across the South Caucasus and Eurasia, and enhancing cooperation with Korea on all fronts, according to the country’s top envoy here.The Azerbaijani Embassy in Korea marked the centenary anniversary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-20), a short-lived nation-state precursor to the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan, at a National Day rec

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Promenading on a pier in front of Port Elizabeth at sunset, Michael Makeleni ran into friends of all sorts, young, old, white, black and Asian, who hugged him and exchanged pleasantries. It struck me, a reporter from South Korea, how serendipitous, frequent and unassuming the encounters were. “Thank you for giving us hope, respect and love,” said the 50-year-old Xhosa man, as the sunlight cast its golden glow over the beach and the city. “People like me have been given

BRUSSELS, May  21, 2018 (AFP) - Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to live-stream his meeting with European Parliament members as he answers questions in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a top official said Monday.The meeting on Tuesday with the parliament’s most senior members was initially set to be held behind closed doors.But influential MEPs had pushed for a public hearing following the worst crisis in Facebook‘s history.“I have personally discussed with Facebook CEO Mr Z