North Korean diplomats are extremely serious about the possibility of war between North Korea and the United States, noting that the U.S. has already prepared for it for months, a Russian expert said Wednesday.In a story posted on the North Korea analysis website 38 North, Alexander Vorontsov, the head of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russia Academy of Sciences, conveyed the unstable North Korean atmosphere based on a trip to Pyongyang in mid-November that lasted several days and his

Commerce Department to recalculate the antidumping margin of Hyundai Steel Co. products in a partial victory for South Korea‘s second-biggest steelmaker.Jane A. Restani, a judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade, said in a slip opinion on Wednesday (local time) that the Commerce Department’s final results in its antidumping duty investigation of South Korean corrosion-resistant steel products should be remanded.In 2015, the Commerce Department launched an investigation over the possible s

Max Weber (1864-1920), a German scholar who founded sociology, wrote of his contemporary leader Otto von Bismarck: “He consumed a nation without political education. The German people, deprived of will to politics, have become prone to thinking they should merely abet politics of their ‘great leader.’ They are meek lackeys of a government machinated by him, regardless of the deeds it carries out.”Such a statement by the mastermind of modern social science struck a chord for Yang Sung-chul, a Sou

With the two Koreas set to hold high-level talks at the truce village of Panmunjeom on Tuesday, calls are growing for Seoul not to submit gratuitously to Pyongyang’s expected demands for concessions. Analysts have cautioned the pitfalls of North Korea’s peace offensive, proven over the years as guileful, as the regime has often used an olive branch to double-cross or buy time. Experts call for continuing “maximum pressure and engagement” to bring about the communist nation’s denuclearization.Nor

Swellfish dishes at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Japanese restaurant, Gengi, is offering a promotion of swellfish dishes, which are considered a delicacy in Japanese cuisine. The finest flavors and tender texture of swellfish, or fugu, are brought to life by the hotel’s veteran chefs. Genji’s chefs are offering various swellfish dishes on both the a la carte menu and Kaiseki menu. The dishes will include swellfish sashimi, swellfish in a stone pot, grilled swellfish, deep fri

South Korea can and should go beyond the great power dynamics of the United States and China and proactively look further afield for strong partnerships, according to China expert John Delury. Instead of oscillating self-consciously between Washington and Beijing, the Yonsei University professor suggests South Korea can strengthen its relationships with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union. Delury told The Korea Herald that much of what was observed last year between

Swellfish dishes at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Japanese restaurant, Gengi, is offering a promotion of swellfish dishes, which are considered a delicacy in the Japanese cuisine. The finest flavors and tender texture of swellfish, or fugu, are brought to life by the hotel’s veteran chefs. Genji’s chefs are offering various swellfish dishes on both the a la carte menu and Kaiseki menu. The dishes will include swellfish sashimi, swellfish in a stone pot, grilled swellfish, deep

Gazing into Google Earth imagery of Pyongyang, Yim Dong-woo was startled by the pace of development unfolding on the screen. “It was incredible,” he told The Korea Herald, explaining that numerous construction projects have been undertaken in the North Korean capital, unbeknownst to the outside world. “As an example, in Pipa-dong west of the Arch of Triumph, new apartment blocks replaced one-story ramshackle homes in droves. And they just kept filling in the plot. The sheer scale of construction

Holiday feast at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton is offering Milton’s Festive Feast, a dining and entertainment promotion for the holiday season. The event will be held at the Atrium on the third floor on Sunday starting at 6 p.m., and features a buffet of various dishes, Santa Claus, live piano and brass music, a photo zone, comedy show and raffle. The hotel has been celebrating Christmas for the last 22 years. The two-floor lobby is decorated with a 10-meter Christmas tree, Sant

In the early 1990s, Kazakhstan and Korea barely knew each other. But over the decades that followed, the two nations have strengthened their relations by leaps and bounds, becoming strategic partners and exploring new horizons for a shared sustainable future, Kazakhstan’s top envoy here highlighted last week while celebrating the silver jubilee of bilateral diplomatic relations.Similar to Korea that has achieved its “economic miracle on the Han River,” Kazakhstan is now universally recognized fo

British Ambassador to Korea Charles Hay speaks in front of the children’s choir of the Seoul Foreign British School at the Christmas reception at the envoy’s residence in Seoul on Wednesday. On Saturday, the envoy participated in a ceremony remembering the old site of the British legation during the 1950-53 Korean War in Busan. During the war, in which some 80,000 British troops fought and 1,100 died, the embassy in Seoul moved to Busan. Hay, Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Sue Kinoshita, Rep. Yo

Despite the distance between them, Georgia and Korea share many similarities that have made them freedom-loving, free market-oriented partners increasingly drawing on one another, the top Georgian envoy here has stressed. As the two countries celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, they can also cherish having transformed their tumultuous legacies under foreign occupations into independence and solid development, Georgian Ambassador to Korea Otar Berdzenishvili told The

Before the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), from which the name “Korea” comes, the Korean Peninsula was a battleground for three ancient kingdoms -- Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla -- from the first century BC through the seventh century AD. The Silla Kingdom in the southeast, originating from what is today’s North Gyeongsang Province, was the unifier of the rivalrous kingdoms. Silla conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, leading to Unified Silla (668-935), where culture, religion and arts flourished

The ASEAN-Korea Centre recently published a book that takes stock of the last 50 years of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and evaluates its prospering strategic partnership with South Korea. “Partnering for Tomorrow: ASEAN-Korea Relations in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN and ASEAN-ROK Cultural Exchange Year,” compiles researches and opinions reviewed at the International Conference on ASEAN-Korea Partnership in Seoul in August. The book covers three pillars of the bilat

On the northwestern corner of South America, Ecuador is uniquely positioned to engage with the outer world, including the economically dynamic East Asia across the Pacific Ocean. The equatorial country -- hence the name “Ecuador” -- offers the rule of law, political stability, a dollar-based growing economy, and an abundance of natural resources, Ecuadorian Minister of International Trade, Pablo Campana Saenz said in an interview with local media on Dec. 5.“Our government under President Lenin M

Aided by long-sighted policies and smart technologies, the Nordic countries have grown their economies while cutting down on carbon emissions, effecting what’s dubbed the “decoupling.” As the world moves toward a carbon-free future powered by clean energy, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are poised to spearhead sustainable development and reap its commercial benefits, experts pointed out at the Nordic Energy Research Conference on Thursday. Their technological and policy-related expertise wo

The Korea America Friendship Society held its annual year-end reception on Dec. 5 that celebrated the two countries’ deepening alliance amid growing military threats from North Korea. Some 360 guests, including military officers and noncommissioned members, diplomats, members of the KAFS and their spouses, participated in the event at Millennium Seoul Hilton. Music performances were provided by Songpa-gu Boys and Girls Choir. “Despite the tumultuous international relations surrounding the Korean

Korea’s National Assembly donated 30 million won ($27,400) to Mexico to help reconstruct the areas struck by two earthquakes in September. National Assembly President Chung Sye-kyun announced the donation in a letter to Mexican Ambassador to Korea Bruno Figueroa at the parliament in Seoul on Thursday. The letter conveyed the “solidarity and affection of Korean people to Mexicans,” as well as his wish for a prompt recovery of the affected areas, according to the embassy. Figueroa expressed his gr

The Central European Jazz Connection, a quartet comprised of musicians from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, plays at a concert at the JCC Art Center in Seoul on Wednesday. (Hungarian Embassy)In celebration of the rotational presidency of the Visegrad Group -- also known as the V4, an alliance of four Central European states the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia -- the Hungarian Embassy held the concert “European Quartet One Melody” at the JCC Art Center in Seoul on W

In director Lee Jang-ho’s 1980 film “A Fine, Windy Day,” the pojangmacha is a place where members of Seoul’s growing underclass meet daily to talk about their pains, gains and fantasies over cheap food and soju.In a country notorious for its die-hard drinking, pojangmacha — meaning “covered wagon” in Korean and referring to a tented outdoor food stall — have been at the center of Korea’s after-work camaraderie. Thirty-seven years have passed since the release of movie that portrayed the country’