Food and beverages of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were in the limelight last week at the ASEAN Trade Fair 2017, organized by the ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul. The fair was held in conjunction with Food Week Korea -- the country’s largest international culinary exhibition -- at Coex in Seoul from Wednesday through Saturday. Under the banner “Taste the Happiness,” the event invited 100 food and beverage companies from the block of 10 nations -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, S

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Korea Ramzi Teymurov (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)Taza Pir Mosque in Baku (Azerbaijani Embassy)In Azerbaijan, mosques, synagogues, churches and temples fill the landscape forming a kaleidoscopic mosaic. Shia and Sunni Muslims pray side by side inside mosques, a rare scene in the Islamic world where intra-religious tensions have remained toxic over centuries. That the Muslims -- regardless of their denomination and background -- practice their faith in harmony, is a demons

Singapore national dishes at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s all-day-dining and international buffet restaurant, Cafe 395, has added two signature dishes of Singapore -- Bak Kut Teh and Laksa -- to its menu. Bak Kut Teh is a pork rib dish simmered in an aromatic broth of herbs and spices and slow-cooked to tenderness. Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup with a base of spicy curry or tamarind with rice vermicelli and topped with chicken, prawns or fish.Cafe 395 uses fresh market

“Korean Society: An Introduction” by Andrew Eun-gi Kim; Korea University Press (732 pages, $30) For observers of Korean society, including all its idiosyncrasies and mystique, a new book attempts to help interpret the country by offering a sweeping elucidation on crosscutting issues.“Korean Society: An Introduction” is an academic compilation scrutinizing wide-ranging topics, covering ethnological culture, gender politics, family patterns, educational fever, nationalist religion, ageing society,

In Iran, where hard-line conservatives feel emboldened to have more say over statecraft these days, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Ali Najafi has been a time-tested defender of globalization and market-oriented reform. At a time when nation-states are mired in ideological infighting and hegemonic rivalries, Tehran and Seoul -- by relying on civic passion, corporate investment and public goods -- can together contribute to international peace, prosperity and sustainable development, Najafi said during his

The recent “2+2” meeting of foreign and defense ministers of Australia and Korea demonstrated the strength of their bilateral strategic partnership, Australia’s top envoy to Korea said, noting the two middle powers increasingly face similar challenges in an uncertain global security landscape. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and her counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, and Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne and her counterpart Song Young-moo, held their third biannual dialogue in Seoul on

Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Marek Magierowski (right) poses beside newly appointed Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski (center) at the ambassador’s residence in Seoul on Oct. 17 (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)As a country that successfully transformed from communism to capitalism and democracy, Poland stands incontrovertibly on the side of South Korea in thwarting North Korea’s nuclear and missile program, and urges Pyongyang to respect international laws and principles, according to P

Every year around this time of the season, Korea’s forests turn into a palette of colors, palpably signaling the onset of autumn and advent of winter on the horizon.Wondaeri Birch Forest in Inje County, Gangwon Province, is an ideal place to experience the fall foliage, as groves and greeneries bring out their inner colors of reds, scarlets and ambers toward a clear blue sky. The park, which opened in 2012 as an ecological tourism site, has over 700,000 birch trees that were planted between 1989

Seaside getaway at Hilton Namhae Golf Spa ResortHilton Namhae Golf and Spa Resort is offering a seasonal package of accommodation, food, spa and coffee through Nov. 30. The Colorful Autumn Package features a one-night stay in a suite room, breakfast at the restaurant Breeze and access to the spa, as well as take-out coffee. The Namhae area in the southern coast of Korea is ideal for travel in fall, with its seaside walking trails and close proximity to scenic mountains. The resort has rooms offe

RAQA, Syria (AFP) - US-backed forces combed the ruins of Raqa for survivors and bombs Wednesday, after retaking the Syrian city from Islamic State group jihadists and dealing their dreams of statehood a fatal blow.A lightning final assault by the Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday saw jihadist defences collapse faster than expected and the SDF claim a landmark victory in the three-year fight against IS.SDF fighters flushed jihadist holdouts from Raqa‘s main hospital and municipal stadium, wrapp

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi government forces said Wednesday they had achieved their objectives in a lightning operation that saw them sweep through disputed Kurdish-held territory in a punishing riposte to an independence vote last month.On Monday and Tuesday, federal troops and allied militia retook the northern province of Kirkuk and its lucrative oil fields, as well as formerly Kurdish-held areas of Nineveh and Diyala provinces.The largely bloodless operation dealt a body blow to the finances of t

BEIJING (AFP) - President Xi Jinping vowed on Wednesday to further open China’s economy to the world, but foreign companies and investors who have complained of “promise fatigue” called for deeds rather than words.Xi made his pledge during a wide-ranging speech to open a week-long Communist Party congress that will hand him a new five-year term as general secretary.“Openness brings progress for ourselves, seclusion leaves one behind. China will not close its doors to the world, we will only beco

LONDON (AFP) - The 10-storey building may look like a hotel, but it is thought to be the world‘s biggest large-scale house-share, offering modest rooms and upscale services for hundreds of young adults caught in London’s housing crisis.The Old Oak building, situated on a canal bank in north west London, opened in the spring of 2016, and has become a pioneer of “co-living”, a concept that is beginning to catch on elsewhere, notably in the United States. “Today in cities, we don‘t know our neighbo

DUBAI (AFP) -- The fight against the Islamic State group has suffered in the Gulf crisis, which has seen Doha isolated from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Qatar‘s foreign minister said Wednesday. The closure of Qatar’s only land border and the airspace ban on Qatari planes “undermines the global efforts in countering” IS in Iraq and Syria, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said in an interview with CNBC. In June, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain announced a string of sanctions against

As the third annual installment celebrating thriving ties with Korea, the Indian Embassy in Seoul will organize a string of events from Friday to Nov. 18 across the country in collaboration with the Indian Cultural Centers in Seoul and Busan. The events -- “Sarang: The Festival of India in Korea” -- range from traditional and contemporary Indian art, music and dance to cuisine and films. “My colleagues and I are delighted to present the third edition of ‘Sarang: The Festival of India in Korea’ t

The government and people of Sudan welcome the United States’ decision on Oct. 6 to permanently revoke the decadeslong sanctions placed on the country, which is expected to pave the way for its global engagement with renewed energy, according to the Sudanese Embassy in Seoul. “Sudan welcomes this resolution and considers it an important development in the history of Sudan-America relations and natural outcome of a frank, transparent and constructive dialogue on all issues of mutual concern,” the

Owing to the vast geography and historical legacy, Australian states have retained sizeable powers and freedoms from the national government since Australia became a federation of colonies in 1901.In a world economy where cities and regions reign supreme in sustainable development, South Australia is keen to strengthen its relationship with South Korea in trade and investment, science and technology, defense and aerospace as well as food and wine, according to South Australian parliamentarian Ma

An open view of the azure sea, with glitters of sunlight, drifting clouds and forested shorelines, delighted passengers inside a Song-do marine cable car in Busan. “It was thrilling and impressive, a rare scenery in Korea,” Kim So-young, a Busan-native who now lives in Seoul, told The Korea Herald about her experience in early October. “There were many families, couples and children enjoying the spectacular view. Some cable cars also come with a transparent glass floor, which makes the ride all

Seaside getaway at Hilton Namhae Golf Spa ResortHilton Namhae Golf and Spa Resort is offering a seasonal package of accommodation, food, spa and coffee through Nov. 30. The Colorful Autumn Package features a one-night stay in a suite room, breakfast at the restaurant Breeze and access to the spa, as well as take-out coffee. The Namhae area in the southern coast of Korea is ideal for travel in fall, with its seaside walking trails and close proximity to scenic mountains. The resort has rooms offe

By Mustafaev Bakhtiyor Rustamovich, head of the department at Uzbekistan’s Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies.Resolving Afghanistan’s internal struggle remains one of the key issues in ensuring regional and international security around the country and Central Asia in particular. The military and political situation in the country has remained complicated for years, exacerbated by the accelerated withdrawal of more than half of the International Security Assistance Forces, as well as a