Following the signing of a free trade agreement between South Korea and Central American nations Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in late February, the Costa Rican Embassy has opened a trade and investment office in Seoul. The trade representative can be reached at corea@procomer.com, www.procomer.com, or (02) 3703-6696. The trade pact will eliminate duties on about 95 percent of traded goods and services for the participating countries. It is subject to each country’s par

Korea should develop a holistic relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and move beyond its mercantilist instincts toward a long-term, trust-based partnership, according to the new chief of the ASEAN-Korea Center. Lee Hyuk, formerly the South Korean ambassador to Vietnam and the Philippines, took helm of the intergovernmental organization entrusted with invigorating bilateral commerce, tourism and cultural exchanges in April. In an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald,

The Indian Embassy in Seoul has issued a warning for Indian citizens in Korea not to fall for fake calls asking them to transfer money electronically to a bank account. The diplomatic mission told The Korea Herald that it has received complaints from the local Indian community that they received calls from strangers requesting the transfer of money to the Indian embassy, starting in early February. The caller identified the call receivers’ dates of birth, addresses both in Korea and India as wel

The Lao Embassy celebrated the 2,561st anniversary of the country’s Lunar New Year at a reception in Seoul on Friday. “According to our lunar calendar this year, the Lao New Year, or Water Festival, will be celebrated for three days from April 14 through 16,” said Lao Ambassador to Korea Khamsouay Keodalavong in a speech. “During these festive holidays, Lao people around the world joyfully celebrate the occasion, which consists of watering Buddha images, monks, elders, friends and passersby. Fam

Participants pose at the annual Polish Day festival at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul on April 30 last year (Polish Embassy)The Polish Embassy will organize the annual Polish Day festival at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul on May 6, from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., introducing the Central European country’s culture, products and language.Various goods made in or representing Poland will be showcased, including cosmetics, potteries, aronia and sweets. Polish food stalls will be open as well, alongside a lucky dra

The Italian Embassy in Seoul hosted a networking reception on Thursday, marking Italian Research Day, which celebrates the country’s scientific achievements and supports research exchanges abroad on April 15, the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci. The diplomatic mission organized the event in cooperation with its Science and Technology Office, inviting 25 Italian scientists here, presidents of various universities, researchers and journalists. The day is organized by the Italian Ministry of Educatio

Had people around the world not reached out to one another beyond their national borders, we would all be living in silos in our national communities.Grassroots contacts among nations have given birth to innovation, progress and coexistence, all of which are increasingly imperative in driving humanity forward together.The miraculous economic and human development the Republic of Korea has achieved over the last several decades is unrivaled the world over. It has transformed the war-ravaged natio

The ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul organized a career mentoring seminar on March 31 to help Southeast Asian students get started in Korea’s competitive, yet promising job market. Some 80 students from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations participated in the event, where information on applying for jobs, such as writing an effective curriculum vitae, resumes and cover letters, as well as tips on answering interview questions, were provided. “The number of ASEAN youths studying in Korea continu

Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Indian minister of road transport, highways and shipping (Nitin Gadkari)Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Indian minister of road transport, highways and shipping, visited Korea on Monday for a four-day tour of the country and to promote India’s infrastructure development opportunities, according to the Indian Embassy in Seoul. “India is putting a premium on infrastructure development with the announcement of 100 smart cities development in 2014, and creation of industrial corridors an

The incoming secretary-general of the ASEAN-Korea Center, Lee Hyuk, who is currently serving as South Korean ambassador to Vietnam, was bestowed last week with the Medal for Peace and Friendship among Nations in recognition of his contributions to enhancing cooperation between Vietnam and Korea. Lee, a career diplomat who was also the Korean ambassador to the Philippines from 2012-2015, was awarded by Vice President and Secretary-General of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations Don Tuan

As the United States and North Korea gear up for a historic summit in May, exchanging views vigorously through public diplomacy is paramount in order to rationalize debates and reduce policy excesses, according to Korea Foundation President Lee Si-hyung. “Ahead of the Pyongyang-Seoul summit on April 27 and Pyongyang-Washington summit in May, only airtight cooperation between the US and Korea can strengthen their negotiating leverage and bring about the North’s substantive changes,” Lee told The

Azerbaijan mourns the death of its citizens 100 years ago in a massacre at the hands of Armenians, in what it remembers as the day of genocide, according to the Azerbaijani Embassy in Seoul. “Following the October Revolution in Russia in 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Baku and viewed the Armenian nationalist party of Dashnaksutyun as an ally to take control of the situation on the ground,” the diplomatic mission said. “The Baku Soviet and Dashnaksutyun Party, under the pretext of combating

The Bangladeshi Embassy in Seoul celebrated the 47th anniversary of national independence at a reception in Seoul on March 26. The National Day commemorates the South Asian nation’s declaration of independence from Pakistan in the late hours of March 25, 1971.“On this great day, I pay my homage to the greatest Bangalee of all time, father of our nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Majibur Rahman, whose leadership in our struggle for independence finally culminated in the emergence of Bangladesh as a nati

The European Union delegation in Korea last week celebrated the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea by allowing students from Seoul’s Insoo Middle School to design the logo of the anniversary. The winning logo, designed by student Shin Ah-young, will be used at various promotional events and communications between EU and Korean diplomats throughout this year. “Diplomatic relations are not just about interaction between governments, but also cooperation between peo

Boris Michel, a Swiss citizen working as regional director for the Asia-Pacific region at the International Committee of the Red Cross, believes he grew up in a “privileged environment where the culture of neutrality, consensus and altruism” piqued his interest in humanitarian work.“A lawyer by training, I have learned quickly that a society without rules and principles can lead to abuse and suffering,” he told The Korea Herald last week, adding he has worked in conflict zones in Africa, Central

International sanctions against North Korea for eliminating its nuclear and missile programs should not be an end in itself, but the means to force the regime to comply with the global nonproliferation regime, said a senior European Union official during an official visit to Korea last week.Helga Schmid, secretary general of the EU’s External Action Service, said the EU lends full support for the “peaceful, negotiated solution” of Pyongyang’s denuclearization, aimed at providing lasting security

The British Embassy in Seoul, together with British citizens in Korea, participated in a sporting event Saturday to raise money for charity. The United Kingdom’s diplomatic missions around the world and the public take part in the Sport Relief event biannually for charities of various purposes. This year, as part of the campaign, the local embassy staff and North Korea defectors played a friendly soccer match at Seoul Foreign School with the money raised going to the Eugene Bell Foundation -- a

Over the last week, Pradeep Taneja, who lectures on international relations at the University of Melbourne in Australia, toured Korea and witnessed its sound economy and tense security. Taneja, along with 10 scholars and researchers from Australia, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification, National Assembly, National Diplomatic Academy, Australian Embassy and Asan Institute for Policy Studies, among other destinations, in a program jointly organized by the Korea Founda

Costa Rican coffee has secured a stronger position in the Korean market, where coffee consumption is steadily growing, according to the Costa Rican Embassy in Seoul. Various types of Costa Rican coffee will be showcased at the Coffee Expo Seoul at Coex from Apr. 5-8.Costa Rica is the host country of the global event, with several of its coffee producers and exporters participating and presenting their sustainable production methods. They will also hold coffee-making sessions and expand their net

Before starting his tenure here in early March, British Ambassador Simon Smith spent six months last year learning the Korean language in Seoul. “I’ve had a lot of experience learning different languages over the last 33 years as a diplomat, and Korean was the most difficult,” he told journalists at the British Embassy in Seoul last week, adding he aims to improve his Korean to deepen his understanding of the country. “I also want to be able to read major works of Korean literature and travel an