WASHINGTON (AP) _ The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in June as exports hit the highest level in 2 { years.　 The Commerce Department says the trade gap slid 5.9 percent in June to $43.6 billion. Exports of goods and services rose 1.2 percent to $194.4 billion, the highest amount since December 2014. Services exports reached a record $65.4 billion. Overall imports slipped 0.2 percent to $238 billion.　 So far this year, the trade deficit is up 10.7 percent to $276.6 billion.　 A shrinking trade gap ad

WASHINGTON (AP) _ U.S. employers added 209,000 jobs in July, a second straight month of robust gains that underscore the economy‘s vitality as it enters a ninth year of expansion. The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate slipped to 4.3 percent, matching a 16-year low first reached in May. 　 Growth in Americans’ paychecks, however, remains stubbornly slow. Average hourly pay rose by 2.5 percent from a year earlier, the same tepid annual pace as in June. That‘s below the 3.5 per

WARSAW, Poland (AP) _ The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says it is concerned about legal steps the Polish government is taking against a reporter who alleges the defense minister has longstanding ties with Russian military agents and members of the Russian mafia.Tomasz Piatek, an investigative reporter for the daily Gazeta Wyborcza, published his allegations about Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz in a new book, ``Macierewicz and his Secrets.‘’The ministry filed a complai

BEIJING (AP) _ Beijing is intensifying its warnings to Indian troops to get out of a contested region high in the Himalayas where China, India and Bhutan meet, saying China‘s ``restraint has its limits’‘ and publicizing live-fire drills in Tibet.  Indian troops entered the area in the Doklam Plateau in June after New Delhi’s ally, Bhutan, complained a Chinese military construction party was building a road inside Bhutan‘s territory. 　 Beijing says Doklam is located in Tibet and that the border d

A South Korean civic group said Friday it will erect a statue in a park in the city of Incheon, west of Seoul, next week to commemorate Korean victims of forced labor under Japan‘s colonial rule. The group is scheduled to unveil the bronze statue at the park across from what used to be an arsenal belonging to the Japanese Imperial Army on Friday next week. It will sit next to a statue of a girl representing the victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery.　Created by sculptor Cho Won-suk, the “Hunc

Fusion bingsu at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, located on the 24th floor and offering a wide view of downtown, is offering two new types of the icy traditional Korean dessert bingsu -- cold-drip coffee bingsu and peach bingsu -- through Aug. 31, every day from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The new varieties follow the signature makgeoli bingsu, which was developed by the restaurant and teahouse. The coffee bingsu at 37,000 won uses Yirgacheff coffee beans, almond milk and shaved ice, t

With violent crises surging around the world, Korea should incorporate humanitarian aid into its national policies and social debate, eliciting wide-ranging political, financial and public support, according to the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross mission here. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Georgios Georgantas, who took the helm of the global humanitarian institution’s Korea office in May, stressed that the number, scale and duration of conflicts worldwide have expan

Adorned in pastel hues with soft brush strokes, the painting by Im Pesey glowed with a warm, impressionistic feel at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul last week.The work of the Cambodian artist, titled “Liveliness,” depicted bustling activities at the Central Market in capital Phnom Penh in the early 1990s, a fledgling period after the harrowing internecine war.“I wanted to draw the situation in Phnom Penh right after the war, with people restarting their lives and various commercial activiti

As Colombia precariously extricates itself from five decades of an internecine conflict with armed guerilla group FARC, Colombians should muster their patriotism, intellect and skills to rebuild the society, said the country’s top envoy here, commending Korea’s rapid economic and social development following the 1950-53 Korean War. “Our society is in a process of historical transition, and we as Colombians must grow our knowledge and productivity and overcome challenges of achieving better educa

The Hungarian National Trading House, a government-owned export promotion agency, opened a partner office in Seoul on July 3, paving the way for increased commerce between Hungary and Korea. The office at E&C Dream Tower, suite 1401, 146 Seonyu-ro, Seoul, is part of a network of Hungarian trade representations in 60 countries. It is jointly operated by Hungary’s International Development and Fund Coordination Agency and SM Global Korea, a firm specializing in packaging and logistics. “The cooper

Champagne, sparkling wine at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, offering a panoramic view of the city from the 24th floor, has a promotion of champagne and sparkling wine at discount prices.Two types of champagne -- Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque and Billecart-Salmon, Extra Brut -- and nine types of sparkling wine -- including Fantini Gran Cuvee Rose Swarovski and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rustico -- are available along with snacks. One glass costs 24,000 won or a bottle is 61,00

BUSAN -- As Lee Choon-hee’s daughter-in-law neared the date when her baby was due, their family decided to celebrate the auspicious occasion in the most precious way possible. They decided to take a vacation together in cozy surroundings, finding their ideal place in the Ananti Cove seaside resort on the outskirts of Busan.“Our family often stays at the world-famous Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore, but we think Ananti Cove is even better, as it is surrounded by pristine nature and has the s

Before the 1990s, translating Korean literature was spearheaded by the government, with local translators and professors churning out writing largely considered anachronistic, nationalistic and out of sync with Western sensitivities. Amid the country’s efforts to catapult its literature to the world stage, the Global Korean Literature Translation Award, organized by the GKL Foundation, was launched Thursday with the goal of bringing works closer to global sensibilities through enhanced cultural

Marking the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation, the Canadian Embassy organized a creative writing contest in the spring, giving opportunities to young students to fire up their literary imaginations and interact with renowned Canadian authors.The competition -- co-organized and sponsored by The Korea Herald, Air Canada, Seoul Metropolitan Government and Creative Writing for Children Society in Vancouver -- drew some 200 entries from elementary, middle and high schools across Korea. Ther

The Omani Embassy in Seoul marked the 47th anniversary of Renaissance Day on Sunday, commemorating the accession to the throne of Sultan Qaboos Bin Saed. “On the occasion of our Renaissance Day, the people of Oman reiterate their allegiance to Sultan Qaboos, the architect of the country’s rebirth,” the diplomatic mission said in a statement. “Their proclamation of allegiance is associated with profound feelings of love, gratitude, appreciation and loyalty to the sultan, whose wise leadership dev

With the recent election of French President Emmanuel Macron and his pledge to make France an enabler of international cooperation, there will be more collaborative openings with Korea in strategic dialogue, innovative trade and investment, scientific research and education, as well as security and defense, according to the French Embassy in Seoul. Furthermore, fighting climate change is another area the two countries can cooperate in, as Macron and his Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in vowed in th

Colombia’s top envoy to Korea celebrated on July 17 the country’s new presidency of the Pacific Alliance -- an economic integration project in Latin America -- with a keen eye on the Asia-Pacific economies.Colombian Ambassador Tito Saul Pinilla was joined by Chilean Ambassador Fernando Danus, Mexican Ambassador Bruno Figueroa and Peruvian Ambassador Jaime Pomareda at the event at the embassy in Seoul.The alliance aims to spur free movement of goods, services, capital and people across its four m

With no sight of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities coming to a halt, the international community should warn China and Russia to “act now” to rein in Pyongyang’s ambitions and prevent similar proliferations across Northeast Asia, according to a prominent international relations scholar. “The ugly picture of a nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia, with South Korea and Japan trying to develop nuclear weapons, is precisely why a persuasive case should be made to China and Russia to use

South Korean girl group Apink resumed its Japan tour after a four-month break, according to its agency Plan A Entertainment. The group, which started its third tour in Japan on Saturday, will unveil its eighth single “Motto Go Go” on Tuesday. The song -- based on the theme of friendship with an upbeat tempo -- follows its seventh single “Bye Bye,” released in March. Apink started its concerts in Kobe on Saturday, and will perform in Nagoya on July Wednesday and Yokohama on July Sunday. The six-p

Chae Man-shik was a prolific Korean novelist, playwright, literary critic, journalist and essayist who boldly confronted society’s pretensions and predicaments under the restrictions of Japan’s colonial occupation using satire.Born in 1902 in Okgu, present-day Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Chae lived true to his calling as a public intellectual, practicing his “publish-or-perish” ethos until succumbing to tuberculosis in 1950. In a span of about 25 years he produced some 290 novels, tales, play