One year after a failed coup attempt to topple the government, Turkey has restored social stability and economic vibrancy and is looking beyond its region to the larger Eurasian market, the country’s top envoy to Korea stressed in a media briefing.“A measure of order has returned to Turkey,” said Ambassador Arslan Hakan Okcal at the embassy in Seoul on Thursday. “Our economy has bounced back and is growing at 5 percent. People are going about their lives and businesses run as usual. Tourists hav

Iraq’s top envoy to Korea lauded the hard-won victory against the Islamic State group in Mosul last week, also expressing his appreciation for Seoul’s humanitarian assistance and diplomatic support.Mosul -- the second-largest city in Iraq -- was recaptured by the Iraqi and US-led coalition forces of 72 nations on July 10, putting an end to a 9-month military operation against IS.According to Iraqi officials, the IS, also known as Daesh, has been completely driven out of Mosul, which was the seat

Marking the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, the Turkish Embassy helped organize an art exhibition featuring Turkey’s celebrated paintings and calligraphy at the Bank of Korea in Seoul. The exhibit, titled “Invisible Language,” is a collaboration of the diplomatic mission, the Central Bank of Turkey and the Bank of Korea. Works spanning two centuries were selected from the Central Bank of Turkey’s art collection by curator Ahmet Albayrak for the event, which runs through Sept.

Buoyed by nationwide reforms to raise its economic competitiveness, Indonesia is ripe for Korean business as the hub for the larger Southeast Asian market, according to the country’s industry minister. In an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald, Indonesian Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto said his country welcomes Korean investment in infrastructure, energy and manufacturing, noting the government has undertaken ambitious reforms targeting these sectors. “One of our key reforms is to

Frozen cocktails at Grand Hyatt IncheonThe Grand Hyatt Incheon’s Swell Lounge is offering frozen cocktails through Aug. 31. The cocktails come in four varieties: Noah’s Kalamansi, Sweet Kelly, Overnight at Roppongi and Cherry Beam. The Noah’s Kalamansi is made of a premium vodka, kalamanshi, sprite and crushed ice on top. The Sweet Kelly is a mix of vodka, coconut milk and expresso blended with ice. The Overnight at Roppongi is a combination of pear and sake. The Cherry Beam is concocted from Ji

Denmark’s “flexicurity” welfare state model, buttressing its dynamic labor market, allows employers to hire and fire workers efficiently, according to the head of the Confederation of Danish Enterprise. Danes’ talent is seldom wasted, as they continuously search for jobs offering better pay, autonomy and creativity, the confederation’s Chief Executive Officer Laurits Ronn said in an interview. As business managers can flexibly adjust the size of their enterprise, this ultimately raises the count

With the rising tide of global warming creating greater uncertainties over our water management, developed and developing countries should come together to prevent the tragedy of the commons and search for sustainable solutions affecting their common future, according to a renowned academic expert on the issue. “The problems are manifold, but fundamentally speaking we are not using water the way we should be,” said professor Ashok Swain of Uppsala University in Sweden in an interview with The Ko

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Central Asia, a region long insulated from globalization and liberalization, is awakening from its centuries-old slumber. By embracing international integration and enhancing commercial environs, the region is harnessing harmonious winds of change blowing across Europe and Asia.Kazakhstan is leading the five Central Asian nations in their collective quest for global engagement and national development, according to the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko. “Ce

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) -- For the second year in a row, the world's youngest nation will not have any official celebrations to mark the anniversary of its birth because of the widespread suffering caused by its ongoing civil war. ``We did not feel it was appropriate to spend whatever little funds we may have to celebrate, when our people are hugely affected by the economic crisis,'' said South Sudan President Salva Kiir in an address to the nation on Sunday. ``It's difficult for many people to a

BOSTON (AP) -- For centuries, sailors have shouted their own language aboard: ``Hoist sail!'' ``Prepare to come about!'' ``Anchors aweigh!''Now they're teaming up with conservationists to put a new twist on another ancient cry: ``Whales ho!''The sport of sailboat racing and nonprofit groups are floating new guidelines aimed at increasing awareness of the majestic mammals and reducing potentially fatal collisions with endangered North Atlantic right whales and other species. The guidelines were j

Do you want to pamper yourself to an upscale summer vacation, but without the hassle of planning an overseas trip, arduous travel and jet lag? Do you dream of a respite not far from home, with all services catered meticulously to your needs? Hotels across Korea are offering just that, as more people opt to spend their holidays inside the country in the comfort of luxury accommodation, gastronomy and leisure. The newfangled trend, known as “staycation,” is a portmanteau of “stay” and “vacation.”

Summer package at Westin Chosun Seoul The Westin Chosun Seoul offers the Urban Oasis accommodation package until Aug. 31. The package features accommodation in the deluxe, executive and junior suites, with prices ranging from 230,000 won to 520,000 won. The executive room package offers access to the executive lounge on the 20th floor for breakfast, snacks and cocktails, as well as the sauna. The junior suite package offers breakfast at the executive lounge or Aria Buffet Restaurant. Various cos

If Italy has gelato and France has sorbet, Korea has bingsu. It is a national dessert made of shaved ice, milk and condensed milk, and often topped with sweetened red beans or fruits. It is a dish beloved across generations, chilling their taste buds and slaking their thirst in the thick of summer. After a meal, Koreans like to go to a bingsu store to dive into a bowl of shaved ice, usually with friends or family. While the original “patbingsu” is made of ice, milk and red beans, more varieties

The film “Let Her Cry,” a tantalizing tale of an extramarital affair between an old professor and his seductive student, might not have been shown on screens in Sri Lanka a decade ago.Works that were hostile to the government or provocative in nature were banned by the previous administration, which ruled the country tightly nearing the end of a 30-year interethnic war. But since the new national unity government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assumed o

With celebrations of Canada’s 150th Confederation anniversary scheduled throughout this year, there will be ampler space for Canada and Korea to cooperate within the international sphere, Canadian Ambassador to Korea Eric Walsh said, pointing to Ottawa’s intention to play a larger role in global affairs.During a parliamentary speech at the House of Commons in Ottawa on June 6, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada will “step up” to assume a greater share of international obliga

In the eyes of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, speaker of the Pakistani National Assembly, the exhibition “Alexander the Great meets Buddha” at Seoul Arts Center is demonstrable evidence of the enduring linkages between Pakistan and Korea that were spawned more than 16 centuries ago.A collaboration with the Peshawar Museum and Lahore Museum, the exhibit began Thursday and runs through Sept. 30, showcasing Buddhist sculptures of the Gandhara Civilization that thrived in territories of today’s northwestern Pak

Summer package at Westin Chosun Seoul The Westin Chosun Seoul offers the Urban Oasis accommodation package until Aug. 31. The package features accommodation in the deluxe, executive and junior suites, with prices ranging from 230,000 won to 520,000 won. The executive room package offers access to the executive lounge on the 20th floor for breakfast, snacks and cocktails, as well as the sauna. The junior suite package offers breakfast at the executive lounge or Aria Buffet Restaurant. Various cos

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) _ Romania's largest party on Monday nominated a former economy minister to be the next prime minister.  The nomination of 50-year-old Mihai Tudose was announced before President Klaus Iohannis and Liviu Dragnea, the powerful leader of Romania's biggest party, the leftist Social Democratic Party.  Dragnea and political ally Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who heads the junior Alliance of Democrats and Liberals, later met Iohannis and presented their choice.   If Tudose is formall

BEIJING (AP) -- Imprisoned Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate and dissident Liu Xiaobo has been transferred to a hospital after being diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer, his former lawyer said Monday.   The deteriorating health of China's best-known political prisoner was immediately met with dismay by the country's beleaguered community of rights activists and lawyers, who called it a blow to the democracy movement.   Liu, 61, is receiving treatment at a hospital in the northeastern city of

An opinion poll shows that a majority of Russians think Soviet leader Josef Stalin was the ``most outstanding person'' in history.  The survey by the Levada Center released Monday said 38 percent chose Stalin, in a stark contrast to just 12 percent in 1989 when Russians were beginning to discover the crimes of the Stalin regime. The poll of 1,600 people has a 3.4-percent margin of error.  Scholars estimate that under Stalin more than 1 million people were executed in political purges. Millions m