Georgia and South Korea have more in common than meets the eye. The sheer size of the economy and population aside, fundamentally, both countries share a long-lasting historical experience of struggle for independence and freedom. Nowadays, both Georgia and South Korea find themselves in a complex geostrategic regional environment, yet their adherence to the rule-based international order and shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law is unwavering. A closer look at economy in

KAZAKHS TO VOTE IN SEOUL The Kazakhstan Embassy holds a press briefing ahead of early elections for Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament, alongside local administrative bodies at Yongsan in central Seoul, on Friday. The embassy said about 130 Kazakh nationals in Korea had confirmed they would visit the embassy to vote. Sanjay Kumar/The Korea Herald

Philippines Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega and The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young agreed to seek ways to boost people-to-people ties between the Philippines and South Korea in Seoul on Wednesday. Dizon-De Vega proposed a partnership between Korea and the Film Development Council of the Philippines to shoot dramas and movies to enhance cultural awareness between the two countries, citing the example of Singapore's Marina Bay Sands hotel's appearance in the Korean dr

Malaysia is looking to strategically rebalance bilateral trade and its investment portfolio with Korea, as economic and cultural exchanges rapidly expand, according to the country's International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul last week. Zafrul said that 15 projects of manufacturing and services under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority with Korean participation were approved, totaling investment worth $1.42 billion i

The Nordic embassies in Seoul discussed ways to bridge the gender divide in entrepreneurship in the 11th Nordic Talks Korea on March 8. In celebration of International Women's Day, the four Scandinavian embassies -- Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland -- held the seminar under the theme of Bridging the Gender Divide in Entrepreneurship. The seminar, which included presentations by Nordic and Korean experts and a panel discussion, explored topics on bias, stereotypes and challenges women fac

Serbia wants to reduce food supply chain disruptions caused by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war by cooperating with South Korea, said Serbian Ambassador to Korea Nemanja Grbic in an interview with The Korea Herald Monday. Serbia has fertile soil and very favorable climatic features that could make it into a significant supplier of food to Korea, Grbic pointed out, referring to the current supply chain crisis. He urged South Korea to share its agricultural knowledge and experiences of modern techno

Members of Women in Korea, a women's leadership group also known as WIR, and German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel celebrate International Women's Day at his residence in Seoul on Thursday. Under the theme, "Break the Bias" -- referring to gender bias, stereotypes and discrimination -- the event awarded certificates of appreciation to nine WIR group mentors and mentees for contributing to the WIR leadership program. The WIR Group mentors and mentees are female execu

Officials and experts from South Korea and Denmark discussed ways to expand cooperation in the development of the agrifood sector at a seminar held in Seoul, Friday. Focusing on sustainability, food safety and quality management, the seminar dealt with the need for innovation and green transition in the food industry as a response to climate change and the growing global population. Mette Olaf Nielsen, a professor in Aarhus University’s Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, stresse

The Turkish Embassy in Seoul held a two-day event this week to promote the country's leather industry, which boasts a competitive edge in terms of both price and quality, it said Thursday. At the event, 24 Turkish companies promoted their goods in hopes of building partnerships with Korean buyers, it added. The event, which kicked off Monday, was supported by Turkish Ministry of Trade and the Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters Association (IDMIB). Turkish Ambassador to Korea Mu

Jordan's new ambassador to Korea, Asal Al-Tal, and The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young agreed to seek ways to expand bilateral exchanges between South Korea and Jordan during her visit to the company in Seoul on Wednesday. Al-Tal expressed optimism on fostering a positive image of Jordan among Koreans and of Korea among Jordanians. She pointed to increasing economic cooperation and interpersonal exchanges between the two countries as reasons for hope. The operations of Korean companies such

The Bulgarian Embassy celebrated its National Day on March 3, marking the nation's liberation from the Ottoman Dominion. Bulgarian Embassy commemorated Bulgarian volunteers who fought and liberated Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, leading to the re-establishment of Bulgarian statehood. Delivering welcome remarks at the ceremony, Bulgarian Ambassador Petko Draganov recalled his country’s diplomatic relationship with Korea forged 33 years ago in acknowledgment o

Celebrating 30 years of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Slovakia, the European country's top envoy in Seoul said the country expects more cooperation in the field of battery and electric vehicle production in the near future. Noting the rapidly developing automotive industry in the country, Slovakia's Ambassador to Korea Jan Kuderjavy said Korean companies could take advantage of a regional financial incentive scheme and a preferential tax regime for research and development. &

Kuwait’s top envoy to Seoul recalled the firm stance of Korea to support Kuwait during the 1990-1991 Gulf War while celebrating his country’s 62nd National Day in Seoul last week. Korea supported Kuwait's rights during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 by sending troops to Kuwait to help liberate the Gulf state. Kuwait’s national day, which falls on Feb. 25, marks the commemoration of the day Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah became the ruler of Kuwait in 1950. Al-Sabah

The Bangladesh Embassy in Seoul and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO commemorated Language Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day 2023 in Seoul on Wednesday. The day is celebrated every year worldwide to promote linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism. In honoring Bangladesh’s efforts to protect their language, UNESCO also declared Feb. 21 International Mother Language Day in 1999. Delivering opening remarks at the event, Bangladesh Ambassado

The Russian war against Ukraine will reach a critical juncture in spring or early summer, and there is anticipation that the war will end within the year. But even if subsequent peace talks take place, Russian leader Vladimir Putin will be the last person that Ukraine would want to talk to, Ukraine’s top envoy to Seoul said in an interview with The Korea Herald. "I think the spring and early summer of 2023 will be decisive for the course of war. It is possible to win the war this year

The ASEAN-Korea Center kicked off its annual council meeting in Seoul to review programs hosted in the fiscal year 2022 and discuss the budget for this year. Held after 3 years due to the pandemic, the offline meeting was attended by high level officials from governments, academia and the media of 10 ASEAN member countries. According to the AKC, the annual meeting is significant for ASEAN countries and Korea to bolster international cooperation efforts in the post-COVID era. The center will

The ASEAN-Korea Center kicked off its annual council meeting in Seoul to review programs hosted in the fiscal year 2022 and discuss the budget for this year. Held after 3 years due to the pandemic, the offline meeting was attended by high level officials from governments, academia and the media of 10 ASEAN member countries. According to the AKC, the annual meeting is significant for ASEAN countries and Korea to bolster international cooperation efforts in the post-COVID era. The center will pl

The New Zealand Embassy in Seoul commemorated Waitangi Day at the ambassador’s residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Waitangi Day is celebrated as New Zealand's national day to commemorate the first signing of New Zealand's founding document, known as the Treaty of Waitangi, signed between the British Crown and about 540 Maori rangatira on Feb. 6, 1840. The commemoration was followed by a reception to bid farewell to friends in Seoul for New Zealand ambassador to Korea Phillip Turner.

Iranian Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari has called on the South Korean government and people to work toward better bilateral ties, stressing stagnant political and economic relations between the two countries in recent years. Speaking at a celebration event held for the 44th Islamic revolution on Thursday, the ambassador said he feels "regretful" over the current status of the bilateral relationship despite the countries' ties in modern history, as well as in ancient times, d