The Korea Herald

How will Park be treated in U.S.?

How President Park Geun-hye will be treated during her visit to the U.S. this week is drawing keen attention as it comes at a delicate juncture when she should show strong unity with the U.S. against North Korea and dispel the growing impression that Seoul is tilting toward Beijing.President Park Geun-hye shakes hands with Saenuri Party leader Kim Moo-sung before boarding the presidential plane at the Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. (Yonhap)Like her visit to the U.S. in

Foreign Affairs Oct. 13, 2015

'Xi has greater foreign policy clout than predecessors’

This is the first installment in a series of interviews with renowned scholars and experts on China as a resurgent Asian power triggering shifts in the regional order. This installment analyzes the evolution of China’s foreign policy. -- Ed.　By Song Sang-ho　Chinese President Xi Jinping has forged a new institutional mechanism to enable him to ease the constraints of the country’s collective leadership structure and take control of foreign policy, a China expert said. Kim Heung-kyu, political sci

Foreign Affairs Oct. 13, 2015

'Xi has greater foreign policy clout than predecessors’

Singer Rain sets up entertainment company

South Korean singer-actor Rain has founded his own entertainment agency, the company said Sunday."Rain signed up with the Rain Company on Oct. 1," Rain Company said in a release. It said unlike other entertainment agencies in Korea where a single agency handles all businesses at home and abroad in such sectors as music albums, TV series and films, it will introduce an American-style agent system in which specialists from each sector take control of their field.The company said it will have separ

Oct. 11, 2015

Gov't to alter history textbook publication system

The government will announce a plan to introduce state-designated history textbooks for secondary school students this week, a government official concerned with the matter said Sunday."The Ministry of Education will make an official announcement on the plan tomorrow," the official said, requesting not to be named.Education minister Hwang Woo-yea will brief reporters on the government decision at 2 p.m. Monday, according to other sources. Currently, eight private publishing companies print histo

Social Affairs Oct. 11, 2015

U.S. wins ninth Presidents Cup in S. Korea

The United States won the Presidents Cup for the ninth time Sunday, defeating the International Team 15 1/2 to 14 1/2 after a nail-biting finish on a chilly afternoon by the Yellow Sea.The Americans grabbed six points out of 12 matches at the par-72, 7,380-yard Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, just west of Seoul, with five victories and two halves. This was the first Presidents Cup held in Asia.The United States has now won the biennial match play competition nine out of 11 times, with

Golf Oct. 11, 2015

Paris strives to transform into sustainable city

PARIS ― As a city where 2 million residents coexist with several million visitors and an average of 28 million commutes are made every day, Paris, like many other metropolitan cities, considers tackling air pollution and emissions as a top priority to solving public health issues. A replica of Clichy-Batignolles Lee Hyun-jeong/The Korea HeraldAccording to the City of Paris, several millions of residents in the French capital and its surrounding areas were found to have been exposed to particles

National Oct. 11, 2015

Paris strives to transform into sustainable city

[Newsmaker]] Korean to lead U.N. climate change panel

A South Korean environment policy professor was elected to lead a U.N. panel on climate change, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, touting the election as an opportunity to enhance the nation's influence in the global efforts to tackle environmental challenges. Lee Hoe-sung, professor at Korea University’s Graduate School of Energy and Environment Policy and Technology, will succeed Rajendra Pachauri from India as the sixth chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Lee Ho

Foreign Affairs Oct. 7, 2015

[Newsmaker]] Korean to lead U.N. climate change panel

N.K. rocket launch unlikely this week

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (right) speaks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken before a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. (Yonhap)North Korea is unlikely to launch a rocket Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party, Seoul officials and experts said Tuesday, noting that there were no signs yet of Pyongyang’s preparations for any imminent launch.The prediction came as Seoul has been stepping up diplomacy to prevent the communist regim

North Korea Oct. 6, 2015

Spy agency to file complaint against former chief

The nation’s top intelligence agency is considering filing a complaint with the prosecution against its former chief as he appears to have revealed confidential information he obtained during his leadership from 2006-2008.Former NIS chief Kim Man-bok (Yonhap)Last week, Kim Man-bok, who led the National Intelligence Service during the former Roh Moo-hyun administration, disclosed in a media interview that Roh and former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il were able to talk with each other at anytime

North Korea Oct. 4, 2015

Spy agency to file complaint against former chief

IAEA chief to visit Seoul Tuesday

The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit Seoul on Tuesday to meet with high-level South Korean officials including Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program and other issues, Seoul officials said Sunday.IAEA director General Yukiya Amano’s visit here will be an opportunity to deepen cooperation between Seoul and the U.N. nuclear watchdog, particularly when Pyongyang is expected to carry out provocations, potentially including a nuclear test, Seo

Foreign Affairs Oct. 4, 2015

‘JCS chief nominee played golf despite N.K. landmine attack’

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman-nominee Lee Sun-jin was playing golf on Aug. 9 when North Korea was reported to have carried out a landmine provocation that wounded two South Korean troops, an opposition lawmaker revealed Sunday.JCS Chairman-nominee Lee Sun-jin (Yonhap)Kim Kwang-jin of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, criticized his golfing on the day as an “inappropriate” act, raising the question of whether he could perform well in the military’s top position.“While he w

Defense Oct. 4, 2015

‘JCS chief nominee played golf despite N.K. landmine attack’

Seoul verifying rumors of death of IS teenager

The South Korean government has begun the process of verifying news reports that a South Korean teenager thought to have joined an Islamic militant group early this year was killed in a U.S.-led air strike in northern Syria, officials said Thursday.“We are now trying to verify the facts with regard to the reports on his fate,” said a Seoul official on condition of anonymity.A local media outlet reported Wednesday that the U.S.-led coalition forces carried out a massive air strike campaign last w

Foreign Affairs Oct. 1, 2015

Seoul to develop 800km missile by 2017

South Korea plans to complete its development and deployment of a ballistic missile with a range of 800 kilometers by 2017, as it seeks to counter the evolving nuclear and missile threats posed by North Korea.Military sources said that the state-run Agency for Defense Development had put forward the plan in its five-year policy outline, which was adopted right after the Park Geun-hye administration assumed office in February 2013.“Currently, we have developed ballistic missiles with a range of u

Defense Oct. 1, 2015

Seoul slams N.K. for threats over family reunions

Seoul on Wednesday blasted Pyongyang for its apparent threats to thwart their agreement to hold the reunions of families separated by the border, reiterating that the humanitarian issue should be insulated from political and military factors.The communist regime renewed the threat on Tuesday as it criticized President Park Geun-hye’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly that increased pressure on it to abandon its nuclear ambitions and take a path toward economic development and regional peace.“I

North Korea Sept. 30, 2015

Prospect of Korea-Japan summit grows

The exchange Sunday of seemingly amicable greetings between the leaders of South Korea and Japan has further boosted the prospect of a bilateral summit that has yet to be held amid territorial and historical conflicts. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at a U.N. General Assembly session on Monday. (Yonhap)During a brief encounter with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ahead of a luncheon at the U.N. headquarters in New York, President Park Geun-hye expressed her hope that they can meet

Foreign Affairs Sept. 29, 2015

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