The Mancho Stream inside the Yongsan Garrison, Seoul (Yonhap)On US Thanksgiving Day in November, the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul was idle and blue. Looking at the emptiness of the vast compound, it was hard to believe the place was once a thriving community of tens of thousands of US service members and their families.The garrison -- formerly home to United States Forces Korea, the Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command -- will be turned into a park, fulfilling the 2003 agreement b

Social Affairs Dec. 3, 2018

Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugees receive support from Concern Worldwide. (Concern Worldwide)Imagine the following situation: A mother and her children are abused by their husband-father, starved, beaten and neglected over a long time.Without outside help, they might not survive. If you heard the news, would you exhort the father to rectify his behavior, then simply turn a deaf ear? Or, knowing there’s no hope in him, take matters into your own hands to help them?The latter approach -- helping the

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 26, 2018

Lebanese Ambassador to Korea Antoine Azzam (Joel Lee / The Korea Herald)In the aftermath of the Syrian Civil War, which broke out in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring uprising, Lebanon has welcomed more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees in addition to the 500,000 Palestinians taking shelter in the country, according to the Lebanese Embassy in Seoul. With refugees comprising one-third of Lebanon’s population of more than 6 million, their presence has placed a large burden on the country’s resources.

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 26, 2018

Marking the centenary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Seoul organized a conference and photo exhibition Nov. 19 at the National Assembly in cooperation with the Korea-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship Group. “Azerbaijan Democratic Republic -- the first parliamentary democracy with a republican form of governance in the Muslim world -- was also the first model of a democratic secular state all over the East, including the Turko-Muslim world,” said the coun

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 26, 2018

French Ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone honors fallen comrades and active-duty servicepersons at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Nov. 11. (Yonhap)Marking the centenary of the end of World War I, French diplomats, veterans and their international colleagues paid homage to fallen comrades and active-duty servicepersons at a commemorative ceremony at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Nov. 11.Veterans of the French Batt

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 19, 2018

Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars (left) poses with his spouse, Rina (center), and Latvian Embassy staff at the National Day reception in Seoul on Friday. (Joel Lee/The Korea Herald)This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Latvian declaration of independence from Russia following the end of World War I. The brief period in 1918 opened up a window of opportunity for the three Baltic States -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- to assert their freedom and sovereignty from foreign power

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 19, 2018

The tomb of King Kija in Pyongyang is photographed by Hungarian scholar Aladar Soveny in 1955. (Hungarian Embassy in Seoul)By Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes CsomaImproving relations between the two Koreas cannot be done in the absence of cultural collaboration.In this regard, the two Koreas’ joint compilation of the Korean-language Gyeoremal Comprehensive Dictionary and exploration of the palace of Manwoldaegung in the North’s Kaesong -- the royal seat of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) -- re

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 19, 2018

The ASEAN-Korea Center collaborated with several Korean institutions to host an entrepreneurship forum on Nov. 12. The event, titled ASEAN-Korea Youth Innovation Forum, brought together the creative business ideas of some 400 participants from Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It was held at Yongsan Dragon City in Seoul and jointly organized with the Science and Technology Policy Institute, Seoul Metropolitan Government and Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation. Held in conjuncti

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 19, 2018

A view of snow-covered Ansan Jarak-gil in Seoul (Seodaemun District Office)If anyone asks me for advice on Seoul’s most beautiful getaway, without hesitation I would pick Ansan Jarak-gil in the northwestern part of the city.The 7-kilometer walkway encompasses the 300-meter-high mountain across several urban districts, and offers some of the most scenic views of nature and the city.During late autumn, you can enjoy the last bits of the fall foliage, with canopies and leaves betraying tinges of re

Travel Nov. 15, 2018

With the three-year extension of the World Bank Group Korea Office Trust Fund Agreement (2018-20), the loan-providing international financial institution’s office here will continue to leverage Korean experience to tackle sustainable development challenges worldwide, according to its Special Representative Soh Hoon Sahib.“The WBG Korea office can work with Korean stakeholders to help the latter participate in development projects throughout Asia and beyond,” he told The Korea Herald. “Our cooper

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 12, 2018

Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars (right) and Korean Bar Association President Kim Hyun (Latvian Embassy)The Latvian Embassy in Seoul signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean Bar Association on Nov. 6 to promote legal cooperation between Latvia and Korea. Latvian Ambassador to Korea Peteris Vaivars and Korean Bar Association President Kim Hyun signed the agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral mutual exchanges, including training programs, the provision of legal assistan

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 12, 2018

A picture of a home powered by electronic devices charged by TechNovatorXE (TechNovator)Polish-Ukrainian company TechNovator has developed a wireless smartphone charger and showcased its prototype at the K-Startup Grand Challenge Startup Campus in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. TechNovatorXE is a remote wireless charger that energizes multiple devices simultaneously within 5 meters, and is safe for people and the environment alike, according to the company. The system also has a unique fe

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 12, 2018

Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski (front row, left) poses with the winners of the Polish Independence Run at Ttukseom Hangang Park in Seoul on Sunday. (Polish Embassy)To mark the 100th anniversary of the country regaining its independence, the Polish Embassy organized a friendly marathon at Ttukseom Hangang Park in Seoul on Sunday morning.Over 400 people participated in the annual Polish Independence Run, which comprised 10- and 5-kilometer runs and a 1-kilometer walk for families. Th

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 12, 2018

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini (left) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attend the final press conference after the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna on July 14, 2015. (Yonhap)The top foreign and finance ministers of the European Union member states issued a joint statement on Nov. 2 repudiating the United States’ reimposition of sanctions on Iran, according to the British Embassy in Seoul. The statement gave credence to t

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 12, 2018

Korean cuisine wouldn’t be what it is today -- spicy, savory and soupy -- without jeotgal: fermented seafood used as a seasoning or condiment. And salted shrimp, or saeu-jeot, is a key ingredient in quintessential Korean food such as kimchi, as well as an indispensable relish enriching broths such as dwaeji gukbap and sundaeguk. Along with salted anchovies, salted shrimp is the most popular jeotgal variety used in Korean cooking. It often replaces salt in dishes such as steamed egg. Salted shrim

Food Nov. 8, 2018