The top national security officials of South Korea and the United States agreed on the need for close bilateral cooperation in advancing the Korea peace process and the handling of global issues during their phone call Saturday, Cheong Wa Dae said. It was the first formal conversation between Suh Hoon, director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, and his new American counterpart, Jake Sullivan, since the launch of the Joe Biden administration this week. Suh congratulated Sullivan on his ina

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha called Monday for early high-level exchanges with the incoming US administration of Joe Biden to cement the bilateral alliance, and for continued global cooperation in fostering lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Kang made the remarks in a New Year's address, as Seoul seeks to revive stalled nuclear diplomacy with North Korea through closer cooperation with the Biden administration, set to be launched later this month, and other regional partners. "On t

A series of symposiums to celebrate the winners of this year’s Nobel Prizes and their accomplishments will be held online Tuesday, according to the Swedish Embassy in South Korea. Organized by the embassy, the Sweden-Korea Nobel Memorial Program 2020 will consist of three symposiums, where Korean and Swedish experts from partner universities and institutions will discuss this year’s Nobel awards in literature, economics and the sciences. The event opens with a science session, wh

An online education fair for South Koreans interested in pursuing higher education in Europe will be held on Nov. 23-24, the Delegation of the European Union to Korea said Friday. The EU Delegation to Korea, together with embassies of the European nations in Seoul, will host “Study in Europe Fair 2020” in a fully virtual format, to be attended by 53 European universities and institutions from 17 countries, according to the EU Delegation to Korea. At the fair, which will be held e

A webinar to analyze the situation on the Korean Peninsula and share Nordic experiences of peace mediation will be held on Tuesday, marking the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. Hosted by embassies of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway in Seoul and Yonsei University's GSIS Program in International Cooperation on peace and security, experts and scholars will discuss how Nordic experiences can help solve the decades-long nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula. The event open

A series of workshops for Southeast Asian educators and scholars based in Korea will be held as part of efforts to increase their distance teaching capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic and boost ASEAN-Korea cooperation in the education sector.  Co-organized by the ASEAN-Korea Center and the Korea Education Research Information Service, workshops on online learning content and services will be offered for the Council of ASEAN Professors in Korea on Nov. 14 and Dec. 4, respectively. Under th

The environment ministers of South Korea and China held online talks Wednesday to discuss measures to reduce fine dust air pollution and help achieve the two nations' goals in achieving carbon neutrality, Seoul's environment ministry said. During the virtual meeting, South Korean Environment Minister Cho Myung-rae and his Chinese counterpart, Huang Runqiu, agreed to enhance cooperation on their respective anti-fine dust projects in the coming winter season when concentration levels are expecte

The ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul will hold a showcase presenting some of the tourist attractions, cultures and authentic delicacies of all 10 ASEAN countries, starting Thursday, the organization said Tuesday. As international tourism is put on hold due to the global spread of COVID-19, the showcase intends to provide South Koreans with a chance to experience nostalgia and the simulation of travel, while deepening their understanding of the culture, tourism and food of Southeast Asia, the center

A book has been launched to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Spain this year. It covers the past, present and future of bilateral relations, economic cooperation and cultural exchanges. “Our relationship has matured and has been growing, but we cannot be satisfied. We need to be much more ambitious for the future,” Spanish Ambassador to Korea Juan Ignacio Morro said at an event to publicize the book “Spain and Korea: Towards a New Strategic Asso

The Embassy of Switzerland in Korea will hold a retrospective in Seoul and Gwangju of Bruno Ganz, a renowned Swiss actor who has starred in many international award-winning films, starting Thursday. To commemorate the artist, who died at the age of 77 last year, the embassy said it would screen 14 films featuring the artist from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1 at Seoul Art Cinema in central Seoul, and from Nov. 1 to 9 at Gwangju Cinema in Gwangju. The event is hosted in cooperation with the Korean Associat

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha asked Bangladesh on Tuesday to support South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid for the top post of the World Trade Organization, Kang's office said. She made the request during phone talks with her Bangladeshi counterpart, Abul Kalam Abdul Momen, in which they also discussed other bilateral issues, including cooperation in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Yoo is competing with candidates from Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Britain in the seco

The top diplomats of South Korea and Canada held phone talks Friday to discuss joint responses to the new coronavirus and other bilateral cooperation issues, the foreign ministry said. During the talks, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Canadian counterpart, Francois-Philippe Champagne, shared the view that the two countries, as "like-minded" ones, should closely cooperate bilaterally and multilaterally to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry said. The ministers also note

Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun left for Washington on Wednesday for talks with his US counterpart over joint efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula and other bilateral alliance issues. Choi, who took office last month, is scheduled to meet US. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on Thursday local time, as the two countries strive to address an array of pending issues, including stalled dialogue with North Korea and deadlocked defense cost-sharing talks. "We will check the p

Pope Francis has sent a verbal message to South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressing hope for peace and reconciliation with North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday. The pope also said he's "continuously praying for the gift from God" of peace and prosperity for the South Korean people in the message recently delivered by Alfred Xuereb, the Holy See's representative in Seoul, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. The Holy Father said he "cherishes" dialogue

The British Embassy in South Korea is accepting applications from Korean students for the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarships until Nov. 3 for the 2021-2022 academic year, the embassy said Thursday. Korean nationals with a bachelors’ degree and more than two years of work experience are eligible to apply for the UK government’s global scholarship program that offers an opportunity to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any subject at any university in the United