INTERVIEW: How Korean culture stole Parisian hearts, devoted advocate explains

SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - "France today is completely different from what I once knew," said Lee Il-yeol, chief of the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, as he began his interview with AJP early this month. Reflecting on his time in the late 1980s when he first arrived in the city of light as a student, he said, "Back then, only a small circle of scholars of Asian studies or diplomats had some interest in South Korea, so the center often remained deserted, visited only by

April 23, 2025

Festival featuring top New Zealand wines to return next month

SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - A festival showcasing premium wines from New Zealand will be held in Seoul and Busan next month. Hosted by the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea, also known as the Kiwi Chamber, the annual festival, first held in 2009, will feature around 25 varieties of wine this year including whites and reds from top wineries across the island country. Among others, Sauvignon Blanc is particularly popular among consumers here, thanks to the crisp white wine's

April 23, 2025

Recipients of Ramon Magsaysay Award honored in Seoul

SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - An event honoring past South Korean recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award was held at a hotel in central Seoul on Tuesday, as part of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Seoul and Manila. Co-hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Seoul and the foundation that presents the annual award, the event brought together dozens of attendees including some of past recipients, diplomats, and other officials. Known as the "Nob

April 22, 2025

India, S. Korea celebrate culinary traditions with joint cooking event

SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - The Embassy of India in Seoul and the Korean Food Promotion Institute (KFPI) co-hosted a cooking demonstration session on Thursday, highlighting the shared cultural values of India and South Korea through food. Held at the KFPI headquarters in Seoul, the event featured dishes from both countries, with Indian Chef Neeraj Bisht preparing Chole Bhature, a popular Indian chickpea curry and fluffy bread menu, and Korean Chef Oh Seung-ahn presenting Gang Doenjang

April 18, 2025

INTERVIEW: Brazilian envoy highlights cooperation, trade challenges, and hopes for upgraded South Korea-Brazil ties

SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - For more than 60 years, Brazil and South Korea have steadily built a strong partnership that now spans diplomacy, business, and culture. In 2023, the two sides signed a Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF), reinforcing their collaboration in green energy and digital technology. South Korea is a key partner for Brazil in Asia, both as a major investor and a destination for industrial goods and consumer technologies. In a conversation on Apr. 10 at

April 15, 2025

India's ambassador joins lantern lighting in Seoul to mark Buddha's Birthday

SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) - India’s Ambassador to South Korea Amit Kumar and his spouse participated in a lantern lighting ceremony at Dongguk University in Seoul on Apr. 9 to celebrate the birth anniversary of Buddha. The event, organized by Dongguk University with the participation of the Embassy of India in the Republic of Korea, was attended by over 500 people and featured the lighting of 16,000 lanterns. “This celebration holds profound meaning for both India and K

April 14, 2025

Indonesia attracts S. Korean beauty industry to Bali expo

SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) - The Embassy of Indonesia in South Korea hosted a briefing session on Monday to promote the upcoming "Bali Wellness and Beauty Expo 2025," inviting around 50 South Korean business operators from the beauty, cosmetics, wellness, and travel sectors. The event was held at the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul and served as a platform to introduce the inaugural expo and possible collaboration opportunities between the two countries. “This expo aims to

April 14, 2025

Conference calls for stronger ICC role to address crimes of aggression

SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) -International activists and other participants called for global action against crimes of aggression at a conference in central Seoul on Thursday. Hosted by the German Embassy in Seoul, the conference took place under a global initiative spearheaded by the German Federal Foreign Office and co-sponsored by the foreign ministries of Estonia and Poland. Nearly 100 participants including diplomats, legal experts, and students gathered for the conference, which

April 11, 2025

Kazakh Kurultai in Seoul brings together diaspora communities across Asia

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - The second Kurultai of Kazakhs in Asia was held in South Korea from Apr. 5 to 6, drawing over 200 participants from ethnic Kazakh communities in Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, and Mongolia, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea said Wednesday. A Kurultai is a traditional assembly rooted in Turkic and Mongol cultures, historically convened to discuss important political, social, or cultural matters. In the modern context, the Kurultai serves as

April 10, 2025

INTERVIEW: Peruvian envoy highlights APEC collaboration, green cooperation and cultural ties with Korea

SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Paul Duclos, Ambassador of Peru to South Korea, praised the evolving partnership between the two nations, describing it as “an excellent relationship that has adapted itself over time to changing bilateral and global interests.” In an interview held on Apr. 8, the ambassador reflected on over six decades of diplomatic ties, emphasized multilateral collaboration through Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and detailed strategic areas for fu

April 9, 2025