Korea Times Politics & City Reporter
Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Participants at the Korea-Africa Youth Forum pose for a photo at Sebitseom, a floating island in the Han River, Seoul, Thursday. The forum, organized by the Korea-Africa Foundation, aims to boost cultural exchanges between the youth of Korea and Africa and raise awareness on each other. Courtesy of Korea-Africa Foundation
Members of the Seoul Foreign British School Choir perform at the residence of British Ambassador Colin Crooks in central Seoul, Nov. 30 as the British Association of Seoul (BASS) celebrates its first "mince pie morning" in three years. The occasion marks the beginning of the holiday season as the BASS participates in a variety of charity works, including donating gifts to the Eastern Social Welfare Society and the Salvation Army. Courtesy of BASS
Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks with representatives of the member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris, Nov. 30. Han arrived in Ghana, Thursday (local time) to strengthen ties on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Ghana. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooPrime Minister Han Duck-soo arrived in Ghana, Thursday (local time), which is the last destination of his trip to France and Africa. Han became the highest-ranking Korean official to visit the West African country, as the two countries celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.The prime minister's office said Han's visit to Ghana will strengthen ties with the democratic country, which serves as a base for trade in West Africa, and lay the foundation for the special Korea-Africa summit planned in 2024. Han will meet with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo Friday and convey Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's invitation to Akufo-Addo to pay a visit to Korea, while discussing ways to step up bilateral relations in trade, investme
Iceland's Minister of Culture and Business Affairs Lilja Alfredsdottir poses at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Nov. 23. Alfredsdottir visited Korea on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Iceland. Courtesy of Ewha Womans UniversityBy Kwon Mee-yooIceland's Minister of Culture and Business Affairs Lilja Alfredsdottir said Iceland and Korea can cooperate in the field of soft power during her visit to Korea. From Nov. 22 to 24, Alfredsdottir visited Korea leading a delegation to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. On Thursday, the minister gave a special lecture at Ewha Womans University, where she studied Asian Studies as an exchange student in 1994, to share Iceland's efforts to achieve gender equality. "Iceland is very well-known for its gender equality. We have been voted the best place for working women by The Economist (glass-ceiling index)," the minister said during a phone interview with The Korea Times, Nov. 23.The minister said the women of Iceland have had "very strong role models" as the co
First lady Kim Keon-hee holds a Cambodian child suffering a congenital heart disease during her visit to the boy's home in Phnom Penh, Nov. 12, in this photo provided by the presidential office. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooAn opposition lawmaker, who sparked a debate over "poverty porn" allegations about first lady Kim Keon-hee's visit to a sick Cambodian child, said he sent someone to Cambodia to verify the suspicions around Kim's photo with the child. Rep. Jang Kyung-tae, a first-term lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said during an SBS radio show, Friday, that he made a request for the address of the boy's house which was delivered to, presumably, the Korean embassy in Phnom Penh, but did not get an answer. "(One of us) went to Cambodia to check the boy's condition. However, it was not discussed by the party, just my personal decision," Jang said. Jang was the first to raise the criticism against the first lady, claiming that she used the poverty-stricken boy's situation to boost her image. He accused the first lady of a "diplomatic discourtesy" as she met the child instea
Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne speaks during a meeting at the Federation of Korean Industries headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday. Minister Champagne said Korea and Canada can be great partners for each other in dealing with challenges such as energy security, food security and supply chain resiliency. Courtesy of FKIBy Kwon Mee-yooCanada can be Korea's solution to energy security, food security and supply chain resiliency, according to Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne, Friday. Champagne, who has extensive experience in foreign affairs and international trade, said during a meeting with Korean businesspeople and scholars at the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) that Canada is "blessed with critical minerals, infrastructure and energy" and willing to share those resources to ensure peace and security in the region."I think now it's time to really realign our supply chains in a way that they will be more resilient. And I feel there's a big willingness on Korean partners to really
Participants of the ASEAN-Korea Forum pose at the Chey Jong-Hyun Hall of Korea University, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea CentreBy Kwon Mee-yooScholars and policymakers from Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states gathered to discuss ways to sustain Korea-ASEAN relations in the long term at the ASEAN-Korea Forum held in the Chey Jong-Hyun Hall of Korea University, Seoul, Thursday.Co-organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC), the Korea University Asiatic Research Institute ASEAN Center and the Korea Academic Council on the United Nations System (KACUNS), this year's forum centered on a sustainable partnership between Korea and the ASEAN.ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary-General Kim Hae-yong delivers opening remarks during the ASEAN-Korea Forum. Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea CentreKim Hae-yong, secretary-general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, delivered the opening remarks at the ASEAN-Korea Forum, which envisions the future of the Korea-ASEAN partnership through intellectual exercises.He noted how the ASEAN and Korea have become indispensable partners sinc
Robert Matheus Michael Tene, deputy secretary-general of ASEAN Secretariat for ASEAN Political-Security Community, pose for a photo ahead of the ASEAN-Korea Forum at the Chey Jong-Hyun Hall of Korea University, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea CentreBy Kwon Mee-yooWhile welcoming Korea's new Indo-Pacific strategy announced earlier this month, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) looks for Korea to bring more concrete ideas and actions to strengthen the ties. Robert Matheus Michael Tene, deputy secretary-general of the ASEAN Secretariat for the ASEAN Political-Security Community, said, "ASEAN encourages the ROK (Republic of Korea) to undertake substantive, practical and tangible cooperation with ASEAN."Tene, a veteran diplomat with over 25 years of experience, including at the Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the ASEAN Secretariat, visited Korea to participate in the ASEAN-Korea Forum at the Chey Jong-Hyun Hall of Korea University, Seoul, Thursday.During the 23rd ASEAN-Korea Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia earlier this month, Korean President Yoon Su
Carmen Noguera, secretary general of the Cervantes Institute / Courtesy of Carmen Noguera By Kwon Mee-yooThe long-anticipated Seoul branch of the Cervantes Institute, a Spanish government-backed organization promoting Spanish language and culture, finally unveiled its location last week in Myeong-dong, in the heart of Seoul. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Cervantes Institute Secretary General Carmen Noguera visited Korea to attend the pre-inauguration ceremony at the UNESCO building in downtown Seoul. "For so long, we wanted to establish a branch here. This needs to have the approval of the Spanish government. Yesterday (Nov. 15) the Spanish government gave approval to this act which now allows us to start this branch here," Noguera said during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Nov. 16."For us, it's really important to have the chance to open this center because it's been an aspiration for many years. We really want to learn about your culture an
Francisco Gonzalez, charge d'affaires at the Embassy of Colombia in Korea, speaks during the "Flowers of Colombia" event at Tra di Noi in southern Seoul, Nov. 17. Courtesy of Embassy of Colombia in KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yooAsocolflores, or the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters, held the "Flowers of Colombia" week in Korea, introducing a wide variety of flowers from the South American country last week, bridging 12 Colombian flower exporters and over 50 buyers in Korea. Colombia is the world's second-largest flower-exporting country with more than 1,400 varieties of flowers produced all year round. The Latin American country exported over 1,400 tons of flowers to Korea in the first eight months of this year, becoming the country's largest flower supplier. Francisco Gonzalez, charge d'affaires at the Embassy of Colombia in Korea, welcomed the delegation of flower exporters, who flew over 15,000 kilometers to bring their flowers to Korea. "When Koreans buy Colombian flowers, they create 200,000 jobs in Colombia, which contributes to better education and life of Colombians," Gonzalez