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    Norwegian architect behind Busan Opera House highlights architecture’s role in social change

    Architecture should do more than create iconic buildings — it should shape how people interact, gather and experience their cities, according to Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Norwegian architectural and design firm Snøhetta, which is currently leading the Busan Opera House project. Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday, Thorsen outlined Snøhetta’s design philosophy and highlighted projects from around the world, arguing that architecture can serve as a catalyst for cultural participation, social integration and sustainable development. The event, held at the Norwegian ambassador’s residence under the theme “Designing Culture, Designing Change: Architecture as a Catalyst for Collective Futures,” brought together architects, cultural leaders and industry professionals to explore the role of design in shaping contemporary society. Welcoming guests, Norwegian Ambassador Anne Kari Hansen Ovind described Snøhetta as one of Norway’s most influential creative enterprises and a global ambassador for Norwegian design. “Sn

    3 MIN READBy Anna J. Park
    Norwegian architect behind Busan Opera House highlights architecture’s role in social change
  • Foreign Affairs

    PHOTOS German Embassy brings Berlin techno to Seoul through public diplomacy

    1 MIN READBy Anna J. Parkphoto
    [PHOTOS] German Embassy brings Berlin techno to Seoul through public diplomacy
  • Foreign Affairs

    Korea hosts engineering, medical training for troops from UN peacekeeping nations

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korea hosts engineering, medical training for troops from UN peacekeeping nations
  • North Korea

    N. Korea's parliament elects new judges of highest court

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea's parliament elects new judges of highest court
  • North Korea

    N. Korea's Kim reaffirms alliance with Russia in letter to Putin

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea's Kim reaffirms alliance with Russia in letter to Putin
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Trade minister vows all-out efforts to boost foreign investment, reshoring firms

Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Monday the government will make all-out efforts to attract more foreign investment and support the return of local firms from overseas. Cheong made the remarks during a policy coordination meeting with local government leaders and officials from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "Expanding foreign direct investment (FDI) and supporting reshoring companies are keys to enhancing national industrial competitiveness and revitalizing regional economies, even in the face of abrupt changes in global trade conditions," Cheong said. He further pledged continued policy support in close cooperation with local governments and free economic zones. In 2024, South Korea attracted a record high $32.57 billion in FDI, the highest since records began in 1962, according to the ministry. Despite global uncertainties, the ministry assessed that FDI has remained resilient this year, noting that South Korea secured $6.4 billion in commitments in the first quarter alone.

Apr 28, 2025By Yonhap
Trade minister vows all-out efforts to boost foreign investment, reshoring firms
North Korea

S. Korea strongly condemns N. Korea's admission of troop dispatch to Russia

South Korea on Monday strongly condemned North Korea's first public admission of sending troops to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine, accusing Pyongyang of "mocking" the international community by justifying the deployment. The foreign ministry issued the statement after the North confirmed through its state media for the first time that it has deployed troops to Russia to aid Moscow's war in Kyiv under their mutual defense treaty. Pyongyang said the decision was made at the behest of its leader Kim Jong-un and claimed that it was fully legitimate in line with the treaty committing the two sides to providing military assistance in case either of them is attacked. "With their public admission of the deployment, while claiming they are fully in accordance with international law, they are once again mocking the international community. We strongly condemn this action," the ministry said. "The dispatch of the North Korean troops, along with broader military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, constitutes a grave violation of international norms, including the U.N. Charter,

Apr 28, 2025By Yonhap
S. Korea strongly condemns N. Korea's admission of troop dispatch to Russia
Others

Why acting President Han Duck-soo spoke to foreign media amid election buzz

As Korea's political scene heats up ahead of the presidential election, an unexpected spotlight has fallen on foreign media. Acting President Han Duck-soo further fueled speculation over his potential candidacy with an interview in the Financial Times (FT), published on April 20. In the interview, Han responded to a question about his presidential ambitions by saying he had "not yet" made a decision, and when pushed on whether he was considering a bid, he said: "No comment." In politics, a "no comment" is often interpreted as a "yes." Following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, some figures within the People Power Party and the broader conservative camp have actively encouraged Han to run. According to insiders, Han is expected to announce his decision soon. Ultimately, he chose to hint at his position for the first time not through domestic media but through a foreign outlet. The choice raises questions. Why did Han choose to speak to foreign media? It is unlikely that his background as a former ambassador to the United States and economic affairs official simply made h

Apr 28, 2025By KTimes
Why acting President Han Duck-soo spoke to foreign media amid election buzz
North Korea

N. Korea 'admitted to criminal acts' by confirming troop dispatch to Russia: Seoul

South Korea's defense ministry criticized North Korea for its first-ever confirmation of troop deployment in support of Russia's war against Ukraine, saying the North admitted to its own criminal acts with such an announcement. Earlier in the day, North Korea confirmed that it has dispatched troops to Russia under "the order" of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in accordance with Pyongyang's mutual defense treaty with Moscow, claiming the North's soldiers helped Russia regain control of Kursk. "North Korean troops engaging in the Ukraine war is an illegitimate act that clearly violates the U.N. Charter and Security Council resolutions," ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou told a regular press briefing. "By officially acknowledging it, (the North) has admitted to its own criminal acts." Jeon also called the North's description of the troop deployment as being aligned with the spirit of international treaties a "deception." In a statement released earlier in the day, the North's Central Military Commission said the military activities of North Korean troops to Russia "fully conform to the sp

Apr 28, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea 'admitted to criminal acts' by confirming troop dispatch to Russia: Seoul
Foreign Affairs

Acting president says S. Korea-US issues can be solved in 'non-conflicting way': The Economist

Acting President Han Duck-soo has said South Korea's trade and security issues with the United States can be solved in a "rather non-conflicting way," according to British newspaper The Economist. In an interview with the outlet last week, Han spoke about the "one-stop shop" negotiations U.S. President Donald Trump has pursued with South Korea to simultaneously address trade and security issues. "Through co-operative negotiations with the United States, we will be able to find some win-win solutions," Han was quoted as saying in the interview, in an article published Sunday. He added that South Korea is sure that any problems can be solved in a "rather non-conflicting way." On trade, Han said Trump's tariffs on car and steel imports have been "very painful." He also said the announcement — then 90-day suspension — of 25 percent "reciprocal" tariffs on South Korea was "shock therapy." Han discussed possible cooperation with the U.S. in constructing a gas pipeline in Alaska and reviving the country's shipbuilding industry, telling the outlet the U.S. "should change" its legal framework

Apr 28, 2025By Yonhap
Acting president says S. Korea-US issues can be solved in 'non-conflicting way': The Economist
North Korea

N. Korea, others have 'perpetuated' Russia-Ukraine war: US State Dept.

North Korea and other third countries have "perpetuated" the Russia-Ukraine war and "bear responsibility," a State Department spokesperson said Sunday, hours after Pyongyang acknowledged its troop deployment to Russia for the first time. The spokesperson also repeated calls for Pyongyang to stop its troop deployment and Russia to end any support to the North. "Third countries, like the DPRK, that have perpetuated the Russia-Ukraine war, bear responsibility," the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We continue to be concerned by the DPRK's direct involvement in the war. The DPRK's military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to the DPRK in return must end," the official added. The spokesperson also pointed out that Russia's training of North Korean soldiers violates multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, which collectively impose a broad prohibition on providing or receiving military training or assistance to or from the DPRK.

Apr 28, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea, others have 'perpetuated' Russia-Ukraine war: US State Dept.
Foreign Affairs

Dutch veteran of Korean War to be laid to rest in Korea

A late Dutch veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War will be laid to rest in the southeastern city of Busan this week, Korea's veterans ministry said Monday. The remains of Johannes Horstman will arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Tuesday ahead of a burial ceremony set to take place at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the following day, according to the ministry. The private first class was dispatched to Korea as part of the Netherlands' Van Heutsz Regiment in 1952 at the age of 21. He later visited Korea in 2015 as part of a program for Korean War veterans and expressed his intent to be buried at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery two years later in a letter to the Dutch ambassador to Korea and the Korean ambassador to the Netherlands. Horstman passed away in July last year. The Netherlands is among the 22 countries that sent troops or other forms of support to back Korea during and right after the three-year conflict, which ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty. More than 5,000 Dutch troops were deployed during the war, with 124 being

Apr 28, 2025By Yonhap
Dutch veteran of Korean War to be laid to rest in Korea
North Korea

N. Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia: KCNA

North Korea on Monday confirmed for the first time that it has deployed troops to support Russia in Moscow's war against Ukraine under their mutual defense treaty. The North's deployment was made by "the order" of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in accordance with Pyongyang's mutual defense treaty with Moscow, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Citing the North's Central Military Commission, the KCNA reported the first confirmation of troop deployment to Russia, months after thousands of North Korean troops were sent to Russia for combat in the front-line region of Kursk. "The operations for liberating the Kursk area to repel the adventurous invasion of the Russian Federation by the Ukrainian authorities were victoriously concluded," the KCNA said, adding that the subunits of the national armed forces participated in the operations "according to the order of the country's head of state," Kim Jong-un. After concluding that the situation met the conditions for invoking the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia, Kim "decided our armed forces' participat

Apr 28, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia: KCNA
Foreign Affairs

KGCCI celebrates 4th graduation of Ausbildung vocational program

The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) held its 2025 Ausbildung graduation ceremony in Seoul Thursday. The Ausbildung program, introduced to Korea by the KGCCI, is a dual vocational education system from Germany. Participants undergo a 36-month course combining 70 percent on-the-job training at companies and 30 percent academic study at universities. Upon completion, they receive an associate degree along with a certificate. The ceremony began with congratulatory remarks from the German Ambassador to Korea Georg Schmidt. “Ausbildung is more than just a vocational training program; it is a bridge connecting tradition and innovation, Germany and Korea and future talent with industry leaders," Schmidt said. "Graduates today will become key players in various industries, including the future mobility sector." A total of 58 trainees received Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) certifications during the ceremony, which also looked back on their three-year journey. Trainers offered congratulatory messages to the graduates and awards were presente

Apr 27, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
KGCCI celebrates 4th graduation of Ausbildung vocational program
North Korea

Close aide to North Korean leader reappears after 2-month absence

Jo Yong-won, a North Korean party secretary considered a close aide to leader Kim Jong-un, has reappeared in public after a two-month absence, a state media photo showed Sunday. The photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed Jo, along with other officials, attending a trade show for regional factories in Pyongyang from Tuesday to Saturday, marking his reappearance in state media. Jo was last seen in state media Feb. 28 while attending groundbreaking ceremonies for regional industrial factories. His prolonged absence had raised speculation about a possible purge. South Korea's unification ministry, which is in charge of inter-Korean affairs, said last week it was keeping close tabs on possible changes to his status. Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said that Jo's two-month absence suggests that he may have undergone "revolutionary" education, possibly for disciplinary purposes.

Apr 27, 2025By Yonhap
Close aide to North Korean leader reappears after 2-month absence
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