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East Asia
Impact of US election on Korea-US ties
An examination of Seoul-Washington relations turns up patterns that may be useful in assessing the impact Barack Obama or Mitt Romney will have on Korea after the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday. Neither of the candidates has indicated that they would tamper with the Korea-U.S. alliance. Both candidates, backed by…
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I shall not want
I can hear the strains of softly struck gongs and Tibetan singing bowls from within a monastery perched on a high plateau in Central Asia. The temple like structure is steeped in solemnity and the natural wood façade, at times, peeps through the clouds like a castle in a heavenly…
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‘Japan should withdraw unjust claims’
Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung-hwan showed strong commitment in dealing with the territorial and historical challenges of Japan during an interview with The Korea Times. Though more than half a century has passed since its brutal colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula (1910-1945), Japan has yet to fully…
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East Asia
Gangnam jockeying for center of ‘hallyu’ tourism
A street in southern Seoul will be transformed into the center of “hallyu,” with facilities to be set up to promote Korean Wave stars and provide fans with more chances to experience Korea’s pop culture. Officials of the Gangnam-gu Office said Thursday the southern Seoul district will form a “Hallyu…
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East Asia
Itaewon to recognize ‘food street’
Itaewon, a tourist district in central Seoul, will have a street dedicated to foods from all around the world. The Yongsan District Office governing the special tourist zone said Thursday it will designate the area behind the Hamilton Hotel as a world food culture street. The envisaged designation, pending administrative…
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East Asia
Korea seeks US-China dialogue
New trilateral format comes at Japan’s cost Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said that China will be a new key partner in maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula alongside the United States, adding the launch of Seoul-Washington-Beijing trilateral talks was urgent. “South Korea, the United States and China are now…
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East Asia
Canadian boarding school opens on Jeju
Branksome Hall Asia (BHA) will play a key role in cultivating successful young female leaders, said the principal of the prestigious Canadian girls’ school’s first overseas campus on Jeju Island. “We will inspire students to find their own remarkable talents, empower them to make their dreams become realities, and compel…
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East Asia
‘Templestay is a cultural movement’
Monastic immersion makes contribution to social integration Some people join the templestay program to fight illness while others visit the Buddhist sanctuaries to spend more meaningful time or savor healthy temple foods. The reasons vary, but there is one common denominator for the participants ― peace of mind. “The templestay program is…
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East Asia
Taiwan acts to mitigate climate change
Mitigating climate change has a direct bearing on humankind’s survival and therefore poses a pressing challenge that the global community must face together. Consequently, despite Taiwan’s special status in international politics and its exclusion from the United Nations Framework C onvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the government has still endeavored…
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East Asia
Security Council carousel
UNITED NATIONS ― It’s the annual diplomatic ritual when the 193-member U.N. General Assembly elects five of its members to serve for two-year stints on the powerful Security Council. As can be imagined, the competition is intense to gain real political power and the global limelight on the 15-member Council.…
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