[Contribution] Central Asia, on threshold of a new era

By Shavkat Mirziyoyev President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Central Asia is entering a new, historically significant stage of its development. Today, we are moving toward genuine unity. For the first time in many years, an atmosphere of trust, good neighborliness, and mutual respect is taking shape in our region — an atmosphere that serves as a solid foundation for joint progress. This process is not spontaneous. It is the result of purposeful work and the political will of the leaders of our

Nov. 16, 2025

Philippine foreign affairs secretary says APEC vital for future ASEAN-Korea cooperation

The Philippines views Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation as a crucial platform to advance ASEAN-Korea shared prosperity, sustainability and inclusive growth, said Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro. “ASEAN is already Korea’s second-largest trading partner, and the Philippines is keen to further strengthen that link,” she said in an interview with The Korea Herald, stressing plans to boost cooperation in AI, digital transformation, green energy and high-value sectors such as

Nov. 12, 2025

Azerbaijan marks Victory Day in Seoul

The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Seoul on Nov. 6 commemorated Victory Day, marking the recapture of Shusha in 2020 and Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Karabakh War. Speaking at the ceremony, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Korea Ramin Hasanov said the 2020 outcome ended decades of contested control over Azerbaijani territories and helped create “conditions for regional peace.” The ambassador also discussed ongoing peace efforts, noting progress following President Ilham Aliyev’s 2023 visit to Washingto

Nov. 12, 2025

Vietnam eyes deeper ties with S. Korea to bolster APEC cooperation

Vietnam is deepening its regional and bilateral engagement within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, identifying South Korea as a crucial partner amid global supply chain disruptions, said Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang in a written interview with The Korea Herald. Reflecting on Vietnam’s past roles as APEC summit host in 2006 and 2017, Hang emphasized Hanoi’s ongoing “substantive contributions” to the APEC 2025 process through its active participation in ministerial meetings

Nov. 12, 2025

Sudan urges international action, condemns RSF atrocities

The Sudanese Embassy in Seoul called on the international community to act decisively to preserve Sudan’s unity and sovereignty at a press briefing on Wednesday. Intense clashes in central Sudan’s North Kordofan have displaced around 2,000 people in just three days, according to the UN migration agency, as the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues to claim tens of thousands of lives. The conflict, which began in April 2023 over a power s

Nov. 11, 2025

Kenya-Korea partnership to boost green infrastructure: principal secretary

Kenya sees South Korea as a vital partner in driving green growth, clean energy and sustainable development, said Festus K. Ng'eno, principal secretary for Kenya's State Department for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, in an interview with The Korea Herald. Ng'eno was in Seoul to attend the Global Green Growth Week — a conference hosted by the Global Green Growth Institute that brings together policymakers and experts to promote sustainable and inclusive development. Ng’eno said Korea’s

Nov. 5, 2025

Vietnamese president visits ASEAN House in Busan

Vietnamese President Luong Cuong visited ASEAN Culture House, operated by the Korea Foundation, in Busan on Saturday. The house is the only institution outside Southeast Asia promoting the cultures of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Cuong was welcomed by around 100 members of the Vietnamese community in Korea, where he met with Kim Ghee-whan, president of the Korea Foundation, and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon. During the visit, Cuong left a gift of a book on the Dong So

Nov. 4, 2025

Uzbek Embassy teams up with UN tourism agency in Busan

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul and the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities, a Busan-based agency affiliated with the United Nations, have agreed to strengthen tourism exchanges, linking the TPO member cities with Silk Road heritage destinations such as Samarkand. The agreement was signed on October 27 on the sidelines of the first-ever Global City Tourism Summit held in Busan. Uzbek Ambassador Alisher Abdusalomov said Uzbekistan and the UN agency were developing specialized cult

Nov. 4, 2025

Korea, Central Asia discuss tourism

South Korea and five Central Asian nations discussed sustainable tourism at the Global City Tourism Summit in Busan on Tuesday. The session, co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities, a Busan-based agency affiliated with the United Nations, sought to integrate Central Asia’s tourism resources with Korea’s industry expertise for a sustainable joint tourism network. In her remarks, Lee Bang-bok, deputy secretary-general of the KF Korea-Central Asia

Nov. 4, 2025

Turkmenistan promotes peace, neutrality in Seoul

The Embassy of Turkmenistan in Seoul reaffirmed its commitment to global harmony and cooperation on Monday. The embassy hosted an event promoting peace and neutrality ahead of the High-Level International Forum in Ashgabat on Dec. 12, marking key global peace and neutrality observances. Turkmenistan was declared a permanently neutral state on Dec. 12, 1995, through UN General Assembly Resolution 50/80, making Turkmenistan the only country whose neutrality is officially recognized by the UN. Acco

Nov. 3, 2025