Sao Paulo to adopt Korean as second foreign language subject

SEOUL, May 21 (AJU PRESS) - Sao Paulo, the most populous city in Brazil, will adopt Korean as a second foreign language for elementary, middle and high school students, the Korean Education Institute in Sao Paulo (KEISP) said Tuesday. The language institute signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday (local time) with Sao Paulo's education department and the Korean Consulate General to incorporate Korean language education into the regular school curriculum in the city. Kor

May 21, 2024

Korean Council on Latin America pledges support for opening of Cuban Embassy in Seoul

SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) – Han Byung-kil, chairman of the Korean Council on Latin America and the Caribbean (KCLAC), has pledged support for an early opening of the Cuban Embassy in Seoul during his meeting with a visiting senior Cuban diplomat. Han met with Mario Alzugaray Rodriguez, deputy head of mission of the Cuban Embassy in China, in Seoul on Thursday, and discussed measures to promote cooperation between the two countries, the non-profit organization said. Alzugara

May 20, 2024

Korea toughens stance against Japanese pressure on Naver

SEOUL, May 14 (AJU PRESS) - The Korean government on Tuesday hardened its rhetoric against Tokyo's pressure on the top internet portal Naver to sell down its stake in the operator of Japan's popular chat app Line. Sung Tae-yoon, director of national policy at the presidential office, said Japan should not take unfair measures on Naver while promising full support for the company in the escalating dispute. Following a massive data breach from Line late last year, Japanes

May 14, 2024

Some uncomfortable with Yoon's 'The BUCK STOPS here' plaque

SEOUL, May 09 (AJU PRESS) - A detail that captured particular attention during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s nationally televised address to the nation on Thursday was a plaque displayed on his desk. Yoon, dressed in a black suit and red tie, spoke from behind a desk adorned with a plaque inscribed with the words "The BUCK STOPS here." The well-known motto was used by Harry S. Truman, who served as the U.S. president from 1945 to 1953. Truman famously kept a plaque wi

May 9, 2024

Commemorative event explores Tagore's legacy in Korea

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - An event celebrating the birthday of Indian philosopher and poet Rabindranath Tagore took place on Korea's picturesque Nami Island near Chuncheon, Gangwon Province on Friday. This year marks the 163rd birth anniversary of Tagore, born in 1861, who became the first non-European Nobel laureate in literature in 1913. Hosted by Nami Island Arts & Education in collaboration with Indian and Bangladesh embassies, the event started with an opening ce

May 3, 2024

'Trump factor' weighs on defense cost talks

SEOUL, May 01 (AJU PRESS) - Donald Trump, if he wins a second U.S. presidency, has implied the possibility of withdrawing U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula unless South Korea contributes more for their upkeep. In an interview with TIME Magazine released on Tuesday, the Republican presidential candidate who eyes another presidency referred to South Korea as a "very wealthy country." He told the magazine, "We have 40,000 troops that are in a precarious position. Wh

May 1, 2024

Russia pushes back against cancellations of ballet shows in Seoul

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) – Russia has criticized South Korea over the recent cancellations of Russian ballet performances in Seoul amid Moscow's ongoing war against Ukraine. Last week, a Bolshoi Ballet show scheduled for April 16-18 was called off one day before the opening. In March, the performance by Russian star ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, scheduled for April 17-21, was abruptly scrapped at the last minute. In an Instagram post on Friday (local time), the Russ

April 22, 2024

Paraguay to adopt Korean as second foreign language subject

SEOUL, April 19 (AJU PRESS) – Paraguay will adopt Korean as a second foreign language for middle and high school students starting in August, Seoul officials said Friday. The education ministries of Korea and Paraguay have recently signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in providing Korean education in the South American country. Under the agreement, Paraguay will include Korean as a regular second foreign language option that can be taught in secondary-level

April 19, 2024

Yoon apologizes over ruling party's election defeat

SEOUL, April 16 (AJU PRESS) – President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized Tuesday for his failure to uphold the will of the people, which he blamed for the ruling party's crushing defeat in last week's parliamentary elections. The ruling People Power Party was routed in the April 10 elections, securing only 108 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, compared to the opposition Democratic Party's 175. "I am sorry as the president for not properly considering and

April 16, 2024

Yoon to face big hurdle after election defeat

SEOUL, April 11 (AJU PRESS) - The main opposition Democratic Party won a landslide victory in Wednesday's general elections, beating the ruling People Power Party. The DP swept 175 out of 254 seats up for grabs, which is expected to boost its number to nearly 200 in the 300-seat National Assembly when combined with proportional seats won by its affiliated party and other splinter groups, giving it comfortable majority. Out of the 122 constituencies in the Seoul metropolitan area

April 11, 2024