British diplomat to highlight interconnectivity, climate change at TEDx Seoul
Speaking with The Korea Herald ahead of the event, Weir, who serves as deputy ambassador at the British Embassy in Seoul, underscored the value of TEDx for dialogue, breaking silos and engaging citizens.
'We've partnered with TEDx a couple of times now,' said Weir. 'We did some work on climate change, including hosting events at the residence. For us, TEDx's motto — 'Ideas worth sharing' — says it all. That's why we engage: to share ideas.'
Weir, a career diplomat, sees TEDx as aligning closely with the values of diplomacy.
'Diplomacy is fundamentally about dialogue,' he explained.
'TEDx creates a space for that dialogue in a safe environment. We hope it helps people build bridges and understand different viewpoints.'
Underlining Korea's rapid development, Weir acknowledged the country's remarkable achievements but noted that future success hinges on adaptability.
'The miracle on the Han is extraordinary,' he said. 'But the next evolution — navigating climate, technology, global markets — is incredibly complex. Countries that succeed will be those that learn from others, engage widely, and embrace new ideas.'
Weir pointed out that TEDx helps societies connect not only within but also across borders.
'It gives Koreans a platform to share their transformation and learn from global experiences. Many people around the world want to learn from Korea — and vice versa,' he said.
Weir highlighted the UK Embassy's partnership with TEDx as a way to connect climate action and human rights through meaningful dialogue, emphasizing shared narratives and collaboration on issues like North Korea, energy transition and human rights.
In his TEDx talk, titled 'Crossover,' Weir will highlight global interconnectivity and shared responsibility, urging people to act as engaged global citizens. Using everyday examples like smartphones, he will show how deeply interconnected the world is and call for bridge-building instead of polarization. He stresses that diplomacy and TEDx both thrive on ideas that inspire meaningful change.
David Choo, curator of TEDxSeoul, described the event as a civic platform that amplifies underrepresented voices — youth, people with disabilities, climate activists and North Korean defectors.
Choo highlighted plans with the British Embassy for cross-cultural events in literature, film and environmental storytelling.
'It's about sharing our lives and learning from each other through authentic storytelling,' added Choo.
sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Rubio scraps plan for 1st trip to Korea in early July: Seoul
Top US diplomat Marco Rubio has called off what would have been his first visit to Seoul since taking office, which had been scheduled for early July, according to Seoul. Rubio, who serves both as US Secretary of State and acting White House National Security Advisor, had originally planned to travel to South Korea in the second week of July, prior to the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings set for July 10–11 in Malaysia. Rubio had planned to travel to South Korea after a stop in Japan, according to diplomatic sources in Seoul. 'Korea and the United States had been discussing the possibility of Secretary Rubio visiting Seoul. However, due to internal circumstances in the US, his visit to Korea appears unlikely to take place for the foreseeable future,' the presidential office said. 'Korea and the US plan to continue consultations on exchanges of high-level officials.' A Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity that the South Korean and US sides have "sufficient communications" over the rationale behind the cancellation of Rubio's trip to Seoul. The US asked the South Korean government for its understanding, explaining that Rubio's visit would be difficult to carry out due to pressing developments in the Middle East, The Korea Herald learned. The decision appears to have been influenced by a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on July 7, where the two leaders are expected to discuss a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as other regional issues. The Korea Herald learned that Seoul views it as unfeasible for Rubio to visit Seoul after the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings. Had his first visit to Seoul proceeded, Rubio was expected to engage in discussions related to a prospective South Korea–US summit, which Seoul is aiming to hold from late July to early August in the US. Given that confirmation hearings for Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun have not yet been completed, Rubio was expected to meet with South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, whom he previously met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague on June 25. Due to the confirmation process, South Korea will dispatch First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo to the ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meetings, including the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting. This marks the first time that a South Korean foreign minister will have skipped such events.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Korean universities ramp up global recruitment as US tightens visa
As the United States tightens its grip on foreign students through stricter visa screenings and anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies, South Korean universities are moving swiftly to attract top global students left in the lurch. Yonsei University said Thursday it established a new transfer system to accept international undergraduates year-round. It will implement a continuous undergraduate transfer admissions process for foreign nationals and overseas Koreans beginning in the first semester of 2026. The move is designed to allow students — particularly those forced to pause their US studies due to sudden visa or legal complications — to continue their academic careers in Korea without interruption. Unlike the traditional transfer process that opens only once a year in December, the new system allows second- and third-year students to apply and enroll throughout the year. Yonsei University is also working on arrangements with top American universities to allow students to temporarily study in Seoul while receiving credits toward their home institution's degree. The university is in advanced talks with at least one Ivy League institution regarding such agreements, according to the school official. Academic requirements will include document screening, essay writing, subject-specific exams, and interviews, mirroring traditional transfer exams, but with open enrollment throughout the year. The university is also considering setting tuition fees at levels comparable to US university programs. 'Having more students from top US institutions will not only enhance Yonsei's competitiveness but also elevate its standing in global university rankings,' a Yonsei official said. This institutional shift comes as global competition for American-educated graduates intensifies. The European Union has launched a 500 million-euro ($590 million) initiative to attract researchers, while France and Australia have introduced new hiring tracks and funding programs for US-based scholars. Seoul National University has also unveiled a set of measures aimed at capturing international talent. The school recently expanded eligibility for its international joint research support program, which previously served only graduate students under the Brain Korea 21 education initiative. Starting later this year, all SNU graduate students will be able to apply for funding to participate in overseas collaborative research, which covers expenses such as travel and living costs. The university has also been running a new fellowship program since March to recruit international postdoctoral researchers. Officials expect these programs to become a magnet for high-performing students and researchers exiting the US due to restrictive immigration policies. Korea University, meanwhile, is revamping its faculty recruitment strategy to draw in more accomplished foreign scholars. From the 2026 academic year, the school will introduce a "research-focused professor" track. Under this initiative, non-tenured faculty members, including international scholars, will receive increased incentives based on research output, particularly publications. Korea University finalized the necessary academic regulation changes on July 1. 'We plan to actively recruit researchers from elite institutions like Harvard to enhance our global research competitiveness,' a university official said. Beyond the traditional universities, Korea's top science and technology schools are also capitalizing on the shifting academic landscape. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology plans to hire 200 international postdoctoral researchers specializing in artificial intelligence. KAIST has sent recruitment teams to major US cities, including New York, Silicon Valley and Boston, offering up to 90 million won in research funding per person.
![[Wang Son-taek] Why do we need the Ministry of Unification?](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F07%2F02%2Fnews-p.v1.20250702.3383afb914ed4d82ab6d465fa6591ab4_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
[Wang Son-taek] Why do we need the Ministry of Unification?
Few policy debates in recent memory have struck such a sensitive nerve as the question now emerging in South Korean political discourse: Should the Ministry of Unification be renamed? The idea, once considered fringe, is now circulating more seriously in the early stages of the Lee Jae Myung administration. Supporters argue that the word 'Unification' has lost relevance in today's geopolitical climate and that a more pragmatic label is needed. But for many Koreans, including myself, this is not simply a matter of nomenclature. It is about who we are as a people, what we have endured and what we still dream of becoming. The debate is emotional because it touches something deep in our collective consciousness: the pain of division, the hope of reunification and the identity of a nation that has, for centuries, understood itself as one people sharing one destiny. To casually rename a ministry that bears the title 'Unification' feels like giving up. In times of growing cynicism, it is tempting to cast off symbols and slogans as empty. But not all names are mere words. Some carry the weight of generations. Some bear witness to wounds still unhealed. I am clearly opposed to the renaming. My opposition is based on six interlocking reasons — constitutional, historical, diplomatic, strategic, political and, above all, human. First, such a move would run directly counter to the spirit and text of the Constitution, which mentions unification seven times as a national objective. Article 4, in particular, states that "The Republic of Korea shall seek unification and shall formulate and carry out a policy of peaceful unification based on the principles of freedom and democracy." Erasing the name "Unification" from a core ministry would not only weaken institutional memory but could also be construed as an abandonment of this constitutional mandate. It would be akin to erasing a promise etched into the founding law of the republic. Second, the name is not just a legal obligation — it reflects a historical yearning that has defined the Korean people for more than a millennium. Since the unification of the Three Kingdoms under Silla and the reunification of the Later Three Kingdoms by Goryeo, Korea has known itself as a singular entity. The division of the peninsula for 80 years is a wound still fresh when measured against over 1,100 years of unity. Some argue that division fatigue is understandable and that the younger generation lacks an emotional connection to the North. However, historical responsibility should not diminish with time. The Ministry of Unification represents the hope, grief, and sacrifice of generations who believed that someday, the divided land and people would be reunited. To rename it would be to dishonor that belief — and those who carried it through more challenging times than these. Third, we must never forget that Korea's division was not born of domestic will but imposed through foreign calculation. In 1945, Korea emerged from decades of Japanese colonial rule only to be divided by an arbitrary separation agreed upon by the United States and the Soviet Union. Korean voices were excluded from the process; national sovereignty was sacrificed for Cold War convenience. While we lacked the power to resist then, we possess it now. South Korea is a global economic and cultural power. To surrender our claim to unification now would be to legitimize a historical injustice — and to signal that sovereign rights can be obliterated if the world waits long enough. That message would not only betray our past but also imperil our future. Fourth, changing the name could send a damaging message to the international community. South and North Korea are recognized as separate entities by the United Nations. Should a crisis occur in the North, it might not be assumed that the South has any natural claim to leadership unless we have demonstrated, consistently and openly, that peaceful unification is a core interest. If the Ministry of Unification were to disappear, that message would become muddled. Our diplomatic position weakens. Other global powers, including the permanent members of the UN Security Council, may assert control, sidelining South Korea from its national destiny. Maintaining the name is a form of diplomatic signaling. To remove it would be an unforced error with high strategic costs. Fifth, renaming the ministry will not ease tensions with North Korea. Chairman Kim Jong-un's grudge toward the South is not rooted in semantics. It is rooted in frustration that it is impossible for the North to catch up with the South and to unite the two Koreas under his authoritarian leadership. Renaming the ministry will not change that reality. If anything, it emboldens Pyongyang by suggesting that South Korea's commitment to reunification is fading. We must instead show that our door remains open — not because we are weak, but because we are patient and principled. Keeping the Ministry of Unification is part of that message. Finally, on the domestic front, renaming the ministry would only inflame political divisions and complicate the administration's early governance. Conservative factions have long accused progressive leaders of being soft on North Korea. Renaming the Ministry of Unification would play directly into these narratives, providing ammunition to political opponents. South Korea has urgent work to do — restoring economic dynamism, investing in innovation, strengthening national security and enhancing global competitiveness. We do not need an unproductive controversy that will consume political assets. Practical governance demands focus, not distractions. This is not merely about preserving a name; it is about maintaining a national aspiration and the moral compass that keeps it alive. The Ministry of Unification stands as a testament to the unfinished work of healing a divided people. Its name is a promise to those who still believe that we can become family members again, especially those who still wait for a knock from a long-lost sibling across the DMZ. We simply must not give up on that promise. Wang Son-taek is an adjunct professor at Sogang University. He is a former diplomatic correspondent at YTN and a former research associate at Yeosijae. The views expressed here are the writer's own. — Ed.
