That is why I emphasize welfare, the quality of life and a creative mind. It is time for Korea to keep up with the global trend and lead the way rather than to follow others. Korea is now one of the world’s most advanced economies and for the country to join the ranks of the top five powers, we should think differently.

In a week of ultra sporting competition between different nations, 12 of the world's greatest cities came together in a slightly different spirit to look at how they fared in the field of culture. Following a year of intensive research, the Mayor's Office launched the World Cities Culture Report 2012 at an international summit of city government and arts leaders.

APDS Blogger: Jessica Castillo

Saying that "in today's interdependent global economy, what is good for India is good for America, and vice versa," a senior US official has advocated greater state and city engagement between the two countries.

China's top economic planning body set new targets on Monday in its effort turn the city of Shanghai into a global financial hub, including a more than doubling of trading volume in financial markets and a greater openness to derivatives such as foreign-exchange products.

The move adds Shanghai to the list of major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Chengdu that advertise their attractions abroad, follow-ups to the national public diplomacy campaign that coincided with President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States in January.

The exhibition "Post-Oil City: The History of the City's Future" presents a host of innovative city planning projects in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Looking both to the past and to the future, the exhibition assembles eleven contemporary projects...