The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Tuesday that it will invite the heads of six major tourism agencies in Japan in order to promote the culture and history of the ancient Baekje Kingdom (18BC-660 AD)and attract more Japanese tourists to the southwestern part of the country.

Myanmar has been cooperating with South Korea in art and culture exchange and Gwanju is striving itself to turn into an art city by launching culture exchange, sponsoring paper reading sessions and opening of art galleries, inviting Myanmar and other Asian countries to join in exhibition.

The aid package, worth about $8.5 million, is a fraction of the more than 300,000 tons of rice and other aid South Korea used to ship to the North annually until President Lee Myung-bak took office in early 2008. But it marked the first major aid shipment to the North since the South Korean warship, the Cheonan, was sunk.

Never did I think it would be Kim Jong Il who would get me to open a Twitter account. North Korea turned me around. Who can resist Dear Leader Kim’s propaganda arm churning out crazed statements in 140 characters?

Indian Defense Minister A.K. Anthony was visiting South Korea last week at the invitation of his South Korean counterpart to boost defense cooperation between the two states. His visit comes two months after the Indian external affairs minister visited Seoul.

The Presidential Council on Nation Branding is recruiting this year’s in-house reporters to promote the country’s image on the international stage. Applications will be accepted until Sept. 16, with the positions to be announced on Sept. 20.

Yonhap News Agency reported today that South Korea on Tuesday pledged $8.4 billion to North Korea, where flash flooding in August displaced tens of thousands of people along the Korea-China border.

South Korea has made its first offer of aid to North Korea since it accused Pyongyang of sinking one of its warships in March. South Korea's Red Cross has offered 10bn won ($8.3m, £5.3m) worth of flood aid to its impoverished neighbour.