The 29th World Peace Art Exhibition slated to open grandly

At Myongji University in Seoul in August 2026

Diplomacy Journal Lee Sung Jun | --“Painting World Peace through Art” which is expected to be participated by artists from over 50 different countries of the world. --Prestigious Awards attract attention, Including the National Assembly Speaker’s Award, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award, and the Mayor of Seoul Award. The 29th World Peace Art Exhibition, where artists from many countries of the world gather to share the value of “Peace Spoken through Art,” will be held grandly in Seoul this coming August 2026. According to the World Peace Art Exhibition Organizing Committee (led by Chairman Lee Jon-young), submissions for the competition will be accepted from June 25 to 30, 2026, and the exhibition will be held from August 23 to 29 at the MCC Koinonia Hall on the first floor of Myongji University in Seoul. The prize-awarding ceremony will take place on August 25 at the Grand Auditorium on the first floor of Myongji University. Marking its 29th anniversary this year, the World Peace Art Exhibition has established itself as an international platform for human peace and cultural and artistic exchange, going beyond a mere art contest. In particular, it is recognized as a meaningful event where artists from all parts of the world communicate through art, transcending borders and languages to convey a message of peace. The Organizing Committee expects artists from over 50 countries to participate in this year's competition and anticipates that it will serve as an opportunity to further broaden the scope of international cultural and artistic exchange. Chairman Lee Jon-young of the Organizing Committee stated: "Art is the most beautiful language that unites humanity across borders. This World Peace Art Exhibition will be a meaningful stage where diverse global cultures and sensibilities meet as one under the name of 'peace.'" Participation in this competition is open to artists of all nationalities aged 18 and older. The entry categories consist of Korean painting, K-Folk painting, Western painting, K-Graphy, Literary painting, photography, crafts, wood carving, textile art, digital art, and AI painting. Each participant may submit up to five entries. Outstanding works selected through the judging process will be awarded prestigious prizes of the highest caliber in Korea. Major awards include: Speaker of the National Assembly Award; Vice Speaker of the National Assembly Award; Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award; Mayor of Seoul Award; President of the Federation of Korean Artists Associations Award; Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Award; Governor of Gyeonggi Province Award; Chairman of the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee Award; Diplomat in Korea Award; Oche Award; Samche Award; UN Journal Award; K-Culture Foundation Award; World Culture Foundation Award; Grand Prize, Excellence Award; Special Selection; and Honorable Mention. An official from the World Peace Art Exhibition stated: “Art has the power to create harmony beyond conflict and convey emotion beyond language. We hope this event will become a global cultural festival where the creative passion of artists from around the world and messages for peace come together.” Meanwhile, detailed submission guidelines and application procedures can be found on the official website of the World Peace Art Exhibition. The 29th World Peace Art Exhibition will be held at Myongji University in Seoul in August 2026. It is scheduled to unfold as an international cultural and artistic festival where artists from over 30 countries participate to “speak of peace through art.”

An exclusive report, a witness turned into a suspect

--A full story about the 'Legal Trap' on the Woongjin Freedlife case designed to cover up an ‘organizational corruption’ --Complaint filed on Dec. 30, 2025. The real motive is a strategem to make the representative of the victimized partner company 'an accomplice’ --Suspicions of concealing management’s abuse of power through a ‘breach of trust and bribery’ frame and disguising the victim as a bribe giver --Virtual accounts and database leaks missing from the complaint, which is viewed as an attempt to evade corporate legal risks? --View of the victim’s side: “We will submit all evidence to the authorities and disclose the true nature of the organized crime through judicial judgment.”

Diplomacy Journal Lee Sung Jun | Controversy is spreading as Woongjin Freedlife filed a complaint against a former executive at the Dongdaemun Police Station on December 30 of last year, asserting the stance that “the company is also a victim.” However, suspicions are being raised that this is a strategy to downplay organizational responsibility and incorporate the victimized partner company into a structure of judicial complicity. From witness to suspect. Controversy over the framing of the breach of trust and bribery Woongjin Freedlife filed a complaint against former Executive Yoo, a former managing director, on charges of breach of trust and bribery, naming CEO Lee of the victimized partner company, So Co., Ltd., as a witness. While ostensibly taking the form of detecting and addressing internal corruption, some interpret this as reflecting an intention to shift the legal focus of the case from an issue of "abuse of power and coercion" to a structure of "improper solicitation between individuals." The crime of breach of trust and bribery is structured in such a way that charges of bribery can be applied not only to the recipient but also to the provider. Consequently, concerns have been raised that the victimized partner company, who paid money in response to pressure or demands from the headquarters, could be incorporated into the structure of accomplices in future judicial proceedings. Some observers believe that this framework could undermine the credibility of the victim's testimony and operate in a way that reduces the scope of the company's organizational responsibility. Key allegations omitted from the complaint which might be viewed as possibility of systematic cover-up. According to our investigations, it has been confirmed that the complaint filed by Woongjin Freedlife does not include certain key allegations that could be directly linked to the credibility of the funeral service industry. Major excluded items include allegations of providing customer personal information databases to third parties with no contractual relationship, as well as allegations of illegal creation of virtual accounts and coercion to make payments on behalf of others. The repercussions are significant, as these matters could lead not only to violations of the Personal Information Protection Act but also to legal liability regarding the company's entire internal control system. Some analysts suggest that the company's exclusion of these details from the complaint reflects an intention to prevent legal liability from expanding to the entire organization. Furthermore, criticism is being raised that this response is a so-called "scapegoating" tactic, linking it to past issues raised during VIG Partners' operation of Freedlife, such as the illegal creation of virtual accounts, coercion to make payments on behalf of others, and the provision of personal information to third parties. Criticism of Inadequate Internal Controls Despite Claims of “Individual Misconduct” In its response to inquiries from this publication, Woongjin Freedlife maintains the stance that the incident was “a case of personal misconduct of a former executive.” However, critics point out that it is difficult to view this as a mere individual misconduct, given that the financial and auditing systems--which should have monitored and controlled the situation--failed to function properly while a single former executive engaged in long-term acts such as manipulating performance figures, creating virtual accounts, providing personal information to third parties, and coercing payments on behalf of others, despite the company being aware of the victim’s demands for rectification and related allegations in advance. In particular, the fact that some current employees, who are mentioned as being involved in the allegations, continue to work at headquarters is cited as a factor that lends weight to the possibility of organized intervention. Furthermore, regarding the company’s statement that it would “pursue legal liability for defamation and the dissemination of false information” in response to related reports and objections, some interpret this as actually exposing the weakness of its logic in handling the incident. Victim's Side: "Relevant Materials to be Submitted to Authorities" It has been reported that the representative of CEO Lee of the victimized partner company plans to submit materials recently secured to the relevant authorities. The materials scheduled for submission are said to include transcripts containing evidence of instructions to make payments via virtual accounts on behalf of others, as well as evidence of involvement by internal working-level staff. CEO Lee's side claims that "large corporations are framing the victims as accomplices in the process of downplaying their organizational responsibility," and maintains that they intend to reveal through future judicial proceedings that the essence of the case was not individual misconduct but organizational corruption. With current Department Head Oh and Section Chief Gong, who show clear indications of deep involvement in the corruption, still working at the headquarters, attention is focused on the judgment of the investigative authorities as the victims begin their empirical counterattack. It is a critical time requiring a thorough investigation to restore transparency in the mutual aid industry and to see whether the "breach of trust frame" designed by Woongjin Freedlife will crumble under the judgment of the judiciary. Industry insiders and outsiders are watching closely to see if the investigation will expand beyond the misconduct of specific individuals to include corporate internal control systems and organizational responsibility.

The President of Kazakhstan signed the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Special Legal Regime of Alatau City”

Diplomacy Journal Lee Sung Jun | On May 8, 2026, President of Kazakhstan Tokayev signed the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the Special Legal Regime of the City of Alatau." The primary objective of the law is to create favorable conditions for the accelerated and sustainable development of Alatau city. This unique legal status represents a fundamentally new approach to forming an independent ecosystem for innovation, investment, and economic growth within the city. The Constitutional Law also introduces a new model of state administration for Alatau city and establishes fundamental approaches to regulating entrepreneurship, customs affairs, digital assets, gaming activities, the social sphere, the financial market, architecture and urban planning, ecology and environmental protection, culture, sports, and other areas. The legal status of “Alatau Resident” has been established and will be granted by the City Administration to individuals and legal entities across several categories. These categories will determine the applicable scope of the special regime, as well as the corresponding rights, obligations, and compliance requirements. The long-term investment and technological development of the city will be ensured on the basis of strategic documents, including the long-term development plan, the master plan, and the development strategy of Alatau City. To ensure the security, efficient functioning, and development of Alatau City as a “Smart City,” all data related to infrastructure facilities and public safety systems will be integrated into a unified urban digital platform for city space management. The Constitutional Law also regulates the investment climate and guarantees for investors, fiscal and tax policy, urban design, and land relations. The development project for the city of Alatau was previously showcased at the "Alatau Rise with Kazakhstan" roadshow held in Seoul (South Korea) in October 2025. The event aimed to present the new Alatau city project to Korean businesses and investors. The delegation was led by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kanat Bozumbayev. The 88,000-hectare smart city project in the Almaty region is designed to become a new industrial and innovation hub. Investors are offered tax preferences and partnership opportunities in the fields of AI and high technology.