Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | Relations between Uzbekistan and the United States of America have reached a new level in recent years. Today, this cooperation encompasses strategic areas such as transport and logistics, aviation, infrastructure, digital technologies, financial services, industrial cooperation, and the development of international transport corridors. As a nation located in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan places special emphasis on accessing international markets, expanding its export geography, and actively integrating into global supply chains. From this standpoint, m
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | According to the Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research 2026 report published by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Central Asia was the world's fastest-growing tourism region in 2025. WTTC conducts its annual research by dividing the world into 13 major regions. Based on the 2025 results, Central Asia ranked first globally across several key tourism performance indicators. Uzbekistan emerged as the regional leader, recording the strongest performance among the Central Asian countries across all of these indicators. According to the report, t
Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon Young | Ambassador Shafiq Rachai of the Kingdom of Morocco in Seoul said, "The Royal Throne is the cornerstone that has sustained the Moroccan nation for a long time and is the most important national symbol that unites the royal family and the people.” Speaking at a gala reception hosted by the Embassy of Morocco in Seoul at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel on July 30, 2026, Ambassador Rachai then added, "Today, we are celebrating not only the 27th anniversary of His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s accession but also the national development and reforms achieved under t
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea paid a state visit to Brazil from 26 to 29 July 2026 at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, reciprocating Lula's visit to Korea in February of this year. Lee was accompanied by ministers, senior officials and a large delegation of business executives, in a visit that both leaders described as reflecting positive momentum in bilateral relations built through five meetings over just over a year. The visit followed the historic elevation of Korea-Brazil relations to a Strategic Partnersh
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | South Korea's Government Representative for Overseas Citizen Protection and Consular Affairs, Lim Sang-woo, held the fourth Korea-Uzbekistan Consular Consultation with Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister Abdullaev Olimjon in Tashkent on the morning of 3 August, marking the first such meeting between the two countries in roughly 12 years. The talks covered a broad range of consular issues, including improving conditions for the entry, exit and residence of Korean nationals in Uzbekistan, and the protection of Korean citizens residing in the country. Previous rounds of
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | South Korea's First Vice Minister of Science and ICT, Koo Hyuk-chae, met with Kazakh Ambassador to Korea Asset Issenali on 4 August at the Government Complex Sejong to discuss science and technology cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on combining their respective strengths in resources and technical talent. Both sides welcomed the upcoming first Korea-Central Asia Summit, scheduled to take place in Seoul in September, and emphasized the potential for expanded science and technology cooperation ahead of the meeting. Officials noted that Kazakhst
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | Mme. Michelle Steel, newly appointed U.S. ambassador to South Korea, has assumed her post, ending a year-and-a-half vacancy. She is the second Korean-American to hold the position following former Ambassador Sung Kim and the first Korean-American woman to perform the work. Attention is now focused on whether this will help solve the pending bilateral issues between Seoul and Washington. Ambassador Mme. Steel said: "I respectfully greet the people of Korea. Although I was born in Seoul, I stand here representing the United States." Then she emphasized, "The Repu
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | Cultural cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United States has expanded steadily over the past decade, becoming an increasingly significant dimension of bilateral relations alongside economic and political ties, according to Uzbek officials and cultural institutions. Uzbekistan's president has designated cultural diplomacy as one of the country's key foreign policy instruments, a shift that has broadened Tashkent's engagement with international partners, including the United States, in areas ranging from music and education to heritage preservation. Musical
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | South Korean President Lee Jae-myung began a two-day official visit to Chile on 29 July (local time), opening his trip with a meeting with the Korean community in Santiago. The visit marks the first trip to Chile by a sitting South Korean president in 11 years and is expected to advance relations with a country that was South Korea's first free trade agreement partner. The community meeting brought together around 100 representatives of Korean expatriate organizations in Chile, including the Korean Association in Chile, a senior citizens' association, and a res
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | The Embassy of Peru in the Republic of Korea hosted an official reception on 28 July 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul to mark the 205th anniversary of Peru's independence, drawing approximately 350 guests including senior Korean government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of international organizations, and figures from the business, academic and media sectors. Won Chong-dae, Deputy Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea, delivered congratulatory remarks at the event, reaffirming the shared commitment of Peru and Ko
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | The 29th World Peace Art Exhibition, a representative international cultural and arts event of Korea, was successfully held on July 29 at the Korea Art Museum in Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. This event was organized by the World Peace Art Exhibition Organizing Committee and Diplomatic Journal, co-hosted by the World Peace Art Exhibition Steering Committee and the Damhwa Cultural Foundation, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Gyeonggi Province, the Federation of Korean Arts and Culture Organizations (
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | Alamut Castle and its associated fortifications have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Iranian officials announced, following a decision reached at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea. The designation marks Iran's 30th tangible cultural heritage property to receive UNESCO recognition and brings renewed international attention to a historic mountain landscape that remains relatively unfamiliar to many outside Iran. The inscribed property is not a single structure but a serial cultural site comprising
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | The upcoming state visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kyrgyzstan on 30-31 July is set to mark a new stage in bilateral relations that have shifted markedly in recent years, moving from long-standing border disputes to what officials describe as a comprehensive strategic partnership. Only a few years ago, much of the bilateral agenda between the two Central Asian neighbors centered on unresolved border demarcation, checkpoint operations and efforts to rebuild mutual trust. Sustained political dialogue has since allowed both sides to resolve outstandi
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to San Francisco served as the stage for ‘AI sales diplomacy’ aimed at propelling South Korea into a key nation in the global artificial intelligence industry. Starting with CEO Dario Amodei of Anthropic, President Lee met with CEO Sam Altman of OpenAI, CEO Jensen Huang of NVIDIA and CEO Hock Tan of Broadcom to discuss cooperation plans encompassing semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI. Combining Korea’s strength with global technology: During his meeting with CEO Amodei, President Lee Jae-Myung emphasized, “Korea is
Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | The Gabala International Festival of Music & Art 2026 is set to open in the historic city of Gabala, Republic of Azerbaijan, from July 29 to August 3, bringing together hundreds of artists from numerous countries for one of the region's most celebrated annual cultural events. Now a firmly established fixture in the South Caucasus cultural calendar, the festival has built a reputation as a meeting point for artists, collectors, cultural patrons, and dignitaries united by a shared passion for music and the visual arts. Each year, the event draws thousands of