By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee President Yoon Suk-yeol accepted Letters of Credence from two resident Ambassadors-Designate and thirteen non-resident Ambassadors-Designate to the Republic of Korea at the Presidential Office on May 21, 2024. The fifteen Ambassadors-Designate are: H.E. Tanee Sangrat from the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Mizushima Koichi from Japan, H.E. Jacques Jean Luc Nyanga from the Republic of Congo, H.E. Menzie Sipho Dlamini from the Kingdom of Eswatini, H.E. Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson from Iceland, H.E. Pick Fung Chong from the Republic of Suriname, H.E. Marie Roland Alain Won
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young First Lady Kim Keon-hee attended the “Children Drawing Hope: Ukrainian Children's Art Exhibition' at the Blue House on May 21. The exhibition was initiated by Mrs. Olena Zelenska, who visited South Korea in May last year as a special envoy of the President of Ukraine, when she met with Mrs. Kim at the Yongsan Presidential Office and asked for support for the Ukrainians. Two months later, in July, Mrs. Kim was so impressed by Ukrainian children's artwork at the NATO Heads of State Spouses Program at the Lithuanian Ukraine Center that she promised to organize a
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Artist Joo Eun-young's note | Sometimes, we need a gesture to comfort us and give us delight and courage to look ahead. When I suddenly lifted my head up from my slumped position one day, the leaves hanging from the high branches against the blue sky, swaying gently, were like a vision waving to me. When we raise our hands and wave, when we raise our arms and wave, when we face each other and wave vigorously, and when we laugh together like that, the souls that have been withered by the desire that pierces each other and the conflict that spreads like a fungu
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young | President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal exchanged congratulatory letters on May 15, 2024, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Nepal. The Republic of Korea and Nepal forged diplomatic relations on May 15, 1974. In his letter, President Yoon extended his heartfelt congratulations and friendly greetings to the Prime Minister and the people of Nepal on behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of Korea in celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s foreign minister were found dead on May 20 hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, the AP reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in the Shiite theocracy, quickly named a little-known vice president as caretaker and insisted the government was in control, but the deaths marked yet another blow to a country beset by pressures at home and abroad. Related to this, the government of the Republic of Korea expressed its deepest condolences and sympathy on May 20 to the bereaved fami
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Venezuelan Olympic BMX medalist Daniel Dhers visited Korea and held a press conference at the headquarters of the Venezuelan Embassy in Seoul on May 20, 2024. Introducing that Daniel Dhers is a Venezuelan professional BMX rider and he is one of the most decorated BMX riders of all time, Charge d'Affaires a.i. Isabel Teresa Di Carlo Quero of Venezuela said, “Under President Maduro’s leadership, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has robustly continued the legacy of the revolutionary government, expanding social investments in sports infrastructure.” She said,
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The talented Kazakh violinist Aiman Mussakhajayeva put on a remarkable show in Seoul alongside the KBS Symphony Orchestra on May 10, 2024. The concert, held at Seoul Cyber University to celebrate its 25th anniversary, was a huge success among attendees. Mussakhajayeva's reputation precedes her, being recognized as one of the "2000 Outstanding Musicians of the 20th Century" by the IBC World Honor List, she was awarded the honorary title of UNESCO “Artist for Peace”. Her performance, featuring some of the most beloved classical pieces, left the audience mesmerize
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Yoon Suk-yeol met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on May 16 to strengthen the level of cooperation between the two countries, including establishing a strategic partnership. President Yoon held a summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who is on an official visit to South Korea, at the Yongsan Presidential Office earlier in the day. “It is very meaningful that we have established a strategic partnership between our two countries,” Yoon said in his remarks at the meeting, adding, “We look forward to expanding trade and investment cooper
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young On the occasion of the Buddha's birthday in 2568 (A.D. 2024), Buddhist temples across the country held ceremonies to celebrate the birth of Buddha. The Buddhist community prayed that Buddhists and people would regain peace of mind and mental health through practice and meditation, and that world peace would be realized, as the theme of this year's celebration, "Peace of Mind, Happy World," was chosen by the Buddha Day Celebration Committee. The ceremony was held at Jogye Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the headquarters of the Jogye sect, with more than 10,000 peo
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo On May 14, 2024, within the framework of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of birth of the great Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi, the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Republic of Korea held an international scientific conference and the exhibition in the Yongsan district Administration building of Seoul. The heads and staff of the Central Asia-Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum Secretariat, heads of the diplomatic missions accredited in the Republic of Korea, researchers, representatives of creative intellectuals, students as well as media repre
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo In March 2024, President of the Sungkyunkwan University Yoo Ji-beom led a delegation to Kazakhstan to strengthen academic ties and explore new collaborations. The visit included stops at three universities: Satbayev University, Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU), and Nazarbayev University. The primary focus of the visit was to discuss opportunities for educational and research cooperation. The delegation discussed student exchange programs, attracting top Kazakh students to Sungkyunkwan's graduate schools, and nurturing experts in science and engineeri
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul visited China and had a meeting with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on May 13. The two ministers agreed to continue their cooperation for the success of the 9th Korea-Japan-China Summit to be held soon in Korea. It was the first meeting between the two ministers since Minister Cho took office. During the meeting and the ensuing dinner, the two sides held in-depth discussions on issues of mutual interest including overall Kore
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The 94th Namwon Chunhyang Festival, Korea's longest-running traditional performing arts festival, kicked off on May 10 with an opening ceremony attended by more than 5,000 domestic and foreign guests. According to Namwon City and the Chunhyang Festival Committee, the 94th Namwon Chunhyang Festival was held for seven days from May 10 to 16 in Gwanghanruwon, Namwon, under the theme of 'Chunhyang, falls in love with color' with more than 40 programs. With the active participation of foreign ambassadors, senior diplomats and overseas performance teams, the festival
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Pinocchio sits on a green couch deep in the forest. He is gazing at the distant sky with a slight smile on his face. Perhaps he's remembering a pleasant memory. A soft melody seems to be coming from the speaker of a phonometer poking its head into the forest across the street. The whole forest is filled with a clean energy. Pinocchio looks like an adult. He looks childlike and wary. He enjoys the infinite delusions of his imagination with his delicate wings, which are not yet strong enough to fly. The messengers of his excitement are a couple of lovebirds. Health
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo KEPCO, led by CEO Kim Dong-cheol, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic for technical cooperation in the energy sector, KEPCO announced on May 10. The MOU provides an opportunity for KEPCO to cooperate with the Kyrgyz Republic on new energy technologies such as high-voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) and intelligent electricity metering system (AMI). “We will share our experience in growing the power business with the Kyrgyz Republic and continue to cooperate on new energy projects such as high-vol