By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with Xin Changxing, Party Secretary of Jiangsu Province of China, at the main building of Seoul City Hall to discuss friendly exchanges and cooperation between Seoul and Jiangsu Province on June 20. Elected in January 2023, Xin Changxing is a member of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the highest leadership body of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), with voting rights in the 205-member CPC Central Committee, and the number one person in Jiangsu Province. The meeting was organized to discuss ways to revitalize friendly exchanges betw
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “Kazakhstan is a wonderful place to visit. We have a golden triangle that any Korean should go and visit,” said Ambassador Nurgali Arystanov of Kazakhstan in Korea on June 19. Delivering welcoming remarks at the Kazakhstan Tourism Roadshow held at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Amb. Nurgali Arystanov said, "Korea and Kazakhstan have a visa-free agreement and are close siblings with a six-hour direct flight," introducing Kazakhstan's accessibility and attractiveness as a travel destination. The ambassador highlighted three cities, known as the "Golden Triang
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Uzbek Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Vitaliy Fen, a Goryoin (ethnic Korean), passed away on June 18 at the age of 76. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Vitaliy Fen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea," the Uzbek Embassy in Seoul said on June 19. "For 25 years, Ambassador Fen led the diplomatic mission of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea and made a significant contribution to the development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea," the embassy sa
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “The Adinkra symbols of Ghana, which encapsulate wisdom, philosophy, and life lessons, resonate deeply with the artistic expressions found in Korean art,” said Esi Han, the organizer of Harmony in Symbols Exhibition and a writer as well as a cross-cultural coach. In an interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Esi Han said, “Korea hosted the Africa-Korea Summit on June 4-5 this year. We wanted to create an event that not only celebrates this important occasion but also bridges these two vibrant cultures. “The Adinkra symbols of Ghana, which encapsulate wisdom, phil
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee World-renowned vocalist Kim Dong-kyu attended the 77th anniversary 'Your Voice Open My Heart' love concert at Jamwon-dong Cathedral Archdiocese in Jamwon-dong, Seoul on June 15, and sang famous songs with the voice of God, receiving a standing ovation and great praise from the audience. "Music is a common language," said Father Lee Kang-koo (Marco), pastor of Seoul's Jamwon-dong Cathedral. "Playing and singing beautiful melodies unites people across borders, generations, and cultures, and has a synergistic effect that unites us all in love," he said. "The reason
Diplomacy Journal Jon Lee | The First Lady of South Korea Kim Keon-hee met with the First Lady of Uzbekistan, Mrs. Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace on June 14, and attended a traditional Uzbek cultural event organized by Mrs. Mirziyoyeva herself. Mrs. Mirziyoyeva's second daughter, Shahnoza Mirziyoyeva, First Deputy Head of the Social Security Agency, who has lived in Korea for over six years and has a special connection to the country, also made a surprise appearance at the event to welcome Mrs. Kim. Mrs. Kim first expressed her gratitude to Mrs. Mirziyoyeva, saying tha
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the Korea-Uzbekistan Business Forum at the Tashkent City Congress Hall in Tashkent on June 14. The President, who is on a state visit to three Central Asian countries -- Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan-- attended the business forum to encourage businessmen from both countries. In his keynote speech, the president said that economic cooperation between the two countries began 30 years ago in 1994, when the first Daewoo Motor plant was built in Asaka, and that Uzbekistan has become a leading player in Central Asia's autom
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “As we continue on the path towards lasting peace and sustainable development, Korea remains a steadfast partner with the Philippines through more than seven decades,” said Amb. Theresa Dizon-de Vega of the Philippines in Seoul on June 11. Delivering toast remarks at a reception on the occasion of the 126th anniversary of Philippine Independence and 75th anniversary of Philippines-Korea Relations held at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on June 11, 2024, Amb. Dizon-De Vega said, “Korea is the Philippines’ 5th top trading partner, 5th export destination, 4th largest import
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev on June 12 (local time) and signed 37 memorandums of understanding (MOUs), including supply chain cooperation. The MOUs laid the institutional foundation for strengthening bilateral cooperation on key minerals such as uranium, chromium, titanium, and bismuth, including lithium, a core material for batteries, from joint exploration to end-use. Yoon arrived in Kazakhstan the night before and held a meeting with compatriots before holding a summit at the Akorda Presidentia
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol will pay a state visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 13-15 June. Established on 29 January 1992, Uzbek-South Korean relations have become an example of successful cooperation between the two countries in various fields. In more than thirty years of interaction, the relations have developed and strengthened, passing through several key milestones. In 2006, the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed, and in 2019, the relationship was elevated to a special strategi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo On June 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul signed the Agreement on Climate Change Cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Peru with Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier González-Olaechea, who is visiting Korea to attend the 2024 Forum on Future Cooperation between Korea and Latin America (June 10). Recognizing that the severe impacts of climate change will only intensify in the coming years, the two ministers emphasized the need to urgently step up climate action during this decade, which is a critical time for action. They
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol paid a state visit to Turkmenistan at the invitation of His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Turkmenistan on June 10-11, 2024. The two leaders discussed ways to expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in the economic, social and cultural fields, as well as regional and international issues of common interest during a summit held on June 10, 2024 in a friendly and warm atmosphere. The two leaders decided to further develop the bilateral and mutually beneficial partnership to promote common prosperity. Presi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “India offers promising prospects to Korean companies doing business in agriculture and food processing fields,” said Y. Kim, Adjunct Professor at the Hankook University of Foreign Studies, Department of Indian languages, Director at the Institute of Indian Studies and author of books like "India Now" and "Guide to Indian Business Trip". At the 47th Speaker Forum, titled "Indian Elections 2024 - Political & Economic Outlook,” which was organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ICCK), Prof. Kim, the keynote speaker, said, “Korean companies need t
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “Encyclopedia of Turkic Humanities” is the result of a research project of the Institute for Eurasian Turkic Countries under the Dongduk Women’s University (Republic of Korea). The project was implemented during 2018-2023 with financial support from the National Research Foundation of Korea. This dictionary, in which 21 authors participated, was personally supervised by Director of Institute for Eurasian Turkic Studies Professor Oh Eunkyung. She is also representative from the Republic of Korea in the Coordinating Bureau of the Silk Roads Living Heritage Networ
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo In the New Uzbekistan, which has set the Third Renaissance as a big goal, the development of national fine and applied art is considered an integral part of the country's socio-economic development. As a result of such attention of the head of the state and the government to the field of fine and applied art, a unique system was formed that gives the international public a wide opportunity to show the national artistic wealth of our country and the examples of creativity of artists and creators, the achievements made in modern fine and applied art with their ex