By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon met with Jennifer Scanlon, chairwoman and CEO of UL Solutions (UL), at the provincial government office on June 26 to discuss attracting investment in the establishment of an advanced automotive and battery safety testing center. As UL is a global leader in industrial safety certification, the two leaders paid their respects to the victims of the Hwaseong lithium battery factory fire and discussed ways to cooperate in the field of industrial safety. According to Gyeonggi Province, Governor Kim said, “Although I canceled all ot
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee South Korea will launch a joint public-private 'urban export' program to develop new cities in Vietnam based on the Korean new city model. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) said that a joint public-private assistance team headed by Minister Park Sang-woo visited Vietnam from July 15-17, where the two countries agreed to cooperate on large-scale projects such as urban development and high-speed rail construction in Vietnam. The visit is aimed at concretizing the follow-up projects of the Urban Growth Partnership Program (UGPP), the outcom
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Busan City Mayor Park Hyung-jun met with Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima on July 11 in the International Conference Room of City Hall and discussed interaction and cooperation between Busan and Japan. Ambassador Koichi Mizushima visited Busan for the first time to attend the '2024 South Korea-USA-Japan Global Leadership Youth Summit' and met with Mayor Park on the same day. Mayor Park thanked Ambassador Koichi for his visit to Busan and said, “I hope this event will deepen the bond between our two countries and serve as a good opportunity for youn
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with visiting U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul to discuss ways to strengthen U.S.-ROK space cooperation on July 16. Recalling that the leaders of the two countries decided to expand the U.S.-ROK alliance to all areas of space during their state visit in April last year on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance, Minister Cho emphasized that bilateral space cooperation based on the U.S.-ROK alliance is the core
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gyeongju City Mayor Joo Nak-young met with U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Philip Goldberg at the Gyeongju National Museum on July 14 to discuss ways to exchange and cooperate. This is the first time U.S. Ambassador Goldberg has visited Gyeongju, and he was accompanied by Consul General Nolan Barkhouse of the U.S. Consulate in Busan. Mayor Joo welcomed Ambassador Philip Goldberg and emphasized that Gyeongju is fully prepared to host the APEC Summit successfully. Ambassador Philip Goldberg, who visited Gyeongju, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group and the University of Oxford held an opening ceremony for the Oxford-Hyundai Motor Group Foresight Centre at Oxford’s historic Convocation House on July 8 to mark a new partnership between the two organizations. Based at Saïd Business School, the Foresight Centre will support exploring the Group’s long-term vision and strategic direction. It will strengthen the Group’s ability to proactively shape the future and identify critical focus points to address future geopolitical shifts and risks in advance. The Centre will conduct innovative resea
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with Tian Xiangli, Chairwoman of the Sichuan Provincial Committee, China at the Mayor's Office in Seoul City Hall to discuss ways to revitalize exchanges between Seoul and Sichuan on July 15. Mrs. Tian Xiangli is a ministerial-level official of Sichuan Province. Seoul and Sichuan are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their friendship this year, and have been engaged in steady exchanges and cooperation, including a visit by Sichuan Governor Yin Li (now Party Secretary of Beijing). During the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Seoul City don
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A delegation from Icheon City, led by Mayor Kim Kyung-hee, paid an official visit to its sister city, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Santa Fe established a sister city relationship with Icheon in 2013, and the city sent a delegation to the 38th Icheon Ceramics Festival in April and officially invited Icheon to participate. The Icheon City delegation held a meeting with Santa Fe Mayor Alan Weber on the morning of July 11. They discussed future-oriented exchanges between the two cities and attended the opening event of the International Folk Art Market (IFAM), a repr
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol met with Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg on July 11 and exchanged views on major international issues and Korea-NATO cooperation. The President noted that the partnership between South Korea and NATO has progressed by leaps and bounds during Stoltenberg's tenure (2014-2024), including the establishment of the NATO-ROK Individualized Tailored Partnership Program (ITPP), and expressed his appreciation for the Secretary General's contributions to the development of the NATO-ROK relations
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in Washington, D.C., for the NATO Summit, attended the NATO Indo-Pacific Partners (IP4) (South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand) Summit on July 11. Hosted by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, this is the third IP4 Summit, following the 2022 and 2023 meetings, and was joined by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. The leaders recognized the close cooperation among the four countries, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, which share common values
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The World Peace Art Exhibition Organizing Committee announced that a total of 1,193 artworks were submitted for the 27th World Peace Art Exhibition during the application period of July 5 to 10. Various artists participated in the exhibition and presented their works with messages related to peace. The exhibition will be held from August 21 to August 26 at a special hall in the basement of the Maru Art Center in Insa-dong, Seoul. The exhibition will bring together the submitted works to convey to visitors the importance of peace and the beauty of art at the same
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden adopted a "Joint Statement on Guidelines for Nuclear Operations for Nuclear Deterrence on the Korean Peninsula" during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 11 (local time). "The two leaders reaffirmed that any North Korean nuclear attack on the Republic of Korea will be met with an immediate, overwhelming and decisive response," Kim Tae-hyo, deputy director of the National Security Office, said in a briefin
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo LG Electronics has been honored at the Volkswagen Group Award 2024, which took place in Wolfsburg, Germany, on July 2. LG was recognized by the Volkswagen Group, one of the world’s premier automakers, in the ‘Partnership’ category for its outstanding development, manufacture and supply chain management of mobility technologies and solutions, including in-vehicle infotainment systems and connectivity products. The award highlights LG’s unwavering commitment to excellence and points to its growing reputation in the automotive sector as a trusted partner and innov
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee A solo exhibition by artist Jeon Byung-hee will be held on the 5th floor of Insa Art Plaza (Lefranc) in Insadong, Seoul from July 10 to 23. In this exhibition, Jeon has developed a technique called "petal touch three-dimensional oil painting technique," in which the artist sculpts petals with paint as if embroidering the emotions felt in her heart, and expresses her wishes for happiness as petals on the tip of her brush. I work in a way that feels a little unfinished because I want the viewers to fill in the gaps in their minds. It is a work that is completed by
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young "Mercy in the heart, peace in the world!" This is the theme of the 2019 Buddha’s birthday celebration in the year of the Buddha, 2563! However, in recent years, we have witnessed many conflicts and instability around the world. Conflicts between nations, racial tensions, mistrust in politics, economic inequality, and many other issues have disrupted our daily lives. In the midst of this turmoil, the values of peace and mercy are more important than ever. The need for peace Conflict around the world is not just a localized problem. The modern world is globaliz