By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, held talks with His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at Yamama Palace in Riyadh on Oct. 22. They agreed to deepen and develop the future-oriented strategic partnership between the two countries. Prior to the meeting, an official welcome ceremony was held in the gardens of Yamama Palace to celebrate President Yoon's state visit. As the vehicle carrying the President and his wife entered the entrance of Yamama Palace, the Saud
By Lee Kap-soo Unification Minister Kim Young-ho met with German Ambassador to South Korea Georg Schmidt on Oct. 18 and said, "I hope that the two countries, which are celebrating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, will deepen mutual cooperation, including on reunification issues." The Unification Ministry said Kim made the remarks as he met with Schmidt at the government's Seoul office later in the day to share the recent achievements following his visit to Germany. Kim explained the South Korean government's policy direction, which focuses on denuclearizing North Korea,
By Lee Kap-soo SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won held a series of meetings with senior government officials from Estonia and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to discuss ways to cooperate on economic and industrial issues. According to SK Group on Oct. 15, Chey held a luncheon with Estonian President Alar Karis and senior government officials at the SK Building in Seoul. The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in areas such as information and communication technology (ICT) and green energy. Related to this, SK Square signed a memorandum of understanding on ICT investment cooperation with the
By Kayla Lee Defense Korea, a subsidiary of SONID, together with UAE defense contractor Calidus, has opened a dedicated UAE pavilion at ADEX 2023 in Seoul. Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of Science and Technology, and Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to South Korea, visited the pavilion, the company said on Oct. 19. "I wish the 'ADEX 2023' event a successful conclusion. And I will actively support Calidus' entry into Korea," said UAE Minister Al Amiri. "The UAE Minister of Science and Technology and the UAE Ambassador to Korea showed great interest in our company and our defense technology
By Kim Ji-eun Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon met with Danish Ambassador to Korea Svend Olling at Busan City Hall on Oct. 19 to discuss exchanges and cooperation between Busan and Denmark in the fields of culture, arts, and renewable energy. Denmark is a constitutional monarchy comprising the Jutland peninsula on the North Sea coast of northern Europe and the islands off its eastern coast. It covers an area of 43,394 square kilometers and has a population of about 5 million, with the capital city of Copenhagen. The country is famous for its dairy industry and has developed food, steel, chemical, a
By Lee Kap-soo The Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK), in collaboration with the New Jersey Investment Authority (Choose New Jersey), hosted the 'Business Reception for Middle Market Enterprises Invited by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy' at Conrad Seoul Hotel on Oct. 19. The reception consisted of an introduction of the New Jersey Investment Authority and the Economic Development Authority's 'New Jersey Investment Entry Strategy', a presentation of the success story of a mid-sized company in New Jersey by the nation's largest chicken franchise, Genesis BBQ Group, and bus
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Guinsa Temple, the headquarters of Cheontae Buddhism in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do, and prayed for the peace of the country and its people on Oct. 19. The people of Guinsa Temple welcomed the President with applause during his surprise visit, and the President expressed his gratitude for their welcome. The President paid a visit to the Great Hall of the Buddha, and then had lunch with venerable Buddhist monks, including Doyong, Deoksu and Seun. The squash soup, cabbage kimchi, stir-fried watercress, tofu pancake, lotus root fritters, and grapes
By Kayla Lee POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo, also chairman of the World Steel Association, presided over the regular meeting of the World Steel Association (worldsteel) in Shanghai, China, on Oct. 15, the POSCO said on Oct. 17. On the first day of the meeting, Choi discussed major issues such as the development of future autonomous vehicle body solutions, trends in international standards for measuring greenhouse gas emissions, and the outlook for global steel demand with participants at the worldsteel executive committee meeting attended by CEOs of major global steel companies. Chairman Choi e
By Kayla Lee Chungcheongbuk-do (Chungbuk) and Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam, celebrated the 10th anniversary of their sisterhood and 15th anniversary of their friendship at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Cheongju on Oct. 16. The event was attended by Chungcheongbuk-do Governor Kim Young-hwan and Vinh Phuc Provincial People's Committee Chairman, among others. Business exchanges were also held with companies from the province that have established a presence in Vietnam or wish to do so. The cooperation between the two provinces was initiated in 2008, when Vinh Phuc's Deputy Governor visited the province
By Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon met with Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, to explain Gyeonggi-do's commitment to overcoming the climate crisis and becoming carbon neutral, and to propose international cooperation on Oct. 4. He also expressed his intention to join the Under2 Coalition, a global coalition of local governments on climate change policy, of which The Climate Group is the secretariat. During a meeting with Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, at the Roh Moo-hyun Civic Center in Seoul, Gov. Kim Dong-yeon said, "Gyeonggi-do is the most proactive provinc
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol hosted a dinner on Oct. 17 at the Cheong Wa Dae guesthouse with more than 90 people, including civilian and government members of the National Unity Committee (first and second terms), four leaders of the People Power Party, the presiding officers and secretaries of the National Assembly, and the secretary and chief of staff of the presidential office. The dinner was organized as a forum for informal communication and harmony among key members of the National Unity Committee, and to share the purpose, direction, and values of national unity among the Na
By Lee Jon-young Since taking office late last year, Daejeon Police Chief Chung Yong-geun has significantly increased the number of investigative officers to ensure that frontline officers are able to protect the safety of the public. Ahead of National Police Day, which falls on Oct. 21, the Diplomacy Journal had a special interview with him about his achievements, the nature of policing in Daejeon, and the recent reorganization of the police force. The following is the full-text of the special interview with Daejeon Police Chief Chung Yong-geun by Chairman-Publisher Lee Jon-young of Diplomacy
By Kim Ji-eun Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin announced the launch of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Preparatory Commission and hosted its first meeting on October 13, 2023, in the presence of participants from 20 government agencies and other relevant organizations including the Korea-Africa Foundation. Foreign Minister Park, in his opening remarks, explained that President Yoon Suk-yeol has been engaging in high-level exchanges with African countries more actively than any other previous administrations since his inauguration in May 2022, based on his strong willingness to dramatically st
By Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group and Georgia Tech signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 19 to collaborate on research and applications to support the future of sustainable mobility, including developing a hydrogen economy, workforce development, and making cities smarter and more sustainable, among many other areas of cooperation. The group is investing $12.6 billion in new dedicated electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities in Georgia. The investment includes the $7.59 billion Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) site in Bryan County, Georgia that will create mo
By Lee Kap-soo Christopher Koo, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), hosted a networking dinner for ASEAN and Middle East ambassadors at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on Oct. 5 to exchange views on economic cooperation with their respective countries and request their support for the 2030 Busan World Expo. The dinner was attended by 35 ambassadors and diplomats from 21 ASEAN and Middle Eastern countries, according to a statement by the KITA. On the Korean side, more than 20 representatives of KITA and trade enterprises were present. "Based on our firm support for 'ASEAN-ce