 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24. He stated, "While the US and Japan recently reached an agreement on an 'Investment Package with the US,' Korea differs significantly from Japan in terms of economic scale, foreign exchange market, and infrastructure. I hope these aspects will be taken into consideration and that negotiations will proceed smoothly." Kim Yong-beom, Chief of Staff to the President for Policy, announced this during a briefing at a press cen
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first bilateral meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who was attending the 80th UN General Assembly High-Level Session in New York on September 24 (local time). The two leaders commended the steady development of bilateral relations in various areas, including political affairs, economics, and people-to-people exchanges, since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1989. In particular, they shared the view that bilateral trade has recently grown steadily, and that substantive cooperation is expanding, with Korean com
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met with Mongolian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Nyam-Osor Uchral at the Government Complex Seoul on September 23. The two leaders exchanged views on strengthening Korea-Mongolia relations and cooperation. Prime Minister Kim welcomed the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Uchral and the Mongolian delegation to Korea, which marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Mongolia. He expressed appreciation for the deep understanding between the two countries and the
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sept. 23 and asked for the U.N.'s support for South Korea's initiative to achieve North Korea's denuclearization through dialogue, the Presidential office said. Their meeting took place after President Lee declared at the UN that "South Korea will fulfill its responsibility and role to end the Cold War on the Korean Peninsula and contribute to global peace and prosperity through the 'E (Exchange), N (Normalization), and D (Denuclearization) Initiative." President Lee stated, “Peace an
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung, currently in the United States to attend the UN General Assembly, met with BlackRock Chairman Larry Fink, Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) Chairman Adebayo Ogunlesi, and former World Bank President Kim Yong as his first stop on the agenda on September 22 (local time). The meeting focused on three major transformations facing humanity: artificial intelligence, energy transition, and demographic change. They also confirmed a shared understanding for strategic cooperation between Korea and
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung declared in his keynote address at the UN that "South Korea will fulfill its responsibility and role to end the Cold War on the Korean Peninsula and contribute to global peace and prosperity through the 'E (Exchange), N (Normalization), and D (Denuclearization) Initiative." President Lee made these remarks in his keynote address at UN Headquarters in New York on September 23 (local time), stating, "We must end the era of hostility and confrontation on the Korean Peninsula through comprehensive dialogue centered on the 'END' initiative
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung met with Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard University, author of “"Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?" in his office on September 18. President Lee, who had previously engaged in a video discussion with Professor Sandel on ‘Justice and Fairness’ during his 2021 presidential campaign, met with him again after about four years to exchange views on ‘Democracy and Peaceful Coexistence’. President Lee emphasized that Professor Sandel's concepts of a just society and peace dividends hold particular significance for the Korean people, n
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Following a meeting in Gangwon Province on September 12, President Lee Jae-myung visited frontline troops to inspect the military's readiness posture and encourage the soldiers. President Lee visited the Chilsung Observation Post of the Army's 7th Infantry Division in Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province. There, he surveyed the area near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and guard posts (GP) while receiving a briefing on the military's readiness posture. He also toured the construction site for state-of-the-art barracks. Expressing hope that soldiers would be able to
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung said on September 11, “In keeping with my promise to become a ‘President for All’ who embraces and serves every citizen, I will move forward with politics and administration of unity.” During a press conference marking his 100th day in office held at the Blue House State Guest House, President Lee pledged, “From today until the final day of my term, I will devote myself entirely to building a ‘nation where the people are the masters, a Republic of Korea where we are all happy together.’” President Lee reflected, “It has already been 10
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone call with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh on September 4, following his inauguration. President Lee expressed his gratitude for the Mongolian President's congratulatory message upon his inauguration and for once again extending congratulations during this call. The two leaders assessed that cooperation across all fields between the two countries has significantly developed over the past 35 years since establishing diplomatic relations in 1990. They agreed to further deepen and develop the ‘strategic partnersh
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Folk painting is a traditional art form embodying the Korean people's aesthetic sensibility and spirit of daily life. It fills the murals of ancient palaces and the folding screens of folk museums, and today, 200,000 folk painters wield their brushes. Yet, folk painting is nowhere to be found in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's (MCST) Cultural Arts Promotion Act. While crafts are included, and even ‘comics’ are covered, folk painting doesn't even have a name in the legal framework. Is this truly normal? The MCST proclaims the globalization of K-C
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung accepted letters of credence from seven new resident ambassadors to South Korea during a credential presentation ceremony held at the Presidential Office on Sept. 3. The credential presentation ceremony is the procedure whereby the head of state of the sending country presents the letter of credence, issued to the ambassador by their head of state, to the head of state of the receiving country. This ceremony marks the first such event held since the inauguration of the new administration. The ambassadors presenting credentials this tim
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young K-Folk Painting (Minwha) is not merely an old painting. It is a living art imbued with the hopes, lives, humor, and wisdom of Koreans, and today it has become a vital pillar of K-culture spreading globally. Recently, K- Folk Painting has formed a massive cultural ecosystem domestically, with a population of over 200,000 artists, enthusiasts, and students. This goes beyond simple painting, connecting to education, publishing, merchandise, and tourism industries, becoming a foundation for creating boundless added value. The response overseas is particularly ast
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young This year marks the 80th anniversary of liberation, a deeply meaningful occasion. Over the past eight decades, the Republic of Korea overcame poverty through industrialization and transcended authoritarianism through democratization. These two pillars have been recorded as the ‘century of the nation’ and the ‘century of the people’. Yet today, we stand before a new question: “What should the Republic of Korea strive for in the future?” The national vision set forth by the Lee Jae-myung administration is clear: “A nation where the people are the masters, the R
 
								
				By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The 2025 World Climate Industry EXPO (WCE) opened on August 27 in Busan, Korea. This large-scale international event is co-hosted by the Korean government, the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the World Bank (WB) as the flagship of Energy Super Week, held from August 25 to 29. The expo features exhibitions, 12 conferences, and nearly 60 side events and programs under the theme, “Energy for AI & AI for Energy.” The opening ceremony brought together more than 1,000 participants, including the IEA Executive Director and WB Vice President. Alongside maj
 
												 
												 
												 
												 
												