By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Among traditional Korean paintings, Goeseokmorando, or 怪石牡丹圖 has attracted the attention of many for its unique beauty and deep philosophical meaning. The painting depicts a strange rock found in nature, Goeseok, and a peony, which symbolizes wealth and honor, and it ehas become one of the most representative genres of the Joseon Dynasty. The history of Goseokmorando begins with the genre's development in the late Joseon Dynasty, especially from the 17th to the 19th centuries. This was a time when traditional landscape painting and flower-and-bird painting were f
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Artist Seo Eun-hye, who paints Korean wildflowers, has been selected to exhibit her work on the big screen in New York's Times Square for the second consecutive year. According to the Busan art community on July 4, Seo was selected as one of 12 artists from around the world to participate in the 'Art Forum: No Boundaries' exhibition organized by Vision Art Media, and had the opportunity to display her work as video art on the big screen in New York Times Square on July 19. This is the second year in a row that Seo has been honored with the selection, as she was t
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with Ambassador Koichi Mizushima of Japan to South Korea at the Mayor's Office in Seoul City Hall to discuss future bilateral exchanges on Aug. 12. Ambassador Koichi Mizushima served as the Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Korea from 2017-2019 and was appointed Ambassador of Japan to Korea in May. After his official appointment, he said, "For Japan, Korea is a partner in solving international tasks.” Seoul and Tokyo signed a friendly city agreement in 1988 and Seoul signed a friendly city agreement with Hokkaido in 2010
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held a meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, who is on an official visit to Korea from August 1 to 2, in Seoul on Aug. 2. They discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, including diplomacy and security, trade and investment, future industries (clean energy, digital finance, smart infrastructure), tourism, consular affairs, and labor, as well as cooperation on regional and international issues. Minister Cho emphasized that Thailand is our key ally who fought together for freedom and peace during the
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul had a meeting with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, on July 26, on the occasion of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Vientiane, Lao PDR. This was the second face-to-face meeting between the two ministers, following the 10th ROK-India Joint Commission Meeting in March. The two Ministers noted with appreciation the active high-level exchanges between the two countries this year, which marks the first year after the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. In addition, Minister Cho once a
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong to discuss Korea-Australia relations as well as regional and global affairs on July 30. Both ministers recognized the continued development of the cooperative relationship between Korea and Australia, emphasizing their alignment as key like-minded countries in the region with shared democratic values and perspectives on regional and global issues and as “Comprehensive Strategic Partners” seeking more strategic and future-oriented collaboration. The ministers noted
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Many Korean legends and myths are closely linked to nature. One of the most notable is the 'Manbyeonghwajodo' (萬病花朝圖). As its name suggests, this unique flower is said to have the mystical ability to cure all ailments, and the legends and stories surrounding it have been passed down through the ages. Manbyeonghwajodo is a painting that depicts the characteristic elements of the flower in a stylized manner, rather than in a realistic form. Each canvas is labeled with the names of flowers, such as Hangyuoknyeo Jikgeumhwa, Hongdohwa, Dongjeonghosangbuyonghwa, Yeongj
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held a luncheon meeting on July 22 with Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani, who is on an official visit from July 21 to 25, and exchanged views on bilateral relations, economic cooperation, cooperation on the international stage, and regional affairs. Minister Cho welcomed the first official visit by an Albanian foreign minister to Korea in 13 years, since 2011, and expressed his hope that Minister Hasani's visit will serve as an important opportunity for the development of bilateral relations. Minister Cho also explained that the
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The 27th World Peace Art Exhibition 2024 has completed the first and second rounds of judging. The overall grand prize (Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award) went to Kang Moa (Folk Painting), and the category grand prizes (Seoul Mayor's Award and Chairman's Award) went to Cho Kyung-sun (Folk Painting), Kim Young-ok (Western Painting), Joo Eun-young (Western Painting), and Oh Yoon-hee (Korean Painting) and Cho Jin-won (Calligraphy). They will receive a certificate and a purchase cash prize. The 550 selected works out of 1,250 entries will be exhibited fro
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul invited the European diplomatic corps in Korea to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a tea meeting on July 16. Minister Cho spoke on Korea's policy direction towards Europe, noting the importance of continuing cooperation between Korea and Europe based on universal values and expressing Korea's will to expand cooperation. Participants in the tea meeting were heads of Mission or Chargé d’Affaires from the embassies in Korea of 34 European states and the European Union, including Poland, Croatia, Austria, Latvia, Estonia, Ro
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 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 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 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 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