By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport, Marat Karabaev met with South Korea’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Park Sang Woo in Seoul on Oct. 30, 2024. At the meeting, they discussed bilateral cooperation in the field of transport infrastructure and the implementation of several projects to develop transportation routes. One of the key topics was the possibility of increasing direct flights between Kazakhstan and South Korea. Currently, there are 14 passenger and 6 cargo flights per week between the two countries, mainly from Astana and Almaty to Se
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of Turkmenistan in Seoul held the official reception on the occasion of 300th anniversary of birth of the great Turkmen poet and thinker Magtymguly Fragi and the 33rd Anniversary of the Independence of Turkmenistan on Oct. 30, 2024. Delivering a welcoming speech, H.E. B. Durdyyev, Ambassador of Turkmenistan in Seoul said, “We aim to explore new opportunities in innovation, sustainable development, and mutual benefit with South Korea. At the same time, we are interested to contribute not only to the prosperity of our nations but also to regional stab
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo On the occasion of the celebrations of 140 years of diplomatic relations between Italy and Korea and within the framework of the Year of Cultural Exchange between Italy and Korea proclaimed by two countries, the Italian Embassy in Seoul, the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul and the Korea Foundation are hosting the exhibition MOSAICO. Italian code of a timeless art from November 15, 2024 to February 28, 2025 at the KF Gallery. An unprecedented multimedia exhibition to tell the stories of Italy through the precious testimonies of a timeless expressive code: th
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Sultanate of Oman celebrated the 54th glorious National Day on November 18, marking milestone accomplishments in different areas. The citizens of Oman and various state institutions have rendered an indispensable contribution to the continuous achievements in the path of the comprehensive development during the renewed renaissance of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, who has outlined a wise and sound vision that leads to progress and prosperity in all fields. His Majesty’s directives to all state institutions to continue improving the missions entrusted
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Shinhan University hosted the Kazakhstan Film Festival, attracting students, media representatives, and academics from South Korea on Nov. 13~14, 2024. In his welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony, Ambassador Nurgali Arystanov highlighted the significance of the festival as a symbol of strong friendship and cultural exchange between Kazakhstan and Korea. Nurgali Arystanov spoke about Kazakhstan’s flourishing film industry since gaining independence, emphasizing that selecting films for the festival was no easy task. In honor of the 800th anniversary of the
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung has been sentenced to one year in prison and two years of probation and disqualified from holding office in the first trial for violating the Public Offices Election Act. The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 34 (Deputy Chief Judge Han Sung-jin) sentenced Lee to one year in prison and two years of probation on Dec. 15. If the ruling is confirmed by the Supreme Court, Lee will lose his seat in the National Assembly and will be barred from voting for five years, making it impossible for him to run for
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK Plasma, led by CEO Kim Seung-joo, announced on Nov. 14 that it has signed investment agreements with the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA) for the operation of its Indonesian joint venture, PT SKPLASMA CORE INDONESIA (SK Plasma Core). In October last year, SK Plasma signed a term sheet about direction of project and transaction with INA to establish a plasma fractionation plant in Indonesia. The signing ceremony of investment agreements was attended by Ahn Jaehyun, CEO of SK Chemicals and SK Plasma, Kim Seung-joo, President of SK Plasma, Roh Hyunho, CEO o
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Belgian Tourist Office and InterparkTriple will jointly host the 'Winter Belgian Beer Festa 2024', where you can taste a variety of beers, including Christmas beers produced exclusively for the 2024 Christmas season. At the festival, visitors will be able to taste a total of 10 beers, including monastery beers and craft beers such as “Eau de Goût Boon,” “Sejong Dupont,” “Rochefort Triple Extra,” and “Valdu Grand Cru,” as well as Christmas beers that are not easily available in the market, and hear fun and professional talks about Belgian beer from beer expe
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The UAE Embassy in Korea has announced the successful conclusion of a workshop to explore the potential for bilateral cooperation in the fields of AI and fintech. The event was attended by government officials and industry experts from the UAE and South Korea to discuss the development of AI and fintech and reaffirm the importance of mutual cooperation. The event kicked off with opening remarks from His Excellency Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to Korea, followed by congratulatory remarks from Song Ho-Joon, team leader of the Ministry of Science and ICT
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gunsan City Mayor Kang Im-jun met with Ambassador Amit Kumar of India to Korea and his wife, who visited Gunsan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tata Daewoo Mobility Co., and discussed expanding exchanges between Gunsan City and India. “Tata Group, a leading Indian company, has long contributed to the economic development of Gunsan through its commercial vehicles, coexistence with local parts manufacturers, and employment creation,” said Mayor Kang Im-jun. Kim added, “Gunsan City is focusing on the electric vehicle and secondary battery industries and is co
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon's 'semiconductor diplomacy' in the Netherlands has resulted in a 3 trillion won investment from ASM, a global semiconductor company. ASM will invest 3 trillion won in Gyeonggi-do by 2030, cooperating with local companies in purchasing components and providing job opportunities for university students in the province. Governor Kim Dong-yeon signed the 'Gyeonggi-do, Hwaseong City, and ASM MOU' at the ASM headquarters in Almere, the Netherlands, on Oct. 31. Governor Kim and Hwaseong City Mayor Jung Myung-geun were joined by ASM C
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Department of Polish at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) held the '14th Polish Speaking Contest' in collaboration with the Embassy of Poland in Korea at the International Seminar Room of Baeknyeon Hall on the HUFS Global Campus in Seoul on Nov. 6. The contest, which was held under the theme of 'My beloved Poland and Korea', was won by Kim Soo-kyung in the lower grade league and Hwang Seo-yul in the upper grade league. The winners received certificates, six-month language study scholarships and summer school scholarships from the Polish Ministry o
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo LG Electronics recently concluded the 2024 Global IT Challenge (GITC) for Youth with Disabilities in Manila, Philippines, reinforcing its commitment to empowering young people with disabilities. Held from November 3-8, this year’s GITC brought together 104 participants from 16 countries to compete in six innovative IT challenges. After advancing through national preliminary rounds, the finalists tested their abilities across diverse digital tasks. The challenges included eTool, which assessed participants’ ability to create presentation slides and manage spread
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) has published the 10th CSR Report of German Companies in Korea. This year’s CSR Report highlights a variety of CSR activities of German companies that actively engaged with and contributed to Korean society, the KGCCI said on Nov. 11. Launched in 2014, KGCCI CSR Reports have covered a wide range of CSR initiatives and achievements of German companies in Korea, which contribute to its local community and environment protection. This year’s report introduces you to t
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The second World Pansori Festival was held on a stage in Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul from Nov. 1-3, 2024. People from many countries gathered to see 129 singers decorate the stage through 43 various programs at the festival, the Korea.net reported. The inaugural section Global Pansori, which features foreign singers of the genre, proved to be a huge draw with its opening performance. The Ojakgyo Bridge Project, a team of pansori enthusiasts from the U.S., U.K., Malaysia, China and Japan, sang the short song "Life of 100 Years" and the tune "Ssukdaemeori" f