By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Park Il-young, CEO of Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), met with Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar to discuss investment. According to the KIC on May 19, Park and Amb. Kumar met on Nov. 16. The two sides talked about expanding Korea’s investment in India. Korea Investment Corporation established its Mumbai office in April last year. It is the first overseas office in an emerging country. KIC plans to focus on securing promising alternative investment projects. It is focusing on venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) investment opportunities stemming
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do, held a meeting with Gareth Weir, British Deputy Ambassador to Korea, and the British Embassy's Climate and Energy Team on May 16 to discuss in-depth the current state of climate, ecology, and energy. Mr. Gareth Weir is a climate diplomacy expert who has held senior positions in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and has served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the British Embassy in Seoul since 2022, with experience in international development and climate policy in Nepal and Mozambique. The visit was part of the Br
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A delegation of the Embassy of Mongolia in Seoul visited Changwon City, Gyeongnam on May 15 to ensure the success of the Migrants’ Arirang Multicultural Festival (MAMF) 2025, a cultural diversity festival. Mongolia is the host country of the MAMF 2025. The visit was organized to check the status of preparations for the festival and discuss ways to collaborate with the Mongolian side on the overall event. MAMF is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and will be held from Oct. 24 to 26 at Yongji Cultural Park, Seongsan Art Hall, and Jungang-daero with the t
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo During the International Forum on Important Minerals (INFOCM 2025) held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, which commenced on May 12-13, 2025, the geological authorities of Tajikistan and Korea formalized a collaborative partnership. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Main Department of Geology under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, represented by its Head, Ilhomjon Oimuhammadzoda, and the Korean Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources, represented by its President, Dr. Pyeong Ku Lee. This MOU establishes a framework for co
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Ahliddin Ibodullozoda, Rector of the Tajik State Pedagogical University named after Sadriddin Ayni and a representative of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, held a meeting with Yang O-Bong, President of Jeonbuk National University of the Republic of Korea, on May 14, 2025 as part of a working visit to South Korea. During the meeting, the parties discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as academic exchange of students and faculty, organizing joint conferences, inviting professors to deliver lectures, sharing scientific an
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A presentation of the new direct flight between Shymkent and Seoul by SCAT Airlines took place in the capital of South Korea on May 15. The flight is scheduled to launch on May 29, 2025. The event brought together more than 70 leading Korean tour operators and media representatives, highlighting the growing interest in expanding tourism and business exchanges between the two countries. With the launch of this route, Kazakhstan and Korea will be connected by 15 direct flights per week, including flights from Astana and Almaty. The new connection marks an importa
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Kim Moon-soo, the Presidential candidate for the People Power Party (PPP), held a luncheon with U.S. Interim Ambassador to Korea Joseph Yun at the U.S. Embassy residence in Jung-gu, Seoul, on May 15. The luncheon, which lasted for about an hour and a half, was attended by Kim Jae-won, the candidate's chief of staff, and Min Jang, the U.S. Embassy's counselor for political affairs. “It was a meaningful time for candidate Kim to have a heart-to-heart conversation about strengthening the U.S.-ROK alliance, North Korea's nuclear issue, and mutual cooperation to res
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Suhyup Bank President Shin Hak-ki attended the 58th Annual Meetings of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Milan, Italy, to discuss global cooperation with delegations from major countries and heads of the financial community, the bank announced on May 12. According to the bank, the meeting was attended by more than 6,000 delegates from the governments of ADB's 69 member countries, international organizations, journalists, academia, the financial community, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). From May 7 to 9, Shin traveled to London, England, to meet wit
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Doosan Enerbility's Czech subsidiary, Doosan Skoda Power, officially sponsored the 'Prague Spring International Music Festival'. The Prague Spring International Music Festival opened in Prague on May 12, the anniversary of Bedřich Smetana, the Czech Republic's national composer. The festival opened with a performance of Smetana's signature work, “My Fatherland,” a collection of symphonic poems, at Smetana Hall. The Prague Spring International Music Festival was founded in 1946 to commemorate the first anniversary of the end of World War II and is now in its 80t
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) showcased its ultra-gap water management technology and research and development (R&D) capabilities to a delegation of ambassadors from the European Union (EU) and its four member states who visited its headquarters and research center in Daejeon on May 13, and discussed ways to expand international cooperation. The delegation was led by EU Ambassador to Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez and ambassadors from four EU member states - Greece, Belgium, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The delegation toured the advanced water mana
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Korea-Saudi Business and Investment Forum was launched on May 9 in Seoul. The forum is anticipated to catalyze economic cooperation between the two countries across new and cutting-edge areas like digital, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, healthcare, and culture, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) said. Part of an aim to strengthen Korea-Saudi partnership in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, the forum brings together 250 business leaders of both countries to seek collaboration and tangible opportunities around promising new industries such a
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Korea co-hosted the Korea-Uzbekistan Insight Forum at the Embassy in Seoul on May 13. The forum was held with the participation of both countries’ governments and related institutions, aiming to further enhance Korea-Uzbekistan economic cooperation. Forum participants shared the growing need for mutual cooperation between the two countries in view of their special strategic partnership, highlighting the importance of tangible cooperation in not only trade and inv
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Kim Min-jong, president of Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology (KIMFT), met with Chilean Ambassador to Korea Mathias Francke at the KIMFT office in Busan in April. They discussed cooperation in the field of maritime education and training and sign a business agreement, the KIMFT announced on May 13. The visit was aimed at signing a business agreement between the KIMFT and the Chilean Ministry of Defense for continued cooperation in the field of maritime education and training, including mutual cooperation in lectures and training activities, in
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo HL Group Chairman Chung Mong-won has been named an honorary citizen of the city of Wałbrzych, Poland. According to HL Group, Chairman Chung became the 15th honorary citizen of the city of Wałbrzych, on April 29 (local time). He was recognized for his 14 years of contributions to the community since opening the HL-Mando auto parts plant in the city in 2011. HL MANDO Poland is the only Korean company in the city of Wałbrzych. The combined size of factories 1 and 2 is approximately 165,000 square meters, producing automotive parts such as brakes, steering, and sus
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo | The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with General Motors Korea (GM Korea) and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on May 8 to jointly promote the “Buy America” campaign. The agreement builds on a strong foundation of collaboration among the three organizations to further expand the campaign’s impact. This agreement is designed to foster a fair business environment and improve consumer access to GM vehicles in Korea through mutual cooperation. It also supports the broader objecti