By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group on Sept. 1 officially launched the Next Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMA), a public-private partnership initiative to transform urban transportation environments through advanced mobility technologies. The alliance aims to address social and environmental challenges by fostering inclusive mobility innovation and accelerating the transition to smart cities. The launch ceremony, held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul, marked the formal establishment of NUMA’s open collaboration framework, bringing together government, industry, academia and research
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Bill Gates, founder and Chairman of TerraPower, recently met in Seoul to discuss strategic cooperation for the development and commercialization of the Natrium® technology by TerraPower, of which SK is an investor, the group said on August 27. Also attending the dinner were Ahn Jae-yong, CEO of SK bioscience; Kim Moohwan, Head of the Energy Solution Business at SK Innovation; Chey Yoon-Jung, Head of Business Development at SK Biopharm; and Chris Levesque, President and CEO of TerraPower. At the meeting, Chairman Chey commented
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Foreign card spending in the country in the second quarter of the year broke a record high thanks to the popularity of Korean content, Korea.net reported on Aug. 28.. The Bank of Korea on Aug. 26 released data saying domestic card use by non-residents rose 38.2% from the first quarter to USD 3.79 billion (KRW 5.28 trillion). The previous record was USD 3.38 billion in the fourth quarter last year. The ratio of card use in the country by non-residents to overseas card spending by residents was also 69%, the highest since the fourth quarter of 2016. Domestic medi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, announced on Sept. 2 that it has submitted an IND (Investigational New Drug application) to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a global Phase 3 clinical trial of SKYVaricella to add the 2-dose (two-shot) indication, aligning with evolving international standards that increasingly recommend two doses to provide stronger, longer-lasting protection against varicella. The trial will evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of two doses in
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced to roll out Korea’s first driverless autonomous shuttle, equipped with next-generation automotive design and advanced self-driving technology, along the Cheonggyecheon Stream as early as late September. The new shuttle was developed and built using domestic technology by Korea’s leading autonomous driving company Autonomous A2Z. Designed specifically for autonomous operation, the vehicle has no driver’s seat or steering wheel. The vehicle is a small bus (i.e., 11-seater with 9 seats) designed from the ground up
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo LG Electronics (LG) is ushering in a new era in the European smart home appliance market with the introduction of its groundbreaking AI platform, LG ThinQ AI. Taking center stage at the company’s IFA 2025 exhibit, LG ThinQ AI integrates the ThinQ UP and ThinQ Care services to provide a personalized, ever-evolving customer experience along with proactive appliance management. This innovative platform advances LG’s core product technologies through AI and usage data analysis, optimizing the product experience and enhancing customers’ overall quality of life. LG w
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Executive Vice Chairman Chung Kisun met with TerraPower leadership, including chairman and founder Bill Gates in Seoul, Korea, HD Hyundai announced on August 22. The group reviewed progress on supply chain expansion and the commercialization of Natrium reactors, as well as discussed future cooperation opportunities. The meeting between the company leaders marked a first reunion in five months since initial talks in the United States last March. During the previous meeting, HD Hyundai and TerraPower signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand the global
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Seoul-based global consulting firm Korever Company (CEO Rahil Ahmadova) announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Medicana Health Group, Türkiye’s largest private healthcare provider, on August 28, 2025. The agreement was concluded jointly with Eventi Venti (CEO Ece Sandalli), Korever Company’s local partner in Türkiye. Through this partnership, Korever Company will prioritize linking advanced medical technologies and solutions from Korea and Asia with Medicana’s hospital network, while pursuing collaborative initiatives such as joint rese
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Nurgali Arystanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Korea, to the Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. When people voted in the 1995 national referendum (Aug. 30) to adopt a new Constitution, they laid the cornerstone of modern statehood. More than just a legal charter, the Constitution of Kazakhstan is marked by its humanist focus. Article 1 declares the country a democratic, secular, legal, and social state, in which the highest values are the individual, their life, rights, and freedoms.
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo HS Hyosung awarded scholarships to four students in Huntsville, Madison, and Decatur, Alabama, who are preparing to enter university, on August 16 (local time). Through its U.S. subsidiary, HS Hyosung USA, the company collaborated with the Korean-American community in northern Alabama to provide scholarships as part of a Liberation Day commemorative event. Recipients were selected from among outstanding local students who face financial difficulties, are children of public servants such as firefighters and police officers, or are direct descendants of Korean Wa
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group demonstrated its global hydrogen leadership at the 16th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM16) held in Busan, reinforcing the Group’s commitment to advancing hydrogen innovation on an international stage. During CEM16, the Group actively participated in two high-level dialogues, sharing perspectives on industrial decarbonization, energy efficiency and the role of hydrogen as a future energy source. By engaging with global leaders, including ministerial delegations from member countries and key representatives from international organizations, the
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The appliance innovation legacy of Samsung Electronics extends from microwave ovens with TVs and talking refrigerators to IoT-enabled refrigerators. These appliances have steadily evolved into today’s Bespoke AI lineup — products that understand users and provide personalized solutions. Under the theme “AI Home: Future Living, Now,” Samsung will present an advanced AI Home experience1 at IFA 2025, Europe’s largest home appliance exhibition, taking place in Berlin from September 5-9. As the event draws nearer, Samsung Newsroom is taking a closer look at the comp
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Marie Antonia von Schönburg), in cooperation with the Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority, held the KGCCI Half-Year Economic Outlook 2025 on August 28 at the Four Seasons Hotel. The event, organized to provide exclusive insights into the developments of Korean-German business relations in these challenging times, drew the participation of more than 80 key officials, business leaders and experts from Korean and German companies and institutions. Speakers included Joern Beissert, Depu
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Lee Jae-myung had a telephone conversation with the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon on August 28, 2025. At the beginning of the conversation, the President Rahmon once again congratulated Lee Jae-myung on his election to the high office of the President of the Republic of Korea. The two sides discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral and multilateral relations between the two countries. The parties focused on issues of their further development, including cooperation in the fields of digitalization, indus
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back met with members of the US House of Representatives visiting Korea and emphasized the importance of strong congressional support for the development of the ROK-US Alliance. On the afternoon of August 14, Minister Ahn met with Representatives Richard McCormick and Beth Van Duyne of the US House of Representatives at the Defense Ministry in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to discuss ways to further develop the ROK-US Alliance and address security circumstances on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Ahn stated, “As a member of the National Defense Comm