By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee German Ambassador to Korea Wilfried Georg Schmidt and his wife visited Goseong County, the northernmost border region, on October 15. After holding talks with Goseong County Mayor Ham Myeong-jun, they toured key security tourism sites and prayed for the establishment of a permanent inter-Korean peace system. Ambassador Schmidt, meeting County Mayor Ham for the second time, visited the Unification Observatory. There, he directly gazed upon the North Korean region, experiencing firsthand the reality of the Korean Peninsula's division. He expressed deep empathy for
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Jeungpyeong County has opened a new chapter in future agricultural cooperation by signing an agreement with its sister city, China's Guannan County, to develop smart agriculture and invigorate the exchange of agricultural and specialty products. County Mayor Lee Jae-young signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the “Development of Smart Agriculture and Promotion of Agricultural and Specialty Product Exchange” with Guannan County Chief Gao Xian at a formal meeting held at the Shu Xiang Hu Hotel in Guannan County on Oct. 16. This agreement builds upon the ac
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Justice Chung Sung-ho met with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the Gwacheon Government Complex on October 17. They emphasized the importance of solidarity and responsibility-sharing within the international community to resolve the global refugee crisis and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation. Minister Jeong stated, “Since acceding to the Refugee Convention in 1992, Korea has actively participated in refugee protection as a responsible member of the international community, including enacting Asia's f
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) announced on Oct. 17 that it has begun accepting applications from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for participation in the "2025 K-Beauty Creator Challenge". Launched in 2024, this public–private collaborative initiative aims to discover promising export-oriented SMEs in the cosmetics and beauty sector and support their entry into global markets. Last year, out of 178 companies seeking to expand into the U.S. market, ten were selected to receive marketing consulting from global platform operators such as Amazon,
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks with Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard on October 16. Minister Stenergard is visiting South Korea on October 15 and 16. The two ministers exchanged views on practical cooperation and regional affairs. Minister Cho noted that high-level exchanges between the two countries have been revitalized since the launch of the new administration, including the visit of the Crown Princess Couple of Sweden and the subsequent meeting between the foreign ministers. He expressed hope that these high-level exchanges would lead t
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced on Oct. 10 that Seoul set the world record for “most people in a reading relay” at Gwanghwamun Square, winning the Guinness World Records title on Sat, Sep. 27. The event marked the 80th anniversary of Korea’s national liberation and the passing of poet Yun Dong-ju. With this achievement, South Korea has become the official Guinness World Records holder for the “most people in a reading relay.” The challenge was declared a success at 6:34 PM when the 3,532nd participant finished the relay. This surpassed India’s r
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced the “100 Taste of Seoul 2025” lists recommended by sixty domestic and international culinary experts on Oct. 14 in an effort to promote Seoul’s diverse food culture worldwide and provide culinary experiences that citizens and visitors alike can enjoy. “100 Taste of Seoul” is more than just a list of restaurants—it serves as a curated culinary map of Seoul that highlights both expertise and popularity, introducing must-visit places for anyone visiting the city. Among the selected restaurants, Gangnam accounted for
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Cambodia was once a country that welcomed foreigners with the ‘angelic smile’. But now, that smile has frozen cold. Behind the beautiful Angkor Wat and emerald coastline lurks the grip of criminal organizations targeting foreigners. The murder of a Korean university student was not merely the tragedy of one individual, but the result of systematic neglect hidden behind the label of a ‘tourist nation’. A crime market disguised as tourism. Locally, alongside the tourism boom, ‘voice phishing camps’, ‘online gambling centers’, and ‘human trafficking brokerages’ have
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, located in the capital city of Minsk, Belarus, grandly opened the special exhibition K-Minwha (Folk Painting): The Beauty of Korea. This exhibition showcases Korea's traditional beauty and artistic spirit. This exhibition was prepared as a meaningful occasion to share the power of artistic communion and the depth of culture through Minhwa paintings, which embody the Korean aesthetic consciousness and sentiment. Minhwa paintings are pictures of hope born from the hands of nameless commoners and a philosophy of li
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting of economic officers from all Korean diplomatic missions in the United States on October 2, chaired by Director-General for Bilateral Economic Affairs Kim Sun-young. The meeting was convened to discuss ways to address visa-related difficulties faced by Korean companies and to strengthen coordinated cooperation between the Ministry and its overseas missions, with the overarching aim of ensuring a stable investment environment in the United States. Notably, the meeting followed the inaugural session of the Korea–U.S. B
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Government of the Republic of Korea, together with the Governments of Australia and Tanzania, welcomes the groundbreaking ceremony held on October 9 to officially launch the Mahenge graphite project in Tanzania. Located in the Morogoro region of Tanzania, the Mahenge project is led by the Australian company Black Rock Mining (BRM) and involves the Government of Tanzania and Korean companies, including POSCO International. Tanzanian Government officials, including the Minister of Minerals, the Korean Ambassador to Tanzania, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun had a meeting with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong on September 25, local time, on the occasion of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The two ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments. Minister Cho noted that high-level exchanges have been actively taking place since the launch of the new Korean administration. He highlighted that this first meeting between the two foreign ministers, following their phone call on August 4, demonstrates the close strategi
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a meeting with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand at the United Nations Headquarters on September 25. The two sides exchanged views on overall bilateral relations, including high-level exchanges, future substantive cooperation plans, and regional and international situations. Minister Cho expressed his delight at the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two countries following the inauguration of the new governments of Korea and Canada this year, following the bilateral summit held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute announced that the “2025 ESG-ECO EXPO KOREA” will be held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul from September 24 to 26. Launched in 2005 and now in its 21st year, the Eco Expo has been organized as a festival where consumers, businesses, and the government come together. Its aim is to strengthen the connection between the supply and demand of environmental technologies and industries while encouraging the public to practice green living. This year’s Eco Expo features a total of 23
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced on Sept. 23 to host a global Chuseok celebration where foreigners and seniors come together for the holiday. The city will hold cultural programs related to Chuseok from late September to early October at six Foreign Resident Centers as well as Gangnam and Itaewon Global Village Centers, bringing together Korean nationals and foreigners. Seoul’s Foreign Resident Centers and Global Village Centers provide assistance to the city’s 400,000 foreign residents to support their stable settlement through daily life consul