Observed annually on January 18, Royal Thai Armed Forces Day honors the courage, service, and dedication of the military in safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and security. The date commemorates the historic victory of King Naresuan the Great in 1593, a defining moment in Thai history that symbolizes bravery, strategic leadership, and national pride. To celebrate this legacy, the Royal Thai Embassy and the Office of the Defense Attaché hosted a reception on the evening of February 6, 2026, at the Ministry of National Defense Convention Hall in Seoul. The event drew a distinguished assembly
Diplomacy Journal David Kendall | On February 4, the U.S. Department of State hosted the inaugural "Critical Minerals Ministerial." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were among the American delegation. “Critical minerals and rare earths are essential for our most advanced technologies and will only become more important as AI, robotics, batteries, and autonomous devices transform our economies,” a post-meeting statement issued by the U.S. State Department read. I
The Heungsadan Support Center for Descendants of Independence Patriots (HSCDIP) announced the successful completion of its "2026 Overseas Independence Movement Historical Sites Tour." From January 26 to 30, high school and university students and other descendants of independence patriots visited Korean Provisional Government (KPG) and independence movement sites in China that date back to the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial period. This program was planned ahead of the 107th anniversary of the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the KPG to trace the footsteps of independence activists and
Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held an ROK-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting with U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio on February 3 (local time). Minister Cho is visiting Washington, D.C., to attend the U.S.-led Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting. Both ministers exchanged views on implementing the ROK-U.S. Summit Joint Fact Sheet (JFS), North Korea issues, and regional and global situations. Minister Cho recalled Secretary Rubio's contribution to reaching agreement on the JFS text and proposed moving forward with swift and substantive implementation. In partic
The Korea Research Institute for Local Administration (KRILA) and Korea Veterans Health Service (KVHS) chose February 4 to deliver food and other goods to marginalized Wonju residents in two separate acts. Both public institutions are based in the Gangwon-do Province city, about 130-km southeast of Seoul. The KVHS normally provides “medical care, rehabilitation, and welfare services to persons of distinguished service to the state,” according to its website, but 10 days before the start of this year’s five-day Lunar New Year (Seollal) holiday, its Director, Yun Jong-jin, and employees opted to
Diplomacy Journal shJung | The Southern Naeruk Railway, which had been neglected since its groundbreaking ceremony in 1966 due to lack of profitability, has finally held its groundbreaking ceremony. The Southern Inland Railway construction project is part of the "National Balanced Development Project (2019)" to revitalize the economy of the Yeongnam inland and southern coastal regions and improve transportation convenience for residents. This large-scale national project, linking Gimcheon City, North Gyeongsang Province, and Geoje City, South Gyeongsang Province, is a 174.6km line, with a tota
President Lee Jae-myung stated on February 3 that "the 'Geunyang Dream' initiative is receiving considerable positive response among the public as it supports citizens in welfare blind spots." (Geunyang is Korean for “just” or simply.”) In his opening remarks at the 4th Cabinet Meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae, President Lee explained the planned expansion of the Geunyang Dream initiative in May, saying, “It means everyone will receive at least the minimum amount of food (needed) at all times.” He continued, "This initiative came about in response to the story of people arrested for stealing a ca
On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 11, The Republic of Korea’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoonjoo will hold the second ROK-Italy Strategic Dialogue with Italy’s Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi, Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reported on February 5. The ROK and Italy established their Strategic Partnership in 2018, and the first ROK-Italy Strategic Dialogue was held in 2020, according to MOFA’s statement. MOFA pointed out that Italy is Korea’s fourth-largest trading partner within the EU and is visited by approx
The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) announced on February 9 that it has signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Seoul Association of the Visually Impaired (SAVI) and Korea-based OAO, a wellness and fitness service provider, to collaborate on social contribution initiatives that combine sports and technology. The MOU also calls for jointly organizing the next “Harmony Marathon with the Visually Impaired." The signing ceremony was held on February 3 at KGCCI’s office in central Seoul. Key stakeholders in attendance included KGCCI CEO Marie Antonia vo
The Seoul Metropolitan Youth Center (SMYC) has published six research reports verifying the effectiveness of Seoul's 2025 youth policies and presenting directions for future development. The research covers core youth policy agendas, including mental health support programs (2 reports), the Youth Stipend (1), youth policy delivery systems (1), issue research (1), and social impact measurement (1). In the first such social impact measurement conducted this year, Seoul Youth Centers were found to have generated approximately 108 billion won in social value through policy dissemination and connec
The Korea Local Finance Association (LOFA) and Chungcheongbuk-do Province held a discussion forum on February 6 at the Chungbuk Research Institute to assess progress made through “Local Extinction Response Fund” projects and address current challenges. The forum was attended by LOFA Chairman Jeong Seon Yong and officials responsible for population decline initiatives across Chungcheongbuk-do Province. Following presentations of outstanding local government achievements, LOFA's Regional Vitality Support Team explained the evaluation framework for the 2027 fund investment plan and gathered feedb