Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee | President Lee Jae-myung on January 7 (local time) visited the former site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, concluding his four-day state visit to China. Upon arriving in Shanghai, President Lee first attended the Korea–China Venture Startup Summit, where he met with young entrepreneurs from both countries who are leading innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies. Participants exchanged views on expanding bilateral cooperation across cutting-edge industries. President Lee then paid tribute at the f
Diplomacy Journal Lee Sung Jun | BEIJING — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a 90-minute summit on Jan. 5, 2026, agreeing to fully restore bilateral relations and significantly expand cooperation across the economic, cultural, and security sectors. A Turning Point in Strategic Partnership The summit, which took place at the Great Hall of the People, lasted 30 minutes longer than scheduled, reflecting the depth of the issues discussed. In his opening remarks, President Lee characterized the meeting as a "crucial momentum" to make 2026 the inaugural year
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee | The Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan (ISRS), Eldor Aripov, commented to Dunyo IA on President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Address to the Oliy Majlis and the people of Uzbekistan. The Address of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Oliy Majlis and the people of Uzbekistan goes far beyond the scope of a routine annual political speech in its significance. It constitutes a strategic policy document that marks the country’s transition to a qualitatively new stage of development, the institutional consolidation o
Diplomacy Journal Lee Sung Jun | Speaker Woo Won-Shik of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea met with Ambassador Khalid bin Ebrahim Al Hamar of the State of Qatar at the Speaker’s Office in Seoul on the morning of January 8 this year. They discussed ways to expand economic cooperation between the two countries and resolve local challenges faced by Korean companies. The most notable outcome of this meeting was the progress made in the long-pending Doha Metro dispute. Last November, Speaker Woo became the first Republic of Korea National Assembly Speaker to make an official visit to Q
Diplomacy Journal shJung | The Blue House announced that President Lee Jae-myung will visit Nara Prefecture, Japan, for a two-day, one-night trip on January 13th and 14th to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi. This visit was made at the invitation of the Japanese government, following the suggestion during the summit with Prime Minister Takaichi at last year's Gyeongju APEC summit that "the next shuttle diplomacy should be held in Nara, the Prime Minister's hometown."This marks the third meeting between President Lee and Prime Minister Takaichi, less than three months after hi
Diplomacy Journal Lee Sung Jun | On November 28, 2025, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed a dialogue platform for rural akims (mayors), outlining his vision for the long-term development of remote areas. Kazakhstan’s Political Reforms: Evolution Instead of Shock Change President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is implementing a large-scale transformation of Kazakhstan’s political system by pursuing an evolutionary path of development based on institutional reform and a carefully calibrated sequence of actions. Since 2019, Kazakhstan has adopted around twenty laws aimed at modernizing its politica
Diplomacy Journal Lee Sung Jun | In his recent interview published on January 5, 2026, in the newspaper Turkistan, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev offered a comprehensive and candid assessment of the country’s development ㅜtrajectory, laying out his vision for Kazakhstan’s path towards modernization. His remarks reflect not only impressive economic achievements, but also deep structural changes shaping the future of our nation. He stated that “This year will be pivotal for our country, as a number of critically important events will take place that will define Kaz