By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Global Impact Coalition (GIC), a CEO-led collaborative platform for a net-zero chemicals future, is proud to announce LG Chem as its newest member. As one of the world’s largest chemical companies and a leader in sustainable materials, LG Chem’s membership sends a strong signal to Asia and the broader industry that global collaboration is essential to developing sustainable and commercially viable solutions. This milestone reinforces GIC’s growing global impact and highlights the importance of international partnerships in scaling up solutions to reduce emi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) held the KGCCI Economic Outlook 2025 on January 23 at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. The event brought together over 80 business leaders, governmental officials, and industry experts to examine the future of Korean-German economic collaboration in an evolving global landscape. The event featured distinguished speakers including Joern Beissert, Deputy Ambassador of German Embassy in Korea; Dr. Jiho Lee, Director General of the Research Department at the Bank of Korea (BOK), and Katharina Viklenko, Director an
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hanwha announced a strategic partnership with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and the Korea Foundation (KF) to establish the Korea Chair at IISS. The signing ceremony took place at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on Jan. 23. The initiative will fund a full-time Senior Fellow for Korean Security Studies—the IISS Korea Chair in Advanced Technologies, National Security, and Defense—at IISS’ London headquarters, Arundel House. The Chair will engage with governments, the private sector, and global expert communities, contributing research
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo KT&G Corporation hosted a ceremony celebrating the Türkiye factory expansion on Jan. 16. The expansion is part of KT&G's efforts to leap to a "Global Top-tier" and to strengthen its global operations. KT&G celebrated the expansion of its Turkiye factory to fulfill its goal to leap to a 'Global Top-tier' and to expand its global operations. Around 50 major participants, including KT&G's CEO Kyung-man Bang, Tire District Governor Vural Karagül, the Korean ambassador to Türkiye Yeon-doo Jeong, Tire Mayor Hayati Okuroğlu, and President of Department
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Vietnam Airlines will launch a new direct route between Busan and Nha Trang on June 1, 2025, with seven flights per week. This is in response to the growing demand for travel to Vietnam. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, from January to November 2024, 4.13 million out of 25.97 million Korean overseas tourists visited Vietnam, making it one of the most preferred overseas destinations for Koreans. New route schedule The non-stop route from Busan Gimhae International Airport to Nha Trang's Cam Ranh International Airport will be operated by Airbus A321 a
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Eui-sun has been re-elected as the 14th president of the Korea Archery Association (KAA). He has held this position since 2005 and will serve another term from January 2025 to January 2029. The election committee of KAA recognized Chung for significantly enhancing the competitiveness of Korean archery through a long-term vision, improved administrative operations, and financial independence. He has been instrumental in supporting national representatives, nurturing talent, and expanding the sport's presence in Korea and
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo POSCO Holdings has joined forces with Hancock Prospecting, an Australian mining company, to strengthen the supply chain for lithium used in Rechargeable battery materials. POSCO Holdings and Hancock Prospecting formalized their collaboration by signing a business agreement on lithium cooperation on Dec. 9. The signing ceremony was conducted via video conference between Korea and Australia, with attendance from POSCO Holdings’ Jun-hyung Kim, Head of Rechargeable Battery Materials (Senior Executive Vice President), and Garry Korte, CEO of Hancock Prospecting, amo
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK bioscience and Sanofi announced on Dec. 23 the signing of an expanded agreement to co-develop next-generation pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) for both pediatric and adult populations, with the potential to provide broader protection than those currently licensed. This agreement builds on the companies’ existing collaboration to develop and commercialize the GBP410, a 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate pediatric vaccine candidate. Together, the companies aim to develop innovative next-generation PCVs beyond GBP410. At the same time, SK bioscience and San
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hanwha Aerospace announced on Dec. 17 that it has shipped a fresh batch of four K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers and eight K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicles to Norway, a key commitment to supporting the Norwegian defence capability. The shipment is a part of a 2022 contract to supply more K9 VIDAR(Versatile Indirect Artillery) and K10 systems following the successful implementation of the first contract for 24 K9s and six K10s signed in 2017. The artillery systems are expected to arrive in Norway in about two months for the delivery to the Norwegian Armed Forces afte
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) and Sungjoo Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Sungjoo Group Building on December 13, 2024. The MoU marks a significant step in fostering collaboration for KGCCI’s “Women In koRea” (WIR) mentorship program, an initiative dedicated to empowering women leadership and advancing gender equality in society. Under this partnership, KGCCI and the Sungjoo Foundation will co-organize workshops, exhibition, and activities under the WIR mentorship p
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ICCK) has appointed Gyusang Jeong as its new Secretary-General. The newly appointed Secretary-General, Mr. Jeong, got a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering in the United States and has many years of experience in corporate research institutes, working on national research projects and product development. Mr. Jeong was recently involved in the Kenya-AIST (Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) construction project in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of an ODA (Official Development Assistance) initiative as a Senior Resear
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) and the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) co-hosted a special reception with Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on December 11 at Banyan Tree Club and Spa Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. This special reception was organized to assess recent developments in economic policy, foreign investment, and overall status of business environment for German, French and other European companies in Korea. This gathering comes on the heels of last week’s brief m
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 Dec. 12 that it has received approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) in Australia for the clinical trial protocols of a Phase 1/2 trials for its mRNA-based Japanese encephalitis vaccine candidate, GBP560. SK bioscience is establishing its mRNA vaccine platform through the development of vaccines against Japanese encephalitis virus as well as Lassa fever virus. The Japanese Encephalitis Virus (viral family: Fla
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group announced partnerships with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on Dec. 3 to establish a collaborative research system in the fields of batteries and electrification. The three institutes include IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. The Hyundai Center of Excellence (CoE), which will be set up within IIT Delhi, will operate through sponsorships from Hyundai Motor Group. The primary objective of the Hyundai CoE is to take the lead in driving advancements in batteries and electrification, specifically designed to meet the unique require
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young South Korean bamboo salt master Choi Dong-soon has broken new ground in traditional bamboo salt making by introducing the world's first 5,000-degree high-temperature Hwangsong bamboo salt. The achievement is considered an artistic revolution in salt making, combining the perfect blend of bamboo and sea salt with innovative technology to contribute to human health. Tradition meets science, 5,000-degree Hwangsong Bamboo Salt Master Choi fuses the essence of bamboo salt-making tradition with modern technology to create 5,000-degree Hwangsong bamboo salt, which h