By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol received Caroline Kennedy, President Emeritus of the John F. Kennedy Foundation (JFK Foundation) and current U.S. Ambassador to Australia on March 27. The meeting was held at the special request of Mrs. Kennedy, who wanted to personally deliver the trophy (lantern) of the Profile in Courage Award to the President. The JFK Foundation honored President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida last year with the 2023 Profile in Courage Award, recognizing their contributions to improving relations between South Korea and Japan. "Both leaders have done the
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Mayor Choi Min-ho of Sejong Special Self-Governing City met with a delegation of high-ranking government officials, including Alexandre Marie and YOMO, the director of the National Civil Registration Agency of Cameroon, at Sejong City Hall on March 21 to discuss cooperation plans. The visit was made at the request of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Cameroon as part of the Korea International Cooperation Agency's (KOICA) 'Invitation Training Program for the Pilot Project to Establish a Computerized Civil Registration System in Cameroon'. This is the third visit
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Korea, Nurgali Arystanov, took part in the event “Forest and Innovation - New Solutions for a Better World” to mark the International Day of Forests on March 21. It was organized by the Korea Forest Service and the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) and attended by Ambassadors of AFoCO countries such as Chile, Brunei, Myanmar, the Philippines and Tajikistan. While delivering the remarks, the Kazakh Ambassador noted the positive dynamics of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Korea Forest Service and AFoCO in the field of f
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held his first meeting with Uzbekistan Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor SAIDOV since taking office at the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 20. The two sides discussed bilateral relations between the two countries. Foreign Minister Cho said that Uzbekistan and Korea have developed a special partnership, suggesting that they continue to cooperate closely in various fields. Foreign Minister Saidov said that Uzbekistan, a special strategic partner of Korea, greatly values its relations with the country and intends to
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “Korea-Pakistan diplomatic ties, established forty-one years ago, have blossomed into a partnership, based on respect, cordiality, and mutual interest,” said Amb. Nabeel Munir of Pakistan to Korea. Delivering a speech at the Pakistan’s National Day reception held at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on March 21, Amb. Munir said, “From socio-economic development to trade and investment, from defense cooperation to cultural exchanges, this partnership continues to blossom. “The ‘Miracle on Han River’ continues to inspire us. We want to learn from Kore
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) in cooperation with the Korea Energy Economic Institute (KEEI), Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), German policy consultancy think tank adelphi and Hydrogen Convergence Alliance held the 6th Korean-German Energy Day (KGED) conference on March 21 at Grand Hyatt Berlin, Germany. The KGED is the flagship event of the Korean-German Energy Partnership, co-hosted by German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and Korean Mini
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young The third meeting of the U.S.-led 'Democracy Summit' concluded in Seoul on March 20. The meeting was held for three days from March 18 under the theme of "Democracy for Future Generations. It was the first time the summit, which was launched by U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021, was held exclusively outside the United States. "The Republic of Korea, together with all democracies in the world, will continue its efforts to advance global democracy to the next level by consolidating the outcomes of this summit," said President Yoon Suk-yeol in his closing remarks, which
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol received British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, who is in Korea for the 3rd Democracy Summit on March 20. The President welcomed the UK's active participation in the Democracy Summit as the originator of parliamentary democracy and looked forward to lively discussions on the theme of the Summit, 'Promoting Democracy for Future Generations'. The President also noted that the Downing Street Agreement, which he signed with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during his state visit to the UK last November, marked a new milestone in the development o
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Kazakhstan to Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, delivered an address at the National Kurultai (National Congress) on March 15. He primally focused on Kazakhstan’s development, outlining key tasks and priorities for the country. The President stated that addressing economic issues alone does not suffice for becoming a genuinely developed nation, adding that Kazakhstan must take a comprehensive approach, outlining guidelines not only in the socio-economic re
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol received a group of ministers and vice ministers from five African countries who are visiting Korea to attend the Ministerial Meeting on the first day of the 3rd Democracy Summit at the Presidential Office on March 19. The five African countries are Gambia, Mozambique, Kenya, Mauritius and Botswana. The President assessed that the five countries share the universal value of democracy with Korea and have formed close and friendly relations, and expressed his hope that they will strengthen cooperation in various fields to develop democracy for
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Dr. Thomas Bagger, State Secretary of Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, on March 11. They exchanged views on matters of mutual interests, such as bilateral relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Foreign Minister Cho and State Secretary Bagger agreed to work towards rearranging President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to Germany, which was inevitably postponed last month due to various domestic affairs, at an appropriate time. They also agreed to further bolster the ties between the two countries through conti
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young | President Yoon Suk-yeol received U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who is visiting South Korea for the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Democracy Summit, on March 18. The President welcomed Secretary Blinken, who is returning to South Korea after a four-month absence following his visit in November last year, and said that the recent high-level exchanges, including reciprocal visits between the foreign ministers of the two countries, demonstrate the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance, which has evolved into a "globally comprehensive strategic alliance.” No
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Ambassador of Kazakhstan Nurgali Arystanov met with Daejeon City Mayor Lee Jang-woo in Daejeon City on March 12 to explore ways to expand bilateral cooperation. The Ambassador highlighted the importance of collaboration in science and education. He talked about President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's vision for a prosperous Kazakhstan, in which priority is also attached to increasing scientific and technical potential. This, as noted by the Kazakh Envoy, opens new opportunities for closer ties with Korea, especially in areas like digital transformation and training skilled
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young The Freedom Shield (FS) 2024 joint exercise concluded on March 14. The 11-day exercise, which began on March 4 and concluded on March 14, was based on exercise scenarios reflecting the changing threats and security situation, including lessons from recent wars, and assumed various situations, including a transition of war and all-out war, according to the United Nations Command (UNC). In particular, this year's exercise focused on multi-domain operations utilizing land, sea, air, cyber and space assets and neutralizing the North Korean nuclear threat. The ROK and th
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Turkish Airlines, which operates a fleet of more than 450 aircraft, launched its inaugural flight to Melbourne, Australia, on March 2. Turkish Airlines will fly to Melbourne, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria, three times a week with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (winter) and A350-900 aircraft (summer). The Istanbul-Melbourne route will carry thousands of customers and contribute to the expansion of tourism and trade between the two countries. Turkish Airlines is the only European airline to fly to Melbourne Airport, with plans to serve Sydney by the end of