By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “Filipinos and Koreans share a common love for family and festivals or festivities where the family gathers together. Many of these festivities involve both the preparation of and the enjoyment of traditional food which we also share,” said Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega of the Philippines to Korea on May 26, 2025. In an exclusive interview with the Diplomacy Journal at the Embassy of the Philippines in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Amb. Dizon-de Vega said, “There are just some differences in the way we prepare them. I often focus more on similarities between the Philippines a
By UN Journal Kayla Lee | UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a message on the occasion of Africa Day on May 25, 2025. In the message, he said, “On Africa Day, we celebrate a continent rich in heritage, vibrant in diversity and remarkable in its contributions to our global community. Africa is home to the world’s youngest population and fast becoming a powerhouse in renewable energy and technological innovation. “Yet, Africa bears the scars of historic injustices. The legacies of slavery, colonialism, apartheid, and systemic racism still cast long shadows, and entrenched inequaliti
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul to the UN Journal for publication. –Ed. Today, Uzbekistan is demonstrating positive progress in the field of public service reform. Initiatives focused on digitalization, transparency, and professionalism are contributing to the overall improvement in the quality of civil service delivery. It is no coincidence that the United Nations Public Service Forum 2025 will be held in Uzbekistan from June 23 to 25. Beyond its primary mission, the forum will also serve as a platform to present Uzbekistan
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul to the UN Journal for publication. –Ed. In recent years, Uzbekistan has undertaken large-scale reforms aimed at transforming its public administration and civil service systems. The primary goal has been to build an efficient, transparent, and citizen-oriented governance model. The progress and potential achieved in this area will be showcased at the UN Public Service Forum, to be held in Samarkand in June 2025. This will be the first time Uzbekistan hosts this prestigious forum, which reflect
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul to the UN Journal for publication. –Ed. From June 23 to 25, 2025, the city of Samarkand will host the United Nations Public Service Forum (UNPSF 2025). The central theme of this prestigious international event is “Five Years to 2030: Accelerating the Delivery of Public Services for a Sustainable Future.” The forum is organized jointly by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Hosting the forum offers Uzbekistan a
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul to the UN Journal for publication. –Ed. The United Nations Public Service Forum (UNPSF) is an international-level event held under the auspices of the United Nations, aimed at promoting innovation, efficiency, and sustainable development in public service. The forum is organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and has been held annually since 2003 to develop strategies for advancing public service in support of sustainable development. Traditionally, the forum foc
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “Belarus is a country with an ancient history and rich traditions, beautiful nature and stunning architecture, industrial giants and well-developed agriculture, unique cuisine and hospitable people,” said H.E. Andrew Chernetsky, Belarus Ambassador to the Republic of Korea on May 20, 2025. In an exclusive interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Amb. Chernetsky said, “The modern cultural life of Belarus is dynamic and diverse. The country hosts numerous art, music, theater exhibitions and film festivals. Belarus entertains its guests with a variety of events.” Noting that
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Korea, together with representatives of the Belarusian diaspora, took part in the 17th Seongbuk Global Food Festival – Nurimasil on May 18,2025, organized by the administration of the Seongbuk district of Seoul. Belarusian diplomatic mission delighted the guests of the festival with traditional potato pancakes, crepes and other dishes of national cuisine, while both adults and children appreciated the Belarusian culinary delights. As part of the event, Ambassador of Belarus Andrew Chernetsky and his Spouse Marina
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young The word ‘hero’ is often misunderstood. It's easy to think of them as someone who wields spectacular force or is cheered by the masses, but in reality, the word comes from the ancient Greek myth of the “half-god, half-man” and refers to people of exceptional courage and determination who acted for the good of humanity. In this regard, we should be able to clearly distinguish between a true hero and an arrogant person in power. True heroes often have the following “prayer of equanimity” as their life motto: "O God, I pray to you. “Oh, God, give me the equanimity to a
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) is holding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting from May 15–16 at the International Convention Center Jeju (ICC Jeju). As Korea is resuming APEC chairmanship in 20 years since 2005, Minister for Trade Cheong In-kyo is chairing the MRT meeting with the participation of trade ministers from 21 major economies in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, and the U.S., as well as the WTO Director-General and the OECD Deputy Secretar
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young St. Lazarus Village will hold its 38th Charity Concert, “In Your Presence,” on June 11 at the Seongnam Arts Center Opera House. This will be the first time in six years that the charity concert has been held since the 37th charity concert in 2019, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 'In Your Presence' began in 1975 with the voluntary participation of celebrities to help people with Hansen's disease in Korea and abroad. The subtitle of the charity concert, which commemorates the Universal Church's regular jubilee and the 75th anniversary of the founding
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MCST), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), and the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) announced that the five-day Korea Week (May 13–17) took off on May 13 at 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo, starting with Korea Day. Approximately 350 visitors attended the Korea Day event launched on May 13, including a total of 30 government officials and business leaders of both countries. The Korea Day event consisted of a series of progra
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The UN World Food Program (WFP) has warned that millions of people in West and Central Africa are facing record hunger as conflict, displacement, economic hardship and repeated extreme weather push the region towards a major crisis, the UN News reported. More than 36 million are struggling to meet their basic food needs, which is projected to rise to over 52 million during the lean season from June to August, latest analysis reveals. This includes almost three million people facing emergency conditions, and 2,600 people in Mali who are at risk of catastrophic hunger,
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The 41st APEC Automotive Dialogue (AD) opened on May 9–10 at the International Convention Center Jeju (ICC Jeju) on the sidelines of the APEC Second Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM2), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced. The APEC AD is a public-private forum for the sharing of major policy issues and industrial trends among APEC members’ governments and auto industries to seek measures for cooperation. Launched in 1999, it serves as APEC’s major communication channel on diverse automotive areas spanning electric mobility, aut
UNJournal Jon Lee | Thai Ambassador to Korea Tanee Sangrat has joined a 1 million-signature relay campaign calling for the construction of a private runway at Cheongju International Airport. Chungcheongbuk-do province announced on May 7 that Thai Ambassador Tanee Sangrat has become the first foreign ambassador to sign a petition calling for the construction of a dedicated runway for civilian aircraft at Cheongju International Airport. “The lack of flights is the biggest obstacle to expanding people-to-people exchanges between the two countries,” said Thai Ambassador Tanee Sangrat, adding, ”I s