By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The UN Secretary-General António Guterres on March 9 highlighted the urgent need for a negotiated political solution in Syria, emphasizing the protection of civilians and the dire humanitarian situation, the UN News reported. March marks the thirteenth anniversary of the conflict in Syria, with systematic atrocities and untold suffering of civilians. According to UN estimates, 16.7 million people, equivalent to 70 per cent of the total population, will require humanitarian assistance in 2024. Roughly half the pre-war population remains displaced inside or outside Syri
By UN Journal Kim Ji-eun Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Natalia Kanem on March 6 during the latter’s visit to Korea, where they discussed Korea-UNFPA cooperation. Foreign Minister Cho appreciated the enhanced partnership between Korea and the UNFPA, including through the first Korea-UNFPA Policy Consultation held last month. He went on to express his expectation that Korea, as a member of the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 term, will strengthen cooperation with the UNFPA in areas such as the Humanitarian-Develop
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Women In koRea (WIR: ‘We’ in German) leadership group of the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a successful kick-off event on March 8, marking its sixth edition of annual mentoring program. Hosted jointly by the Embassy of Germany in Seoul at the residence of German Ambassador Georg Schmidt, the event drew over 100 participants, especially female executive mentors and mentees from diverse sectors and organizations. Among the attendees were representatives from Bayer Korea, BNP Paribas Seoul Branch, Deutsche Bank Seoul Branch, Henkel Korea, KGCCI,
By UN Journal Kim Ji-eun Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held a telephone conversation with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique A. Manalo to exchange views on key bilateral issues on March 8. Minister Cho expressed his deepest sympathy for the deaths of two Filipino sailors in a missile attack by Houthi rebels on March 6, and expressed his appreciation for the exchange of letters of congratulations between the two leaders and ministers on March 3, the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. In response, Minister Manalo expressed his warmest sympathies to Minister Cho, and
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol received Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is visiting Korea, and exchanged views on cooperation between Korea and the state of Michigan, as well as support for Korean businesses and the Korean American community on March 7. President Yoon emphasized that cooperation between the two countries is strengthening in all areas, including countering proliferation, economic security, advanced technology, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, following his state visit to the United States last year, which marked the 70th anniversary of t
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo In a dynamic landscape of global partnerships, the KIGAM International Network Forum 2024 on “Critical Minerals in Asia and Africa”, held on March 5, 2024, provided a platform for meaningful discourse and strategic collaborations. Hosted by Dr. Lee Pyeong-Koo, President of the Korea Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), the event brought together government officials, industry leaders, diplomats and other stakeholders from Asian and African countries such as Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Nigeria and Tanzania. Kazakhstan was represented by Mr. Kan
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann), in cooperation with Busan Metropolitan City, held the KGCCI Economic Outlook 2024 on March 7 at Park Hyatt Hotel Busan. The event was followed by a special reception of KGCCI and the German Embassy with more 100 business leaders, governmental officials, industry experts and the German community. The event was organized to provide exclusive insights into the developments of Korean-German business relations in these challenging times. Distinguished speakers including H.E.
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Within the framework of the initiatives for the 140th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, the Embassy of Italy in the Republic of Korea organized, on the occasion of the International Women's Day, the third edition of 'Ambassador for a day', a project that allows a Korean university student to join the Ambassador of Italy in Seoul, Emilia Gatto, during a typical day of her life, to gain high-level direct experience in an international working environment. The student was selected after an examination of the essays that participants from various Korean u
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “We look forward to a future-oriented partnership…the upgrade of our relations to a strategic partnership will open fresh avenues for growth,” stressed Amb. of the Philippines to Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega at a reception on March 5. Delivering toast remarks at a reception for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines held at Grand Hyatt Seoul, Amb. Dizon-De Vega said, “And grow it shall across many areas of cooperation from Korea’s engagement in the Build Better More infrastructure program of the Philippines through which landmark
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo met with British Ambassador to Korea Colin James Crooks at the speaker's office in Seoul on March 5 to review the agenda for his official visit to United Kingdom in mid-to-late March. "The United Kingdom was the second-largest troop contributor to the Korean War after the United States," Kim said, noting that Ambassador Crooks, who served as a counselor at the British Embassy in Seoul, organized Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Andong in 1999. "The queen's visit strengthened our bilateral relations." "Last year, in honor of the 140th
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo met with Ambassadors Peter van der Vliet of the Netherlands and Georg Wilfried Schmidt of Germany on March 4 to review the agenda of his official visit to the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. "The Netherlands sent more than 5,000 troops to fight in the Korean War before the establishment of diplomatic relations," Kim said during a meeting with Ambassador van der Vliet at his office in Yeouido. "Our two countries have developed cooperation in a wide range of areas since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1961, and last ye
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young "The March 1 Movement will be completed with a unified Korea where everyone enjoys freedom and prosperity," President Yoon Suk-yeol said on March 1, marking the 105th anniversary of the movement. "We must now move toward a free and unified Korean peninsula where all people are the owners," Yoon said in a commemorative speech at the 105th anniversary of the March 1 commemoration ceremony at the Yoo Kwan-sun Memorial Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul. Referring to the 1919 Declaration of Independence, Yoon said, "At the root of the Declaration of Independence was 'liberalism,' w
By UN Journal Kim Ji-eun During his visit to the United States, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul had his first bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken since his inauguration at the U.S. Department of State on February 28, local time, the foreign ministry said. In the meeting that came merely six days after the ROK-U.S.-Japan foreign ministers’ meeting on February 22, the two sides had a fruitful and in-depth discussion on the ROK-U.S. Alliance and ROK-U.S.-Japan cooperation; nuclear and other issues related to North Korea; information cooperation; and regional a
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Choi Sang-hoon joined Yoo Young-soo's workshop in Haengdang-dong, Seoul, as an apprentice in 1966 at the tender age of 13, and has spent nearly 60 years of his life with najeon lacquerware (laquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl). In 1969, after attending Master Yoo Young-soo's workshop, he moved to the workshop of Seoul Intangible Cultural Property Min Jong-tae and learned various techniques from him. Of course, he learned the general field of the complex najeon lacquer technique from Min Jong-tae, but he also learned najeon and lacquer techniques from Lee Sang-ho,
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo In his address at the WeGO Kick-off Event on February 20, 2024, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Korea, Mr. Nurgali Arystanov, expressed his gratitude to Secretary General Jung Sook Park for hosting the event. He highlighted the importance of city-to-city diplomacy and WeGO's proactive efforts to strengthen city networks for smarter, more inclusive urban environments. Referring to the upcoming WeGO Executive Committee Meeting 2024 and 7th General Assembly as major events to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Mr. Arystanov appreciated Almaty's selection as an Executive Vice Pre