UNJournal Jon Lee | Hamyang County in Gyeongsangnam-do province hosted an international exchange event with Ethiopian Ambassador to South Korea Dessie Dalkie Dukamo and his entourage on July 8, 2025. This visit was arranged in anticipation of the upcoming overseas experience trip to Ethiopia by Geumban Elementary School students in November. The ambassador and his delegation attended the “Glocal Connection Day” event at Geumban Elementary School, participating in lectures, traditional coffee ceremonies, and a commemorative tree-planting ceremony. The ambassador's lecture, themed “The Past and
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Dr. Shin Hee-seok, a legal analyst of the Transnational Justice Working Group (TJWG), was appointed as a member of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) at the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on July 8, 2025. The WGAD is one of the special procedures of the HRC and is composed of five members appointed from each of the UN’s five regional groups. The WGAD investigates cases of deprivation of liberty imposed arbitrarily or inconsistently with international human rights standards, and adopts an opinion as to the arbitrariness of the detention an
By UN Journal Kayla Lee On the sidelines of the 4th Conference on Financing for Development (June 30-July 3, Seville), Kim Jina, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a joint meeting on July 1, with the high-level representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to announce the ROK government’s humanitarian assistance initiatives and its key project plans for this year. The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development was the first high-level meeting convened by the UN in a decade si
UNJournal Jon Lee | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Climate Change in Seoul on July 1, 2025. It was organized by the Korea Institute of Energy Research and supported by the Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, the Korea Startup Accelerator and Early Stage Investors Association, and the Chungnam Content Agency. As AI technologies play an increasingly significant role in addressing climate change and accelerating the energy transition, this conference brought together over 450 participants—including representa
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Director-General for Northeast and Central Asian Affairs Kang Young-shin held a consultation in Seoul with the Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Liu Jinsong on July 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The previous ROK-China director-general-level consultation was held on December 30, 2024, in China. Both sides agreed to maintain communication at all levels, building on their shared understanding of the need to seize the opportunity of the upcoming APEC Summit in Gyeongju to furt
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung said at a press conference held on July 3, marking 30 days since his inauguration, “We are doing our best to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win results based on the principle of practical diplomacy centered on national interests in the Korea-U.S. trade negotiations, which is one of the most pressing issues.” He also said, “Based on the solid U.S.-Korea alliance, close U.S.-Korea-Japan cooperation, and the prompt improvement of relations with China and Russia, we will protect peace and the lives of our people through practical diplomacy c
By UN Journal Kayla Lee “We’re here in Sevilla, Spain to change course,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told world leaders on June 30, calling on them to grasp a once-in-a-decade opportunity to close a $4 trillion financing gap facing developing countries to meet sustainable development goals – and build a better world for all. According to the UN News, António Guterres issued his clarion call noting that sustainable development powered by international cooperation, is now facing “massive headwinds.” Addressing the opening session of the 4th Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) i
UNJournal Jon Lee | Nkubito Manzi Bakuramutsa, the Rwandan Ambassador to South Korea, visited the Chungcheongbuk-do province and met with Governor Kim Young-hwan on June 30, 2025. This visit was part of mutual exchanges that began with the visit of Kim Soo-min, Vice Governor of Chungcheongbuk-do Province, to the Rwandan Embassy in South Korea in March. During the meeting, they discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation, cultivate bio talent, and develop the bio industry. Vice Governor Kim emphasized, “Chungbuk Province is the heart of K-Bio and a forward base for life science innovation
By UN Journal Kayla Lee “Extreme weather is already exacting an unacceptably high toll,” said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Celeste Saulo on June 23. Asia is warming twice as fast as the global average, according to a report released on June 23 by the WMO. This rate of warming – which shows no signs of stopping – is leading to devastating consequences for lives and livelihoods across the region, and no country is exempt from the consequences, the UN News reported. The WMO report said that Asia is warming twice as fast as global averages because of its large landmass
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Governor Oh Young-hoon of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province met with Director-General Qu Dongyu at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy, to discuss international cooperation on Jeju's globally important agricultural heritage system on June 25, 2025. Qu Dongyu is from Hunan Province, China, and holds a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He has served as Director-General of the FAO since August 2019. The main agenda of the meeting was the sustainable preservation and utiliz
UNJournal Jon Lee | Diplomatic Journal, June 2025, JPG, 외교저널 2025년 6월호 JPG 전체보기
UNJournal Jon Lee | The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Korea held an event dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War and the Genocide of the Belarusian People, co-organized by the South Korean news media Diplomacy Journal on June 20, 2025. In his opening remarks, the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Korea Andrew Chernetsky pointed out the need to defend the historical truth about the crimes of Nazi Germany against the Belarusian population and the peoples of the former Soviet republics, to preserve the memory of
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “Ecuador is truly a gem in the heart of South America and offers an incredible variety of attractions that appeal to all kinds of travelers. Whether you are drawn to tropical beaches, majestic mountains, rich rainforests, or unique islands, Ecuador has it all—often described as offering four worlds,” said Ambassador Patricio Esteban Troya Suárez of Ecuador to South Korea on June 23. In an exclusive interview with the Diplomacy Journal held at the Embassy of Ecuador in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Amb. Suarez said, “The coastal region is a tropical paradise with stunning beaches
By UN Journal Kayla Lee UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on June 18 that he remains “profoundly alarmed” by the ongoing military escalation between Israel and Iran, as the sides continued to trade airstrikes, the UN News reported. “I reiterate my call for immediate de-escalation leading to a ceasefire,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement in which he strongly appealled against any further internationalization of the conflict. “Any additional military interventions could have enormous consequences, not only for those involved but for the whole region and for international peace and secu
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “Turkmenistan is home to a wealth of stunning natural landmarks. The picturesque landscapes of the Kopetdag Mountains, the diverse flora and fauna of the Karakum Desert, the banks of the Amu Darya River, Koytendag, the subtropical regions of southwestern Turkmenistan,” said H.E. Begench Durdyyev, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Korea. In an exclusive interview with the Diplomacy Journal held at the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Yonsan-gu, Seoul on June 12, Amb. Durdyyev said, “The Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea, particularly the "Avaza" resort, are all ma