UNJournal Kayla Lee | As the respiratory health of modern humans is under threat, hand-harvested wild balloon flowers (Meokdoraji) collected by a Simmani (wild ginseng digger) with 30-year experience is gaining attention. The essence of the long-lived balloon flower, which has been growing for decades in the deep mountains, has gained great popularity among consumers for its excellent effects on immunity and lung health. Unlike conventionally cultivated balloon flowers, Meokdoraji are those that have grown in nature for 20 years to over 100 years without being affected by pesticides or artific
UNJournal Kayla Lee | Diplomacy Journal, founded in 1996, is celebrating its 28th anniversary. Over the past 28 years, Diplomacy Journal has been at the forefront of documenting the flow of international diplomacy and promoting cooperation and cultural exchanges between countries, and now aims to further develop as a global diplomatic journal. Over the years, Diplomacy Journal has provided readers with insightful information through in-depth coverage of a variety of topics, including interviews with foreign ambassadors, international foreign policy analysis, economic trends, and cultural excha
By UN Journal Kayla Lee "Ten years ago, the first International Day of Women and Girls in Science recognized a fundamental truth: women’s participation is essential for building a better world through science and technology. I saw that enormous potential firsthand when I was teaching engineering, and I saw the remarkable talent, creativity, and determination of countless women scientists," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Feb. 11. In the statement released by the United Nations, he said, "Yet today, women still represent just one-third of the global scientific community. Deprived
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The Jongno-gu Saemaul Association (Chairman Park Nae-chun) successfully held its 2025 General Assembly on the afternoon of Jan. 23 at the 4th floor of the Ewha-dong Community Center. The general meeting was attended by about 70 delegates, including Chairman Park Nae-chun, Jongno-gu Mayor Chung Moon-heon, Jongno-gu Council Chairman Ra Do-gyun, and Jongno-gu Council members, as well as about 100 local residents and officials of the Saemaul movement. The general assembly received reports on the main business performance and revenue and expenditure settlement for 2024, and
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The Los Angeles Korean Festival Foundation held its regular board meeting at the Oxford Palace Hotel on Dec. 17, 2024, electing director Kim Jun-bae as the new chairman of the board and beginning discussions to normalize the foundation. The board meeting was presided over by Vice Chairman Choi Il-soon, and was attended by directors Kim Jun-bae and Park Yun-sook, fulfilling the quorum requirement. Despite the absence of Chairman Bae Mu-han and his non-cooperation with the request to convene the board, the board meeting was convened in accordance with the articles of foun
By UN Journal Kayla Lee UN agencies responded on Jan. 21 to President Trump's executive orders ending US membership of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its adherence to the Paris Climate Agreement, highlighting the massive potential negative impact on public health and efforts to curb global warming, the UN News reported. “The WHO regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization…We hope the United States will reconsider,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic, hours after the new President signed an executive order at the White House,
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as the Minister of Economy and Finance, met with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya during his visit to Korea on Jan. 14. Acting President Choi welcomed Foreign Minister Iwaya’s visit to Korea as his first overseas trip this year and appreciated the Japanese government’s emphasis on the importance of Korea-Japan relations and its close communication with the Korean government. Minister Iwaya expressed his gratitude for Acting President Choi’s warm welcome and extended his condolences for thos
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The following article was contributed by Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, to UN Journal for publication through the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul. --Ed. From the very beginning of his tenure, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan has prioritized strengthening ties with foreign nations. Uzbekistan is steadily fostering constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries and international organizations. The practical steps in our foreign policy are rightfully recognized by representatives of the global communit
By UN Journal Kayla Lee UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for making 2025 “a new beginning” in his message for the New Year, issued on Dec. 30, 2024. Reflecting on 2024, Guterres stated that “hope has been hard to find”, with wars causing enormous pain, suffering and displacement, and inequalities and divisions fuelling tensions and mistrust., the UN News reported. “And today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat,” he said. The Secretary-General noted that the top 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the past decade. “This is climate breakd
By UN Journal Kayla Lee “Welcome to the New Year (Byeoksachobok) Sehwa Exhibition,” a large-scale exhibition of folk paintings with traditional Korean values of bringing good luck and wishing for the beginning of the year and warding off bad luck, gets underway through Jan. 6, at the Korea Museum of Art, Insa-dong, Seoul. The exhibition showcases the works of more than 100 folk painters from across the country and seven invited artists from the Korea Masters Association, and is attracting great response and interest. The event was co-hosted by the monthly K Folk Paintings and the Diplomacy Jou
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The General Assembly on Dec. 24 adopted the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, a landmark global treaty aimed at strengthening international cooperation to combat cybercrime and protecting societies from digital threats, the UN News reported. The agreement on the legally binding treaty marked the culmination of a five-year effort by UN Member States, with inputs from civil society, information security experts, academia and the private sector. UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the adoption of the Convention – the first international criminal just
UNJournal Kayla Lee | “Thailand-ROK’s people-to-people and cultural ties continue to grow. For instance, Sawasdee Seoul Thai Festival held in October proved a resounding success, with over 50,000 visitors,” said H.E. Amb. Tanee Sangrat of Thailand to South Korea at the national day reception. Delivering welcoming speech at the reception held at the Crystal Ballroom, Lotte Hotel Seoul, on Dec. 4, Amb. Tanee Sangrat said, “The Embassy also initiated an unprecedented special passport project this year, issuing over 37,000 passports for Thai nationals in the ROK. Our efforts to elevate tourism and
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon represents “the first ray of hope for peace” in the regional war “amidst the darkness of the last few months”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Nov. 27 in Lisbon. “It is a moment of great importance, especially for the civilians who were paying an enormous price for the fact that this conflict is not only dragging on, but is also gaining increasingly worrying dimensions,” he said. The Secretary-General was speaking in the Portuguese capital at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, a day after Israel
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul attended the second Group of Seven (G7) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, to discuss diplomatic and security issues in the region, including Russia’s illegal military cooperation with North Korea, and to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between Korea and the G7 on Nov. 25~26.. The meeting, which was attended by foreign ministers from G7 member and guest countries and representatives of invited international organizations, discussed major diplomatic and security issues in Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region, and the Middle East,
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul hosted a welcome dinner on Nov. 22, 2024, for key participants of the Boao Forum for Asia Seoul Conference 2024. During the dinner, he exchanged views on international issues and ways to strengthen regional cooperation, while also introducing the efforts and plans of the Republic of Korea to realize its vision of becoming a Global Pivotal State. The dinner was attended by notable figures, including Chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia Ban Ki-moon (former UN Secretary-General), Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia Zhang Jun