By UN Journal Kayla Lee Cambodia was once a country that welcomed foreigners with the ‘angelic smile’. But now, that smile has frozen cold. Behind the beautiful Angkor Wat and emerald coastline lurks the grip of criminal organizations targeting foreigners. The murder of a Korean university student was not merely the tragedy of one individual, but the result of systematic neglect hidden behind the label of a ‘tourist nation’. A crime market disguised as tourism. Locally, alongside the tourism boom, ‘voice phishing camps’, ‘online gambling centers’, and ‘human trafficking brokerages’ have flouri
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Shakhnoza Kodirova, Head of the Department of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, to the UN Journal for publication through the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul. -- Ed. At the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, the General Debates of the 80th session of the General Assembly took place. Despite being held at a challenging time for international relations, the General Assembly remains the UN’s principal deliberative body and, in essence, the heart of globa
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of the Dominican Republic in the Republic of Korea, together with ProDominicana, successfully hosted the “Dominican Republic–Korea Business Forum: Strategic Horizons – Exploring a Land of Opportunities for Korean Companies in the Dominican Republic.” The event brought together over 50 representatives of leading Korean companies, senior government officials, ambassadors and members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited in Seoul, media outlets, and distinguished figures from civil society. Among the distinguished participants were Mr. Lee Jooil, Director-Genera
By UN Journal Kayla Lee As part of the celebration of the Central Asia–Korea Friendship Day, a traditional fashion show highlighted the cultural diversity and rich creative traditions of the countries of the region and Korea on Sept. 30, 2025. The event was organized by the Central Asia–Korea Friendship Association. The ceremony was attended by President of the Association Lee Ok Ryun, President of the Asian Cultural Center Kim Sangug, diplomats of Central Asian countries, representatives of the business community, and creative groups. In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Nurgali Arystanov und
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Higgsfield AI has officially become Kazakhstan’s first unicorn startup, surpassing a $1 billion valuation, announced co-founder and former Head of Generative AI at Snap Inc. Alex Mashrabov on Sept. 28. According to Mashrabov, the company recently crossed a $50 million run-rate revenue threshold, marking a historic milestone for Kazakhstan’s tech ecosystem. “For the last 15 years, no company in our country has managed to achieve this,” he said. Higgsfield AI’s journey to unicorn status was fueled by investments from leading global funds, including Menlo Ventures, which
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting of economic officers from all Korean diplomatic missions in the United States on October 2, chaired by Director-General for Bilateral Economic Affairs Kim Sun-young. The meeting was convened to discuss ways to address visa-related difficulties faced by Korean companies and to strengthen coordinated cooperation between the Ministry and its overseas missions, with the overarching aim of ensuring a stable investment environment in the United States. Notably, the meeting followed the inaugural session of the Korea–U.S. Business
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Once known as the ‘Smile of Angkor Wat,’ Cambodia is no longer a peaceful tourist destination. The recent case of Korean university student Park (22) being kidnapped, imprisoned, and murdered locally is a symbolic cross-section of this reality. His tragic death is not merely the misfortune of one individual, but reveals the true nature of a ‘country where crime has become an industry’. Cambodia has rapidly grown as a Southeast Asian tourism hub, but its underbelly is dark. An ‘invisible criminal market’—a tangled web of online scams, illegal gambling, human traffick
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Tajikistan took center stage in a series of major cultural events across the Republic of Korea, underscoring the deepening partnership between Central Asia and Korea. The events, held in collaboration with the Korea Foundation, the Asian Cultural Center (ACC), and the Central Asia-Korea Friendship Association, featured celebrated Tajik art, fashion, and music. The celebrations kicked off on September 30, 2025, in Seoul with the 7th Central Asian-Republic of Korea Friendship Day. A highlight of the day was a stunning fashion show presenting Tajikistan's national costum
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The Government of the Republic of Korea, together with the Governments of Australia and Tanzania, welcomes the groundbreaking ceremony held on October 9 to officially launch the Mahenge graphite project in Tanzania. Located in the Morogoro region of Tanzania, the Mahenge project is led by the Australian company Black Rock Mining (BRM) and involves the Government of Tanzania and Korean companies, including POSCO International. Tanzanian Government officials, including the Minister of Minerals, the Korean Ambassador to Tanzania, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Tan
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo From September 20 to 28, Nami Island in Gangwon-do hosted the “Peru Week”, a cultural event featuring a variety of activities celebrating Peruvian heritage and traditions. The program was designed for both Korean and international visitors of all ages, in coordination with the Embassy of Peru in the Republic of Korea. The weeklong celebration offered visitors a chance to experience Peru’s cultural and natural heritage, featuring art exhibitions, music and dance performances, and hands-on activities. It drew thousands of Korean and international tourists who flock to N
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Two months have passed since Korean university student Park (22) was kidnapped and murdered in Cambodia. Only after his death became known to the world did the government declare a “full-scale response.” But by then, Park had already returned as a cold corpse. And the people asked coldly. “Where the hell was the government?” Delayed cooperation, shifting blame, a life obscured by ‘procedures’. When the victim's family reported in late July that “my brother seems to be held captive,” police immediately confirmed his cell phone location was overseas. Yet, no immediate