UNJournal Jon Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee visited the Pacific National Cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 8. The cemetery was established in 1949 and is home to veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Upon arriving at the cemetery, the President and First Lady were led by James Horton, Director of the Pacific National Cemetery, to lay a wreath and honor the U.S. veterans interred at the cemetery. After laying a wreath, they greeted and thanked the six Korean War veterans in attendance. The President and First Lady then visited the grave o
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul received the new Ambassador of Japan to Korea Koichi Mizushima and exchanged views on bilateral relations on July 5. Minister Cho welcomed Ambassador Mizushima's appointment at a time when bilateral relations between Japan and South Korea, which are of vital national security and national interest, are developing on the basis of deep trust between the two leaders. Cho also stressed that both sides should wisely manage bilateral issues in a mutually respectful and supportive manner in order to consolidate the positive trend of bila
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Ambassador of Kazakhstan Nurgali A. Arystanov in Seoul to the Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. It is widely recognised that preserving cultural heritage is crucial, as it shapes a nation’s identity and defines its future. Countries around the world have maintained historical sites, protected languages, and conserved natural sites. In Central Asia, the protection of cultural heritage is equally important, given the region’s rich and diverse history, which dates back to the 3rd millennium BCE. As the summer sun begins its
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Korea hosted the Diplomatic Reception on June 28, 2024 on the occasion of the National Day of Belarus (celebrated annually on July 3) and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the country from Nazi invaders at the Pullman Hotel in Seoul. The solemn event organized jointly with the Belarusian diaspora in Korea, was attended by the heads of more than 35 foreign diplomatic missions, representatives of official, business and cultural circles of the Republic of Korea, as well as a number of well-known South Korea
UNJournal | Starting on July 1, Korea will assume the chairmanship of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) for one year, with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang In-sun serving as Chair, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on June 27. Critical minerals are indispensable for high-tech industries such as semiconductors, batteries, and electric vehicles, which are pivotal to Korea's economic prosperity and essential for the global clean energy transition for net-zero targets. However, the concentration of critical mineral reserves and processing facilities in a limited number of countries,
UNJournal Jon Lee | The Embassy of Nepal in Korea hosted the Nepal’s Tourism Promotion Event and B2B Meeting at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on June 27, 2024. Delivering welcoming and opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Jyoti Pyakural, Ambassador of Nepal to the Republic of Korea, said, “Nepal and Korea need to expand bilateral cooperation, especially in the tourism sector, this year, which marks the 50th anniversary of Nepal-Korea diplomatic relations. Accordingly, I hope that more Korean tourists will visit the beautiful country Nepal.” In the Nepal destination presentation, Hikmat Singh Ayer, s
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young “The Dominican Republic and Korea need to become strategic partners this year,” said Dr. Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Korea. In an exclusive interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Amb. Cuello Camilo said, “As far as I know, H. E. President Yoon Suk-yeol plans to go to Latin America twice this year to participate in the APEC summit in Peru, and later to Brazil to participate in the summit of the G20. It would be an honor for us to host President Yoon during a stopover in the Dominican Republic. He could then sign with H. E. P
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul hosted a luncheon for diplomatic corps members from countries that participated in the Korean War in Daegu, Korea, to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the Korean War on June 25. The luncheon was organized to honor the sacrifices and hard work of the 22 participating countries and more than 2 million veterans who contributed to the defense of Korea's freedom and democracy. Military support countries are the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Turkiye, Australia, Greece, Philippines, Thailand, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Colombia, New Zealand
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with Eurasia Group Chairman Ian Bremmer on June 21, during his visit to New York, and exchanged views on U.S.-China relations, cybersecurity, and AI cooperation. Minister Cho and Chairman Bremmer exchanged views on various ways to promote mutual strategic stability on the economic and security fronts amid the growing strategic competition between the U.S. and China, and agreed on the importance of maintaining continuous public engagement and communication. The two sides also discussed a wide range of issues, including U.S.-ROK, China-ROK
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, representing the Republic of Korea's presidency of the Security Council, chaired an open debate on "Threats in Cyberspace and the Security of International Peace" at the UN Security Council in New York on June 20. The discussion, the first face-to-face meeting of the Security Council on cybersecurity, was attended by nearly 70 countries, including all 15 Security Council members, and featured UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Cyber Peace Institute CEO Stephane Duguin. Prior to the open discussion, Minister Cho delivered a joint state
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol received Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia, the U.S., on June 18 and exchanged views on the direction of Korea-Georgia cooperation and the development of the U.S.-ROK alliance. The President praised Governor Kemp for his active contributions to the development of bilateral relations, including receiving the Van Fleet Award for promoting economic cooperation between Georgia and South Korea last year, and asked him to support Korean companies in Georgia in the fields of electric vehicles and batteries to operate in a favorable environment and cont
UNJournal Kayla Lee | Uzbek Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Vitaliy Fen, a Goryoin (ethnic Korean), passed away on June 18 at the age of 76. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Vitaliy Fen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea," the Uzbek Embassy in Seoul said on June 19. "For 25 years, Ambassador Fen led the diplomatic mission of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea and made a significant contribution to the development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea," the embassy said. “Amb. F
UNJournal Kayla Lee | “The Adinkra symbols of Ghana, which encapsulate wisdom, philosophy, and life lessons, resonate deeply with the artistic expressions found in Korean art,” said Esi Han, the organizer of Harmony in Symbols Exhibition and a writer as well as a cross-cultural coach. In an interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Esi Han said, “Korea hosted the Africa-Korea Summit on June 4-5 this year. We wanted to create an event that not only celebrates this important occasion but also bridges these two vibrant cultures. “The Adinkra symbols of Ghana, which encapsulate wisdom, philosophy, and
UNJournal Kayla Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the Korea-Uzbekistan Business Forum at the Tashkent City Congress Hall in Tashkent on June 14. The President, who is on a state visit to three Central Asian countries -- Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan-- attended the business forum to encourage businessmen from both countries. In his keynote speech, the president said that economic cooperation between the two countries began 30 years ago in 1994, when the first Daewoo Motor plant was built in Asaka, and that Uzbekistan has become a leading player in Central Asia's automobile indus
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The First Lady of South Korea Kim Keon-hee met with the First Lady of Uzbekistan, Mrs. Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, at the Kuksaroy Presidential Palace on June 14, and attended a traditional Uzbek cultural event organized by Mrs. Mirziyoyeva herself. Mrs. Mirziyoyeva's second daughter, Shahnoza Mirziyoyeva, First Deputy Head of the Social Security Agency, who has lived in Korea for over six years and has a special connection to the country, also made a surprise appearance at the event to welcome Mrs. Kim. Mrs. Kim first expressed her gratitude to Mrs. Mirziyoyeva, saying that th