Diplomacy Jon Lee | The Central Election Commission held a meeting and a series of events today, July 26th. The primary agenda item was the preparation and high-level accomplishment of the upcoming elections for the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the Councils of People's Deputies in full compliance with the Constitution and laws. According to Article 128 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, are scheduled to take place on the first Sunday of the third ten-day period of October in the year their term expires. Considering that the term of the deputies of the Legislative
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The South Korean National Assembly is a mess. With political conflicts and confrontations reaching a fever pitch, the National Assembly is more focused on political strife than on policies for the people. In this situation, people's expectations of the National Assembly are getting lower and lower, which is causing serious problems across the country. It is not just politicians who are responsible for the current state of the National Assembly. The people are also at fault. They often make poor judgments in elections and are swayed by inflammatory media and f
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee | The Buddhist University, affiliated with the Korean Buddhist Council (the “Buddhist Council”), held its first Buddhist sermon contest at the Supreme Hall of Bomyeong-sa Temple in Incheon, Korea on June 13, where four students from the School of Buddhist Priest Law were selected and participated in the first preaching contest with the participation of the chairman, president, dean, professors, certified teachers, and members of the congregation. “The Buddhist University of the Buddhist Council is an academy education for the training of social leaders,” said Dr.
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Noting that the annual APEC CEO Summit will be held in Lima, Peru, from November 13 to 15 this year, Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Paul Fernando Duclos Farodi said, “We look forward to the visit of President Yoon Suk-yeol and an important delegation of senior officials and representatives of the private sector of Korea to Peru in November this year.” Delivering a speech at the reception held at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul to mark the 203rd Anniversary of the Independence of Peru on July 25, Amb. Duclos Farodi said, “A few weeks ago, the Minister of Foreign Affai
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Natalia Federighi de Cuello, president of ASAS (The Association of Spouses of Ambassadors in Seoul) and concurrently spouse of the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea, to the Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. Ambassador Spouses and their extraordinary program in Korea “We live in a world that is facing unprecedented challenges. Solidarity and compassion must be unprecedented as well”. Ban Ki Moon, the 8th Secretary General of the United Nations. My name is Natalia Federighi de Cuello. As Spouse of the Amb
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Canada’s export credit agency, announced on July 3 the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance export trade and investments between Canada and the Republic of Korea. The MOU will foster deeper trade collaboration between both countries, creating new and expanded opportunities for Canadian businesses and investors seeking to grow and succeed in Korea as well as investments in Canada. With a focus on two of EDC’s priority sectors, clean technology and advanced manufacturing, this mutually-beneficial partnership will support businesses focused on
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Chung Yoon of Chungwoon University met with Ambassador Aida Ismailova of Kyrgyzstan to Korea on July 22 and discussed how to revitalize international exchanges at the conference room of the university headquarters in Hongseong, Chungcheongnam-do. The main contents included ▲ revitalizing international exchanges such as education and culture ▲ fostering excellent human resources ▲ expanding K-content ▲ and attracting international students. “Chungwoon University has been investing heavily in K-content fields such as culture and arts, performance and vi
Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young | The special envoy delegation of President Yoon Suk-yeol, comprised of Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Sung Tae-yoon and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Deok-geun, met with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on July 24 and delivered a letter of thanks from President Yoon for the selection of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) as the preferred bidder for the new nuclear power plant, and discussed follow-up measures. On behalf of the Korean government and Team Korea, Sung Tae-yoon, head of the envoy delegation, expressed his gratitude for the o
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae and Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam of the Republic of Singapore signed the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Singapore on July 24, 2024, in Singapore. The Treaty establishes an institutional foundation for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between the two countries that celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year, by laying out the specific scope and procedures for the legal assist
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo In 2024, the bond between Korea and Africa was strengthened through a series of significant events. The Korea-Africa Summit featured the <Harmony in Symbols> exhibition, which was sponsored by the Ghanaian Embassy and showcased the works of ten notable Korean artists. These artists used traditional Ghanaian Adinkra symbols in their unique works. The exhibition was a highlight of cultural and artistic events during the summit. One of the notable artists we met was Yi Seo-hoo, whose use of the Abode Santann symbol, symbolizing cosmic power and omnipresence,
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “I invite Korean electrical appliance companies to consider Colombia as an investment destination,” said Colombian Ambassador to Korea Alejandro Peláez Rodríguez at a reception to celebrate the 214th Colombia’s Independence Day. Delivering a speech at the gala reception held at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul on July 22, Amb. Rodríguez said, “We have worked with the Korean authorities and companies to make it a reality that South Korea engineering is present in Colombia in the design, construction and operation of electric, solar and wind power generation plants. “
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held a luncheon meeting on July 22 with Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani, who is on an official visit from July 21 to 25, and exchanged views on bilateral relations, economic cooperation, cooperation on the international stage, and regional affairs. Minister Cho welcomed the first official visit by an Albanian foreign minister to Korea in 13 years, since 2011, and expressed his hope that Minister Hasani's visit will serve as an important opportunity for the development of bilateral relations. Minister Cho also explained that the
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The Korea War Memorial Organization (KWO) and the U.S. Embassy in Seoul co-hosted a concert by the U.S. Navy Band at the central hall of the War Memorial Hall in Seoul on July 20. The U.S. Navy Band, which visited Korea to attend the 2024 World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference, is the Navy Band of Washington Headquarters, and this is the first time it has performed in Asia. The event was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip S. Goldberg and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, Rear Admiral Neil A. Koprowski. Under the dire
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Chungcheongnam-do (Chungnam) Governor Kim Tae-heum and Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Korea Aida Ismailova met at the provincial government office on July 22 to discuss cooperation between the two regions. The main topics included strengthening economic exchanges with Central Asia, enhancing cooperation with international compatriots including Koreans in the Kyrgyz Republic, strengthening cooperation with foreign workers, and revitalizing international student exchanges. “There are more than 1,000 Korean companies operating in the Kyrgyz Republic, and the
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The 27th World Peace Art Exhibition 2024 has completed the first and second rounds of judging. The overall grand prize (Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award) went to Kang Moa (Folk Painting), and the category grand prizes (Seoul Mayor's Award and Chairman's Award) went to Cho Kyung-sun (Folk Painting), Kim Young-ok (Western Painting), Joo Eun-young (Western Painting), and Oh Yoon-hee (Korean Painting) and Cho Jin-won (Calligraphy). They will receive a certificate and a purchase cash prize. The 550 selected works out of 1,250 entries will be exhibited fro