By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone call with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on the afternoon of July 1, and the two leaders exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations, according to a written briefing by Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong. President Lee said that New Zealand is a grateful ally that participated in the Korean War even before establishing diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1962, and that he hopes the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in various fields such as economy, defense and
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone conversation with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the afternoon of July 1, according to a written briefing by Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong. President Lee expressed gratitude for President Mohammed's congratulations on his inauguration and expressed hope that the two countries would work together to further strengthen the “special strategic partnership” between South Korea and the UAE, taking the opportunity of the new government's establishment. The two leade
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung had his first phone call with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at 11 a.m. on June 30, according to a written briefing by Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong. During the call, Prime Minister Wong, who had sent a congratulatory message shortly after President Lee's inauguration, once again extended warm congratulations and expressed his expectations for the development of South Korea-Singapore relations and his willingness to cooperate during President Lee's term in office. In response, President Lee said, “I am pleased that
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The research team led by Professor Kim Myung-ok of the Department of Life Sciences and Applied Life Sciences at Gyeongsang National University has developed the world's first next-generation epitope vaccine that can simultaneously prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease, attracting extraordinary attention. According to Gyeongsang National University on June 12, Professor Kim Myung-ok's research team has developed the world's first next-generation vaccine capable of both preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease. Professor Kim's team selected a portion of the
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young SK Group's so-called “V Project” has become the subject of simultaneous investigations by the National Tax Service (NTS), police, and prosecutors, facing unprecedented legal risks. The core of the investigation centers on allegations that SK Telecom entered into a contract with its IT subsidiary SK C&C (now SK Inc. C&C) for services that were never actually performed, then transferred funds. This is suspected to have been used to artificially inflate revenue, evade taxes, and as a means to reorganize the group's corporate structure. The NTS conducted
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on June 17 (local time) in Kananaskis, Canada, where the G7 summit is being held. The two leaders have focused their discussions on ways to promote development in both South Korea and Japan. In particular, they agreed to bolster three-way cooperation with the United States to respond to geopolitical crises, including North Korea. During the summit, Lee and Ishiba exchanged opinions on ways to maintain regional peace and stability and agreed that the two countries should
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung, who arrived in Canada to attend the G7 summit, held consecutive meetings with the South African president and Australian prime minister. President Lee Jae-myung held a summit meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at around 2:40 p.m. of June 16 (local time). South Africa was invited to the G7 summit as an observer country, along with South Korea, India, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Ukraine. President Lee then held a summit meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a hotel in Calgary, Canada, at around
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung's new administration has been launched with great momentum. In his inaugural address, Lee promised to be a government that protects the lives of the people, saying, “I will prioritize the livelihoods and economy of the people,” and clearly expressed his determination to unite the people by saying, “I will be the president of all the people.” This commitment can serve as a starting point for our society to come together again and paint a new hope for the future. Immediately after its launch, the new government will demonstrate its prese
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone on June 10, 2025, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized a partnership for strategic cooperation during his first phone conversation with President Lee Jae-myung. This is the third time President Lee has held a phone conversation with a foreign leader since taking office, following conversations with US President Donald Trump on June 6 and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba the day before. According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agen
Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon Young | Diplomatic Journal, May 2025, JPG, 외교저널 2025년 5월호 JPG 전체보기
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The word ‘hero’ is often misunderstood. It's easy to think of them as someone who wields spectacular force or is cheered by the masses, but in reality, the word comes from the ancient Greek myth of the “half-god, half-man” and refers to people of exceptional courage and determination who acted for the good of humanity. In this regard, we should be able to clearly distinguish between a true hero and an arrogant person in power. True heroes often have the following “prayer of equanimity” as their life motto: "O God, I pray to you. “Oh, God, give me the equanimi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young St. Lazarus Village will hold its 38th Charity Concert, “In Your Presence,” on June 11 at the Seongnam Arts Center Opera House. This will be the first time in six years that the charity concert has been held since the 37th charity concert in 2019, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 'In Your Presence' began in 1975 with the voluntary participation of celebrities to help people with Hansen's disease in Korea and abroad. The subtitle of the charity concert, which commemorates the Universal Church's regular jubilee and the 75th anniversary of the fo
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Jeju Island hosted an international conference on creating a sustainable labor market and quality jobs in the Asia-Pacific region. The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced on May 12 that the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Employment and Labor Ministers' Meeting was held at the Jeju International Convention Center (ICC) Tamra Hall under the theme of “Sustainable Labor Markets and Jobs for the Future. More than 200 people attended the meeting, including Jeju Island Governor Oh Young-hoon, Deputy Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Min-
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young In honor of the 2569th anniversary of the Buddha's birthday in the Buddhist calendar, a blessing ceremony was held at major temples across the country, including Jogyesa Temple in Seoul, on May 5, 2025. At Jogyesa Temple, more than 10,000 Buddhist leaders, including Most Ven. Jinwoo, president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, as well as government officials, Buddhists, and others gathered to praise the birth of Buddha and reflect on his teachings of compassion. At the Jogyesa Temple, traditional rituals such as establishment of sacred area and six Dharm
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young A meaningful Saemaul flag raising ceremony was held on Nanggye-ro 25-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Saemaul movement and the 15th Saemaul Day on the afternoon of April 29. More than 200 members of the Saemaul family attended the ceremony, including Representative Kwak Sang-un, Jongno-gu Mayor Chung Moon-heon, Jongno-gu Council Chairman Ra Do-gyun, and Seoul City Saemaul Association President Kim Yeon-po, to recall the spirit of the Saemaul movement that connects the past and present and to take a step of hope