Diplomacy Journal Jon 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 tha
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev on June 12 (local time) and signed 37 memorandums of understanding (MOUs), including supply chain cooperation. The MOUs laid the institutional foundation for strengthening bilateral cooperation on key minerals such as uranium, chromium, titanium, and bismuth, including lithium, a core material for batteries, from joint exploration to end-use. Yoon arrived in Kazakhstan the night before and held a meeting with compatriots before holding a summit at the Akorda Presidentia
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol paid a state visit to Turkmenistan at the invitation of His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Turkmenistan on June 10-11, 2024. The two leaders discussed ways to expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in the economic, social and cultural fields, as well as regional and international issues of common interest during a summit held on June 10, 2024 in a friendly and warm atmosphere. The two leaders decided to further develop the bilateral and mutually beneficial partnership to promote common prosperity. Presi
Diplomacy Journal Jon Lee | Journalist Lee JY’s photo exploration
Diplomacy Journal Jon Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol held bilateral meetings with President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya, President Andry Nirina Rajoelina of Madagascar, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai of Liberia, and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana, who are attending the Korea-Africa Summit on June 4. (June 4-5). During the morning session of the Korea-Africa Summit, President Yoon said that he could feel the will and sincerity of the leaders to promote Korea-Africa cooperation by listening to their remarks, and he looks forward to realizing the vast potential of each other as th
Diplomacy Journal Jon Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol held his first bilateral meeting with Sierra Leone on the sidelines of the Korea-Africa Summit on May 31. During the meeting with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio at the Yongsan Presidential Office, President Yoon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF) to expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation. In addition, the 'K-Rice Belt' project, which is underway since 2023, will contribute to improving agricultural productivity in Sierra Leone, as well as education and health sec
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol on June 3 held a series of bilateral meetings with African leaders who are in South Korea for the Korea-Africa Summit to discuss issues of mutual interest. From morning to afternoon, Yoon held bilateral talks with the leaders of 10 African countries, according to the presidential office. In the morning, Yoon held separate meetings with six African leaders: Lesotho Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane, Côte d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara, Mauritius President Prithvirajsing Roopun, Zimbabwe President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee hosted an official welcome dinner on June 3 at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul for more than 60 heads of state and delegates from 48 African countries, who are visiting Korea for the Korea-Africa Summit (June 4-5). Prior to the dinner, the President and Mrs. Yoon received the African heads of state and government, exchanged pleasantries and took commemorative photos. The President couple then entered the dinner hall together amid the applause of the guests. “Korea's economic growth is the result of a trinity of ef
Diplomacy Journal Jon Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, who is visiting South Korea for the Korea-Africa Summit, on June 2 and agreed on the need to thoroughly implement sanctions against North Korea to block its nuclear and missile development in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. According the presidential office, the two leaders discussed the issue during a dinner meeting at the Yongsan presidential office. The two leaders plan to cooperate closely on the international diplomatic stage, including Ethiopia's support for South
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol met with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on June 2 to announce the start of negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and discuss strengthening cooperation on key mineral resources. President Yoon held a luncheon meeting with President Hassan, who is visiting South Korea for the Korea-Africa Summit, at the Yongsan Presidential Office later in the day. It has been 18 years since former President Jakaya Kikwete visited Korea in 2006. “Today, I am pleased to announce the start of negotiations on an Economic Partners
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol received the new commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, on May 30and congratulated him on his assumption of command and asked him to make efforts to strengthen the alliance's defense posture. The President praised Admiral Paparo's contributions to the defense of the Korean Peninsula over the past three years as commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and expressed his excitement about his familiarity with the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. The President called for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's active
Diplomacy Journal Jon Lee | The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is calling on partners to assist them in supporting about 185,000 Sudanese who have journeyed into Chad and are trying to escape dangerous borders, specifically in Adre border town,the UN News reported. Laura Lo Castro, UNHCR's representative in Chad, said that expected rains have started in Adre, leaving tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees without shelter suitable for protection. The rains also impede humanitarian access due to catastrophic flooding, she added. “It's paramount that we scale up the response now and immediately reloca
Diplomacy Journal Jon Lee | North Korea fired a large number of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea on May 30, it was confirmed. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said, “At around 6:14 a.m. on May 30, we captured about 10 suspected short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) fired into the East Sea from the Sunan area of Pyongyang, North Korea.” North Korea has a history of ballistic missile provocations, including test launches, but this is unusual. The missiles traveled more than 350 kilometers before landing in the East Sea. Based on the distance, it is believed to be an intermediat
Diplomacy Journal Jon Lee | The 11th Kia Skill World Cup has taken place at Kia Osan Training Center and JW Marriott Hotel Seoul in Korea. Held between May 21-23, the competition marked the first offline event after the pandemic since 2018, gathering 42 national winners from 40 countries to compete in the finals. The Kia Skill World Cup is a celebrated global mobility engineering competition for Kia technicians. First hosted in 2002, the competition highlights outstanding technical experts from around the world and enhances the brand’s customer service capabilities. The 42 national winners com
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahayan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 29, reaffirming the UAE's pledge to invest USD 30 billion (approx. KRW 40 trillion) in Korea. Korea and the UAE signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on the occasion of the summit. The UAE is the first Arab country to sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Korea. The presidential office said that the summit confirmed the achievements of the UAE's sovereign wealth fund's $30 billion investment ple