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
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, and Premier Li Chang of the People's Republic of China met on May 27, 2024, in Seoul on the occasion of the 9th Trilateral Summit. Recalling that this year marks the 25th anniversary of trilateral cooperation, they agreed that the eight trilateral summits held since 2008 and the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) established in 2011 have laid a solid foundation for the institutionalization of trilateral cooperation. They reaffirmed their commitment to implement the
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By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol received former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy and exchanged views on the direction of the U.S.-ROK alliance on May 22. The President praised former Speaker McCarthy for his longstanding commitment to legislative activities as a key figure in the U.S. Congress, and for rallying the will of the U.S. Congress for the development of U.S.-ROK relations and peace and prosperity in the region. In particular, the President thanked former Speaker McCarthy for his unwavering support for the U.S.-ROK alliance through an off
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young First Lady Kim Keon-hee attended the “Children Drawing Hope: Ukrainian Children's Art Exhibition' at the Blue House on May 21. The exhibition was initiated by Mrs. Olena Zelenska, who visited South Korea in May last year as a special envoy of the President of Ukraine, when she met with Mrs. Kim at the Yongsan Presidential Office and asked for support for the Ukrainians. Two months later, in July, Mrs. Kim was so impressed by Ukrainian children's artwork at the NATO Heads of State Spouses Program at the Lithuanian Ukraine Center that she promised to organize a
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Artist Joo Eun-young's note | Sometimes, we need a gesture to comfort us and give us delight and courage to look ahead. When I suddenly lifted my head up from my slumped position one day, the leaves hanging from the high branches against the blue sky, swaying gently, were like a vision waving to me. When we raise our hands and wave, when we raise our arms and wave, when we face each other and wave vigorously, and when we laugh together like that, the souls that have been withered by the desire that pierces each other and the conflict that spreads like a fungu
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young | President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal exchanged congratulatory letters on May 15, 2024, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Nepal. The Republic of Korea and Nepal forged diplomatic relations on May 15, 1974. In his letter, President Yoon extended his heartfelt congratulations and friendly greetings to the Prime Minister and the people of Nepal on behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of Korea in celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic