By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young "The March 1 Movement will be completed with a unified Korea where everyone enjoys freedom and prosperity," President Yoon Suk-yeol said on March 1, marking the 105th anniversary of the independence movement. "We must now move toward a free and unified Korean peninsula where all people are the owners," Yoon said in a commemorative speech at the 105th anniversary of the March 1 commemoration ceremony at the Yoo Kwan-sun Memorial Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul. Referring to the 1919 Declaration of Independence, Yoon said, "At the root of the Declaration of Independence
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Choi Sang-hoon joined Yoo Young-soo's workshop in Haengdang-dong, Seoul, as an apprentice in 1966 at the tender age of 13, and has spent nearly 60 years of his life with najeon lacquerware (laquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl). In 1969, after attending Master Yoo Young-soo's workshop, he moved to the workshop of Seoul Intangible Cultural Property Min Jong-tae and learned various techniques from him. Of course, he learned the general field of the complex najeon lacquer technique from Min Jong-tae, but he also learned najeon and lacquer techniques from Lee S
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young In honor of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines this year, President Yoon Suk-yeol exchanged congratulatory letters with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on March 3, the day of the diplomatic opening. The Philippines was the first ASEAN country and the fifth country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea, and contributed 7,420 soldiers to the Korean War, the largest contingent of any Asian country. In his congratulatory letter, President Yoon emphasized that Korea and the P
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on February 23 (New York time), and exchanged views on Korea-United Nations cooperation, South Korea’s Security Council membership, North Korea, and key international issues. Minister Cho praised Secretary-General Guterres' leadership in resolving international issues such as the Gaza crisis in an era of unprecedented complex crises, and expressed his commitment to actively support the Secretary-General's efforts to promote sustainable development in the international community under
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Gyeongju City will leap into the world by hosting the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting 2025 and 'Globalizing the Silla Culture Festival'. Gyeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, held the '2024 Municipal Issues Briefing' hosted by the Culture and Tourism Bureau at the city hall on Feb. 6. Nam Shim-sook, head of the Culture and Tourism Bureau, emphasized that the city will definitely host the APEC Summit in November 2025 in Korea. This is because hosting the summit is expected to promote the image of 'Gyeongju as a cultural and tourism city' to the world, and is ex
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The National Historical Museum of Greece has been invited by the Greek Embassy in Seoul to cooperate in arranging a photography exhibition at the War Memorial of Korea from late December 2023 to February 2023. The exhibition is supported by the Greek Ministry of National Defense. The exhibition aims to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War and showcase Greece‘s image during the 1950s through American philhellene Robert McCabe’s photographs. It was a period when Greece joined the Korean War with a forceful expeditionary troop and air sq
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young In celebration of the founding month of 2024, the 30th Artwork Competition Exhibition of the Korea Cultural Center Association and the Korea Crafts and Skill Association will be held from Feb. 21 to 27 at Arisu Gallery in Insa-dong, Seoul. With the theme "Life in 2024," the exhibition highlights the activities of the Korean Cultural Center, which has been dedicated to a wide range of cultural and artistic education, including craft programs, for 25 years, and has been spreading both professional and artistic life crafts to the public. The works that fill and
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young "The Pearl of the Orient - Sri Lanka" photo exhibition by professional photographer Park Dae-byung is being held from Feb. 21 to 27 at Maru Art Center 5 (2F) in Insa-dong, Seoul. Sri Lanka, a beautiful island nation in the Indian Ocean, faces the southeastern coast of the Indian Peninsula through the Palk Strait, and was formerly known as Ceylon. A former British colony, the country's economy is still heavily influenced by Europe, with breathtaking Mediterranean seascapes, ancient cities designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and a well-preserved traditio
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The 2nd Korea Fiber Art Association (President Kang Hae-woon) members' exhibition, which has been receiving a lot of attention for its fresh attempts in a new art genre, was held at the Lamer Gallery's 1st Exhibition Hall in Insa-dong from February 14 to 19. Established in 2021, the Korea Fiber Art Association is holding its second exhibition, where all the exhibited works are made of fabric, but artists use natural plant-based materials such as ink, fabric paints, and acrylics as pigments and create paintings. It is an exhibition of calligraphy artists, showing
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Incheon City Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Korea Aida Ismailova at the City Hall reception room on February 20, the Incheon Metropolitan City announced. This meeting was held at the request of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok met with Ambassador Aida Ismailova to express Incheon's determination to achieve the status of a world-class city and discuss ways to enhance exchanges between the two cities. In the past, Incheon has conducted medical treatments and local examinations for 55 children with heart disease fro
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol invited Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, and actor Lee Jung-jae, who will appear in "Squid Game 2," to the presidential residence for a luncheon on Feb. 17. Sarandos shared the progress since the announcement of Netflix's investment in Korea last year, and President Yoon expressed gratitude for Netflix's rapid and substantial investments, requesting continued investment in K-content. During his state visit to the United States on April 24 last year, Sarandos announced plans to invest KRW 3.33 trillion (USD 2.5 billion) in Korea over th
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young With a thousand-year history, Jingwansa Temple was built by King Hyunjong of Goryeo to repay the favor of Jingwanjosa, who saved his life before he ascended to the throne, and was a fundamental source of Suryuck ceremony during the Joseon Dynasty. 500 years ago, Jingwansa's doenjang (soybean paste) was so famous that it was served to the king. Today, Jingwansa Temple, a favorite of foreign dignitaries, is attracting attention as a training space for temple stays where foreign ambassadors' wives experience tea ceremony education through healing and experience.
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Gyeongju City has launched a supporters' group composed of foreign language-speaking public officials to focus on its bid for the 2025 APEC Summit. The city of Gyeongju held a launching ceremony for the "Gyeongju Love Global Public Officials Supporters Group" at the large conference room of Gyeongju City Hall on Feb. 16, the city announced on Feb. 18. The supporters' group is composed of 34 public officials from 22 departments who can speak English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish. Gyeongju City, which is focusing its administrative efforts on hosting
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young South Korea established diplomatic relations with Cuba on Feb. 14 in a surprise announcement that could pose a setback to North Korea that has long boasted brotherly ties with the Latin American country. In New York, the two countries' representatives to the United Nations exchanged diplomatic notes, marking the establishment of formal ties. Cuba is the 193rd country which South Korea has built diplomatic relations with. The announcement marked a culmination of Seoul's steadfast efforts to build a formal relationship with Cuba and expand its diplomatic footho
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Let's not be a soulless people on Feb. 14. Some people may know whether it is Valentine's Day, but how many people remember that Feb. 14 is the day when Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun, a hero of our country and the pride of our nation, was sentenced to death by the Japanese. But to hide that fact, Japan made it a day to exchange chocolates between lovers as a shallow gesture. It's a shameful and unbelievable story that they're trying to hide the memory of this day. February 14, the day a Korean hero was sentenced to death at the tender age of 31, s