By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik met with Wilfried Georg Schmidt, German Ambassador to South Korea, in the Speaker's Office on June 27, 2025. At the meeting, Speaker Woo said, “The two countries share the values of the rule of law and democracy and are core allies that have experienced the pain of division.” He added, “In particular, in the 1960s and 1970s, South Korea provided the labor force necessary for Germany’s economic reconstruction through German miners and nurses, and Germany provided financial and technical support to South Korea, creating a hist
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee A total of 19 people, including ambassadors from 10 countries and their spouses, visited Gimpo and toured various places in Gimpo, including Aegibong and Jangneung, showing special interest in Gimpo's resources on June 27, 2025. On this day, Gimpo City introduced its resources to the ambassadors from 10 countries, laying the groundwork for international exchange and economic diplomacy. The ambassadors began with a rural experience activity at “Byeokkot Nongbu” in Haseong-myeon, exchanged greetings with Gimpo City Mayor Kim Byung-soo at Aegibong Peak, and then vis
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Tanzanian Ambassador to South Korea Togolani Edriss Mavura visited Wando to tour seaweed farms and discuss technology transfer, Wando County, Jeollanam-do Province announced on June 27. This visit was made possible after Wando County Mayor Shin Woo-cheol attended the World Bank Global Seaweed Summit held in Busan in May and gave a special lecture, which led to a connection with officials from Tanzania's Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. Tanzanian Ambassador Mavura visited the seaweed farm in Wando with his economic advisor and met with Wando County Mayor Shin
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Janis Berzins, Latvian Ambassador to South Korea, made an official visit to Dongducheon City, the city announced on June 25. This visit was arranged in connection with the special exhibition “Latvian Soldiers Who Participated in the Korean War,” which has been ongoing at the Dongducheon Freedom and Peace Museum since March. The exhibition highlights the historical fact that Latvia participated in the Korean War and introduces the records and dedication of Latvian soldiers who participated in the war. After viewing the exhibition, Ambassador Janis Berzins had a co
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Governor Oh Young-hoon of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province met with Director-General Qu Dongyu at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy, to discuss international cooperation on Jeju's globally important agricultural heritage system on June 25, 2025. Qu Dongyu is from Hunan Province, China, and holds a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He has served as Director-General of the FAO since August 2019. The main agenda of the meeting was the sustainable preservation and
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee President Lee Jae-myung, who is visiting Kananaskis, Canada, at the invitation of the G7 (Group of Seven) Summit, held a summit meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and agreed to further strengthen cooperation, focusing on future areas. According to the Presidential Office, President Lee met with Prime Minister Carney on the afternoon of June 17 (local time) and expressed his gratitude for Canada's invitation as the chair of the G7 Summit, saying that he would actively strive to meet the international community's expectations for South Korea. Prime Mi
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee A high-level delegation of Dominican Republic park management policymakers visited Sokcho City on June 15 to experience the 10th Displaced Persons Cultural Festival and observe eco-friendly festival models. The Dominican Republic delegation's visit to South Korea was made at the invitation of the National Park Service. The delegation sought to understand South Korea's national park management expertise, promote nature conservation cooperation between the two countries, and conduct training for the Dominican Republic's climate change response information system. I
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Kim Seok-ki, chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, met with Ambassador Dumitru Socolan of Moldova to South Korea at the National Assembly on June 11 and exchanged opinions on the need to expand high-level exchanges to promote relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Ambassador Socolan expressed his hope that the Moldovan Embassy in South Korea would be established, given that cooperation between the two countries has been strengthened in various field
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee One year and four months after establishing formal diplomatic relations with South Korea, Cuba officially opened its embassy in Seoul on June 10, 2025. The Cuban Embassy in South Korea held an opening ceremony at its new office in Jung-gu, Seoul. The ceremony was attended by Claudio Raúl Monzon Baeza, Cuban Ambassador to South Korea; Lee Joo-il, Director of the Latin America Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and members of the Latin American diplomatic corps in South Korea. The event included a signboard hanging ceremony and a reception. In his congrat
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Dr. Khaled El-Enany, former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt, on May 30, 2025, during the latter’s visit to Korea. Minister Cho welcomed former Minister El-Enany’s visit to Korea and appraised growing cooperation between Korea and Egypt in various areas including culture and tourism, as the two countries celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. Former Minister El-Enany emphasized the great potential for cooperation between Korea and Egypt. He also informed M
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, a South Korean man fearlessly defeated Japan, the world's strongest team, and won a gold medal in judo, raising the flag of hope for South Korea. He was Ha Hyung-joo, known as the “Star of the Nation.” At the end of last year, he was selected as a South Korean sports hero and inducted into the Hall of Fame, demonstrating the significant impact he has had on South Korean sports. His victory was not simply about winning a medal. It was a spark that boosted the morale of the Korean people and a symbol of national joy that turned aro
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The World Peace Art Exhibition Organizing Committee (WPAEOC), led by Chairman Lee Jon-young, donated 42 K-folk painting artworks to the Busan Detention Center under the Daegu Regional Correctional Office on May 30, continuing its art sharing activities to help inmates' emotional stability and social reintegration. This donation was made possible through the proposal of Chairman Lee Jon-young, who has shown deep interest in the rehabilitation of inmates and the prevention of reoffending. The donated works will be installed in the detention center's exhibition spac
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee With the election of Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party as the 21st president, South Korea has seen a power transition after three years. As of 2:30 a.m. on June 4, with 97% of the votes counted, Lee Jae-myung had secured 48.8% of the vote, effectively securing his election, which corresponds to approximately 16,012,000 votes. Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party came in second with 42.1% of the vote. This presidential election was the second early presidential election held against the backdrop of unprecedented political turmoil, including the first state o
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held a luncheon meeting in Seoul with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Dr. Mamadou Tangara, who is visiting Korea to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries on May 23. The two Foreign Ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations, cooperation in key sectors, cooperation on the international stage, and regional affairs. Korea and Gambia established diplomatic relations on April 21, 1965. The Gambian delegation included Hon. Prof. Pierre Gomez, Minister of
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong-kyun held a meeting with the All-Party Parliamentary Delegation of India, led by Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Mr. Sanjay Kumar Jha, on May 26, 2025. The two sides exchanged views on the recent terrorist attack in Kashmir and the subsequent regional situation. Prior to the meeting, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made a brief visit to greet the Indian delegation. During the meeting, the All-Party Parliamentary Delegation of India explained the Kashmir terrorist attack and the Indian government’s response and position. Vice M