By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The second World Pansori Festival was held on a stage in Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul from Nov. 1-3, 2024. People from many countries gathered to see 129 singers decorate the stage through 43 various programs at the festival, the Korea.net reported. The inaugural section Global Pansori, which features foreign singers of the genre, proved to be a huge draw with its opening performance. The Ojakgyo Bridge Project, a team of pansori enthusiasts from the U.S., U.K., Malaysia, China and Japan, sang the short song "Life of 100 Years" and the tune "Ssukdaemeori" f
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima visited the Gyeongju City Hall on Nov. 7 and discussed future-oriented exchanges between Korea and Japan with Mayor Joo Nak-young of Gyeonggju City. This is Ambassador Mizushima's first visit to Gyeongju since his appointment. Since his appointment in April of this year, Ambassador Mizushima has been conducting various activities to promote bilateral relations between Japan and Korea. Meanwhile, Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is moving to strengthen exchange and cooperation with Japan, just over a year ahead of the 202
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Seoul hosted a ceremonial event dedicated to November 8 - Victory Day at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul on November 6, 2024. Foreign ambassadors accredited to Korea, representatives of Korea’s political, economic, scientific, cultural circles and mass media as well as of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Korea took part in the event. H.E. Ramin Hasanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Korea, who opened the event with his welcoming remarks, spoke about the glorious victory achieved under the lea
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) awarded Henkel Consumer Brands Korea, Medipixel Inc., Pebble-Square, and Petnow Inc. as innovators of the year at the ‘10th KGCCI Innovation Awards’ on November 8 at Banyan Tree Club and Spa Hotel in Seoul, Korea on Nov. 8, 2024. This milestone event, officially supported by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), the KGCCI Innovation Awards, launched in 2015, are to support companies that create value in t
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hungarian Ambassador to Korea István Szerdahelyi held a meeting with President Jang Beom-sik of Soongsil University on Nov. 7. During the meeting, President Jang and Ambassador Szerdahelyi discussed the need to revitalize the educational exchange between Soongsil University and Hungary. “Soongsil University currently enrolls about 3,000 foreign students and has maintained sister relationship with three foreign universities, including Budapest Metropolitan University in Hungary,” said President Jang. “Soongsil University was the first university in Korea to star
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “Ghana remains an attractive destination for investments in the sub region. Having developed and grown our democracy and political stability tremendously over the past three decades, our efforts at trade and industrial development have also seen good progress,” said H.E. Amb. Charis Obetsebi-Lamptey Zwennes of Ghana to Korea. In a recent interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Amb. Obetsebi-Lamptey Zwennes said, “In keeping with Ghana’s long-term vision of achieving resilient economic development, the government has consistently pursued an export diversification
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Gulchekhra Malikova, Doctor of Law, Professor, Chief Researcher of the Institute of Legislation and Legal Policy under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Diplomacy Journal for publication through the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul. –Ed. New election system in Uzbekistan: what is changing in legislation and social and political life? The formation of a free society and state is impossible without the formation of stable electoral legal culture. It is a generally accepted fact that elections are the basis o
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Makhliyo Muksinova, export development director at IT Park Uzbekistan to the Diplomacy Journal for publication through the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul. –Ed. The collaboration between Uzbekistan and South Korea is not just an emerging trend—it’s a powerful alliance that’s driving significant developments in the IT and outsourcing sectors. Both countries have demonstrated a strong commitment to working together through a series of impactful joint initiatives and partnerships. By leveraging Uzbekistan’s young and skilled
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Azay Guliyev, Special Coordinator and Head of the OSCE short-term observers, Sargis Khandanyan, Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation, and Douglas Wake, Head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election observation mission shared their impressions of the monitoring. As noted at the meeting with journalists, Uzbekistan held parliamentary elections on October 27, which became a landmark event against the backdrop of large-scale reforms implemented in the country. These elections demonstrated significant changes in
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A group of former USFK commanders and South Korean military generals visited Hanwha Aerospace’s Changwon Plant 3 on November 1 to tour the vibrant production lines of the company’s signature combat vehicles, including the K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH) and K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (ARV). The visit was organized by the Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) and the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUASF). Among the participants were Retired Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, Chairman and President of KDVA; Retired Gen. Walter L. Sharp; Retired Gen. Robert B.
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The 17th Forum on Korea-Central Asia Cooperation was held in Seoul on November 4, hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul. The forum was held ahead of next year's First Korea-Central Asia Summit, and was attended by the ministers and vice ministers of foreign affairs of Korea and five Central Asian countries. The forum was attended by about 300 participants, including government delegations, business leaders, and private experts from Korea and the five Central Asian countries, and discussed the current status of cooperation between Korea and Central A
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun held a joint foreign and defense ministerial meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin in Washington on Oct. 31, 2024. The two sides reaffirmed the shared vision, common values, and unwavering commitment to their combined defense posture and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) as the bedrock of our security partnership. They noted the U.S.-ROK Alliance serves as the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Pen
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Tashkent, Uzbekistan—Managing Editor Lee Kap-soo of Diplomacy Journal and UN Journal, visited Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan to cover 2024 Uzbekistan Parliamentary Elections at the invitation of the Uzbek government through the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul, the Republic of Korea. Lee visited several popular tourism places, traditional market and restaurants in Tashkent. –Ed. The writer visited some popular places in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, after finishing the polling place coverage of the 2024 Uzbekistan Parliamentary Elections. After visiti
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Yoon Suk-yeol accepted Letters of Credence from 13 Ambassadors-Designate to the Republic of Korea at the Presidential Office on October 28, 2024, the Presidential Office said. The thirteen Ambassadors-Designate are: H.E. Giovanni Gaspari from the Holy See, H.E. Miguel Ángel Ubaldino Romero Álvarez from the Republic of Paraguay, H.E. Saud Hasan Al Nusuf from the Kingdom of Bahrain, H.E. Sukhee Sukhbold from Mongolia, H.E. Helen Aitsi from the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, H.E. Karl-Olof Andersson from the Kingdom of Sweden, H.E. Jānis Bērziņš
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “One of the most effective ways of interaction between Turkiye and Korea is tourism. 150,039 South Koreans visited our country in 2023 and 134,715 in the first eight months of 2024. These figures are indeed far below the potential of our friendly and brotherly countries at the two ends of Asia,” said Amb. H.E. Murat Tamer of the Republic of Turkiye to Korea on Oct. 29. Delivering opening remarks at the Turkish National Day reception on the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkiye held at Ambassador Pullman Hotel in Seoul,