By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Bucheon City Mayor Cho Yong-ik met with Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to South Korea Aida Ismailova, and agreed to find ways for mutual cooperation on Jan. 29. Bucheon City announced on Jan. 31 that Bucheon and Kyrgyz Republic have recently increased exchanges in the medical and economic fields. Soon Chun Hyang University Bucheon Hospital has been operating the Bishkek Imaging Consultation Center in Kyrgyzstan since 2022, and a local cosmetics company signed a contract to sell functional cosmetics to CIS member states, including Kyrgyzstan, in January thi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon met with a group of lawmakers from the Aichi Prefectural Assembly on Jan. 30 at the Gyeonggi-do Government Office to seek ways to revitalize friendly cooperation between Gyeonggi-do and Aichi Prefecture, including cooperation in the manufacturing sector and youth exchanges. The six members of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan's Aichi Prefectural Assembly visited Gyeonggi-do in preparation for the 2026 Aichi and Nagoya Asian Games, and delivered a letter from the governor of Aichi Prefecture expressing their desire to expan
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Governor Kim Jin-tae of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province met with EU Ambassador to Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez at the Pyeongchang Olympic Memorial Hall in Gangwon Province on Jan. 27. "Thank you for coming to this Olympic event after the 2023 World Forest Expo," said Governor Kim. "If EU ambassadors from 26 countries visit Gangwon Province in the second half of this year, we will prepare abundantly for them to experience the nature and culture of Gangwon Province." "Of the more than 1,800 athletes participating in the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olymp
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon, who is visiting Switzerland and France to strengthen international exchanges and attract investment, met with Valérie Pécresse, governor of Île-de-France, to discuss cooperation. Governor Kim Dong-yeon and Governor Valérie Pécresse had breakfast at the Ile-de-France Provincial Office on Jan. 19 and discussed concrete action plans on startups, climate change, high-tech industries, and youth exchange. "I think there is a lot of potential for cooperation between the two regions in terms of startups, high-tech industries, climate
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Uijeongbu First Market, Gyeonggi Province's representative traditional market, on Jan. 25 to encourage merchants who are facing difficulties due to the recent recession and winter cold snap, and to listen to their stories. Upon his arrival, a large number of citizens and merchants welcomed President Yoon with chants of "Yoon Suk-yeol cheers," to which the President responded with a handshake and New Year's greetings. Along with the president and Minister of SMEs and Startups Oh Young-joo, the president walked around various sto
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol attended a pre-Games reception for the Ganwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangneung, South Korea, where he met with IOC President Thomas Bach and greeted IOC members on Jan. 19. The President first talked with Bach, wishing him success for the Games and discussing sports. "Sport is not only important for the well-being of the human community, but it is also key to building a nation's industry and capacity," the President said, referring to the book 'The British Empire was born on an Eton School soccer field'. "For the future of the country, the r
By Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, who is participating in the World Economic Forum (WEF-Davos Forum) in Switzerland, participated in a series of sessions related to the climate crisis on the opening day of the forum on Jan. 17 (local time) and discussed the role of local governments with representatives of global companies and governments. In two sessions, 'Accelerating to Net Zero: Manufacturing Innovation Strategy' and 'Accelerating Responsible Renewable Energy,' held at the Kirk Park Village and Waldhus Hotel in Mönche, Gov. Kim said, "Consistency in environmental pol
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the '2024 New Year Ceremony for the Education Industry' held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Seoul on Jan. 17 to express his gratitude and respect for the hard work of teachers who are protecting the profession with dedication and passion. The New Year Ceremony for the Education Industry is the largest New Year's event in the education industry held every year, where teachers from elementary, middle, high schools and universities, as well as representatives of education-related organizations and institutions, gather toge
By Lee Kap-soo The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Jan. 16 that it will hold the '2024 F/W Seoul Fashion Week' from Feb. 1 to 5, which will showcase fashion trends that will be popular this fall and winter. The Seoul Fashion Week will consist of 21 brand fashion shows (15 DDP and 6 Seongsu SFactory) and a trade show with 68 brands and 300 domestic and international buyers (100 from 14 countries). This year's fashion show will include more young brands with high potential for global growth, and the stage will be expanded to Seongsu, a 'fashion mecca,' as last year's fashion show was
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol held the third "Public Debate with the People" on Jan. 15 on the theme of "Semiconductor Industry that Fattens People's Lives" at the Semiconductor Hall of Sungkyunkwan University's Natural Science Campus in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, one of the leading semiconductor workforce training institutions. Following the economic policy direction (Jan. 4, Thursday) and housing (Jan. 10, Wednesday), this discussion was organized to hear the voices of the people, including businesses, local residents, and students, on how to create a semiconductor mega cluster, and to b
By Lee Kap-soo Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-soo met with French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Bertoux at Seocho-gu Office in Seoul on Jan. 11. In 2011, Seocho-gu signed a cultural exchange agreement with the Cultural Affairs Department of the French Embassy, and has been working together to help French and Seocho residents live together without discomfort, such as supporting the Francophonie Day festival and holding the Korean-French Music Festival. In addition, in 2016, it signed an MOU with the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France, and operates a university student exchange program, 'Study Prog
By Lee Kap-soo The Korea Space Administration Act, which has been called the "Korean version of NASA," has passed the plenary session of the National Assembly. At the plenary session of the National Assembly on Jan. 9, the 'Special Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Korea Aerospace Administration' (KAIA Act) was passed with 263 votes in favor, 0 against, and 3 abstentions out of the 266 lawmakers present. The enactment of the Act follows President Yoon Suk-yeol's pledge to establish a national control tower to lead space development. The bill establishes the agency under the Ministr
By Kayla Lee The Adora Magic City, a 130,000-ton cruise ship built by China, arrived in Jeju for the first time on Dec. 28, 2023. The number of international cruise ships to and from Jeju in 2024, including this one, is expected to more than double after visiting Gangjeong Village about 80 times in 2023, raising expectations in the tourism industry. At around 11:30 a.m. on this day, Jeju Complex Tourism Port in Gangjeong-dong, Seogwipo City, was bustling with 2,600 passengers on the Adora Magic City, which arrived in Jeju from Shanghai, China, via Kagoshima, Japan. The passengers were immediat
By Lee Jon-young Former Chungbuk National Police Chief Chung Yong-geun (58), who is running for the 22nd general election for the People Power Party in Chungju, announced on Jan. 2 that he will give up the privilege of non-arrest of lawmakers. Chung said, "There are many privileges of lawmakers in Korea, and I will give them all up. I know better than anyone else the aspirations of citizens for a new politics." In a written pledge, Chung said, "I pledge before the people that if I am elected as a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and a motion to arrest me is submitted du
By Lee Kap-soo Delivering the New Year address to the nation, President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Jan. 1, 2024, "The center of all national affairs is the people. I will make the year of 2024 a year of civil recovery where the warmth of economic achievements and economic recovery reaches every corner of people's lives." President Yoon said in his address, which was broadcast live from the Yongsan presidential office on the morning of the same day, "I will go into the field of people's lives, listen to even the smallest voices, and promote true people's policies that change people's lives." Preside