By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung visited the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) in the Daedeok Research Complex in Daejeon ahead of the national briefing session titled "A Republic of Korea Dreaming of Scientists and Engineers Again" on Nov. 7. The visit was designed to hear about the progress of nuclear fusion R&D, a future energy source to address the rapidly increasing electricity demand and carbon neutrality in the AI era, and to commend the researchers' efforts. President Lee toured the KSTAR (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) facility, the
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held a summit with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Nov. 2 and agreed to establish a "strategic partnership" between the two countries, deepening cooperation in the areas of economy and security. Following the summit with Prime Minister Wong at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, President Lee issued a joint press release stating, "We agreed that the international order that has supported global growth and prosperity is being shaken, and that strategic cooperation between our two countries is crucial in the face of global ch
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Prime Minister Kim met with Papua New Guinea Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, who was in Korea for the APEC Summit, and discussed ways to further develop cooperative relations on Oct. 31. During the meeting, Prime Minister Kim stated, "I hope to further develop diplomatic relations between our two countries and strengthen substantive cooperation. Let's discuss various ways to strengthen cooperation, such as at the Korea-Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers' Meeting scheduled for Seoul later this year." Deputy Prime Minister Rosso said, "Korean companies have co
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit on Nov. 1 with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was visiting South Korea as a state guest for the first time in 11 years. The summit focused on establishing a direction for the development of South Korea-China relations that would contribute substantially to the livelihoods of the people of both countries, based on the shared understanding between the two leaders that "people's livelihoods are paramount." The South Korea-China summit featured in-depth discussions on a variety of pending issues, including ways to
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on October 30 and discussed ways to cooperate between the two countries. The summit took place at 6:02 p.m. at the Hwabaek Convention Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit was being held. This marked President Lee's third summit with Japan since taking office and his first face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi since her inauguration. President Lee stated, "I am truly delighted to meet you for
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung presented the highest order of honor to US President Donald Trump during his state visit to South Korea on October 29, along with a replica of a gold crown. President Lee demonstrated the highest level of courtesy and meticulous hospitality, demonstrating the government's commitment to strengthening the relationship with President Trump and the ROK-US alliance. President Lee presented the Grand Order of Mugunghwa to President Trump following an official welcoming ceremony held at the Gyeongju National Museum, the venue for the ROK-US s
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on October 27. President Lee expressed his deep gratitude for his visit to Malaysia, the ASEAN chair this year and a long-standing friendly nation, as his first ASEAN country since taking office. Prime Minister Anwar expressed his gratitude for President Lee's visit, despite his busy schedule preparing for the APEC summit. Prime Minister Anwar further expressed his appreciation for President Lee's visit to Malaysia, saying it will provide a significant impetus for advanc
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The traditions of Korea, the easternmost tip, are blossoming in Minsk, Belarus, the heart of Eastern Europe. The "World's First K-Folk Painting Exhibition," held from October 30 to November 16, is the first overseas special exhibition of Korean folk painting, officially invited by the National Museum of Folk Art of Belarus. This exhibition, co-hosted by the World Culture Promotion Foundation and the Diplomacy Journal, features 52 Korean folk painting artists, opening a forum for cultural diplomacy where tradition and modernity, East and West, converge. Under
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung shared a congratulatory message on October 21 for Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on her inauguration. President Lee stated on his SNS that day, “As neighbors sharing a front yard, South Korea and Japan have developed cooperative relations across diverse fields including politics, security, economy, socio-culture, and people-to-people exchanges.” He added, “We have entered an era where approximately 12 million citizens from both nations visit each other—something unimaginable 60 years ago.” President Lee stated, “We now stand at
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Tigers in Joseon Dynasty folk paintings always bore two faces. The majesty of the mountain's lord and the face of a friend who brings laughter to the people. “The tiger of Byeoksachobok (辟邪招福)” painting perfectly harmonizes these two faces. Even within its round, humorous eyes, a living energy flashes in every stroke. These lines are not mere decoration; they are the lines of a spell to repel evil spirits and invite good fortune. It is the very talisman of folk painting. On the right side of the painting, the four characters ‘Byeoksachobok (辟邪招福)’ are clearly
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Recent consecutive kidnappings and detentions targeting Koreans in Cambodia have escalated beyond mere public safety concerns, shaking the diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cambodia. Particularly as these incidents are revealed to be the work of international criminal organizations colluding with Cambodia's corrupt authorities, the gravity of the situation is escalating toward potential international sanctions against Cambodia. This shocking crisis is shaking the very foundation of South Korea's core diplomatic policy, the ‘New Southern Policy,’ wh
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on October 20, following his inauguration. The two leaders exchanged greetings of welcome and congratulations on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Egypt this year, and highly valued the development of the cooperative relationship between the two countries as ‘Comprehensive Cooperative Partners’. They agreed that since establishing diplomatic ties in 1995, the two nations have fostered mutually beneficial cooperation across diverse fields
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Cambodia declares that over 95% of its people practice Theravada Buddhism, establishing compassion and the Middle Way as the nation's fundamental principles. Yet today's Cambodia is transforming into a nation where greed prevails over compassion, and corruption over the Middle Way. In recent years, crimes like foreigner abductions, human trafficking, online gambling, and drug dealing have surged, effectively turning the country into a hotbed of crime. Criminals collude with public officials, the law becomes powerless before money, and the victims are always f
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone call with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at the Presidential Office on Oct. 16, exchanging views on ways to develop bilateral relations. President Lee congratulated Prime Minister Anutin on his inauguration last September, stating that he values the relationship with Thailand, a traditional ally that fought alongside Korea for freedom and peace during the Korean War. The two leaders acknowledged the significant progress in bilateral relations across various fields, including trade, investment, and people-t
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung met with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden on the afternoon of October 15. Crown Princess Victoria is on an official visit to South Korea from October 15 to 17. President Lee welcomed Crown Princess Victoria's visit to Korea and expressed hope that the visit would serve as an opportunity to further strengthen the long-standing friendly cooperative relationship between the two countries across various fields. Crown Princess Victoria expressed her pleasure at meeting President Lee. She noted that during this visit, meetings between the b