By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Prime Minister Kim Min-seok held a luncheon meeting with Bill Gates, Chairman of the Gates Foundation, and discussed topics such as continuing global health contributions, inviting the chairman to attend the 2026 World Bio Summit, expanding cooperation with Korean companies and strengthening the role of Korea as a hub for global bio talent development on August 21. Prime Minister Kim welcomed the chairman's visit to Korea, highly evaluating the Gates Foundation's contributions to international health and expressing his gratitude for its cooperation with Korea
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung met with Bill Gates, Chairman of the Gates Foundation, and said on August 21, “I respect public activities for the Earth and its people,” adding, “The South Korean government will also do its best to find ways to participate.” On the same day, President Lee met with Gates, who was visiting South Korea, and discussed global health cooperation, AI future industries, and small modular reactors (SMRs), according to a briefing by Kang Yu-jung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office. According to Kang, President Lee praised the significanc
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung and First lady Kim Hea-kyung held a social gathering at Sangchunjae at the Blue House on August 12 with Vietnamese Party Secretary General To Lam and his spouse, who were on a state visit to South Korea. This was the first official event held at Sangchunjae since the Lee Jae-myung administration took office, and hosting a state guest at Sangchunjae is considered the utmost courtesy. Notably, First Lady Ngo Phuong Ly attended the social gathering wearing a hanbok (traditional Korean attire) gifted by First Lady Kim Hea-kyung, and repeat
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam, who was on a state visit to South Korea, at the Government Complex Seoul on August 11. The two sides exchanged views on bilateral economic cooperation, cooperation in strategic areas, scientific and technological cooperation, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. Prime Minister Kim welcomed the Secretary-General, who is the first Vietnamese Party Secretary-General to visit South Korea in 11 years and
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung met with World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary Jerry Pillay and a delegation from the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) in his office on Aug. 11, 2025. This meeting commemorated the long history of solidarity between the WCC and the Korean church and discussed future directions for exchange and cooperation. From the WCC, General Secretary Jerry Pillay and International Director Peter Prove attended. From the National Council of Churches in Korea, General Secretary Kim Jong-saeng and President Cho Sung-am attended
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung met with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, chairman of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union (JKPU), the counterpart of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union (KPU), on July 30, 2025. Former Prime Minister Suga has served as chairman of the JKPU since March 2023. He was accompanied on his visit by Akihisa Nagashima, Secretary-General of the JKPU. Joining the KPU were Vice Speaker Joo Ho-young, who serves as the KPU's chairman, and Secretary-General Min Hong-chul of the Democratic Party of Korea. President Lee expressed
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit phone call with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev since taking office and discussed ways to expand cooperation between the two countries on July 24. President Lee expressed his gratitude for President Mirziyoyev’s letter congratulating him on his inauguration, and proposed, “Korea and Uzbekistan have maintained close cooperation as a ‘special strategic partnership’ and will continue to take this relationship to the next level.” In response, President Mirziyoyev said, “I have a special affection for Korea,” and “I
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Every day, we pass through a landscape of fierce words and division. Politics puts more weight on blame than responsibility, and those who are called leaders only talk about ‘strategies’ to defeat their opponents rather than the people. In the midst of this, I say, “This is a time when prayer is needed.” However, true prayer is not a monologue to heaven, but a heart attitude for our neighbors, and it should be the starting point of practice to reflect on my thoughts and actions for someone other than myself. Prayer is ‘courage’ for the weak. Even at this mome
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young A new direction for South Korea's cultural policy has been set. Rep. Kim Kyo-heung, a three-term senior politician from the Democratic Party (Incheon Seo-gu Gap), was elected as the chair of the 22nd National Assembly's Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee at the National Assembly plenary session on June 27. Kim's election as chair is seen as more than just a personnel change, but as the establishment of new leadership for South Korea's cultural, tourism, and sports policies. Kim, who served as chairman of the Incheon University Student Council, led the May
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young In the art world, the title of ‘artist’ is not simply a job title or a nameplate. It is the result of public verification and a symbol of the trust that creators receive from the art world. In particular, the titles ‘recommended artist’ and ‘invited artist,’ which are commonly seen in exhibition halls, have functioned as symbolic language that goes beyond simple distinctions to encapsulate the creative journey and artistic position of the artist. However, in recent years, there has been an increasing number of cases where the mandatory step of being a recomme
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung talked with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte by phone and exchanged opinions on ways to deepen the partnership between South Korea and NATO on July 3. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong said in a briefing that day that this was the first time President Lee had spoken with Secretary General Rutte since taking office. Secretary General Rutte congratulated President Lee and expressed his regret at not being able to meet him at the NATO summit, but also expressed his gratitude for the South Korean government's firm commitment to coop
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung said at a press conference held on July 3, marking 30 days since his inauguration, “We are doing our best to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win results based on the principle of practical diplomacy centered on national interests in the Korea-U.S. trade negotiations, which is one of the most pressing issues.” He also said, “Based on the solid U.S.-Korea alliance, close U.S.-Korea-Japan cooperation, and the prompt improvement of relations with China and Russia, we will protect peace and the lives of our people through practical dipl
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone call with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on the afternoon of July 1, and the two leaders exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations, according to a written briefing by Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong. President Lee said that New Zealand is a grateful ally that participated in the Korean War even before establishing diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1962, and that he hopes the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in various fields such as economy, defense and
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone conversation with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the afternoon of July 1, according to a written briefing by Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong. President Lee expressed gratitude for President Mohammed's congratulations on his inauguration and expressed hope that the two countries would work together to further strengthen the “special strategic partnership” between South Korea and the UAE, taking the opportunity of the new government's establishment. The two leade
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung had his first phone call with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at 11 a.m. on June 30, according to a written briefing by Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong. During the call, Prime Minister Wong, who had sent a congratulatory message shortly after President Lee's inauguration, once again extended warm congratulations and expressed his expectations for the development of South Korea-Singapore relations and his willingness to cooperate during President Lee's term in office. In response, President Lee said, “I am pleased that