By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced the “100 Taste of Seoul 2025” lists recommended by sixty domestic and international culinary experts on Oct. 14 in an effort to promote Seoul’s diverse food culture worldwide and provide culinary experiences that citizens and visitors alike can enjoy. “100 Taste of Seoul” is more than just a list of restaurants—it serves as a curated culinary map of Seoul that highlights both expertise and popularity, introducing must-visit places for anyone visiting the city. Among the selected restaurants, Gangnam accounted for
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Cambodia was once a country that welcomed foreigners with the ‘angelic smile’. But now, that smile has frozen cold. Behind the beautiful Angkor Wat and emerald coastline lurks the grip of criminal organizations targeting foreigners. The murder of a Korean university student was not merely the tragedy of one individual, but the result of systematic neglect hidden behind the label of a ‘tourist nation’. A crime market disguised as tourism. Locally, alongside the tourism boom, ‘voice phishing camps’, ‘online gambling centers’, and ‘human trafficking brokerages’ have
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, located in the capital city of Minsk, Belarus, grandly opened the special exhibition K-Minwha (Folk Painting): The Beauty of Korea. This exhibition showcases Korea's traditional beauty and artistic spirit. This exhibition was prepared as a meaningful occasion to share the power of artistic communion and the depth of culture through Minhwa paintings, which embody the Korean aesthetic consciousness and sentiment. Minhwa paintings are pictures of hope born from the hands of nameless commoners and a philosophy of li
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting of economic officers from all Korean diplomatic missions in the United States on October 2, chaired by Director-General for Bilateral Economic Affairs Kim Sun-young. The meeting was convened to discuss ways to address visa-related difficulties faced by Korean companies and to strengthen coordinated cooperation between the Ministry and its overseas missions, with the overarching aim of ensuring a stable investment environment in the United States. Notably, the meeting followed the inaugural session of the Korea–U.S. B
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Government of the Republic of Korea, together with the Governments of Australia and Tanzania, welcomes the groundbreaking ceremony held on October 9 to officially launch the Mahenge graphite project in Tanzania. Located in the Morogoro region of Tanzania, the Mahenge project is led by the Australian company Black Rock Mining (BRM) and involves the Government of Tanzania and Korean companies, including POSCO International. Tanzanian Government officials, including the Minister of Minerals, the Korean Ambassador to Tanzania, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun had a meeting with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong on September 25, local time, on the occasion of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The two ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments. Minister Cho noted that high-level exchanges have been actively taking place since the launch of the new Korean administration. He highlighted that this first meeting between the two foreign ministers, following their phone call on August 4, demonstrates the close strategi
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held a meeting with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand at the United Nations Headquarters on September 25. The two sides exchanged views on overall bilateral relations, including high-level exchanges, future substantive cooperation plans, and regional and international situations. Minister Cho expressed his delight at the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two countries following the inauguration of the new governments of Korea and Canada this year, following the bilateral summit held on the sidelines of the G7 Summit
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute announced that the “2025 ESG-ECO EXPO KOREA” will be held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul from September 24 to 26. Launched in 2005 and now in its 21st year, the Eco Expo has been organized as a festival where consumers, businesses, and the government come together. Its aim is to strengthen the connection between the supply and demand of environmental technologies and industries while encouraging the public to practice green living. This year’s Eco Expo features a total of 23
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced on Sept. 23 to host a global Chuseok celebration where foreigners and seniors come together for the holiday. The city will hold cultural programs related to Chuseok from late September to early October at six Foreign Resident Centers as well as Gangnam and Itaewon Global Village Centers, bringing together Korean nationals and foreigners. Seoul’s Foreign Resident Centers and Global Village Centers provide assistance to the city’s 400,000 foreign residents to support their stable settlement through daily life consul
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who is in New York to attend the 80th UN General Assembly High-Level Session, held a South Korea, the US, and Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting on September 22 with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. They discussed pending issues on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, as well as ways to enhance trilateral economic and security cooperation, and adopted a joint statement. Minister Cho expressed his gratitude for attending the meeting for the first time since taking office, at a time when the
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo held a virtual vice-ministerial meeting on September 19, with Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro, Australian Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade Jan Adams, and New Zealand Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Bede Gilbert Corry. At the meeting, the participants shared assessments of the Indo-Pacific situation and exchanged views on cooperation between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its four Indo-Pacific partners (IP4: Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand). They also
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Foreign Affairs successfully hosted the “14th Workshop for Overseas Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Korea” from September 15 to September 20. This workshop has taken place since 2010, in order to deepen the participants’ understanding of Korea and their role as honorary consuls so that they can provide more effective support in protecting overseas Koreans and in promoting Korea’s diplomatic activities. This year’s workshop, the 14th of its kind, brought together overseas honorary consuls from a total of 12 countries. They are the Kingdom of Sw
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held his first telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on September 19. Minister Araghchi congratulated Minister Cho on his inauguration and praised the friendly relations between the two countries. Minister Cho expressed his agreement and suggested close communication between the two sides. The two ministers also exchanged views on the issue of reinstating sanctions against Iran, which is scheduled for a vote by the UN Security Council. Minister Cho explained that South Korea, as the UN Security Counci
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held a telephone conversation with Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian Shahin on September 18, during which the two sides exchanged views on Korea-Palestine relations and regional affairs in the Middle East. This call also served as a courtesy exchange marking Minister Cho’s inauguration. Minister Aghabekian congratulated Minister Cho on his assumption of office and proposed maintaining close communication to deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Cho likewise congratulated Minister Aghabe
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), in collaboration with the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation (KoTPA), is showcasing a special traditional arts performance event “Soerabeol Pungnyu,” featuring a total of 37 stage performances, in celebration of the 2025 APEC Summit from September 12 to October 29 across Korea’s premier historic-cultural city Gyeongju, including Gyochon Traditional Village, Yukbuchon, and Cheomseongdae Observatory. “Seorabeol Pungnyu” inherits the spirit of Eumseongseo, Korea’s first royal music institute. The perform