By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyu-baek met with Commander Samuel J. Paparo of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan on September 14, 2025, and discussed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways to develop the ROK-U.S. alliance. Minister Ahn acknowledged that the Indo-Pacific Command plays a pivotal role in safeguarding not only the security of the Korean Peninsula but also the peace and stability of the entire Indo-Pacific region. He emphasized that the Command's importance is particularly significant as it
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened the 2025 meeting of the “Council on Policies on UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO),” chaired by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina on September 11. The meeting was attended by relevant agencies involved in UN peacekeeping operations, including the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Korean National Police Agency. Pursuant to Article 16 of the “Act on Participation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations,” the PKO Policy Council was established und
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will hold the 14th Workshop for Overseas Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Korea from September 15 to September 20. Launched in 2010, this Workshop aims 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, will bring together honorary consuls from 12 countries. This six-day event will kick off with a welcome reception, followed by a seminar to share best practices, special lectures on Korea’s economy and se
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met separately with U.S. Senators Andy Kim (Democrat, New Jersey), Todd Young (Republican, Indiana), and Bill Hagerty (Republican, Tennessee) in Washington on September 10 and 11 (local time), exchanging views on the detention of Korean nationals and measures to improve the visa system to prevent recurrence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on September 12. Minister Cho stated, “Our citizens are deeply concerned about the situation where a large number of our professional personnel, who visited the U.S. to faithfully carry out i
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister Bae Kyung-hoon of the Ministry of Science and ICT met with Kazakhstan's Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek, in Seoul on September 11 to discuss measures to expand bilateral cooperation in science and technology, including artificial intelligence. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, Kazakhstan has actively engaged with Korea across diverse fields including politics, economy, society, culture, and education, building on multiple rounds of summit diplomacy. In particular, it actively cultivates talent through inter-state e
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, currently visiting the United States, met with U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio on September 10 (local time). They exchanged views on the swift resolution of the situation involving Korean nationals detained in Georgia by U.S. authorities, follow-up measures to the Korea-U.S. summit (August 25), high-level Korea-U.S. diplomatic schedules, and North Korea issues. Minister Cho conveyed President Lee Jae-myung's special regards to President Donald Trump and expressed the expectation that the strong ROK-U.S.
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), hosted the Visiting Korea Book Fair in New York on September 4 to 5 at the NTC NYC Seminar & Conference Center. Launched in 2015, the Visiting Korea Book Fair supports Korean publishers to expand abroad and delivered approximately USD 10.25 million in potential contracts via a total of 609 consultation sessions across three countries in 2024. Coming on the back of this year’s earlier series in Prague (Czech Republic), Warsaw (Poland),
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held a telephone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on September 3, during which the two sides exchanged views on Korea-Israel relations and regional affairs in the Middle East. This call also served as a courtesy exchange marking Minister Cho’s inauguration. Minister Sa’ar congratulated Minister Cho on his assumption of office and proposed maintaining close communication to deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Cho appreciated that both countries have continued to develop friendly and cooperative relatio
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held his first phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, which also served as an inaugural greeting on Sept. 8. They exchanged views on bilateral relations and the international situation. Minister Barrot congratulated Minister Cho on his appointment, noted the strengthening of exchanges and cooperation between the two countries across various fields, and expressed his hope for continued close collaboration, particularly in key areas such as AI, space, and defense. Minister Cho noted the sustained expansion of bilateral t
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The ‘Sawasdee Seoul Thai Festival 2025: Discover Thailand’ opened in spectacular fashion at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul on September 6, 2025. At the opening ceremony, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry adviser Dusit Manapan officially declared the festival open, and Tanee Sangrat, Ambassador of Thailand to the Republic of Korea, delivered a welcome address. Additionally, Kim Young-soo, First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea; Yoo Sang-beom, Member of the National Assembly and Vice Chairman of the Korea-Thailand Parliamentary Friendship A
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Busan Cultural Center announced on August 8 that it will host the ‘80th Anniversary of the United Nations Concert’ on October 23. According to the Busan Cultural Center, this performance was planned to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the UN's founding and UN Day (October 24), to convey the values of international peace and solidarity through music, and to showcase Busan's symbolic significance and status to the world. The concert will feature conductor Yoon Han-gyeol, the first Korean recipient of the ‘Karajan Young Conductors Award’, and the Busan Philharm
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Kia Corporation is celebrating its one millionth sale in Australia on September 4, 2025. The milestone vehicle, a Tasman X-Pro Dual Cab pickup, purchased from Motorama Kia in Queensland, reflects the brand’s growing popularity in the region and its ability to adapt to customer needs. Kia first entered the Australian market in 1988 with the launch of the Rocsta. It took three decades to reach 500,000 cumulative sales in 2018 – a significant achievement. Yet in just seven years, Kia has doubled that figure, reaching the one million mark. This rapid growth highlight
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Early morning on September 5, at the Chinese Embassy in Jung-gu, Seoul. Though still early, the air outside the embassy is thick with a peculiar mix of tension and excitement. Twenty-six youth reporters, notebooks in one hand and passports in the other, board the bus bound for China. They were participants in the ‘6th Korea Youth Journalists’ Visit to China’ program, the protagonists of a bilateral youth friendship exchange initiative organized by the Korea China Economy & Culture Educational Association (KCCEA, Chairperson Shin Kyung-sook) and co-hosted by t
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a launching ceremony on Sept. 4 for the team to boost the effectiveness of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country and provide support at the Korea Trade Insurance Corp. in Seoul's Jongno-gu District. Participants included officials from the ministry, foreign investment companies, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Chungcheongnam-do Province and Incheon Port Authority. The team is designed to manage the entire process from in
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo met with Ecuador’s Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments, and Fisheries Luis Alberto Jaramillo in Seoul on September 2. The two sides held bilateral talks and formally signed the Strategic Economic Cooperation Agreement (SECA). Since launching negotiations in 2016, Korea and Ecuador have held nine rounds of formal discussions, concluding the agreement in October 2023. With the official signing completed, the SECA will enter into force following remaining procedures, including ratification by the National Assembly. As La