By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Environment, led by Minister Kim Sung-hwan, announced that it has dispatched a “Green Industry Environmental Cooperation Mission” to Accra, the capital of Ghana, from September 2 to 3. This dispatch is aimed at discussing cooperation measures for urgent environmental issues in Ghana and neighboring countries, and establishing a cooperation network with the local government. Although Africa has the lowest carbon emissions among all continents, it is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising temperatures, decreased rainfall
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), together with the Korea Creative Content Agency announced the 26 nominated works for the main prizes in the “2025 World Webtoon Awards” on Sept. 3. Now in its second year, the World Webtoon Awards celebrates excellence in webtoons to boost pride among people in the industry and solidify Korea’s status as the originator and leader of the global webtoon market. This year’s awards ceremony will take place on October 22, at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul. The call for submissions drew 1,338 reader-recommended wor
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Energy ministers from the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathered in South Korea on Aug. 27 to discuss energy security amid surging electricity demand driven by the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced industries, the energy ministry said. The APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting kicked off in Busan, about 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for a two-day run, bringing together energy ministers and vice ministers from APEC member countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Mexico, Au
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun hosted a welcome banquet for the ‘11th World Korean Politicians Forum’ on September 2, encouraging Korean politicians actively serving around the world and urging them to continue serving as bridges between Korean communities abroad and their homeland. In his dinner address, Minister Cho stated that the network of Korean politicians worldwide broadens our diplomatic horizons and serves as a powerful voice for Korea in the policy-making processes of various countries. Furthermore, Minister Cho pledged to respect the wisdom and experience
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee LG Electronics (LG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with UK-based Octopus Energy Group Ltd. (Octopus Energy) on Sept. 2 to strengthen its presence in Europe’s clean technology sector. The partnership will combine LG’s advanced, high-efficiency heating and cooling solutions with Octopus Energy’s AI-driven energy software platform, Kraken, to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy in Europe. The MOU signing ceremony took place on August 28 (local time) at Octopus Energy’s London headquarters. Attendees included Thomas Yoon, head of LG’s Over
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Science and ICT hosted the “International Streaming Festival 2025” (hereinafter, the Festival)—Korea’s only international event dedicated to the streaming industry (OTT and FAST)—from August 22 to August 25, 2025, at Paradise Hotel Busan and the Busan Cinema Center. Now in its third year, the Festival co-hosted with Busan Metropolitan City under the theme “Streaming What’s Next.” It is designed to support global business exchange and cooperation for Korean OTT, FAST, content, and AI-media companies—creating opportunities for overseas expansion and
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The 3rd Korea-Malaysia Climate Change Dialogue to strengthen cooperation between Korea and Malaysia on responding to climate change was held on August 25, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting was led by Chung Keeyong, Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change from Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Datuk Nor Yahati binti Awang, Deputy Secretary General for Environmental Sustainability at Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, as chief delegates. Officials from related government ministries and agencies, including
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Ambassador Wong Kai Jiun of Singapore to Korea visited Gyeongju on August 29 and met with Mayor Ju Nak-young of Gyeongju, and explored future-oriented exchange and cooperation plans between the two countries alongside APEC. This visit held particular significance as next year marks the ‘50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Korea and Singapore’. Singapore, a founding member of APEC alongside Korea, hosted the ‘17th APEC Summit’ in 2009. The APEC Secretariat is currently based in Singapore. Ambassador Wong Kai Jiun, appointed last June as Ambassador to
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Environment held the 8th Korea-United Arab Emirates (UAE) Joint Committee on Water Resources Cooperation at the Han River Flood Control Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on August 27. In February 2024, the UAE, under the leadership of the President, launched the “Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative” to address the global water shortage crisis, devoting national capacity to developing innovative and sustainable water management solutions and strengthening international cooperation. In April of the same year, record rainfall caused damage in the Dubai area,
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee POSCO Group, South Korea’s global leader in steel production, and India’s leading steelmaker JSW Steel have signed a non-binding Heads of Agreement (HoA) on August 18 to jointly explore setting up a 6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) integrated steel plant in India. The agreement marks a significant step toward deepening strategic collaboration between two of the world’s most respected steel companies. This HoA builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties in October 2024 and outlines the broad framework for the proposed 50:50 joint ventur
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The plenary session of the APEC High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), chaired by Minister CHAE Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea, concluded on August 27, 2025, as a resounding success. The plenary session was held in Gyeongju under the theme, “Cultural and Creative Industries: New Horizons for Prosperity.” This inaugural dialogue saw robust attendance from high-level policymakers, including Minister Toshiko Abe of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), led by Minister Chae Hwi-young, hosted the inaugural 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do province, from August 26 to 28. The High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries marks the first ministerial-level meeting held under the APEC forum with participation from its 21 member economies, which implies its significance for acknowledging cultural and creative industries as vital drivers of the economy. T
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee South Korea, the United States, and Japan issued a joint statement expressing concern over the malicious activities of North Korean information technology personnel and pledging to strengthen countermeasures, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Aug. 27. North Korea continues to dispatch its IT workers around the world to generate revenue, which funds its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea express serious concern
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Aug. 26 with PTC to accelerate smart manufacturing innovation and promote the wider adoption of U.S.-developed industrial technologies in Korea, as part of AMCHAM’s ongoing “Buy America” campaign. The signing ceremony, held at the Conrad Seoul Hotel, was attended by James Heller, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. His presence underscored the strategic significance of the partnership in deepening bilateral economic cooperation through digital transformation
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo held the 4th Korea-Bangladesh Policy Consultation with Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary (Bilateral – East & West) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on August 26. The two sides discussed a range of issues such as high-level exchanges, economic cooperation, employment cooperation, development cooperation, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and cooperation on the international stage. The 4th Korea-Bangladesh Policy Consultation was held thr