By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee “Welcome to the New Year (Byeoksachobok) Sehwa Exhibition,” a large-scale exhibition of folk paintings with traditional Korean values of bringing good luck and wishing for the beginning of the year and warding off bad luck, gets underway through Jan. 6, at the Korea Museum of Art, Insa-dong, Seoul. The exhibition showcases the works of more than 100 folk painters from across the country and seven invited artists from the Korea Masters Association, and is attracting great response and interest. The event was co-hosted by the monthly K Folk Paintings and the Diplom
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun held a meeting with Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Okano Masataka in Tokyo, Japan, on December 26, and exchanged views on bilateral relations, Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, and North Korea issues. Vice Minister Kim explained that the Korean government is stably managing overall state affairs under the acting authority system and all relevant future processes will be carried out democratically based on the Constitution and laws. Given the importance of bilateral relations, the two Vice Mini
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bahrain Koo Heon Sang and Minister of Finance and National Economy Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain signed the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the Promotion and Protection of Investments on December 26, 2024, in Manama, Bahrain. Korean companies have entered Bahrain, especially in the areas of energy, petrochemistry and infrastructure. Bahrain has an attractive business environment with a strategic role as a gateway to th
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) in partnership with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation unveiled a Hanbok collection designed by actress Kim Tae-ri as part of the 2024 K-Wave Collaborative Content Planning and Development in Hanbok (Hanbok Wave). Since 2021, MCST has been in charge of the Hanbok Wave project to promote Hanbok, developed through collaboration between Korean Hanbok designers and K-wave artists, domestically and internationally. The project also aims to support promising Hanbok design houses in expanding their market opportuni
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Dec. 27 that the cumulative number of visitors to its winter festival, Seoul Winter Festa 2024, has surpassed 3.32 million within two weeks of its opening. According to the city, this year's Seoul Winter Festival, which kicked off on Dec. 13, is taking place in various parts of the city center, including Gwanghwamun and Cheonggyecheon. The cumulative number is a result of counting visitors to the six venues. In particular, the Seoul Light Gwanghwamun, a giant media façade in Gwanghwamun, and the Seoul Light Lantern F
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee On January 1, 2025, a new history of Korean traditional arts will be written. At the New Year's Sehwa special exhibition held by the Korea Masters Association (Chairman Damwha Lee Jon-young), in the year of the snake, leather brush painter (Hyeokpil painter) Nam Sang-joon will be awarded a certificate of master and will receive a 200th scholarship of KRW 1,010,000 to commemorate his 101st birthday. This is a moment to honor his lifelong achievements and his dedication to the succession of traditional arts. Hyeokpil painter Nam's achievements and dedication From 1
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee From January 1 to 6, 2025, a solo exhibition of seven artists invited by Korea Masters Association will be held on the second floor of the Korean Museum of Art in Insa-dong, Seoul. The exhibition will showcase each artist's original works on the theme of folk painting, and will bring a cultural touch to the beginning of the new year. The seven invited artists are Lee Mi-hyung, Kim Mi-jeong, Kim Sun-hee, Kim Young-joo, Oh Se-hee, Woo Hyun-jin, and Lee Yoon-jung, who will showcase their contemporary interpretations of the folk painting tradition with different phil
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee In honor of the upcoming New Year 2025, a special exhibition of Sehwa paintings that convey the meaning of the New Year will be held at the Insadong Museum of Korean Art. The exhibition is expected to be a meaningful occasion to ward off bad spirits and invite good fortune through Sehwa paintings that blend tradition and modernity. Exhibition Information Exhibition Period: January 1, 2025 (Wed.) ~ January 6, 2025 (Mon.) Venue: 2F, Insadong Museum of Korean Art, Seoul Award Ceremony: January 1, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. (Including wine party and gift presentation) Main fe
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Novelist Han Kang, 54, became the first Korean and the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature on Dec. 10 (local time), joining the ranks of the world's leading literary figures. Han wore a black dress to the ceremony at the landmark Konserthuset in Stockholm, Sweden, at 4 p.m. local time, where she was called fourth in the order of the award and received the Nobel Prize in Literature medal and certificate from Swedish King Carl Gustaf XVI. As the king entered to the sound of Mozart's March, accompanied by an orchestra, Han joined the other laureat
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun, chairman of the National Council of Cities of Korea, hosted the “15th Luncheon Meeting with Foreign Missions in Korea” at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on Dec. 6, 2024. According to the Busan Metropolitan City, the meeting was the largest ever held, with more than 80 ambassadors from 78 countries attending, and was organized to strengthen cooperation between local governments and the foreign diplomatic corps in Korea. The event, which marked its 15th year, is significant as a venue for local governments to establish themselves as important
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg on Dec. 8, the Foreign Ministry said. “Minister Cho emphasized the Korean government's firm determination to overcome the current difficult situation based on the resilience of Korea's liberal democracy and the rule of law, which has been steadfastly maintained,” the ministry said in a statement to reporters, adding, ”The two sides agreed to work together to maintain and strengthen the U.S.-ROK alliance.” The meeting between Cho and Goldberg comes three days after their meeting o
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to exchange views on the current domestic situation and U.S.-ROK relations on Dec. 6, 2024. The two officials exchanged views on the developments in Korea over the past few days following the announcement of emergency martial law and reaffirmed the United States' unwavering support for South Korea's democracy and the U.S.-ROK alliance. Mr. Blinken praised the strong resilience of South Korea's democracy and expressed his strong hope that all future political disagreements will be re
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Korea Masters Association (KMA) was established to preserve traditional Korean culture and arts, reinterpreting and developing them for modern times. The organization spreads the social value of traditional skills and arts through the discovery and support of masters, education, and promotion activities. The importance of preserving traditional culture and the role of Korea Masters Association Korea has a long history of developing traditional culture and technology, producing numerous masters. However, rapid modernization and industrialization have threatened to
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul attended the Second Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) from November 25 to 26, which took place in Fiuggi, Italy, to have discussions on the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and diplomatic and security issues, as well as ways to strengthen the Korea-G7 cooperation. The foreign ministers of the G7 members and invited countries and representatives of invited international organizations discussed major foreign policy issues regarding
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, who is participating as the Korean government's lead representative in the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to draft an international convention on plastic pollution, met with the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Chair of the INC, and senior representatives from the United States, France, China, Micronesia, and other major countries to discuss the final issues and make efforts to reconcile differences on Dec. 1, 2024. The conference has been held since Novemb