By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Joseph Yun, Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, at the U.S. Embassy in Korea visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Jan. 14 and met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and First Secretary Kim Hong-gyun. Minister Cho received Acting Ambassador Yun at the Foreign Ministry building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and asked him to work hard to advance the Korea-U.S. alliance, the ministry said. Vice Minister Kim also met with Ambassador Yun and exchanged views on topics including bilateral relations and North Korea. “I welcome the appointment of Acting Ambassador Yun, a
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik met with Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar on Jan. 9 and asked him to “spread the word of Korea's stability to the Indian people, businessmen and diplomats who are investing in Korea.” “I am aware of the international community's concern about the emergency martial law situation, but our people have a strong DNA of overcoming crises, including colonization, war, division, and dictatorship,” Woo said when he met with Kumar at the National Assembly earlier in the day. “Together in the G20, Korea and India are very important
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Cuba has appointed its first ambassador to South Korea, 11 months after the two countries established diplomatic relations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on July 7 that a ceremony was held at the Government Complex in Seoul, attended by Acting President Choi Sang-mok, to enact the credentials of ambassadors to South Korea, including the Cuban ambassador. Acting President Choi Sang-mok accepted Letters of Credence from nine Ambassadors-Designate to the Republic of Korea at the Government Complex Seoul on Jan. 7, 2025. The nine Ambassadors-Designate ar
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The 2025 “Diplomacy and Reunification K-Folk Painting Exhibition” will be held from March 12 to 18 at the Korea Museum of Art, Insa-dong in Seoul. The K-Folk Painting Exhibition is co-hosted by the Diplomacy Journal and the K-Folk Painting Research Center, co-organized by the Korea Masters Association and the monthly K-Folk Painting, and sponsored by the Damwha Cultural Foundation. The event is designed to pray for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula through art and to recognize the status of Korean culture on the global diplomatic stage. In particula
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Former State Department Special Representative for North Korea Affairs Joseph Yun (71) will serve as interim chargé d'affaires to replace outgoing U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg at the end of his term, the Korean vernacular daily Chosun Ilbo reported on Jan. 6. The U.S. government is said to have decided that it is urgent to maintain a stable high-level communication channel between the U.S. and South Korea as the uncertainty of the impeachment situation grows after the Dec. 3 emergency martial law. According to the report, President Biden has decided to send Yu
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Amid ongoing political turmoil in South Korea, including rallies for and against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol following the imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, the Chinese Embassy in Seoul has issued a warning to its nationals in South Korea not to participate in political events. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Jan. 5 that the embassy had issued a notice to Chinese nationals in South Korea the day before, asking them to avoid political activities related to the rallies. According to the report, the Chinese Embassy in South Korea po
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Acting Defense Minister Kim Sun-ho met with U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Philip Goldberg on Jan. 2, 2025. Goldberg is scheduled to leave his post on Jan. 20 to coincide with the inauguration of the second administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim met with Goldberg at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, the ministry said. Goldberg was appointed U.S. ambassador to South Korea in July 2022. Kim thanked Goldberg for his contributions to the development of the U.S.-ROK alliance, including the Washington Declaration in April 2023
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