By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Ambassador Amit Kumar of India to Korea made an official visit to Gyeongbuk Province on July 29 and paid a courtesy call on Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs Yang Geum-hee. Ambassador Kumar's visit came ahead of his return to India after completing his three-year term. Ambassador Kumar expressed his gratitude for the exchanges and cooperation with Gyeongbuk Province and expressed his hope that "we will continue to collaborate, focusing on future-oriented areas such as youth talent, industry, and culture." Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo visited India to sol
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of Peru in Seoul held a reception to mark the 204th Anniversary of the Independence of Peru at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul on July 28, 2025. Delivering a speech at the reception, Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Paul Fernando Duclos Farodi said, “In 2024, during the APEC Leaders' Summit held in Lima, Peru had the honor of transferring to Korea the chairmanship of this key platform for economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. “One of the most emblematic achievements of APEC Peru was the restoration of consensus among its 21 member economies, lead
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Sharapov A.A., Candidate of Political Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, University of World Economy and Diplomacy (Republic of Uzbekistan) and Pulatov J.N., Lecturer, Department of International Relations, University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent (Republic of Uzbekistan) through the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul. –Ed. Looking back at the process of formation of states and their role in international relations, one can note the existence of various theories and approaches in
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Marie Antonia von Schönburg) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Daejeon Regional Human Resources Development Council and Hyundai Vocational Training School on July 28, 2025 to bolster Korea’s industry-ready talent development through practical, hands-on education. The MoU, signed on July 25 at the KGCCI office in Seoul, outlines the three organizations’ commitment to jointly promote field-oriented vocational training programs aligned with real-world industry need
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a historic resolution entitled the “Role of artificial intelligence (AI) in creating new opportunities for sustainable development in Central Asia”, initiated by the Republic of Tajikistan, on July 25, 2025. It is worth noting that this proposal was originally put forward by the Founder of Peace and National Unity - Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, during the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2024. Sup
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz since his inauguration and agreed to further solidify the traditional friendly and cooperative relationship between Korea and Germany on July 24. In the call that day, President Lee congratulated Chancellor Merz on his inauguration and said that Korea and Germany have enjoyed a long history of about 140 years. They praised the close cooperation in various fields, including politics, economy, society, and culture, since the establishment of diplomatic relations. They also sa
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Kim Seong-joong met with Ambassador Aida Ismailova of the Kyrgyz Republic to Korea and her entourage at the provincial office on July 22 to discuss international cooperation measures in the field of the disabled. This meeting was arranged to conduct preliminary exchanges and improve the effectiveness of the project ahead of the ‘2025 Local Government Public Cooperation Project Integrated Competition’ fully supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The province plans to apply for this competition with the ‘P
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo During the phone conversation, the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Korea confirmed their desire to further strengthen multifaceted relations between the two countries on July 23. They thoroughly exchanged views on a wide range of bilateral cooperation. In particular, the leaders reaffirmed an interest in intensifying cooperation in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. The importance of effective implementation of current and promising projects in the field of industry, energy, automotive, education, and medicine was emphasized. President Lee Jae
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “Today is the USA is the ‘hottest’ and most respected country anywhere in the world,” said U.S. President Trump in the Truth Social post celebrating 6 months of his second term on July 20, 2025. He said, “One year ago our country was dead, with almost no hope of revival. Six months is not a long time to have totally revived a major country. However, we got a lot of good and great things done, including ending numerous wars of countries not related to us other than through trade and/or, in certain cases, friendship.” U.S. President Trump said, “Today is that six
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A video of the Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto wearing Hanbok and giving a Korean speech at an event celebrating the National Foundation Day of Italy has belatedly become a hot topic online. A video of the ‘Italian Republic Day Commemoration Ceremony’ held at the Italian Ambassador’s residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on June 2 was uploaded to Italian broadcaster Alberto Mondi’s YouTube channel. This event is a national event commemorating Italy’s independence and establishment of the Republic. On this day, Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto appe
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “Iran’s capacity for food exports—particularly high-quality seafood such as shrimp and fish from the southern regions—represents a promising new frontier for expanding trade and export cooperation with South Korea,” said Ambassador of Iran to South Korea on July 18. In an exclusive interview with the Diplomacy Journal held at the Embassy of DRC in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Amb. Saeed Koozechi said, “With targeted expertise and joint investments, these sectors in Iran are well positioned for further growth and development.” Noting that the volume of bilateral trade bet
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The inaugural direct flight between Busan and Almaty successfully departed from Gimhae International Airport on July 15, 2025. Operated by Eastar Jet on a Boeing 737, flight ZE935 marks an important milestone in enhancing air connectivity between Kazakhstan and Korea. The launch was attended by Consul General of Kazakhstan in Busan Mr. Askar Aslan, Honorary Consul Mr. Sang-Hoon Lee, and representatives of Eastar Jet. The Consuls greeted the flight crew before departure and extended their best wishes. The seven-hour flight carried 120 passengers, including trave
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The multi-day visit of South Korean opera singer Lee Yeon-Seong to Belarus, organized by the Belarusian side, came to a close on July 14, 2025. For the first time in the history of the International Festival of Arts “Slavianskiy Bazaar in Vitebsk”, a performer from the Republic of Korea took the stage. At the Summer Amphitheater, Lee Yeon-Seong, together with young Belarusian talent Ivan Maltsev, performed a traditional song “The Golden Ray of Sunlight” (lyrics by Y. Entin, music by G. Gladkov), receiving warm applause from the audience. The South Korean guest’
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong was cleared of all charges related to the alleged “illegal succession,” including the unfair merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries and accounting fraud, on July 17, 2025. According to the business and legal communities, the prosecution charged Lee and others, stating, “As vice chairman of the Samsung Group at the time, Lee illegally interfered in the merger process between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries in 2015 to secure management succession and strengthen the group's control.” As a result, Lee
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Korea Startup Forum (KOSFO) announced on July 17 that it successfully held the “KSF IR Day,” a practical IR program supporting promising domestic deep tech startups' entry into the European market, at the Aston Hall of the British Embassy in Korea on July 16. Through this event, which was held as a pre-program for COMEUP 2025, KOSPO established official exchange channels with the UK startup ecosystem, including the British Embassy in Korea and the UK Department for International Trade. A total of 77 teams of startups in cutting-edge technology fields such a