By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dispatched a ‘Korea-Kazakhstan Water Industry Cooperation Delegation’ to Kazakhstan from September 1 to 5 to support the entry of domestic water industry companies into Central Asia and to strengthen cooperation in the water sector. Kazakhstan, as a downstream country of transboundary rivers in Central Asia, relies heavily on external sources for water, with about 45% of its water resources flowing in from neighboring countries, which drives strong interest in sustainable water management techn
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A lecture by Ambassador of Kazakhstan Nurgali Arystanov was held in Seoul on the occasion of the Constitution Day of the Republic of Kazakhstan on August 30, 2025. The event was organized with the support of the international youth organization HOBY Korea. In his speech, the Ambassador emphasized that the Constitution of Kazakhstan has become a solid legal foundation for independence, democracy, and sustainable development of the state. The Basic Law enshrines the rights and freedoms of citizens, defines the country’s strategic course for modernization and refo
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo LG Electronics presents “Park Seo-Bo x LG OLED TV: Colors Drawn from Nature” at Frieze Seoul 2025 (September 3–6), marking the company’s fourth year as Headline Partner. In collaboration with the PARKSEOBO FOUNDATION, LG OLED TV celebrates one of Korea’s most revered contemporary artists by faithfully expressing his distinctive color philosophy through the unmatched precision of LG’s self-lit OLED technology. Starting this year, LG also expands the Frieze art fair experience to LG TV owners through LG Gallery+, a personal curation service that allows users to d
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced on Sept. 1 that more than 10 million people have visited Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), which marks its 11th year as a landmark of Seoul. A surge is expected during autumn and winter, with many events and exhibitions planned for the year-end. Total visitors this year are expected to exceed 20 million. During last year’s 10th anniversary, the number of visitors reached around 17.29 million. Over the past 10 years, the cumulative total was about 100 million. Facility operation rate at 80% and year-round operation
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hanwha Aerospace and WB Group signed a landmark agreement in Poland on September 2 to establish a Polish – Korean joint venture that will localize production of CGR-080 (approximately 80 km) guided missiles for the HOMAR-K multiple launch rocket system used by the Polish Armed Forces. The JV will implement a phased technology transfer program, supported by a certified quality management system and structured workforce training. Initial serial production is expected to ramp up progressively and reach an advanced stage before the end of 2028. The factory is plann
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group on Sept. 1 officially launched the Next Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMA), a public-private partnership initiative to transform urban transportation environments through advanced mobility technologies. The alliance aims to address social and environmental challenges by fostering inclusive mobility innovation and accelerating the transition to smart cities. The launch ceremony, held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul, marked the formal establishment of NUMA’s open collaboration framework, bringing together government, industry, academia and research
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Bill Gates, founder and Chairman of TerraPower, recently met in Seoul to discuss strategic cooperation for the development and commercialization of the Natrium® technology by TerraPower, of which SK is an investor, the group said on August 27. Also attending the dinner were Ahn Jae-yong, CEO of SK bioscience; Kim Moohwan, Head of the Energy Solution Business at SK Innovation; Chey Yoon-Jung, Head of Business Development at SK Biopharm; and Chris Levesque, President and CEO of TerraPower. At the meeting, Chairman Chey commented
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Foreign card spending in the country in the second quarter of the year broke a record high thanks to the popularity of Korean content, Korea.net reported on Aug. 28.. The Bank of Korea on Aug. 26 released data saying domestic card use by non-residents rose 38.2% from the first quarter to USD 3.79 billion (KRW 5.28 trillion). The previous record was USD 3.38 billion in the fourth quarter last year. The ratio of card use in the country by non-residents to overseas card spending by residents was also 69%, the highest since the fourth quarter of 2016. Domestic medi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, announced on Sept. 2 that it has submitted an IND (Investigational New Drug application) to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a global Phase 3 clinical trial of SKYVaricella to add the 2-dose (two-shot) indication, aligning with evolving international standards that increasingly recommend two doses to provide stronger, longer-lasting protection against varicella. The trial will evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of two doses in
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced to roll out Korea’s first driverless autonomous shuttle, equipped with next-generation automotive design and advanced self-driving technology, along the Cheonggyecheon Stream as early as late September. The new shuttle was developed and built using domestic technology by Korea’s leading autonomous driving company Autonomous A2Z. Designed specifically for autonomous operation, the vehicle has no driver’s seat or steering wheel. The vehicle is a small bus (i.e., 11-seater with 9 seats) designed from the ground up
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo LG Electronics (LG) is ushering in a new era in the European smart home appliance market with the introduction of its groundbreaking AI platform, LG ThinQ AI. Taking center stage at the company’s IFA 2025 exhibit, LG ThinQ AI integrates the ThinQ UP and ThinQ Care services to provide a personalized, ever-evolving customer experience along with proactive appliance management. This innovative platform advances LG’s core product technologies through AI and usage data analysis, optimizing the product experience and enhancing customers’ overall quality of life. LG w
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Executive Vice Chairman Chung Kisun met with TerraPower leadership, including chairman and founder Bill Gates in Seoul, Korea, HD Hyundai announced on August 22. The group reviewed progress on supply chain expansion and the commercialization of Natrium reactors, as well as discussed future cooperation opportunities. The meeting between the company leaders marked a first reunion in five months since initial talks in the United States last March. During the previous meeting, HD Hyundai and TerraPower signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to expand the global
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Seoul-based global consulting firm Korever Company (CEO Rahil Ahmadova) announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Medicana Health Group, Türkiye’s largest private healthcare provider, on August 28, 2025. The agreement was concluded jointly with Eventi Venti (CEO Ece Sandalli), Korever Company’s local partner in Türkiye. Through this partnership, Korever Company will prioritize linking advanced medical technologies and solutions from Korea and Asia with Medicana’s hospital network, while pursuing collaborative initiatives such as joint rese
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Nurgali Arystanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Korea, to the Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. When people voted in the 1995 national referendum (Aug. 30) to adopt a new Constitution, they laid the cornerstone of modern statehood. More than just a legal charter, the Constitution of Kazakhstan is marked by its humanist focus. Article 1 declares the country a democratic, secular, legal, and social state, in which the highest values are the individual, their life, rights, and freedoms.
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo HS Hyosung awarded scholarships to four students in Huntsville, Madison, and Decatur, Alabama, who are preparing to enter university, on August 16 (local time). Through its U.S. subsidiary, HS Hyosung USA, the company collaborated with the Korean-American community in northern Alabama to provide scholarships as part of a Liberation Day commemorative event. Recipients were selected from among outstanding local students who face financial difficulties, are children of public servants such as firefighters and police officers, or are direct descendants of Korean Wa