By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) Chairman Youn Young-mi met with Czech Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Ivan Jančarek and Canadian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Tamara Mawhinney at the association's reception room in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on April 11 to discuss ways to expand bilateral trade and strengthen cooperation, the KOIMA said. “The Czech Republic is competitive in various fields such as machinery, electricity and electronics, precision equipment, and food, but it is unfortunate that various Czech products are not sufficiently known in the Korean
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Executives of Kwangdong Pharmaceutical Co., led by CEO & Chairman Choi Sung-won, visited the Embassy of New Zealand in Seoul on April 10 to strengthen industrial cooperation. Park Il-beom, head of the R&D Center for Natural Product Convergence, visited the embassy and met with New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Dawn Bennet and Richard Dunsheath, head of the Trade and Industry Promotion Agency. The meeting was organized through the medium of deer antler, and the participants expressed their confidence in New Zealand's systematic raw material management syst
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gyeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, held the second lecture of this year's Gyeongju Global Citizenship Education by inviting Chilean Ambassador to Korea Mathias Francke on April 8. The civic education is an educational program that Gyeongju City invites key figures from APEC member economies every year to raise the international sensitivity and global awareness of its citizens. Ambassador Francke shared his views on 'Chile's Foreign Policy and a Shared Vision for APEC Korea 2025' with the participants through a Q&A session. Prior to the lecture, Gyeongju City
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo | The second Kurultai (Assembly) of Kazakhs of Asian countries took place in Seoul, South Korea on April 5~6, bringing together over 200 participants, including members of the Kazakh community from Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, and Mongolia. The event was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea, the "Otandastar Foundation," and the "Qazaq Nomad" Kazakh Association in Seoul. The gathering was held at the Global Campus of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. The main goal of the Kurultai was to strengthen cultural ties an
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Tajikistan in Korea to Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. Organized by the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, in collaboration with an international expert and the Asian Development Bank, the seminar was titled "Strengthening Scientific Reporting on the Issues of Melting and Glacier Protection" held on April 8th in Dushanbe. The training seminar, "Strengthening Scientific Reporting on the Issues of Melting and Glacier Protection," was conducted w
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) hosted the official visit of Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy to Korea on March 25-26. During this pivotal visit, Governor Dunleavy and his delegation engaged with key Korean government officials, senior leaders of AMCHAM member companies to strengthen commercial and strategic partnerships between the United States and Korea. As the leading advocate of the U.S. business community in Korea, AMCHAM has arranged high-level meetings with influential stakeholders, including Charge d’Affaires Joseph Y. Yun of the U.S. E
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “Navruz is a celebration of humanity's connection with nature, inspiring constructive and prosperous actions and bestowing inspiration and strength,” said H.E. Salohiddin Kirom, Amb. of the Republic of Tajikistan to the Republic of Korea on April 5. Delivering a congratulatory message on the occasion of celebration of International Navruz Holiday, Amb. Salohiddin Kirom said at a festive event held at Embassy Building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, “As the Founder of Peace and National Unity, Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon,
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Kim Wae-cheol, director of the National Ocean Science Museum (NOSM), was invited to an official luncheon by Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Hansen Ovind on March 28, 2025 and expressed his gratitude for the cooperation and pledged to continue exchanges in the future, including international cooperation exhibitions and beach-plogging marine activities. In July last year, the National Ocean Science Museum successfully hosted a special exhibition on international cooperation, 'Go into action! Polar Expedition'. The exhibition ran for 100 days in cooperatio
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Tajikistan hosted the International Jewelry Forum and Exhibition, " At the origins of Oxus Treasure", in Dushanbe, coinciding with the International Nowruz celebrations. This event, held over three days (from the March 24 to the March 26, 2025), took place at the Dushanbe Expo Center. The opening ceremony was attended by the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Kholikzoda Hokim Khikmatullo, alongside heads of local executive bodies, ministers and department heads from par
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Seocho-gu signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Seoul to create the Václav Havel Bench and promote bilateral friendship and cooperation in the 5th floor conference room of Seocho-gu Office on April 1. The signing ceremony was attended by Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-soo, Czech Ambassador to Korea Ivan Jančarek, attorney Lim Jung-hyuk of the Korea-Czech Future Forum, officials from the sponsor Hyundai Motor Company, the Seocho-gu International Exchange Council, and local residents. After explaining the project, Seocho
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article is an exclusive interview given by the President of Uzbekistan to Euronews on the eve of the first Central Asia-European Union summit to be held in Samarkand on April 3-4 this year. It was contributed by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul to Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. The upcoming summit in Samarkand will be truly historic as it will bring together for the first time the leaders of the five Central Asian countries and the EU in one place, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said in a Euronews exclusive. The Central Asia-EU
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Woori Bank, led by CEO Jung Jin-wan, opened a Polish branch in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, on March 31 as the first Korean bank to expand its strategic base in Europe. Poland has served as a production base and logistics center in Europe, connecting both Eastern and Western Europe. In 2017, Woori Bank opened an office in Katowice, a southwestern industrial city with a large number of local subsidiaries of domestic companies, and has been providing financial support to these companies, including financing and brokerage services. The opening ceremony was atten
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hanjin Travel announced on March 31 that it has discussed with the Embassy of Lithuania in Seoul how to cooperate in promoting and expanding tourism to Lithuania. The meeting was held at Hanjin's headquarters in Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, on March 25, and was attended by CEO Lee Jang-hoon, Lithuanian Ambassador to Korea Ricardas Šlepavicius, and other officials. The meeting was organized to explore ways to promote Lithuanian tourism and discuss ways to cooperate to raise awareness of Lithuania in the Korean market. The Lithuanian Embassy thanked Hanjin for its
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo On March 31 2025, Presidents Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan celebrated the international holiday of Navruz at the '20th Anniversary of Independence of Tajikistan' stadium. The event featured a joint cultural program showcasing artists from all three nations. President Rahmon, in his address, extended warm Navruz greetings to the visiting heads of state, the people of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, and international guests in Khujand. Highlighting Navruz's significance, President Rahmon em
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul to Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. In recent years, Uzbekistan and the European Union have been steadily expanding their trade, economic, investment, and financial-technical cooperation. The most active bilateral engagements across various levels have taken place over the past eight years, driven by the focused policy of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Strengthening political dialogue and supporting reforms have become key pillars of both bilater