By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo To commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Belarus, the Diplomatic Journal co-hosted a cultural exchange exhibition with the Embassy of Belarus in Seoul from July 3-8 at the Maru Art Center in Insa-dong, Seoul. The Korea-Belarus cultural exchange exhibition featured 11 works by Belarusian color magician Marc Chagall, 20 beautiful tourist photographs of Belarus, and 37 works by Korean Minwha (folk painting) artists. More than 60 foreign ambassadors, domestic artists and other guests, including Amb. Nurgali
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo At the invitation of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid an official visit to Korea from June 30 to July 3. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Chinh at the Seoul Government Complex on July 2, and hosted a welcome dinner the same evening. PM Chinh's visit is the first official visit by a top Vietnamese leader to South Korea since the two countries upgraded their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties in December 2
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Korea hosted the Diplomatic Reception on June 28, 2024 on the occasion of the National Day of Belarus (celebrated annually on July 3) and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the country from Nazi invaders at the Pullman Hotel in Seoul. The solemn event organized jointly with the Belarusian diaspora in Korea, was attended by the heads of more than 35 foreign diplomatic missions, representatives of official, business and cultural circles of the Republic of Korea, as well as a number of well-known Sout
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of Nepal in Korea hosted the Nepal’s Tourism Promotion Event and B2B Meeting at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on June 27, 2024. Delivering welcoming and opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Jyoti Pyakural, Ambassador of Nepal to the Republic of Korea, said, “Nepal and Korea need to expand bilateral cooperation, especially in the tourism sector, this year, which marks the 50th anniversary of Nepal-Korea diplomatic relations. Accordingly, I hope that more Korean tourists will visit the beautiful country Nepal.” In the Nepal destination presentation, Hikmat
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “The Dominican Republic and Korea need to become strategic partners this year,” said Dr. Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Korea. In an exclusive interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Amb. Cuello Camilo said, “As far as I know, H. E. President Yoon Suk-yeol plans to go to Latin America twice this year to participate in the APEC summit in Peru, and later to Brazil to participate in the summit of the G20. It would be an honor for us to host President Yoon during a stopover in the Dominican Republic. He could then sign with H.
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Gwangju City Mayor Kang Ki-jeong met with Thai Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Tanee Sangrat in the reception room of the city hall on June 21 to discuss cooperation in high-tech industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and future cars. "Gwangju City, together with the National Asian Culture Center, has been conducting cultural ODA (official development assistance) projects in Chiang Mai, Thailand, since last year, and Gwangju FC visits Thailand every year for winter training," said Mayor Kang. "I hope that these ties will lead to a stronger relation
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Korean Air Flight KE189, which departed Incheon International Airport for Taichung International Airport in Taiwan, was diverted due to an airframe defect. Flight KE189 took off at 4:45 p.m., and about 50 minutes later, while flying over Jeju Island, a message was displayed stating that there was an "abnormality in the pressurization system". The pressurization system regulates the pressure inside the aircraft. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 in question is a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which was identified last October as having a 'pressure bulkhead' abnormality, leading to a glob
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo POSCO International, led by CEO Lee Kye-in, is setting up a production base for the European electric vehicle (EV)market this year, following its expansion into the North American market last year. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new traction motor core plant was held in Brzeg, Opole Voivodeship, Poland on June 11, 2024. The event was attended by Opole Marshal Andrzej Bula, Brzeg Mayor Violetta Jaskolska-Palus, Korean Ambassador to Poland Lim Hoon-Min, POSCO International Green Industry Business Head Lee Young-Woo, and others. The new plant, which will occupy
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Jang Young-soo of Pukyong National University and U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg signed a business agreement to open the American Corner. President Jang Young-soo and Ambassador Philip Goldberg recently signed an MOU at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul to open the 'American Corner' at Pukyung National University in September to provide students and the public with a variety of materials and programs related to American education and culture. The American Corner is part of the U.S. Embassy's public diplomacy programs around the world, providing info
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin met with Uzbekistan's Prime Minister Abdullah Arifov to discuss economic cooperation on June 13. According to Lotte Group, Shin visited Uzbekistan as part of President Yoon Suk-yeol's three-nation tour of Central Asia. While there, Shin met with Prime Minister Arifov and discussed ways to strengthen joint projects related to energy, tourism, and the food industry. "Lotte Group is one of Asia's largest conglomerates," said the Uzbek government, "and this high-level dialogue will lay the foundation for the development of our two
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo | The following is the full-text of the joint statement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea. –Ed. On June 11-13, 2024, President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol paid a state visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan at the invitation of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. On June 12, 2024, the Heads of two states (hereinafter referred to as the Parties) held negotiations in the city of Astana. During the negotiations, which took place in a friendly atmosphere, the Parties highly appreciated the dynamics of th
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo ISTE signed an agreement with VILDUJA, a Lithuanian energy company, on March 27 to jointly promote various hydrogen projects, including the construction of on-site hydrogen refueling stations. VILDUJA has decided to cooperate with ISTE on technical cooperation and joint business in line with Lithuania's focus on developing the renewable energy and hydrogen industries. In recent years, Lithuania has been investing heavily in the renewable energy and hydrogen industries at the national level. As part of this, it is promoting the construction of on-site hydrogen r
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “Kazakhstan is a wonderful place to visit. We have a golden triangle that any Korean should go and visit,” said Ambassador Nurgali Arystanov of Kazakhstan in Korea on June 19. Delivering welcoming remarks at the Kazakhstan Tourism Roadshow held at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Amb. Nurgali Arystanov said, "Korea and Kazakhstan have a visa-free agreement and are close siblings with a six-hour direct flight," introducing Kazakhstan's accessibility and attractiveness as a travel destination. The ambassador highlighted three cities, known as the "Golden Triang
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Uzbek Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Vitaliy Fen, a Goryoin (ethnic Korean), passed away on June 18 at the age of 76. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Vitaliy Fen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea," the Uzbek Embassy in Seoul said on June 19. "For 25 years, Ambassador Fen led the diplomatic mission of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea and made a significant contribution to the development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea," the embassy sa
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “The Adinkra symbols of Ghana, which encapsulate wisdom, philosophy, and life lessons, resonate deeply with the artistic expressions found in Korean art,” said Esi Han, the organizer of Harmony in Symbols Exhibition and a writer as well as a cross-cultural coach. In an interview with the Diplomacy Journal, Esi Han said, “Korea hosted the Africa-Korea Summit on June 4-5 this year. We wanted to create an event that not only celebrates this important occasion but also bridges these two vibrant cultures. “The Adinkra symbols of Ghana, which encapsulate wisdom, phil