By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul, who visited Australia to attend the sixth ROK-Australia Foreign and Defense Ministers’ (2+2) Meeting, held a “Meeting with Businesspeople” with Korean entrepreneurs in Melbourne on April 30, and also had a “Dialogue with the Young Generation” for Korean students studying in Australia and participants of working holiday programs. During the meeting with businesspeople, Minister Cho said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will spare no effort in providing necessary support to Korean businesses for expanding exports and o
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol said at a press conference on May 9, “I will mobilize all the country's capabilities to overcome the declining birthrate, which is a national emergency,” and announced the establishment of a new planning ministry, tentatively titled the 'Ministry of Low Birthrate Response Planning,' to prepare for a low birthrate and aging population.” President Yoon made the announcement in a message to the public earlier in the day at a press conference on the second anniversary of his inauguration at the Yongsan presidential office in Seoul. “We wil
By Kim Hak-young Portrait paintings have played a very important role in art history over the ages, and the writer met Jisan Park Young-gil at his Insa-dong studio. There is a painter in the Korean art world who is considered a master of portrait painting. This is Park Young-gil, chairman of the Korean Portrait Painters Association. The moment you enter Park's studio in Insa-dong, Seoul, you are greeted by works that speak volumes about his mastery of portraiture. From the majestic and vivid portraits of the late President Park Chung-hee to former U.S. President Reagan to the world-famous base
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo GS E&C, Dongbu E&C, and Daebo E&C have received a one-year ban from bidding on public works projects from LH in connection with the collapse of the underground parking lot of an apartment building in Geomdan, Incheon, last year. GS E&C and Dongbu E&C announced on May 3 that they have been notified by LH that they have been banned from bidding on public works projects. As a result, the companies will not be able to participate in bidding for public works projects ordered by domestic public institutions for one year from May 22 this year to Ma
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul hosted luncheon for Mr. Hao Peng, Secretary of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China who was visiting Korea on April 24. Over the luncheon, the two sides exchanged views on ways to enhance substantive cooperation between Korea and Liaoning Province, among other topics. Minister Cho welcomed Secretary Hao's visit to Korea as the first of its kind by a Chinese provincial secretary since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized the crucial role of enhanced exchanges between provinces of K
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Philippines-Korea diplomatic relations, a solo exhibition by the famous Filipino artist Lenore RS Lim was held from May 1 to 6 at Maru Art Center in Insa-dong Seoul. The solo exhibition, which was organized by the Embassy of the Philippines in Korea and supported by Diplomacy Journal, was held under the title of “Interwoven Horizons.” More than 100 guests, including H.E. Ambassador Carlos Penafiel of Mexico in Seoul and his spouse, Mrs. Regina Flores Chuzeville, and Baek Soo-mi, chairperson of Hansae Yes24 Foundat
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo On May 2, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the plenary meeting of the Third Tashkent International Investment Forum at the Congress Center in Tashkent. Below is the full speech of the President of Uzbekistan at the Forum. Dear participants of the forum! Ladies and gentlemen! At the outset, let me sincerely welcome you at the third Tashkent International Investment Forum. I would like to note with pleasure that within the framework of this format, which is becoming a great annual tradition, new and reliable partners
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the plenary meeting of the Third Tashkent International Investment Forum at the Congress Center in Tashkent on May 2. The event was also attended by the Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Cevdet Yılmaz, Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore Seah Kian Peng, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Odile Renaud-Basso, Executive Secretary of the
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Goyang Special City (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) held an international cooperation promotion meeting inviting ambassadors from 32 countries at KINTEX on April 27. At the event, the ambassadors discussed ways to expand the number of countries participating in the Goyang International Flower Expo, revitalize coffee industry and cultural exchanges, and promote and cooperate on the designation of a free economic zone. Mayor Lee Dong-hwan welcomed and thanked the ambassadors from 32 countries, saying, “Today's world is forming a global village where boundaries between coun
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Following successful negotiations between Vice Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan Talgat Lastayev and Deputy Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport of Korea Lee Yoon-sang in February in Sejong, as well as bilateral aviation consultations in March in Almaty, national flag carrier of Kazakhstan, Air Astana, is set to resume flights between the capitals of the two countries. The resumption of the Astana-Seoul route will begin on June 15, 2024. The flights will be operated twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, using Airbus A321LR aircraft, each with
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hanam City Mayor Lee Hyun-jae held a tea meeting with Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto and Italian Cultural Center Director Michela Linda Magri at the Hanam Culture and Arts Center on April 27, the city said. The city organized the meeting to discuss expanding cultural, tourism, and artistic exchanges with Amb. Emilia Gatto, who is visiting the Hanam Arts Center to watch a performance of the ballet “Don Quixote,” which commemorates the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy this year. The relationship between Korea and Italy i
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo SK On, a leading global electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, announced that its Cobalt-free battery has won a Bronze award in the Smart Transportation category at the prestigious 2024 Edison Awards on April 18. The latest honor not only shows SK On's technological prowess but also underscores the company’s commitment to ethical innovation and sustainable progress in the green energy sector. SK On's Cobalt-free battery is considered a breakthrough in EV battery technologies, overcoming technological barriers in cobalt-free cathode material compositions. R
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Romanian President Klaus Iohannis visited the headquarters of Doosan Enerbility in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, on April 24 and met with Chairman & CEO Park Gee-won of the company. Romania is in the process of building its first small modular reactor (SMR) power plant. Romania's RoPower is planning to build a 462-megawatt (MW) SMR plant at the site of a coal-fired power plant in the Doişeşti region. US-based NuScale Power will supply six 77-megawatt (MW) SMRs to the plant, and Doosan Enerbility will manufacture and deliver reactor modules, the core equipment
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo | In accordance with the decree No 59 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated February 7, 2022, "On measures to organize and hold the international folklore festival "Boysun Spring", the international folklore festival "Boysun Spring" is held once every two years in Boysun District, Surkhandarya Region. This festival, which is planned to be held on May 1-7 this year, includes a newly established 6-hectare area located in the "Bibishirin" neighborhood of Boysun district (a modern hotel with 110 seats, a center for 100 seats of artisans, a
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo April 26 is the International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. On this day, people all over the world recall Chernobyl, a sacrifice of those who without sparing their lives and health stopped the radiation disaster and prevented a larger disaster. As a result of explosions at Unit 4, the reactor was completely destroyed. The accident was accompanied by fires and releases of radioactive substances. The radioactive cloud passed over the USSR, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and affected more than 20 countries. The contamination of the territory of Belarus amounted