By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Company has achieved a record brand valuation of $24.6 billion and ranked 30th in the 2025 Interbrand Best Global Brands Rankings, the company said on Oct. 15. This marks 16 years of consecutive growth in brand value since 2010 and a 72 percent increase over the past five years. The company has been listed among the top 30 global brands for the second year in a row. Hyundai Motor’s rise in the rankings reflects its strong financial performance, strategic global expansion and continued investment in innovation. In 2024, the company posted record re
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of Hungary in Korea hosted a reception to celebrate the National Day commemorating the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 at the Pullman Hotel in Seoul on Oct. 22, 2025. Delivering congratulatory remarks, Amb. Istvan Szerdahelyi of Hungary in Seoul said, “October 23, 1956 is one of the most significant days in Hungary's history, a day when our nation stood against dictatorship, Soviet military occupation in the fight for freedom. And the date marks more than just an important event for Hungary and it was a historical milestone that contributed to shaping
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has drawn global attention for its efforts to provide healthy meals for children, receiving the top prize at the Milan Pact Awards during the 10th anniversary Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP) Global Forum 2025, which brought together 336 cities from around the world. The award ceremony took place on Oct. 15 at Piccolo Teatro Studio Melato in Milan, Italy, where the SMG received a trophy and a cash prize of €20,000. Since joining the MUFPP in 2015, the SMG has actively engaged in international cooperation and policy ex
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A roundtable dedicated to the celebration of the Republic Day of Kazakhstan was held in Seoul on Oct. 21, 2025 under the theme “Kazakhstan and South Korea: Advancing the Enhanced Strategic Partnership.” The event brought together representatives of Korea’s diplomatic, academic, and business communities, as well as journalists and students. Among the distinguished guests were Mr. Kwak Young Gil, President of Aju News Corporation and Chairman of the Kazakhstan–Korea Friendship Association; Mr. Rhee Jong Kook, Executive Director of the Korea–Central Asia Cooperati
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with Montana Governor Greg Gianforte and his economic delegation in Seoul on October 20, to discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation between Korea and the United States, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) announced. The delegation included the First Lady of Montana, the CEO of Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC), the CEO of Montana Renewables, and the Director of the Office of Trade and International Relations at the Montana Department of Commerce, along with representatives from Montana-based compa
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hanwha Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Akkodis Nordics, a Norway-based company in digital engineering and solutions on October 21 at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025. This agreement establishes a partnership to jointly develop a state-of-the-art simulator for the Chunmoo Multiple Rocket Launcher System. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Billy Boo-hwan Lee, Head of PGM Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace, and Mr. Sebastian Eidem, Vice President of Operations at Akkodis Nordics. This strategic part
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ICCK) announced its much-awaited annual signature event, the Diwali Ball 2025, to be hosted this year at the prestigious Fairmont Ambassador Hotel Seoul on December 5. After a decade of prestigious gatherings fostering India-Korea business ties and cultural exchange, this year’s event promises an exceptional evening of networking, entertainment, and celebration. India and South Korea share a robust and growing economic partnership with roots tracing back to the late 1960s and formal diplomatic ties established in 1973. O
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province on October 31, the Donald Trump administration is replacing Joseph Yun, the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in South Korea. Appointed by former U.S. President Joe Biden, Yun was named to the position on January 10, ten days before President Trump's term began. According to diplomatic sources, Kevin Kim, the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is being considered as his successor. This marks the second time in just nine mo
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Thirteen spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea who visited Hahoe Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, unanimously remarked on Oct. 14, “We truly felt that the deep history and culture possessed by North Gyeongsang Province form the roots of today's K-pop and the Korean Wave.” They also described Gyeongbuk as “the hub of the Korean Wave where tradition and modernity coexist.” Gyeongbuk Province hosted the Association of Spouses of Ambassadors to South Korea (ASAS) for a two-day cultural experience program starting on Oct. 13. The aim was to introduce
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Samsung C&T (SCT), Samsung Electronics (SEC), and GRAIL, Inc. (Nasdaq: GRAL), announced on Oct. 17 that they have signed a binding Letter of Intent for a strategic collaboration to bring GRAIL’s GalleriⓇ multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test to key Asian markets. SCT and SEC have also agreed to invest $110 million into GRAIL, a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early when it can be cured, at a price of $70.05 per share of common stock. “Guided by its commitment to advancing next-generation bio-technologies and improving quality of life
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The following article was contributed by Choi Yong-Ha, former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Uzbekistan, on his perspective on President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to New York and meeting with the President of South Korea to the Diplomacy Journal for publication through the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul. –Ed. September 2025 marked a pivotal moment in Uzbekistan’s international diplomacy. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to New York to participate in the 80th anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly not only underscored the country
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the APEC Preparatory Office under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Oct. 15 to provide official vehicles for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, set to take place in Gyeongju, Korea, from October 31 to November 1. About 200 vehicles will be deployed, including 113 Genesis G90 sedans, 74 Genesis G80 sedans, three Universe hydrogen electric buses, and two mobile office buses. The vehicles will be used as protocol vehicles and for operational support d
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Choi Jin-shik, Chairman of the Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK), met with Tarash Papaskua, Ambassador of Georgia to South Korea, on October 14. He stated, “Amid rapidly changing global trade and economic conditions, New Eurasia could be a good option as a breakthrough for diversifying exports and supply chains for Korean mid-sized enterprises.” Chairman Choi emphasized, “To improve the export environment and secure stable supply chains, we must reduce our high dependence on China and the United States,” adding, “Georgia, the first countr
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of Peru in the Republic of Korea celebrated the third edition of “Alpaca Day in Korea” at Alpaca World in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, together with the institution’s management team, on September 7. This event, held for the third consecutive year, highlighted the cultural and economic importance of the alpaca, a millenary animal native to Peru and widely appreciated in Korea. Peru is home to over 80% of the world’s alpaca population, domesticated more than 6,000 years ago, making the country the leading producer of this fine and thermoregulating na
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Indian Naval Ship Sahyadri, as part of ongoing operational deployment to the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific, made a port call at Busan Naval Harbour, South Korea, on Oct 13, 2025 to participate in the maiden Indian Navy (IN) – Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) Bilateral Exercise. The RoKN extended a warm welcome underscoring the burgeoning Navy-to-Navy interactions and Strategic Partnership between the Governments of India and the Republic of Korea. Indigenously designed, constructed, and commissioned in 2012, INS Sahyadri is the third ship of the Shivalik Class