By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) co-hosted an “AMCHAM Insights” session on September 23 with Bae, Kim & Lee LLC (BKL). Held at BKL’s headquarters in Jongno, the event drew more than 140 senior executives from Korean and multinational companies. The program featured a high-level Fireside Chat on U.S.-Korea relations, a panel discussion on the Lee Jae-myung administration’s policy priorities, and a networking reception that brought together leaders across industries. The evening opened with a Fireside Chat between AMCHAM Chairman & CEO J
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo “Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. We have a very rich cultural and historical heritage which is part of the UNESCO collection,” said Kristjan Stanicic, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) on Sept. 26. At the Croatia Workshop Seoul 2025 held at Seoul Pullman Hotel, Kristjan Stanicic said, ”We have eight national parks boasting of really beautiful nature. We have astonishing and very diverse gastronomy. And I have to say, for example, that we have the best olive oils in the world.‘’ He stressed, “In the world, we are th
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Nurgali Arystanov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Korea: “For Alatau City, the most ideal partner is Korea.” Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Korea, Nurgali Arystanov, stated in an interview with Diplomacy Journal on the 24th that “Korea combines speed with strong momentum while remaining firmly focused on its goals and direction,” adding that “Korea is the most ideal partner for advancing the Alatau City project.” The Alatau City project, launched in 2023, is a major national strategic initiative for Kazakhstan, marking the start of the country’s transition from a reso
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for comprehensive UN reform, stronger global cooperation, and urgent steps toward peace, sustainability, and digital equity in a time of mounting instability during the Sept. 23 General Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. In his statement, President Tokayev underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of the UN system. Reflecting on the institution’s eight-decade legacy, Tokayev acknowledged the UN’s central role in addressing global challenges – but warned that the cur
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Ocean jointly hosted an event to honor U.S. Korean War veterans by inviting them to the company's facilities in South Gyeongsang Province on September 22. Under the Korean Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs’ "Revisit Korea Program," the event took place from September 18-20. It included participants like Lois R. Gwyn (98), a former naval nurse who served on the USS HAVEN, and Robert M. Martinez (94), a U.S. Army sergeant who fought in defense of Korea. A total of 85 participants, including U.S. service members
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo HS Hyosung Information Systems, a leading provider of AI and data infrastructure solutions, hosted the Data Center Modernization Conference 2025 on September 23 at the Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel Busan. At this conference, HS Hyosung Information Systems shared a wide range of cutting-edge infrastructure strategies to accelerate customers’ AI transformation—spanning from the latest AI data center strategies, private AI-based acceleration (AX), to differentiated data innovation strategies with Hitachi Vantara’s VSP ONE. AI and data utilization are increasingl
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) and the Korea Alpine Federation said the biennial Climbing World Championships on Sept. 20 kicked off its nine-day run, the Korea.net reported. Approximately 1,000 athletes from 60 countries have entered the tournament in events like para-climbing, boulder, lead and speed. The qualifying rounds are held at Han-Eul Square of Olympic Park and the finals at Olympic Gymnastics Arena (KSPO Dome) in Seoul's Songpa-gu District. Seoul's bid to host the competition was unanimously approved in April 2023 at the IFSC C
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Korea held the annual cultural and gastronomic event “Belarusian Cuisine Day” on September 23, 2025, organized jointly with Belarusian diaspora in Korea. The main audience of the event was representatives of the South Korean student community from among the students of the Russian Language Department at Chungbuk National University, local cultural and public figures, as well as the Korean media. According to the established tradition, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belaru
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol held a meeting with the IMF team, led by Mission Chief for Korea Mr. Rahul Anand, as part of the 2025 Article IV Consultation on September 23. The mission team has been visiting Korea from September 11 to 24. Mission Chief Mr. Anand briefed DPM Koo on the outcomes of the two-week Article IV consultation, the first to be conducted since the launch of the new administration, and exchanged views on key issues. He assessed that the Korean economy is on a recovery path, supported by the expansio
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit with Czech President Petr Pavel and discussed ways to expand cooperation between the two countries, including the Dukovany nuclear power plant project. At the first summit held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 23 (local time), President Lee said, "This year marks a significant year, marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Czech Republic and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership. I am pleased to see the remarkable progress our bilateral relat
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President Lee Jae-myung began his multilateral diplomacy by holding a summit with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025. President Mirziyoyev, seemingly conscious of his somewhat late arrival, remarked, "It was unintentional. The UN has a very complex protocol," adding, "These UN keynote speeches are quite long." The audience erupted in laughter. President Lee responded, "They say New York is complicated," to which Mirziyoyev replied, "Thank you." President Lee remarked, "I spoke with you on
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Company unveiled its most ambitious growth strategy on Sept. 18 at the company’s first CEO Investor Day held in New York. The event served as a platform to communicate the company’s mid-to long-term strategy to investors and stakeholders, emphasizing its commitment to revolutionary product expansion, manufacturing excellence and technological innovation. Speaking in New York, CEO José Muñoz outlined Hyundai Motor's transformation into a global mobility leader through strategic product expansion, breakthrough electrification technologies and softwa
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Deputy Minister for International Affairs Choi Ji-young of the Ministry of Economy and Finance held a meeting with the Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) Bambang Brodjonegoro at the Government Complex-Seoul to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between Korea and the ADBI on Sept. 22, 2025. Deputy Minister Choi stated that the Korean government will continue to pursue international solidarity in line with the principle of pragmatism prioritizing national interest, with a particular focus on strengthening ties with the Global South. He a
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) hosted the inaugural session of its new Executive Roundtable Series on Sept. 19 at the Conrad Seoul Hotel. The closed-door breakfast discussion brought together senior executives of multinational and Korean companies with Kwon Chang-jun, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, to discuss the new administration’s labor policy direction and priorities for Korea’s economic renewal. Vice Minister Kwon shared the government’s policy agenda under the vision of “real growth with labor” and the goal of building a “labor
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Samsung Electronics announced on Sept. 19 that it has been honored with design excellence at the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2025. The company received two Gold, three Silver and three Bronze awards, along with 39 Finalists recognitions. IDEA, one of the world’s most prestigious design awards programs was founded by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) in 1980. This year, IDEA has selected winners across 20 categories, including Home, Consumer Technology and Digital Interaction. Key evaluation criteria include Design Innovation,