By Lee Chil-yong, Chairman of Diplomacy Journal and President of Modern Imperial Craft Culture Association Geumtae lacquerware is a craft that is completed by applying lacquer to metal materials, and it refers to Korean lacquerware, a unique cultural heritage that is mainly used in temples to prevent rust, such as tea utensils (braziers, kettles, teacups, etc.), as well as decorations and fittings. Geumtaechil master Kim Jeong-joong's workshop is located in a nondescript house on the side of a sloping road in Choeup-dong, Jingu-gu, Busan. His workshop is also a place of great historical signif
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Venice Biennale is the most prestigious and influential biennale in the world of art since its inception in 1895, and it is called the mother of biennales. The Venice Biennale, which consists of the main exhibition, national pavilions, and collaborative events, is called the Art Olympics because only a small number of artists selected by each country's ministry of culture are allowed to participate. As such, the artists who participate in the International Exhibition of Contemporary Art_ Venice Biennale are recognized as among the best in the world. This year
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Seongnam City announced on April 1 that a seven-member delegation from Huizhou, China, led by Party Secretary Yu Gil, visited the city to strengthen cooperation in friendly city exchanges. Seongnam City Mayor Shin Sang-jin held a meeting with Yu Gil, Party Secretary of Huizhou Municipal Committee, at the city hall, and discussed ways to revitalize exchanges between the two cities. The Huizhou delegation showed interest in Seongnam's Pangyo Techno Valley and discussed future industries such as information and communication technology (IT), biotechnology (BT), and
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The first exhibition in the "The Story of Living Hwayangyeonhwa" K-Art Representative Artist Series, Kim Yong-mo’s invitational solo exhibition was held from April 3 to April 8, 2024 at Heesu Gallery in Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The works in the "Story of Living" series convey a variety of positive messages such as happiness, love, hope, and respect, and the artist's desire to share the joy of living is evident in the pristine beauty of the works. The bold outlines of the images provide clarity, and the works, which clarify their inherent properties and charac
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee An invitational exhibition of 75 Korean artists is being held in the lobby of Carson City Hall, the U.S. from March 18 to 22. The exhibition, hosted by the Damwha Cultural Foundation (Chairman Damwha Lee Jon-young) and the Federation of Arts and Cultural Organizations of the Americas (Chairman Kim Jun-bae), is organized by the World Peace Art Exhibition Organizing Committee, and sponsored by the UN Journal, Diplomacy Journal, K-Culture, and Citizens’ Administrative Newspaper. This year, the 71st anniversary of the U.S.-Korea Alliance, will be remembered as a hist
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The 30th anniversary exhibition of the Arok Traditional Folk Painting Preservation Society (CEO Jeong Kui-ja), titled "Bringing style and dreams to old paintings," which gathers the precious history and brilliant vision of folk paintings, will be held at Insa Art Plaza Gallery 2, 3, and 4F in Insa-dong, Seoul from March 13 to 19, 2024. The exhibition is sponsored by the Seoul Intangible Cultural Property Education Center, Gahoe Folk Painting Museum, Diplomatic Journal, UN Journal, K-Culture to showcase the tradition and beauty of folk paintings that have been pas
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Natalia Kanem on March 6 during the latter’s visit to Korea, where they discussed Korea-UNFPA cooperation. Foreign Minister Cho appreciated the enhanced partnership between Korea and the UNFPA, including through the first Korea-UNFPA Policy Consultation held last month. He went on to express his expectation that Korea, as a member of the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 term, will strengthen cooperation with the UNFPA in areas such as the Humanitarian-D
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Girl group TRI.BE has released its fourth single 'Diamond' on Feb. 20 through various music streaming sites, its agency TR Entertainment said. 'Diamond' compares the process of overcoming hardships and finding one's true self among six girls with different lifestyles, cultures, and personalities to an uncut gem that eventually shines like a perfect diamond just by existing. The title track 'Diamond' features positive lyrics that seem to chant a spell to lift oneself up when feeling like giving up, a catchy chorus that everyone can sing along to, and a relaxed atm
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with Saia Ma'u Piukala, the new Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific, at his office on May 20, to share in-depth discussions on building a global healthy society. Piukala, formerly the Minister of Health of Tonga, took over as the Director of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, one of the six WHO regional offices (Europe, Pan-America, Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, Western Pacific, and Southeast Asia) on February 1, and chose Korea as his first overseas visit.
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Philippines, the Diplomacy Journal and the UN Journal, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Philippines in Seoul, will hold the Korea-the Philippines Cultural Exchange Exhibition on March 6-10 at Maru Art Center in Insadong, Seoul. The Philippines participated in the Korean War and was the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea." Period: March 6-11, 2024 Venue: Maru Art Center 2F, Insadong, Seoul (TBA) Entries: 20 works
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee At one time, Chung Hee-sung ran a small academy for not only seal work but also gilded craft work, and now he runs a small "workshop" in the basement of the Officer's Building on Samildae-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul. Since the culture of seal has been slowly disappearing for a long time, his work has been cut off, and these days he spends his time making models of palaces and other tiled houses, and his workshop is filled with model castles, small palaces, and other figures. People often talk about "seal carvers" or "seal sellers" as people who carve "names" on finger-s