By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who is in New York to attend the 80th UN General Assembly High-Level Session, held a South Korea, the US, and Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting on September 22 with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. They discussed pending issues on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, as well as ways to enhance trilateral economic and security cooperation, and adopted a joint statement. Minister Cho expressed his gratitude for attending the meeting for the first time since taking office, at a time when the
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo held a virtual vice-ministerial meeting on September 19, with Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro, Australian Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade Jan Adams, and New Zealand Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Bede Gilbert Corry. At the meeting, the participants shared assessments of the Indo-Pacific situation and exchanged views on cooperation between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its four Indo-Pacific partners (IP4: Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand). They also
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Foreign Affairs successfully hosted the “14th Workshop for Overseas Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Korea” from September 15 to September 20. This workshop has taken place since 2010, in order to deepen the participants’ understanding of Korea and their role as honorary consuls so that they can provide more effective support in protecting overseas Koreans and in promoting Korea’s diplomatic activities. This year’s workshop, the 14th of its kind, brought together overseas honorary consuls from a total of 12 countries. They are the Kingdom of Sw
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held his first telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on September 19. Minister Araghchi congratulated Minister Cho on his inauguration and praised the friendly relations between the two countries. Minister Cho expressed his agreement and suggested close communication between the two sides. The two ministers also exchanged views on the issue of reinstating sanctions against Iran, which is scheduled for a vote by the UN Security Council. Minister Cho explained that South Korea, as the UN Security Counci
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun held a telephone conversation with Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian Shahin on September 18, during which the two sides exchanged views on Korea-Palestine relations and regional affairs in the Middle East. This call also served as a courtesy exchange marking Minister Cho’s inauguration. Minister Aghabekian congratulated Minister Cho on his assumption of office and proposed maintaining close communication to deepen bilateral cooperation. Minister Cho likewise congratulated Minister Aghabe
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), in collaboration with the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation (KoTPA), is showcasing a special traditional arts performance event “Soerabeol Pungnyu,” featuring a total of 37 stage performances, in celebration of the 2025 APEC Summit from September 12 to October 29 across Korea’s premier historic-cultural city Gyeongju, including Gyochon Traditional Village, Yukbuchon, and Cheomseongdae Observatory. “Seorabeol Pungnyu” inherits the spirit of Eumseongseo, Korea’s first royal music institute. The perform
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, and Development Cooperation Maxime Prévot, who is visiting South Korea from September 17-18, 2025, on September 18. They exchanged views on high-level exchanges, practical cooperation, and regional and international affairs. Minister Cho noted that this meeting was his first bilateral meeting with a European country since taking office and that it was particularly timely given that it marked the first bilateral visit by a Belgian Foreign Mini
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Nestled within the embrace of a mountain temple bathed in sunset light in Miwon-myeon, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju City, Chungcheongbuk-do, Byeoksachobuljeongsa Temple opens the door to a new era on October 1. The Diplomatic Art Center, opening on the temple's first floor, is a stage for cultural diplomacy where the spirit of Buddhism, the fragrance of art, and international diplomacy converge. Records of peace with the world The opening commemorative exhibition at the Diplomatic Art Center begins with an international photography exhibition featuring 20 countries. Sce
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks and a dinner with Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, in Beijing, China, on September 17. They exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, including South Korea-China relations and issues on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Cho emphasized, “Today's meeting, as the first South Korea-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting since the inauguration of our new government, holds significance for the development of bilateral relations.” He expressed hope that, taking
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee HS Hyosung Advanced Materials, the first Korean company to possess proprietary carbon fiber technology, is participating in Asia’s largest composites exhibition, the China Composites Expo (CCE) 2025, held in Shanghai from September 16 to 18. The CCE exhibition, held annually in Shanghai, is Asia’s largest composites trade show, featuring 700 companies presenting materials for a wide range of industries including aerospace, automotive, sports, and energy. Since 2013, HS Hyosung has participated in CCE every year, strengthening its presence in the Asian market. At
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) hosted the 2025 Seoul Hunters Festival at Seoul Plaza on Sept. 14 starting at 6 PM, highlighting the city as the backdrop of the globally acclaimed animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters for passionate fans from around the world. Hosted by the entertaining emcees DinDin and Cho Hyun-young, the event featured a total of 10 Korean and international teams presenting cover performances inspired by the original soundtrack and choreography of K-Pop Demon Hunters. Notably, the recently trending “Naebok Boy,” who reached over 9 million
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Sept. 12 that the Directorate of Literacy and National Languages of Senegal, the Institute for Research, Education and Popular Promotion (INEPE) of Ecuador and the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) of Thailand were named laureates of the 2025 UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize at a ceremony held on September 8 (local time) at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to celebrate International Literacy Day. This year’s winners include the Directorate of Literacy and National Languages of Sene
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations (DPO) at the United Nations, who is visiting South Korea, on September 15. They exchanged views on ways to strengthen South Korea-UN cooperation and the future development direction of UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO). Minister Cho emphasized Korea's commitment to continue contributing to enhancing the adaptability and effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations as a major troop- and finance-contributing nation. He also called for further strengthening cooperation
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyu-baek met with Commander Samuel J. Paparo of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan on September 14, 2025, and discussed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways to develop the ROK-U.S. alliance. Minister Ahn acknowledged that the Indo-Pacific Command plays a pivotal role in safeguarding not only the security of the Korean Peninsula but also the peace and stability of the entire Indo-Pacific region. He emphasized that the Command's importance is particularly significant as it
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened the 2025 meeting of the “Council on Policies on UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO),” chaired by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina on September 11. The meeting was attended by relevant agencies involved in UN peacekeeping operations, including the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Korean National Police Agency. Pursuant to Article 16 of the “Act on Participation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations,” the PKO Policy Council was established und