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Local Cheong Wa Dae Staff Ordered to Work on Public Holiday Amid Middle Easl Tensions
In light of the increasingly serious international situation, the Korean government ordered all staff assigned to the Office of the President at Cheong Wa Dae to report for regular duty on March 2, even though Monday was a designated holiday in Korea—the March 1st Movement anniversary falling on the previous Sunday. The stated purpose was to maintain an emergency response posture and ensure full preparedness. The directive was issued on Sunday evening, March 1, by Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik while President Lee Jae Myung was en route to his state visit to Singapore. Accordingly, Chief of Staf
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-03-04 09:47
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Local KGCCI and KNCW Sign MOU to Advance Women's Leadership in Korea
The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI), the second-largest foreign chamber of commerce in Korea, announced on February 26 that its Women in Korea (WIR) program and the Korean National Council of Women (KNCW) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation in advancing women’s leadership and fostering inclusive professional networks. The agreement formalizes collaboration in areas that include women's leadership mentoring, joint initiatives, information exchange, and participation in flagship programs such as WIR and the 2026 Joint CSR "Harmony Marathon.
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-02-27 09:52
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Local February 18-19 USFK Drills over Korea's West Sea Lead to Conflicting Accounts
Diplomacy Journal David Kendall | Multiple Korean news outlets are covering contradictory statements released by the offices of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander General Xavier Brunson and the Republic of Korea's Ministry of National Defense (MND). According to a February 25 Korea Times article, the controversy arose "from a large-scale U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) drill conducted Feb. 18 and 19 from Osan Air Base, during which U.S. fighter jets carried out more than 100 sorties over waters west of the Korean Peninsula. Chinese warplanes also scrambled in response, leading to a short aerial stand
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-02-26 11:23
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Local Korea Bets on Human Capital for Its Carbon Neutrality Agenda
South Korea is quietly building one of Asia's most deliberate pipelines of PhD-level talent for its waste-to-energy and circular economy industries. A newly concluded government-backed training program offers a window into how seriously Seoul is taking the human capital dimension of its carbon neutrality commitments. According to a statement from the organizer, the Korea Association of Waste-to-Energy Technology (KAWET), the program was sponsored by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) and hosted by the Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation. The three-week program tar
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-02-25 12:02
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Local Seoul Puts Youth Policy to the Test
The Seoul Metropolitan Youth Center (SMYC) has published six research reports verifying the effectiveness of Seoul's 2025 youth policies and presenting directions for future development. The research covers core youth policy agendas, including mental health support programs (2 reports), the Youth Stipend (1), youth policy delivery systems (1), issue research (1), and social impact measurement (1). In the first such social impact measurement conducted this year, Seoul Youth Centers were found to have generated approximately 108 billion won in social value through policy dissemination and connec
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-02-10 14:37
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Local Korea Tackles Regional Extinction: Fund Managers Meet Local Leaders to Share Solutions
The Korea Local Finance Association (LOFA) and Chungcheongbuk-do Province held a discussion forum on February 6 at the Chungbuk Research Institute to assess progress made through “Local Extinction Response Fund” projects and address current challenges. The forum was attended by LOFA Chairman Jeong Seon Yong and officials responsible for population decline initiatives across Chungcheongbuk-do Province. Following presentations of outstanding local government achievements, LOFA's Regional Vitality Support Team explained the evaluation framework for the 2027 fund investment plan and gathered feedb
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-02-10 13:57
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Local Wonju-based Public Institutions Donate Time and Food to Local Community
The Korea Research Institute for Local Administration (KRILA) and Korea Veterans Health Service (KVHS) chose February 4 to deliver food and other goods to marginalized Wonju residents in two separate acts. Both public institutions are based in the Gangwon-do Province city, about 130-km southeast of Seoul. The KVHS normally provides “medical care, rehabilitation, and welfare services to persons of distinguished service to the state,” according to its website, but 10 days before the start of this year’s five-day Lunar New Year (Seollal) holiday, its Director, Yun Jong-jin, and employees opted to
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-02-05 10:17
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Local Korean Students Retrace Independence Fighters' Footsteps in China
The Heungsadan Support Center for Descendants of Independence Patriots (HSCDIP) announced the successful completion of its "2026 Overseas Independence Movement Historical Sites Tour." From January 26 to 30, high school and university students and other descendants of independence patriots visited Korean Provisional Government (KPG) and independence movement sites in China that date back to the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial period. This program was planned ahead of the 107th anniversary of the March 1st Movement and the establishment of the KPG to trace the footsteps of independence activists and
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-02-04 10:57
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Local Gim Carries K-Seafood Exports to Record High
Diplomacy Journal David Kendall | The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) announced on January 29 that Korea’s 2025 seafood exports reached USD 3.33 billion (preliminary), representing a 9.7% increase from the previous year and the highest level on record. The top seafood export was once again gim (dried laver). According to the MOF, USD 1.13 billion worth of gim products was exported last year, a 13.7% increase year-on-year and a new all-time high. The Ministry added, “Gim has continuously strengthened its international competitiveness by developing a range of products tailored to overseas
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-02-02 16:34
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Local 'Proclamation Establishing World Buddhist Peace Day’
Lee Jon-young | In 1992, a clear milestone was established when World Buddhist Peace Day was officially established and proclaimed. At the center of this historic declaration stood His Holiness Il-bung Seo Kyung-bo (一鵬 徐京保), First World Supreme Buddhist Leader. In the early 1990s, Cold War tensions had not fully dissipated; the world remained shaken by war, division, and inter-religious conflict. Supreme Leader Il-bung Seo Kyung-bo was keenly aware of the problems facing this era. He determined that Buddhism must no longer remain confined within the walls of temples and practice. His firm conv
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-01-29 16:24
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Local Korean and Japanese Think Tanks Team Up to Combat Rural Depopulation
Diplomacy Journal David Kendall 기자 | January 23, 2026 -- The Korea Research Institute for Local Administration (KRILA), a 40-year-old policy research institute held a Korea-Japan seminar—"Understanding Hometown Love Donation Systems and Their Implications"—on Thursday, January 22, in collaboration with Japan's Mitsubishi Research Institute (三菱総合研究所) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The seminar featured presentations on "Performance and Challenges in Operating the Hometown Love Donation System" by Associate Research Fellows Yoo Bo-ram and Jeon Young-joon from KRILA's Hometown Love Researc
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-01-26 13:03
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Local Couple Chooses Well for Village in Myanmar over Big Wedding Celebration
Diplomacy Journal David Kendall | The story of a couple who donated a well instead of holding a wedding ceremony is touching hearts. International relief and development NGO WorldShare announced that the couple Seo Hanna and Ryu Hyun (both 33) donated 5 million won of their wedding funds instead of holding a wedding ceremony. The donation was used to install a well in a stilt house slum community in Hmaubi Township, Myanmar. The two met while majoring in social welfare at university. As they prepared for marriage, they contemplated a "meaningful beginning" and chose sponsorship instead of a we
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-01-22 16:38
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Local Agricultural Institute Analysis Eyes Expanding ‘1,000 Won Breakfast’ Program
Diplomacy Journal David Kendall 기자 | The Korea Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Information Agency (KAFARIA) has released its 26th FATI (Farm Trend & Issue) Report. The online analysis examines the need for and ways to expand the "1,000 Won Breakfast" program, a government initiative to provide quality rice-based breakfasts to universities and industrial complexes to provide students and workers a 1,000 won meal for approximately $0.70. The report confirms through data that skipping breakfast and avoiding rice are not merely matters of personal choice but structural issues involving tim
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-01-22 11:21
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Local President Lee Announces Growth Strategy Overhaul in New Year Press Conference
Diplomacy Journal David Kendall | President Lee Jae-myung announced a comprehensive restructuring of South Korea's growth strategy during his January 21 New Year press conference, presenting a new vision for national development amid a major realignment of the global order. In the morning at Cheong Wa Dae's Yeongbingwan guest house, President Lee emphasized that "as the world order undergoes a massive transformation … If South Korea becomes mired in the ‘formula for past success,’ it too could fall back into a similar vicious cycle." This was the third press conference of his tenure, following
- David Kendall 기자
- 2026-01-21 16:02
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Local Seoul City significantly strengthens emergency transportation measures amid city bus strike
Diplomacy Journal shJung 기자 As the city bus strike enters its second day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it is further strengthening its emergency transportation measures to minimize inconvenience to citizens. The Seoul Metropolitan Government established an emergency transportation headquarters with relevant organizations even before the strike began, maintaining a rapid response system. Starting on the 14th, the second day of the strike, the city implemented measures such as increasing the number of subways, taxis, and other transportation modes, and temporarily disabling b
- shJung 기자
- 2026-01-14 17:47
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1
Where Tradition and Modernity Meet: The 2026 Korea Masters Invitational Exhibition Opens in Insadong
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2
February 18-19 USFK Drills over Korea's West Sea Lead to Conflicting Accounts
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3
Shared Pain, Shared Promise: Azerbaijan and Korea Reflect on Khojaly at Third Annual Symposium
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4
KGCCI and KNCW Sign MOU to Advance Women's Leadership in Korea
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5
KAF Program Helps Startups Enter Africa
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6
Singapore President Highlights Shared Values with Korea at State Dinner
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2026-03-04 12:17
Presidents Lee and Marcos Mark 77 Years of Korea-Philippines Friendship at State Banquet
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2026-03-04 11:56
Korea and Philippines Deepen Strategic Partnership at Malacañang Summit
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2026-03-04 10:28
President Lee and PM Wong Chart New Course for Korea-Singapore Strategic Partnership
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2026-03-04 09:47
Cheong Wa Dae Staff Ordered to Work on Public Holiday Amid Middle Easl Tensions
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2026-03-03 17:49
Singapore President Highlights Shared Values with Korea at State Dinner
Address: Doosan We've Pavilion 1203, Sambong-ro 81, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Date of first registration: Founded in 1996 as UN News, changed its name to The Diplomatic Journal in 2009
Registration No.: Jongno Ra00125/ Registration Date: 2009-04-14/ Registration Number: Seoul 아54606 / Registration Date: Dec. 13, 2022
Publisher: Damwha Media Group Chairman Lee Jon-young
Editor in Chief: Lee Jon-young/ Vice Chairman: Chung Bo-won/ Standing Advisor Lee Keon-chan / Senior Editorial Writer Ko Jae-hwe / Editorial Writer Lee Se-hoon / Cultural Editor Lee Joon-seok/ Political Editor Lim Han-choong/ U.S. Branch Head Kim Joon-bae/ Business Editor Kayla Lee
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UPDATE: 2026년 03월 04일 12시 17분