By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young Ha Hyung-joo (62), a 1984 Los Angeles Olympic gold medalist and Korean judo legend, has been appointed as the 14th chairman of the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO). Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yoo In-chon handed over the letter of appointment to Ha at a conference room at the Seoul Pavilion of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 18. Ha is the first former Olympian to hold the position and will serve a three-year term from Nov. 18, 2024, to Nov. 17, 2027. Appointed by the President at the recommendat
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung has been sentenced to one year in prison and two years of probation and disqualified from holding office in the first trial for violating the Public Offices Election Act. The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 34 (Deputy Chief Judge Han Sung-jin) sentenced Lee to one year in prison and two years of probation on Dec. 15. If the ruling is confirmed by the Supreme Court, Lee will lose his seat in the National Assembly and will be barred from voting for five years, making it impossible for him to run for
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Daegu Detention Center (Director Kim Young-gwang) held a donation ceremony for 15 artworks from the World Peace Art Exhibition Organizing Committee (Chairman Lee Jon-young) on Nov. 11. The event was held in response to a proposal by the World Peace Art Exhibition Organizing Committee to donate artworks to help inmates' psychological stability and correctional edification. “I hope that the donated artworks will provide a small comfort and sanctuary for those who are living in prison,” said Chairman Lee at the donation ceremony. He said he decided to make the d
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee This is an impressive piece of writing that uses symbolic language implying the possibility of Trump winning the U.S. presidential election. It is not just a political debate, but a reflection and prediction of how a figure with great power, like a Yellow Dragon, will lead the era in the flow of history. In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, former President Donald Trump once again defied the world’s expectations by winning. Many media outlets reported that he was at a disadvantage in a tight race against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, but Trump managed to
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Beomeosa Temple in Geumjeong-gu, Busan on Oct. 22, 2024. Beomeosa Temple is said to be one of the three major temples in Yeongnam, along with Hapcheon Haeinsa Temple and Yangsan Tongdosa Temple, and is a Korean popular temple that has nurtured many highly virtuous monks, including Euisangdaesa, Wonhyodaesa, and Manhae Han Yong-woon. It served the country as a field hospital during the Korean War and was designated as a national memorial facility in 2023 along with Tongdosa Temple. This is only the second time a sitting presiden
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol presided over a ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of the ROK Armed Forces Day at Seoul International Airport on Oct. 1. About 5,300 troops and 340 pieces of equipment participated in the ceremony, which began with the national anthem, followed by the presentation of the Strategic Command's unit flag, a feverish military ceremony, the presentation of medals and commendations, and a commemorative speech. President Yoon presented the unit flag of the newly created Strategic Command to Strategic Command General Jin Young-seung, express
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young | The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is further strengthening its ties with China, ushering in a new era of cooperation. Governor Oh Young-hoon met with Chen Jianjun (50), the new Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Jeju, during his visit to the Jeju Provincial Government on Sept. 13. “Jeju and China have maintained close ties in various fields, including international exchanges, cultural tourism, and student exchanges,” said Governor Oh. ‘We hope to expand cooperation in high-tech industries such as renewable energy, electric vehicles,
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the Cyber Summit Korea (CSK) 2024, an international cybersecurity event, at COEX in Seoul on Sept. 11, encouraging government officials and business and academic experts from around the world. The event, which is being held for the first time this year, is co-hosted by the National Intelligence Service and the National Security Technology Institute and will continue until Sept. 12, and will discuss various cybersecurity issues, including how to cooperate with the international community against cyber threats, under the theme o
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Prime Minister Han Duck-soo hosted an inter-ministerial meeting to review the progress in preparations and relevant future plans for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) on August 30, 2024, at the Government Complex Seoul. The meeting was convened after Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongju’s selection as the host city for the AELM on June 27, 2024. The attendees included the Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, the Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, the
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with three newly appointed members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) -- Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sang of HS Hyosung, Vice Chairman Lee Kyu-ho of Kolon, and CEO Lee Ju-wan of Megazone Cloud -- on August 26. During the meeting, they exchanged views on the significance of Korea’s role as the chair of 2025 APEC as well as the activities of entrepreneurs within APEC. The Minister requested their full support to ensure the successful hosting of 2025 APEC. Minister Cho emphasized that Korea’s role as chair of APEC nex
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The 12th International e-Mobility Expo will be held at Jeju Shinhwa World for four days from April 8 next year. The International e-Mobility Expo announced on Aug. 26 that the 12th International e-Mobility Expo Organizing Committee held a launching ceremony at Sejong Law Firm's conference room to hold the event from April 8 to 11, 2025 at Jeju Shinhwa World. At the launching ceremony, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor Oh Young-hoon was appointed as the honorary chairman of the event, Silicon Valley Chairman Ossama R. Hassanein was appointed as the
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee hosted an event to encourage the Korean athletes of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Seoul on Aug. 22. The theme of the event, “You, who represented Korea, are the heroes of all of us,” was to honor the athletes who competed with the smallest number of athletes (since the 1984 Olympics) and delivered the best performance in history, inspiring and delighting the nation. The event was organized to honor not only the athletes and coaches who have raised the profile of K-Sports on the world stage with their passi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young On Aug. 21, the third day of the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the Army Ground Operations Command (GOC) to inspect the military readiness and status of the exercise and to encourage the South Korean and U.S. soldiers participating in the exercise. As a command and control unit of about 250,000 soldiers, more than half of the ROK Armed Forces, the Army GOC is the core unit of national defense that deter North Korea's provocations through training, combat readiness, and ground alert operations in peacetime, and commands al
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol chaired the “Eulji National Security Council” at the Crisis Management Center of the National Security Office on Aug. 19 and reviewed the country's ability to conduct total war in case of wartime and the wartime transition procedures by agencies. The President recalled that North Korea threatens our security by continuing to incite propaganda against South Korea and release filthy balloons while seeking to upgrade its nuclear and missile capabilities, and instructed us to “prepare for and have the capability to respond strongly to any
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol and First lady Kim Keon-hee visited the Seoul National Military Cemetery to pay their respects at the gravesite of Mrs. Yuk Young-soo, the wife of the late former President Park Chung-hee, on the 50th anniversary of her death on Aug. 15. They had heard that a memorial service for the 50th anniversary of Mrs. Yuk's death would be held at the Seoul National Military Cemetery at the same time as the Liberation Day ceremony. In February, the President visited the birthplace of Mrs. Yuk Young-soo in Okcheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, for the first