By Lee Kap-soo The following article was provided by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul to Diplomacy Journal. —Ed. On September 19, 2023, Uzbekistan joined the UN as a new sovereign, independent state on March 2, 1992. Since joining this universal international organization, our country has been productively cooperating with it and its specialized institutions in various areas. The main priorities of multilateral cooperation are the fight against modern threats and security challenges, the stabilization and restoration of Afghanistan, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, solvi
By Kim Ji-eun Foreign Minister Park attended an international forum hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in the DPRK on Sept. 15. He emphasized that even after the COI report was released, human rights abuses in North Korea, such as public executions and forced abortions, are still ongoing, and that "peace without human rights (in North Korea) is a hypocritical spurious peace," calling for attention to the nexus between the North Korea’s nuclear issue and the human rights issue.
By Lee Kap-soo President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was in New Delhi, India, for the G20 Summit, and First Lady Kim Keon-hee hosted a dinner meeting on September 8. The meeting was attended by more than 80 Korean compatriots who are actively engaged in activities across India. In his encouraging remarks, the President said that India, as the world's fifth largest economy and largest population, is an important partner with which we must work together to build a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The President praised the bold entry of Korean companies into India in the early years of India's
By Lee Jon-young We, the Leaders of MIKTA comprising Mexico, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Türkiye and Australia, gathered today on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi to commemorate the first decade of MIKTA’s establishment and provide guidance for the priorities of our crossregional and innovative partnership. We shared our deep concerns on the increasingly challenging global strategic environment due to increasing division in the world and various challenges including climate change, rising food insecurity, elevated energy prices, high inflation, debt vulnerability, extreme poverty
By Lee Jon-young Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is embarking on an on-site survey in the Bontang City area of Indonesia from October 10 to 16, 2026, as part of the exploration of the Jeju-Style Official Development Assistance (ODA) project. Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects are humanitarian aid initiatives provided by the central government, local governments, and public institutions with the aim of promoting economic development and social welfare in developing countries. Jeju Province is undertaking this visit to Indonesia in order to apply for the 2026 ODA project offered
By Lee Kap-soo GoPizza, the leader of one-person pizza, announced on Aug. 22 that it participated in the "2023 Singapore Franchising & Licensing Asia 2023" held from Aug. 17 to 19 and completed it with great response from locals. GoPizza participated in the 2023 Singapore Franchise Fair, which was held in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from August 17 to 19. The 2023 Singapore Franchise Fair, where you can meet Asia's top franchises and licensing markets, is a large-scale event attended by more than 5,000 famous brand representatives, investors, and entrepreneurs, and is an opportunity to acce
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the ASEAN Summit, held a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sept. 6 and exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations. Prime Minister Trudeau expressed his appreciation for the dispatch of the Korean Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) to Canada on July 2 to help fight the wildfires. The President thanked the Canadian government and people for their hospitality and support for the team's work, and said that Prime Minister Trudeau's personal visit to the transport plane to see off the team was a symb
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the ASEAN Summit, held a summit with Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown on Sept. 6. During the meeting, the President exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations and requested the Cook Islands' support for the 2030 Busan World Expo. The two leaders appreciated that Korea and the Cook Islands are engaging in more active exchanges than ever before, including a bilateral meeting in Jakarta just three months after their meeting in Seoul on the sidelines of the Korea-Pacific Island Countries Summit in
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the ASEAN Summit, held a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sept. 6. During the meeting, the President exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations and requested Vietnam's support for the 2030 Busan World Expo. The President emphasized that Vietnam is a key partner in the implementation of the Indo-Pacific strategy, and said he looks forward to continuing to work together to realize freedom, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The President called for steady
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is currently in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the ASEAN Summit, attended the 24th ASEAN-ROK Summit on September 6 and held in-depth discussions on the achievements and future directions of ASEAN-ROK cooperation. Participating countries adopted the 'ASEAN-Korea Summit Joint Statement on AOIP Cooperation'. The President welcomed the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI), which was announced by the Korean government last year, for expanding the outreach and depth of our cooperation, emphasizing that the KASI is anchored on ASEAN Centrality and a firm sup
By Lee Kap-soo President Yoon Suk-yeol has embarked on a trip on Sept. 5 to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the G20 summit. First Lady Kim Keon-hee also accompanied the trip. President Yoon will visit Jakarta, Indonesia, from Sept. 5 to 8 to attend ASEAN-related summits. President Yoon's attendance at the ASEAN meeting was at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and it was his second attendance at the ASEAN meeting since the Phnom Penh meeting in Cambodia in November last year. On the morning of Sept. 6, President Yoon will attend the ASEAN-ROK (Rep
By Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Seoul kicked off the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by hosting the “Road to COP28” in the UAE at the Four Seasons Hotel in Gwanghwamun, Seoul on Aug. 31. The event was held to promote COP28, which will take place in Dubai, UAE, from November 30 to December 12, and to share the UAE's plans and solutions to tackle the climate crisis as host of COP28. "The UAE has demonstrated a strong commitment to renewable energy, environmental protection, and sustainabl
By Lee Kap-soo The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President & CEO Martin Henkelmann) and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Seoul held the 3rd Korean-German Climate and Environment Conference on August 24 at the Conrad Hotel Seoul, South Korea. Under the theme of “Decarbonization in the Industry - Solutions for Carbon Neutrality in Industry Sector”, the event marked a significant milestone in fostering cross-border cooperation to address pressing environmental challenges. The conference drew the participation of more than 70 key officials and experts fro
By Lee Kap-soo On the occasion of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day in 2023, the government granted special pardons to 2,176 people, including scores of business tycoons and owners of small and medium-sized enterprises, special consideration prisoners. Among the beneficiaries are such conglomerate chairmen as Park Chan-koo, honorary chairman of Kumho Petrochemical Group; Lee Joong-keun, founder of Booyoung Group; and Chong Kun Dang Chairman Rhee Jang-han. The special pardons will legally take effect at the beginning of Aug. 15, the Liberation Day anniversary that commemorates the end of Japan's 1910-
By Kim Ji-eun The Korean government handed over emergency relief supplies to the Hawaii state government suffering from damage from the fires on Maui island on August 16. Consul-General of the Republic of Korea to Honolulu Lee Seo Young handed over the Korean government’s emergency relief items, including bottled water, food, blankets, and generators, to Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke at the Hawaii State Capitol in downtown Honolulu at 11:00 on August 16, local time. The fires on Maui island have left 106 people dead, the largest loss of life in Hawaii since it became the 50th state of the Un