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
By Lee Kap-soo President Yoon Suk-yeol attended Saemangeum Second Battery Investment Agreement Ceremony held at the Saemangeum Convention Center in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do on Aug. 2. Saemangeum has been emphasized by the President as a place for swift project implementation, and during his candidacy, he referred to it as the future of Jeollabuk-do, the West Coast, and South Korea. Before the investment agreement ceremony, the President visited the exhibition hall to learn about LS, a participating company, and its products. President Yoon engaged in a conversation with LS representatives while ex
By Kayla lee President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno in Seoul on Aug. 1, asking for the Central American country's support for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. According to Presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon, both leaders discussed development of bilateral ties and stronger practical cooperation. Prime Minister Briceno visited Korea at the invitation of the Busan city government. Welcoming the Belizean leader on his second trip to the country in two months since the first in May, President Yoon said, "More Korean tourists are visiting Belize,
By Anna Kim The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), dispatched to Canada on July 2 to support the suppression of wildfires therein, left Canada on August 1, local time, and arrived in Korea on August 2 after a month of firefighting operations in the country. Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to the KDRT aboard a Korean transport aircraft and extended appreciation to Korea, saying that all Canadians were moved by Korea’s dispatch of the KDRT at a time when Canada was facing difficulties due to its worst-ever wildfires. Taking a tour of the aircraft cabin, the Prime Mi
By Reporter Kayla lee President Yoon Suk-yeol had a meeting with Xavier Bettel, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, exchanging views on the development of bilateral relations, enhancing substantial cooperation, and discussing the international situation on July 25. The President welcomed Prime Minister Bettel's visit to Korea during the meaningful year of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. He expressed gratitude for Luxembourg's historical contribution as the only foreign combat unit dispatched to the Korean War, safeguarding South Korea's freedom and democracy. Both leaders agree
By Reporter Kayla lee President Yoon Suk-yeol met with New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro on July 25 and engaged in extensive discussions regarding ways to enhance friendship and cooperation between the two countries. In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement this year, President Yoon thanked Governor-General Kiro for his visit to Korea and also thanked New Zealand veterans for their sacrifice and dedication. Both President Yoon and Governor-General Kiro evaluated the strong cooperative relationship between traditionally friendly nations, Korea and New Zealand, b
By Reporter Lee jon young held a summit with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on July 12, on the occasion of his attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit. President Yoon emphasized the need to enhance cooperation in advanced industries, including laser technology and biotechnology, between the two countries. President Nausėda expressed his agreement and showed a desire to expand cooperation with globally renowned Korean companies in the semiconductor and display industries, particularly showing great interest in Korean-made autonomous weapons systems, which have r
By Reporter Kayla lee Diplomacy Journal, Reporter Kim Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol held an informal meeting with Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová on July 12, coinciding with his attendance at the NATO Summit, to discuss bilateral relations and measures for strengthening substantive cooperation. President Yoon acknowledged the close and significant development of bilateral relations, especially with over 130 Korean companies expanding into Slovakia, leading to deepened economic cooperation between the two countries. He requested President Čaputová's interest and support for the smooth activiti