By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young A court has granted a request to revoke the detention of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was indicted and detained on charges of being the "ringleader of a rebellion" related to the martial law crisis. The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 25 (Head Judge Ji Gui-yeon) granted Yoon's request to cancel his detention on March 7. Revocation of detention is a system that allows prosecutors, defendants, defense lawyers, and others to ask the court to remove a person from detention when the reason for detention no longer exists or has been eliminated. Pre
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The following is the English version of the full text of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s closing statement at the impeachment trial, which was translated by 'Deepl.” It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation. — Ed. Honorable members of the Constitutional Court and beloved people who have been following this trial with interest, it has been 84 days since I declared emergency martial law on December 3 last year. These have been some of the most difficult days of my life, but they have also been a time of gratitude and reflection. As I took sto
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law was a political decision made in the midst of a bitter confrontation with the largest opposition Democratic Party of Korea, and the legitimacy and controversy surrounding it have garnered much attention in South Korean politics and among the public. It is difficult to view this as a simple political party dispute. Martial law can only be declared in the event of a national crisis under the Constitution, and the debate over why the president declared martial law and its legitimacy has pitted the Democratic P
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 During his state visit to Singapore, President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the Singapore Lecture organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore on October 9 and delivered a speech entitled “A Unified Korean Peninsula for a Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific.” The audience included leading public figures from all walks of life in Singapore, members of the diplomatic corps, Korean compatriots and international students. In his speech, the President noted that Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy of Freedom, Peace, and Prosperity and the
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 Lee Jon-young | President Yoon Suk-yeol sent congratulatory telegeams to each of the 14 South Korean athletes who have won medals over the past three days at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. In his congratulations to Ban Hyo-jin, the youngest member of the Korean shooting team to win a gold medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle, the President said, “The entire nation held its breath during the last single shot of the youngest member of the Korean Olympic team in Paris and cheered when she won by 0.1 points.” He praised Ban's focus and boldness in winning Korea'
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol's “sales diplomacy” played a key role in South Korea's $17.3 billion winning bid for new nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic on July 17, beating out France, according to market analysts. The Czech government has picked Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) as preferred bidder to build two nuclear reactors, marking South Korea's first overseas order for a large-scale nuclear power project since 2009. The three summits he held with the President of Czech Republic after taking office and his request for cooperation were said to ha
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii on July 9. This is the first time a Korean president has visited the command, with former President Kim Young-sam having visited the Pacific Command in 1995. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has the largest area of responsibility (approximately 100 million square miles, or 52 percent of the Earth's total area) among the six U.S. unified combatant commands (Northern, Southern, Indo-Pacific, European, Central, and African) and plays a critical role in the security of the Korean Peninsula, incl
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol will pay a state visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 13-15 June. Established on 29 January 1992, Uzbek-South Korean relations have become an example of successful cooperation between the two countries in various fields. In more than thirty years of interaction, the relations have developed and strengthened, passing through several key milestones. In 2006, the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed, and in 2019, the relationship was elevated to a special strategi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol paid a state visit to Turkmenistan at the invitation of His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Turkmenistan on June 10-11, 2024. The two leaders discussed ways to expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in the economic, social and cultural fields, as well as regional and international issues of common interest during a summit held on June 10, 2024 in a friendly and warm atmosphere. The two leaders decided to further develop the bilateral and mutually beneficial partnership to promote common prosperity. Presi
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Jingwansa Temple in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul on April 7. The visit was organized in response to the President's desire to express his appreciation for Jingwan Temple's role in promoting the unique culture of Korean Buddhism, including its meditation and food. Upon his arrival at the entrance of Jingwansa Temple, the President was warmly greeted by Jin-woo, the head of the Jogye Order, Gyeho, the Buddhist monk of Jingwansa Temple, and Beophae, the Buddhist monk of Jingwansa Temple, in front of Daeungjeon Hall. The President first par
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol held the 19th "Folk Life Discussion with the People" at the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Office on March 11 under the theme of "Happiness for the People, Power for Gangwon!" and discussed development issues such as high-tech industries and tourism that will open up the future of Gangwon. In his remarks, the president said that through the public forum, which began this year, he realized that it is the right direction to discover policy issues from the perspective of policy consumers and break down the barriers between minist
By Lee Kap-soo Delivering the New Year address to the nation, President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Jan. 1, 2024, "The center of all national affairs is the people. I will make the year of 2024 a year of civil recovery where the warmth of economic achievements and economic recovery reaches every corner of people's lives." President Yoon said in his address, which was broadcast live from the Yongsan presidential office on the morning of the same day, "I will go into the field of people's lives, listen to even the smallest voices, and promote true people's policies that change people's lives." Preside