By Lee Kap-soo First Lady Kim Keon-hee visited The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (TRITA) at the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Oct. 22. The TRITA opened in 2021 with the aim of inheriting and developing Saudi Arabia's traditional culture, and operates education, training, and academic programs. Mrs. Kim expressed her delight at the cooperation between the two countries, including a workshop for Korean ceramic painters at the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts and the signing of an MOU for academic exchange with Korea National University of Traditional Culture, and expresse
By Kayla Lee President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, attended the Korea-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum on Oct. 22) afternoon to evaluate the achievements of bilateral economic cooperation so far and suggest new directions for future partnerships. Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Korean construction company to enter the Middle East with a highway project in Saudi Arabia, the President praised the hard work and passion of businessmen from both countries who have contributed to bilateral cooperation. The President said that there are great syn
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, held talks with His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at Yamama Palace in Riyadh on Oct. 22. They agreed to deepen and develop the future-oriented strategic partnership between the two countries. Prior to the meeting, an official welcome ceremony was held in the gardens of Yamama Palace to celebrate President Yoon's state visit. As the vehicle carrying the President and his wife entered the entrance of Yamama Palace, the Saud
By Lee Kap-soo Unification Minister Kim Young-ho met with German Ambassador to South Korea Georg Schmidt on Oct. 18 and said, "I hope that the two countries, which are celebrating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, will deepen mutual cooperation, including on reunification issues." The Unification Ministry said Kim made the remarks as he met with Schmidt at the government's Seoul office later in the day to share the recent achievements following his visit to Germany. Kim explained the South Korean government's policy direction, which focuses on denuclearizing North Korea,
By Kayla Lee Defense Korea, a subsidiary of SONID, together with UAE defense contractor Calidus, has opened a dedicated UAE pavilion at ADEX 2023 in Seoul. Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of Science and Technology, and Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to South Korea, visited the pavilion, the company said on Oct. 19. "I wish the 'ADEX 2023' event a successful conclusion. And I will actively support Calidus' entry into Korea," said UAE Minister Al Amiri. "The UAE Minister of Science and Technology and the UAE Ambassador to Korea showed great interest in our company and our defense technology
By Kim Ji-eun Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon met with Danish Ambassador to Korea Svend Olling at Busan City Hall on Oct. 19 to discuss exchanges and cooperation between Busan and Denmark in the fields of culture, arts, and renewable energy. Denmark is a constitutional monarchy comprising the Jutland peninsula on the North Sea coast of northern Europe and the islands off its eastern coast. It covers an area of 43,394 square kilometers and has a population of about 5 million, with the capital city of Copenhagen. The country is famous for its dairy industry and has developed food, steel, chemical, a
By Lee Kap-soo The Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK), in collaboration with the New Jersey Investment Authority (Choose New Jersey), hosted the 'Business Reception for Middle Market Enterprises Invited by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy' at Conrad Seoul Hotel on Oct. 19. The reception consisted of an introduction of the New Jersey Investment Authority and the Economic Development Authority's 'New Jersey Investment Entry Strategy', a presentation of the success story of a mid-sized company in New Jersey by the nation's largest chicken franchise, Genesis BBQ Group, and bus
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Guinsa Temple, the headquarters of Cheontae Buddhism in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do, and prayed for the peace of the country and its people on Oct. 19. The people of Guinsa Temple welcomed the President with applause during his surprise visit, and the President expressed his gratitude for their welcome. The President paid a visit to the Great Hall of the Buddha, and then had lunch with venerable Buddhist monks, including Doyong, Deoksu and Seun. The squash soup, cabbage kimchi, stir-fried watercress, tofu pancake, lotus root fritters, and grapes
By Kayla Lee Chungcheongbuk-do (Chungbuk) and Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam, celebrated the 10th anniversary of their sisterhood and 15th anniversary of their friendship at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Cheongju on Oct. 16. The event was attended by Chungcheongbuk-do Governor Kim Young-hwan and Vinh Phuc Provincial People's Committee Chairman, among others. Business exchanges were also held with companies from the province that have established a presence in Vietnam or wish to do so. The cooperation between the two provinces was initiated in 2008, when Vinh Phuc's Deputy Governor visited the province
By Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon met with Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, to explain Gyeonggi-do's commitment to overcoming the climate crisis and becoming carbon neutral, and to propose international cooperation on Oct. 4. He also expressed his intention to join the Under2 Coalition, a global coalition of local governments on climate change policy, of which The Climate Group is the secretariat. During a meeting with Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, at the Roh Moo-hyun Civic Center in Seoul, Gov. Kim Dong-yeon said, "Gyeonggi-do is the most proactive provinc
By Lee Jon-young Since taking office late last year, Daejeon Police Chief Chung Yong-geun has significantly increased the number of investigative officers to ensure that frontline officers are able to protect the safety of the public. Ahead of National Police Day, which falls on Oct. 21, the Diplomacy Journal had a special interview with him about his achievements, the nature of policing in Daejeon, and the recent reorganization of the police force. The following is the full-text of the special interview with Daejeon Police Chief Chung Yong-geun by Chairman-Publisher Lee Jon-young of Diplomacy
By Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group and Georgia Tech signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 19 to collaborate on research and applications to support the future of sustainable mobility, including developing a hydrogen economy, workforce development, and making cities smarter and more sustainable, among many other areas of cooperation. The group is investing $12.6 billion in new dedicated electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities in Georgia. The investment includes the $7.59 billion Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) site in Bryan County, Georgia that will create mo
By Kim Ji-eun Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin announced the launch of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Preparatory Commission and hosted its first meeting on October 13, 2023, in the presence of participants from 20 government agencies and other relevant organizations including the Korea-Africa Foundation. Foreign Minister Park, in his opening remarks, explained that President Yoon Suk-yeol has been engaging in high-level exchanges with African countries more actively than any other previous administrations since his inauguration in May 2022, based on his strong willingness to dramatically st
By Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol hosted a dinner on Oct. 17 at the Cheong Wa Dae guesthouse with more than 90 people, including civilian and government members of the National Unity Committee (first and second terms), four leaders of the People Power Party, the presiding officers and secretaries of the National Assembly, and the secretary and chief of staff of the presidential office. The dinner was organized as a forum for informal communication and harmony among key members of the National Unity Committee, and to share the purpose, direction, and values of national unity among the Na
외교저널 (Diplomacy Journal) 김학영 기자 | 전남도의회 농수산위원회는 10월 17일 경북도의회 농수산위원회를 방문해 기상이변에 따른 자연재해로부터 농어업인을 보호하기 위한 정부의 농어업 안정대책 마련을 촉구하는 공동성명서를 발표했다. 윤석열 대통령이 17일 서울 용산 대통령실에서 새로 부임한 14개국 주한 대사로부터 신임장을 받고 환담하는 행사를 가졌다. 대통령실에 따르면 윤 대통령은 이날 게오르크 빌프리드 슈미트 주한 독일대사, 필립 베르투 주한 프랑스대사, 에밀리아 가토 주한 이탈리아대사, 피터 반데르 블리에트 주한 네덜란드대사, 에밀리아노 가브리엘 와이셀피츠 주한 아르헨티나대사, 알레한드로 펠라에스 로드리게스 주한 콜롬비아대사, 이반 얀차렉 주한 체코대사로부터 신임장을 전달받았다. 또 카자흐스탄·튀니지·온두라스·잠비아·르완다·타지키스탄·니카라과 주한 대사들도 신임장을 전달했다. 이날 주요국 대사들은 “대통령님의 신임장을 제정하게 돼 영광”이라고 말했다. 윤 대통령은 신임 대사들과 악수하며 영어로 “만나서 반갑다”고 답했다. 윤 대통령은 14명의 신임 대사 및 박진 외교부 장관과 일일이 기념 촬영을 했고 환담을 나눴다. 신임장은 파견국의