By UN Journal | Lee Jon-young | The World Masters Committee, led by Chairman Kim Min Chaon, hosted a grand event, “World Masters Committee Culture Day 2024 - International Culture Day 2024,” to share its vision of a world united by culture and the arts. The event, which was attended by more than 270 people from some 40 foreign embassies in Seoul, Korean world masters, culture-related celebrities, was an international cultural exchange event organized by the World Masters Committee for a better future. The committee, which began its activities in 2007, has established an international cultural
UNJournal Jon Lee | SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, announced on Oct. 23 that the world’s first quadrivalent cell-cultured influenza vaccine, SKYCellflu Quadrivalent prefilled syringe, has been approved by Indonesia’s Food and Drug Agency, BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan). This marks the first time a domestically developed influenza vaccine has been licensed in Indonesia. Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation with over 280 million people, boasts Southeast Asia’s largest economy, with
By UN Journal Kayla Lee The 9th Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue between the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom held in Seoul on Oct. 21, 2024. Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul of the Republic of Korea(ROK) and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy of the United Kingdom(UK) held the 9th ROK-UK Foreign Ministerial Strategic Dialogue in Seoul. The two Ministers discussed a wide range of topics, encompassing bilateral cooperation, international cooperation, and regional and global issues. The 1st Strategic Dialogue was held in December
UNJournal Jon Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke by phone on Oct. 21 at the request of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte to share information on the deployment of North Korean combatants to Russia and discuss ways forward. In the calls, the President congratulated Secretary General Rutte on his inauguration (Oct. 1) and said he looks forward to working closely with him to ensure that South Korea and NATO can jointly contribute to security in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic. The President explained that North Korea has gone beyond providing large-scale weapon
UNJournal Jon Lee | The '2024 Sinchon World Youth Festival' was held in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, from September 27 to 29, 2024, marking the second such event following last year's success. This festival, hosted by Seodaemun-gu Office, provided a valuable opportunity for young people from various countries to come together, experience each other's cultures, and share new experiences. A notable highlight of this year's event was the participation of the Embassy of Ghana in Korea. The event was planned and organized by Mr. Akwasi Abayie Adomako, Deputy Head of Mission, and Public Relations Officer Mi
UNJournal Jon Lee | President Yoon Suk-yeol received British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Oct. 21 and exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations between South Korea and the United Kingdom. President Yoon assessed the close high-level communication between the two countries, including the summit with new British Prime Minister David Cameron on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in July, and expressed his hope that the two countries will further strengthen cooperation as “global strategic partners” in various fields in accordance with the “Downing Street Accord” agreed upon during
UNJournal Jon Lee | Ilwolobongdo (日月五峯圖) is a traditional painting from the Joseon Dynasty and an important work of art that symbolizes the authority of the king. It is widely known as a folding screen placed behind the throne in palaces, and is characterized by a scene depicting the sun, moon, five mountain peaks, and the turbulent waves below. It symbolizes the long life of the king and queen and a prayer for the country's prosperity. Natural elements and symbols The sun and moon symbolize the king and queen in Ilwolobongdo, and they are symmetrical to each other, representing the harmony of
UNJournal Jon Lee | Joint Statement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and South Korea
UNJournal Jon Lee | The Diplomacy Journal reporter met with Chef Kim Han-sol, owner of Casa Italy on Jahamun-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to learn more about Italian food. Casa Italia is a restaurant that serves Italian cuisine based on Italian cuisine and seasonal Korean ingredients. Casa Italia serves original Italian cuisine based on Italian cuisine, but with fresh seasonal ingredients from Korea. The menu changes according to the changing seasons, providing a unique experience where you can enjoy the deep flavors of Italian cuisine and the freshness of Korean ingredients at the same time. I
UNJournal Jon Lee | The following article was contributed by Prof. Choi Keong-ju of Keimyung University in Korea to Diplomacy Journal for publication. –Ed. The metaverse is a three-dimensional digital virtual world built based on 5G communication technology, and enables real-time immersive experiences and interactions for users through VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality). The metaverse is realized in various forms depending on the method of combining reality and virtual space. To simply categorize the types, there are augmented reality, life logging, mirror worlds, and virtual worl
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Nearly two million children suffering from severe wasting are at risk of death due to funding shortages for life-saving Ready-to-use-Therapeutic-Food (RUTF) to treat the condition, which is the most dangerous form of malnutrition, the UN News reported. The warning comes from UN children’s agency UNICEF which said levels of severe wasting in children under five remain gravely high in several countries due to conflict, economic shocks and climate crises. Severe wasting - also known as severe acute malnutrition - is caused by a lack of nutritious and safe foods and repeate
UNJournal Kayla Lee | Korean traditional paintings, known as folk paintings, are gaining attention in the global art market as a new genre called “K-folk paintings” with a modern twist. Combining traditional paintings with lacquer, a unique Korean craft technique, K-Folk Painting is a work of art that harmoniously fuses traditional Korean art with modern aesthetics and is recognized worldwide for its uniqueness. Damwha Lee Jon-young, the artist at the forefront of this pioneering endeavor, is developing a new technique that utilizes lacquer to create a contemporary interpretation of the tradit
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Novelist Han Kang, 53, has become the first South Korean author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Han received the notification from Sweden's Hanlim Institute on Oct. 10 (local time) and said she thought it was a voice phishing when she heard it. “I'm very surprised and honored,” she said. The Swedish Academy described Han's work as “intensely poetic prose that confronts historical trauma and reveals the fragility of human life,” and praised her original style and innovation in contemporary prose. Han won the Booker International Prize for The Vegetarian in 2016, ra
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Oct. 13 reiterated that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed, following the deliberate breach of a UN peacekeeping position by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) armored vehicles in southern Lebanon, the UN News reported. The incident took place early on Sunday morning (local time), when two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate and forcibly entered the position, according to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. About two hours later, after the tanks had left, several rounds were fired nearby, emitti
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in Vientiane, Laos, for the ASEAN-related summit, held his first summit with Thailand's new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Oct. 10. The President congratulated Prime Minister Paetongtarn on her inauguration in September and expressed his hope that during her tenure as Prime Minister, the two countries will significantly strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, electric vehicles, defense, defense, and people-to-people exchanges. The President also requested the Prime Minister's interest an