By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Governor Kim Kwan-young of Jeollabuk-do held a meeting with Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva J. Tor and other embassy officials on April 2 to discuss international cooperation in areas such as Saemangeum development, joint ventures, and traditional cultural exchanges. The official meeting took place as Ambassador Akiva Tor was invited as a special speaker at the 5th anniversary of the opening of Jeonbuk Kukdong Broadcasting. During the meeting, Kim and Akiva Tor shared their entrepreneurship policies and proposed various economic cooperation initiatives, including te
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young A senior UN official on April 2 urged the Security Council to work to avert further escalation in the Middle East following the deadly airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital, Damascus. Briefing ambassadors a day after the attack, Assistant-Secretary-General Khaled Khiari stressed the need for restraint, the UN News reported. “We appeal to the Council today, as we do every month, to continue to actively engage all concerned parties to prevent further escalation and the worsening of tensions that undermine regional peace and security,” he said. UN Secre
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with Dr. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag, on March 26. They exchanged views on Korea-Germany relations as well as regional and global issues such as the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Foreign Minister Cho welcomed Dr. Strack-Zimmermann’s first visit to Korea in 24 years and noted that bilateral relations have further developed through robust high-level exchanges held on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations last year. He also
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul hosted the 18th Iftar dinner to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan on March 29. The dinner brought together Koreans and foreigners from relevant fields, including the diplomatic corps from the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). In his welcoming remarks, Foreign Minister Cho said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been holding the Iftar dinner for 20 years. He noted that what started as a gathering of some 20 participants from the diplomatic corps has now become an annual tradition de
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Hungarian Ambassador to Korea István Szerdahelyi visited the King Kong Gallery (CEO Lee Soo-min) in front of the Daegu Arboretum on March 28, accompanied by the head of the Hungarian Cultural Center in Korea, and viewed the works of 150 children aged 5 to 10. The visit to the King Kong Gallery in Daegu was a promise made by Ambassador Szerdahelyi to Daegu Nam-gu Cultural Center Director Lee Jae-nyeong in January, and he visited Daegu with the hope of expanding cultural exchanges with the Daegu region starting in 2024, the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between
UNJournal Jon Lee | President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan met with Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, and President of the Assembly of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) on March 28 in Boao, China. Tokayev expressed gratitude to Ban Ki-moon for the invitation to take part in the BFA and noted his considerable contribution to the world community as one of the best Secretaries-General in UN history. Ban Ki-moon emphasized the substantial contribution of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the development of international coo
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Busan Nam-gu announced on March 26 that Mayor Susan Sonne of Buena Park City, USA, visited the United Nations Memorial Park on March 23 and laid a wreath at the gravesite of UN soldiers who sacrificed their lives for world peace. Mayor Susan Sonne said that the UN Memorial Park was one of the places she always wanted to visit when she visited Korea, and she was impressed by how Busan's Nam-gu is also making great efforts to protect world peace, centered on the UN Memorial Park. "I hope today's meeting will be an opportunity for the city of Buena Park and Nam-gu to i
UNJournal Jon Lee | “The Armed Forces of Myanmar is constantly engaged in protecting and preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country. They have made enormous sacrifices to make our country safe so that our future generation is secure,” said H.E. U Thant Sin, Ambassador of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Delivering welcoming remarks at an event to mark the 79th Anniversary of Myanmar Armed Forces Day held at the Riverside Hotel in Seoul on March 27, Amb. U Thant Sin said, “The Armed Forces Day serves as an opportunity for the government and military leadership to r
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Yoon Suk-yeol received Caroline Kennedy, President Emeritus of the John F. Kennedy Foundation (JFK Foundation) and current U.S. Ambassador to Australia on March 27. The meeting was held at the special request of Mrs. Kennedy, who wanted to personally deliver the trophy (lantern) of the Profile in Courage Award to the President. The JFK Foundation honored President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida last year with the 2023 Profile in Courage Award, recognizing their contributions to improving relations between South Korea and Japan. "Both leaders have done the
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Mayor Choi Min-ho of Sejong Special Self-Governing City met with a delegation of high-ranking government officials, including Alexandre Marie and YOMO, the director of the National Civil Registration Agency of Cameroon, at Sejong City Hall on March 21 to discuss cooperation plans. The visit was made at the request of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Cameroon as part of the Korea International Cooperation Agency's (KOICA) 'Invitation Training Program for the Pilot Project to Establish a Computerized Civil Registration System in Cameroon'. This is the third visit
UNJournal Jon Lee | The first exhibition in the "The Story of Living Hwayangyeonhwa" K-Art Representative Artist Series, Kim Yong-mo’s invitational solo exhibition will be held from April 3 to April 8, 2024 at Heesu Gallery in Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The works in the "Story of Living" series convey a variety of positive messages such as happiness, love, hope, and respect, and the artist's desire to share the joy of living is evident in the pristine beauty of the works. The bold outlines of the images provide clarity, and the works, which clarify their inherent properties and characteristi
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The UN Security Council on Monday passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and "the urgent need to expand the flow" of aid into Gaza, the UN News reported. There were 14 votes in favour with the United States abstaining. This was the Council’s first explicit call for an immediate ceasefire since Israel began a military offensive in the Gaza Strip following last October’s brutal attack by Hamas and other Palestinian groups against settlements in southern Israel, in which over 1,20
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Korea, Nurgali Arystanov, took part in the event “Forest and Innovation - New Solutions for a Better World” to mark the International Day of Forests on March 21. It was organized by the Korea Forest Service and the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) and attended by Ambassadors of AFoCO countries such as Chile, Brunei, Myanmar, the Philippines and Tajikistan. While delivering the remarks, the Kazakh Ambassador noted the positive dynamics of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Korea Forest Service and AFoCO in the field of f
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held his first meeting with Uzbekistan Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor SAIDOV since taking office at the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 20. The two sides discussed bilateral relations between the two countries. Foreign Minister Cho said that Uzbekistan and Korea have developed a special partnership, suggesting that they continue to cooperate closely in various fields. Foreign Minister Saidov said that Uzbekistan, a special strategic partner of Korea, greatly values its relations with the country and intends to
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo “Korea-Pakistan diplomatic ties, established forty-one years ago, have blossomed into a partnership, based on respect, cordiality, and mutual interest,” said Amb. Nabeel Munir of Pakistan to Korea. Delivering a speech at the Pakistan’s National Day reception held at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on March 21, Amb. Munir said, “From socio-economic development to trade and investment, from defense cooperation to cultural exchanges, this partnership continues to blossom. “The ‘Miracle on Han River’ continues to inspire us. We want to learn from Kore