UNJournal Lee Sung Jun| The history of mankind demonstrates that great civilizations rest upon a synthesis of intellectual achievements, spiritual values and cultural heritage. Since ancient times, Central Asia has served as a pivotal hub of science, art and philosophy, shaping the foundational elements of a civilization that has influenced the entire world. Today, this profound potential is embodied in a monumental project - Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent. This institution does not merely preserve historical artifacts; it serves as a living platform for science, education and spir
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun| The tragedy of 6-year-old Hind Rajab, who cried out, “I’m so scared. Please come and take me,” while isolated among the corpses of her family amidst the horrors of war, left a deep shock on the entire world. The “23 minutes of silence” highlighted by the film 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' continues to resonate deeply within our society. In the Gaza Strip, another young life is waiting for a desperate rescue. Recently, as President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea emphasized international humanitarian principles regarding the situation in the West Bank, messages of support and g
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | President Lee Jae-myung met with Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, at 3 p.m. on April 27th this year. During the meeting, they engaged in an in-depth discussion regarding the recent rapid advancements in AI technology, future directions of change, responsible AI utilization, and global cooperation strategies. CEO Hassabis is a world-renowned scholar who oversaw the historic "AlphaGo" match against Go grandmaster Lee Se-dol in 2016 and was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his development of "AlphaFold," an AI model for predicting protei
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | The Korea Aerospace University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DigiPen Institute of Technology, a world-renowned university specializing in games and software located in Washington State, USA, to strengthen global education and research cooperation. The signing ceremony took place on April 27 at 3:00 pm in the JB Industry-University Cooperation Agency Industry-Industry Cooperation Seminar Room on campus. Attendees at the ceremony included President Heo Hee-young, Dean of the College of AI Convergence Ahn Jun-sun, Dean of the College of Engineeri
UNJournal Kayla Lee | On April 22, the next Summit of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) – one of the region's prominent organizations – will take place in Astana. The upcoming meeting of the Heads of the Founding States acquires special significance, as it marks the transition of the Fund's chairmanship to Uzbekistan for 2027–2029 period. This will be our country’s third mandate, following leadership terms in 1997–1999 and 2013–2016. It is worth noting that Tashkent was at the forefront of the creation of IFAS. Yet, resuming this leadership role after a decade takes place i
UNJournal Kayla Lee | In today’s rapidly evolving scientific landscape, international collaboration has become a key driver of innovation and discovery. No single institution or country can fully address the complex challenges of modern science alone. In this context, the long-term partnership between the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and the Silesian University in Opava (Czech Republic) stands as a strong example of how collaboration can accelerate scientific progress and foster the development of new generations of researchers. This cooperation, which has be
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | The ‘K-Seoul International Singer Festival & Global Top Leader Awards Presentation Ceremony,’ a convergence-type global festival where music, culture, cutting-edge technology, and leadership coexist, was successfully held on the 23rd at the Seocho Arts Center in Seoul, attended by distinguished guests from both Korea and abroad. Serving as a platform for exchange that eliminates industry boundaries and strengthens global networks, the event featured high-quality performances by artists from over 30 countries of the world, as well as an awards-presentation ceremony
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | A declaration of peace embodied in the handwritten calligraphy of Dharma King Ilbung Seo Gyeong-bo In 1992, an event occurred that marked a significant turning point in the history of world Buddhism. It was the proclamation of the “International Buddhist Peace Day.” This is regarded as a historical event that went beyond the mere declaration of a commemorative day; it was an official declaration of the Buddhist spirit of peace toward humanity amidst division and conflict, and it presented “peace” as a shared value of humanity transcending religion. In particular, this
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | President Lee Jae-myung conducted an official state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from April 22 to 23, 2025. On April 22, he held a summit meeting with General Secretary To Lam of the Communist Party of Vietnam — who concurrently serves as President and stands as the country's highest-ranking leader. The meeting took place at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. In a joint press statement, President Lee declared: "Amid supply chain instability stemming from recent tensions in the Middle East, we share the recognition that the need for cooperation between our
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | On Friday, April 17, 2026, the Embassy of Peru in the Republic of Korea organized a tribute to Mario Vargas Llosa — Nobel Prize in Literature laureate in 2010 — on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of his birth. The event took place at the Instituto Cervantes Seoul, located in the heart of the Myeongdong district, drawing a full auditorium of diplomats, academics, local media professionals, and students from across Latin America and Korea. The evening opened with a screening of a fragment of the documentary A Personal Journey Through 'I Dedicate My Silence' — the La
UNJournal Jon Lee | In an exclusive interview conducted online between April 9 and April 15, 2026, and supplemented by an in-person meeting at the Embassy of Belarus on April 22, H.E. Mr. Andrew Chernetsky, Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Korea, speaks candidly about bilateral trade, Korean economic strategy, peninsula security, the Eurasian Charter, and the state of Belarus–South Korea government dialogue. BILATERAL RELATIONS Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a summit in Pyongyang with DPRK Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un on March 25–26 this year. What does th
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | Special Feature Editor Andy Hyun The Republic of Korea and the Republic of Turkmenistan are elevating their bilateral relationship to a new level, centered on consular cooperation, and are leaping from ‘diplomacy protecting people’ to a ‘strategic partnership.’ A complex diplomatic structure is taking shape, extending beyond the simple protection of overseas citizens to cooperation in energy, logistics and geopolitics. On April 8, Lim Sang-woo, the Government Representative for the Protection of Overseas Citizens and Consular Affairs, held the 1st Korea-Turkmenistan Co
UNJournal 이성준 | Special Feature Editor Andy Hyun The Republic of Korea and the Republic of Mongolia are two very special countries to each other. Ambassador Sukhe Sukhbold of Mongolia in Seoul emphasized: “Korea and Mongolia share a special relationship that has maintained a long history of exchanges extending far beyond the 35-year period of official diplomatic relations.” Speaking at a reception he hosted at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel on November 21 last year in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Mongolia, Ambassador Sukhbold said: “Cooper
UNJournal Kayla Lee | The following combines the April 7 Press Briefing on the Middle East Situation issued by Cheong Wa Dae (CWD) Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik and an April 8 press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) regarding the recent cease fire: Today marks the 39th day since the outbreak of the Middle East crisis. In response to signs of expanding and prolonged military conflict, the government established an Emergency Economic Situation Room at Cheong Wa Dae on March 25, and has convened three sessions of the Emergency Economic Review Meeting, chaired directly by the Presid
UNJournal Kayla Lee | The Ministry of National Defense's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) have launched a joint field survey in the Gangneung and Yangyang areas of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, running from April 6 to May 1. The survey aims to locate wreckage and traces of U.S. military aircraft lost during the Korean War. The four-week operation serves as preparatory groundwork for a joint underwater investigation planned for August. Field teams will collect testimony from local residents, gather relevant docum