UN Journal Kayla Lee | On March 13, Cheong Wa Dae (CWD) released two separate press releases announcing President Lee Jae Myung will welcome the presidents of Indonesia and France in rapid succession at the end of March and beginning of April, with the two visits briefly overlapping on April 2. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will arrive first, making a state visit from March 31 to April 2 at the invitation of President Lee. This will be President Prabowo's second visit to Korea in five months, following his attendance at the Gyeongju APEC Summit last October, where he held a bilateral s
UN Journal Kayla Lee | On March 13, the Seoul Donhwamun Traditional Theater (KOR, ENG) announced its flagship brand performance, the "2026 Sanjo Festival." Built in 2016, exclusively for gugak (traditional Korean music performances), the theater takes its name from the gate of Seoul's Changdeokgung Palace, which it faces. The Sanjo Festival will run for three weeks, starting April 2. ▲ Launched in 2021 and held annually since, the Sanjo Festival has intensely spotlighted the depth and aesthetics of sanjo. While sanjo is rooted in the same deep well of Korean folk and shamanistic tradition as p
UN Journal Kayla Lee | Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) announced that the International Energy Agency (IEA) had decided at an emergency Governing Board meeting the same day to implement the Collective Action proposed on March 10 to release 400 million barrels of emergency oil stocks. Korea has been allocated 22.46 million barrels, or 5.6% of the total, for release. The IEA approved the largest coordinated stock release in its history to help ease the global energy supply crisis, which has been intensifying amid recent developments in the Middle East. National release
UN Journal Kayla Lee | On March 10, the Embassy of Italy in Seoul hosted the "10th Italian Design Day RE-DESIGN: The Regeneration of Space, Objects, Thought, and Relationships" at High Street Italia (HSI), the Italian Trade Agency (ITA)’s flagship showplace built on Gangnam’s famed Garosu-gil to promote products made in Italy. Architect, designer and artist Michele De Lucchi was chosen to serve as the designated “Italian Design Day Ambassador.” The recipient of numerous awards and honors in both Europe and Asia, Mr. De Lucchi is a founding member of Milan-based AMDL CIRCLE, a creative multidis
UN Journal Kayla Lee | First Lady Kim Hye Kyung attended the "2026 World Women's Day Commemorative Sookmyung International Forum" held on the afternoon of March 11 at Sookmyung Women's University, joining ambassadors accredited to Korea, women leaders from home and abroad, and members of the university community in celebrating the occasion. The forum was organized under the theme "120 Years of Women's Education: Global Solidarity Toward Equality and a Sustainable Future," and provided a platform for discussing the role of women's education in advancing global equality, sustainability, and incl
UN Journal Kayla Lee | In the life of every nation, there comes a moment when incremental reforms are no longer sufficient and a comprehensive renewal becomes necessary. Today, Kazakhstan stands at such a historic juncture. The draft of the new Constitution represents not merely a set of amendments, but a systemic modernization of our state institutions. It reflects Kazakhstan’s transition from the formative period of independence to a stage of institutional maturity, stability, and balanced development. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on February 11, 2026, calling for a nation
UN Journal Kayla Lee | The Global EV Association Network (GEAN) announced on March 9 that it has selected domestic and international companies, organizations, and institutions that have contributed to the development of the global e-mobility industry, the realization of sustainable carbon neutrality, and the advancement of future strategic industries as recipients of 2026 GEAN awards. The award ceremony will be held on March 25 at Jeju Shinhwa World, coinciding with the opening ceremony of the 13th International e-Mobility Expo (KOR, ENG). GEAN selected the final recipients through a comprehen
UN Journal Kayla Lee | A women's human rights film based on a true story — "47 Years, 7 Months: A Female Professor's Outing" — has made its public debut through a production showcase, with a formal audience release now announced. Director Han Myeong-gu's film held its production showcase on June 30 of last year at the Korea House folk theater in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the director officially introduced the film's production background and its core message. The film traces the tragic life of a woman who, after suffering sexual violence within the family during childhood, found herself cut off fr
UNJournal Jon Lee | On February 25 at 2:30 p.m., the 2026 Korea Masters Invitational Exhibition officially kicked off in Insadong with an awards ceremony and Hanbok fashion show. "A place where tradition and modernity, recorded history and personal memories meet," is how Chairman of the Organizing Committee Lee Jon-young described the exhibition. Lee is also publisher of Diplomacy Journal.
UNJournal Jon Lee | TURKMENISTAN BILEN KOREYA RESPUBLIKASYNYN ARASYNDAKY HYZMATDA LYK OSDURILYAR 대만민국과 투르크메니스탄 간의 협력은 발전아고 있다 TURKMENISTAN AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA EXPAND COOPERATION
UN Journal Kayla Lee | President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hye Kyung attended a state banquet hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace in Manila on the evening of March 3, as part of President Lee's ongoing state visit to the Philippines. In his dinner remarks, President Marcos noted that the two leaders had agreed to fully realize the potential of the Korea-Philippines Free Trade Agreement for the benefit of both peoples. He also highlighted areas of cooperation including investment in the Philippines' military modernization, coast guard capaci
UN Journal Kayla Lee | Korean President Lee Jae Myung held a summit on the morning of March 2 with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his state visit to Singapore. The two engaged in wide-ranging discussions on ways to deepen the strategic bilateral partnership, as well as major international issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and developments in the Middle East. Prime Minister Wong welcomed President Lee, noting his pleasure at receiving him in Singapore just over four months after their previous summit in Seoul last November. He described the visit as "an important cata
UN Journal Kayla Lee | On March 2, Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam hosted a state dinner in honor of President Lee Jae Myung’s official visit to Singapore. President Tharman expressed warm camaraderie, noting the many similarities between Korea and Singapore such as men in both countries fulfill mandatory military service. He added that he was delighted BTS would be performing in Singapore in December after completing their service obligations. President Tharman also noted that the people of the two nations are growing closer in everyday areas such as arts, culture, and sports, em
UN Journal Kayla Lee | From March 3 to March 6, the sculpture exhibition “Art is Industry – K-Art Where the People and the National Assembly Meet” will be held on the 2nd floor of the National Assembly Members' Office Building. Organized by the Korea Sculptors Association (KSA), this exhibition is the first official initiative to extend the achievements and discourse of the 2026 Seoul International Sculpture Festa to the National Assembly. Notably, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik will personally attend, delivering a congratulatory address to honor the occasion and convey messages of enc
UNJournal Kayla Lee | A region-led framework to scale AI transformation (AX) across industrial complexes is now underway. On February 26, 2026, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) held the launch ceremony for the Industrial Complex AX Subcommittee, the 11th subcommittee under the M.AX Alliance, at the Changwon National Industrial Complex. Manufacturers, AI companies, universities, research institutes, and local governments attended the event and discussed the direction of the industrial complex AX and the subcommittee’s operating plan. The new subcommittee brings together mor