UNJournal Kayla Lee | South Korean diplomacy is simultaneously facing two critical challenges: securing security sovereignty and restructuring economic security. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regular briefing on the 23rd, key pending issues that will determine the future direction of the South Korean diplomacy were discussed intensively, including: ROK-US nuclear cooperation negotiations to secure nuclear-powered submarines (SSN), the restructuring of US-led AI and high-tech supply chains, and the issue of North Korean POWs arising from the war in Ukraine. In particular, attention is foc
UNJournal Kayla Lee | Explaining the results of his tour of Europe and the Group of Seven (G7), President Lee Jae-myung emphasized his commitment to expanding national interests through pragmatic diplomacy and international cooperation for the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula. During a briefing on the results of the Europe and G7 tour held at the Chunchugwan on the 19th, President Lee stated, “I requested Pope Leo XIV to visit Korea in conjunction with next year’s World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul, and asked him to pursue the possibility of a visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) an
UNJournal Kayla Lee | As the international community simultaneously faces a complex crisis of war, climate change, and the spread of infectious diseases, the United Nations (UN) has called on governments, international organizations, and private sector partners to respond more swiftly and decisively. In a recent briefing, UN leaders expressed deep concern over the worsening armed conflicts in Sudan, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories. At the same time, they emphasized the urgent need for a joint international response to the Ebola virus, which is showing signs of resurgence in Africa, an
UNJournal Kayla Lee | The World Peace Art Exhibition Organizing Committee, a non-profit corporation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced the appointment of Mme. Kim Tae-yeon, a cultural arts planner and designated reporter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as its new Secretary General. This appointment is being evaluated as a strategic personnel move aimed at strengthening the international standing of the World Peace Art Exhibition and expanding its global cultural arts network as it approaches its 30th anniversary in 2027. Chairman of the Board of Damhwa stated, "T
UNJournal Kayla Lee | From June 16th to 19th, the capital will host the 5th Tashkent International Investment Forum, the country's primary investment platform and one of the region's largest business forums. Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF-2026) has solidified its position as a key investment platform in Central Asia, bringing together states, international investors, and representatives of global business. The forum serves not merely as a platform for dialogue, but as a space where the region's practical investment agenda is actively shaped. The core idea of the forum lies in th
UNJournal Kayla Lee | The city of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, will participate in one of Asia’s leading international tourism exhibitions-Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF 2026), taking place from June 4 to 7, 2026, in Seoul, South Korea. SITF is recognized as a key tourism platform in the Asia-Pacific region, annually bringing together national tourism organizations, convention bureaus, cities, and travel companies from around the world. The exhibition serves as an important gateway for destinations seeking to strengthen their presence in the Asian outbound travel market and expand
UNJournal Kayla Lee | The contemporary system of international relations is being shaped by rapid geopolitical changes, growing fragmentation, disruptions in transport and supply chains, climate change, and increasing risks to food and energy security. Under these conditions, trust, dialogue and practical cooperation among states are becoming more important than ever. For Central and South Asia — two historically interconnected regions with significant yet not fully realized potential-connectivity has acquired not only economic, but also strategic, political and civilizational significance. Th
UNJournal Kayla Lee | From 3 to 6 May 2026, Samarkand will host the 59th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The event is expected to bring together heads of banking and financial institutions from 69 member countries, as well as representatives of international organizations. Discussions will focus on the key development challenges facing the countries of Asia and possible ways to address them. The holding of such a high-level forum in Uzbekistan reflects the growing recognition of the country’s ongoing economic reforms and the strengthening of its position within the global f
UNJournal Kayla Lee | In recent years, cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic in the fields of higher education, science, and innovation has been enriched with new content and has been steadily developing. Previously formed mainly within the framework of individual projects, grant programs, and short-term initiatives, this relationship has now reached a new stage — a well-thought-out, systematic, and long-term strategic partnership. Today, this cooperation is being shaped based on clear goals and priority areas. Links between universities are strengthening, transforming not only
UNJournal Kayla Lee | Stolen cultural property dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD has been returned to Uzbekistan following a large-scale investigation involving law enforcement agencies and scholars from across Europe. A number of artefacts, illegally smuggled from the Central Asian republic that was once the heart of the Bactrian and Kushan empires, were presented by the Metropolitan Police's Art and Antiquities Unit at the Embassy of Uzbekistan. They will subsequently be transported back to their homeland, where they will take a prominent place in the exhibition of the recently ope
UNJournal Kayla Lee | The Fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum will take place on June 16–19, 2026. This year’s theme - “Investment Resilience: New Frontiers, New Partnerships” – frames the agenda around a set of pressing questions: how to protect capital amid global uncertainty, what institutional mechanisms enhance investment resilience in frontier markets, and where the new partnership routes lie. The forum’s context is set by macroeconomic results. According to the National Statistics Committee, Uzbekistan’s GDP grew by 7.7% in 2025 and exceeded $147 billion – the fastest pace sin
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 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
UNJournal Kayla Lee | Adopted at the conclusion of the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions (September 17–18, 2025), the Astana Peace Declaration 2025 has emerged as a landmark document in contemporary interreligious diplomacy. It outlines concrete directions for international cooperation in peacebuilding, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue. The Congress brought together over 100 delegations from around 60 countries, reaffirming Kazakhstan’s role as a global platform for dialogue among civilizations. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the growin