By UN Journal Belarus Correspondent Kim Sun-ah Minsk, the capital of Belarus. For those living here, Lake Zaslavskaye is simply a nearby retreat. However, the lake, nicknamed the "Minsk Sea," has become a magnet for both city dwellers and tourists. Located just 5km from downtown Minsk, the lake offers the perfect escape for those seeking a seaside escape in the city. Lake Zaslavskaye was created in 1956 to prevent flooding and secure water resources. This artificial reservoir, created at the time, has held special significance from its very existence. Covering an area of approximately 31.1 squ
By UN Journal Belarus Correspondent Kim Sun-ah The monument, located near the Brest Fortress in Belarus, is a symbolic site of significance and historical importance during World War II. This monument is more than just a stone and iron structure; it serves as an unforgettable reminder of sacrifice and courage for those who love Belarus and its history. The Battle of the Brest Fortress was a fierce battle that took place in 1941 during the Nazi German invasion. Soviet troops and local residents risked their lives to defend the fortress and fight against the invaders. Their indomitable spirit re
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit on Nov. 1 with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was visiting South Korea as a state guest for the first time in 11 years. The summit focused on establishing a direction for the development of South Korea-China relations that would contribute substantially to the livelihoods of the people of both countries, based on the shared understanding between the two leaders that "people's livelihoods are paramount." The South Korea-China summit featured in-depth discussions on a variety of pending issues, including ways to strengt
By UN Journal Belarus Correspondent Kim Sun-ah Minsk, Belarus-- On October 29, 2025, an official meeting was held in the conference room of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus. Five officials, including Deputy Minister Oleg Andreychik, and a delegation from the Republic of Korea were present. This meeting was a meaningful opportunity to discuss expanding tourism exchanges and cultural cooperation between Korea and Belarus. In his welcoming remarks, Deputy Minister Andreychik introduced Belarus as "a treasure trove of culture and nature located in the heart of Europe."
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young President Lee Jae-myung held his first summit with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on October 27. President Lee expressed his deep gratitude for his visit to Malaysia, the ASEAN chair this year and a long-standing friendly nation, as his first ASEAN country since taking office. Prime Minister Anwar expressed his gratitude for President Lee's visit, despite his busy schedule preparing for the APEC summit. Prime Minister Anwar further expressed his appreciation for President Lee's visit to Malaysia, saying it will provide a significant impetus for advancing Kor
By UN Journal Kayla Lee President Lee Jae-myung held a dinner-and-meeting with Koreans in Malaysia on October 26, titled "A New History We Write Together, the Real Republic of Korea," in Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia, and offered words of encouragement to Koreans living there. The meeting, part of President Lee's visit to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, was attended by approximately 200 people from various walks of life, including representatives of Korean community organizations, businesspeople, Korean language school officials, artists, and international organizations. In his congratulatory remarks
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo President Lee Jae-myung, currently in Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on October 27 (local time) to discuss strengthening cooperation between the two countries and responding to online scams. President Lee held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur that day. He expressed his gratitude for the hospitality shown to the Korean delegation during their recent visit to Cambodia regarding online scams. He said, "In South Korea, the entire nation is very
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo The Embassy of Hungary in Korea hosted a reception to celebrate the National Day commemorating the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 at the Pullman Hotel in Seoul on Oct. 22, 2025. Delivering congratulatory remarks, Amb. Istvan Szerdahelyi of Hungary in Seoul said, “October 23, 1956 is one of the most significant days in Hungary's history, a day when our nation stood against dictatorship, Soviet military occupation in the fight for freedom. And the date marks more than just an important event for Hungary and it was a historical milestone that contributed to shaping the Eur
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Recent consecutive kidnappings and detentions targeting Koreans in Cambodia have escalated beyond mere public safety concerns, shaking the diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cambodia. Particularly as these incidents are revealed to be the work of international criminal organizations colluding with Cambodia's corrupt authorities, the gravity of the situation is escalating toward potential international sanctions against Cambodia. This shocking crisis is shaking the very foundation of South Korea's core diplomatic policy, the ‘New Southern Policy,’ which has
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina met with Mr. Haoliang Xu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Acting Administrator of the UN Development Program (UNDP) who is visiting Korea to attend an APEC Finance Ministerial Meeting on Oct. 20, and discussed ways to further advance Korea-UNDP cooperation. Vice Minister Kim noted that despite the multiple challenges facing international development cooperation, the Korea-UNDP partnership has continued to make progress. She emphasized that it is particularly important for the Korea-UNDP R.E.V.I.V.E initiative to achie
By UN Journal Kayla Lee There, people are still being tortured, sold, and dying. Their cries for help go unheard. The regime remains silent, and the authorities turn a blind eye. And that silence is the most brutal accomplice. Imprisoned people are beaten while chained, women are sold to human trafficking rings, and young people are used as slaves for cyber scams. They are managed not as humans but as numbers, their suffering buried in statistics. This is not crime. It is the collapse of the state. The law is corrupt, the police are bought off, and the judiciary has become a toy of power. Crim
By UN Journal Lee Jon-young Cambodia declares that over 95% of its people practice Theravada Buddhism, establishing compassion and the Middle Way as the nation's fundamental principles. Yet today's Cambodia is transforming into a nation where greed prevails over compassion, and corruption over the Middle Way. In recent years, crimes like foreigner abductions, human trafficking, online gambling, and drug dealing have surged, effectively turning the country into a hotbed of crime. Criminals collude with public officials, the law becomes powerless before money, and the victims are always foreigne
By UN Journal Lee Kap-soo Ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province on October 31, the Donald Trump administration is replacing Joseph Yun, the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in South Korea. Appointed by former U.S. President Joe Biden, Yun was named to the position on January 10, ten days before President Trump's term began. According to diplomatic sources, Kevin Kim, the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is being considered as his successor. This marks the second time in just nine months si
By UN Journal Kayla Lee Minister of Justice Chung Sung-ho met with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the Gwacheon Government Complex on October 17. They emphasized the importance of solidarity and responsibility-sharing within the international community to resolve the global refugee crisis and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation. Minister Jeong stated, “Since acceding to the Refugee Convention in 1992, Korea has actively participated in refugee protection as a responsible member of the international community, including enacting Asia's first Re
By UN Journal Kayla L:ee Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks with Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard on October 16. Minister Stenergard is visiting South Korea on October 15 and 16. The two ministers exchanged views on practical cooperation and regional affairs. Minister Cho noted that high-level exchanges between the two countries have been revitalized since the launch of the new administration, including the visit of the Crown Princess Couple of Sweden and the subsequent meeting between the foreign ministers. He expressed hope that these high-level exchanges would lead to tang