UNJournal Jon Lee | The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it will begin recruiting companies for the K-Export Star 500 project on the 16th of this month, aiming to foster 500 star companies with exports exceeding $10 million, the backbone of Korea's exports. ▲ "Photo - Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy" Recently, South Korea's exports have surpassed $700 billion for the first time, demonstrating quantitative growth. However, 84% of exports are concentrated in the top 1% of companies, highlighting the urgent need to improve the export structure through systematic foster
UNJournal Jon Lee | Seoul, January 12, 2026 , A lecture by Nurgali Arystanov, Ambassador Kazakhstan, entitled “Kazakhstan’s Multi-Vector Foreign Policy and Its Growing Relations with the Republic of Korea” was held in Seoul. The event was organized with the support of the Korean Culture Association as part of a training program for future diplomats. Over 80 middle and high school students of the Republic of Korea – young leaders interested in international relations and diplomacy – took part in the lecture. In his remarks, the Kazakh diplomat provided a detailed overview of the key points rais
UNJournal Jon Lee | Seoul, January 14, 2026, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Nurgali Arystanov, paid a call on Maeng Seong-gyu, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and Chair of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of transport and logistics, which constitutes a strategic priority of the policy pursued by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The interlocutors also emphasized the relevance of cooperation in the development of the Alatau Smart City. In this cont
UNJournal David Kendall Editor | NARA, Japan (Jan. 13) — Lee Jae-myung on Monday became the first South Korean president to visit Nara Prefecture, holding a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and calling for a “new era” of strategic cooperation between the two neighboring countries. The visit was marked by unusually warm hospitality from the Japanese side. From Lee’s arrival in Osaka to his transfer to Nara, Japan provided top-level security and protocol. In a surprise gesture, Prime Minister Takaichi personally greeted President Lee at his lodging—an appearance not included in
UNJournal Jon Lee | President Lee Jae-myung will visit Nara, Japan, on January 13 for a summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. This summit, where South Korea and Japan will discuss complex issues—past history, the economy, trade and regional security—is seen as both a catalyst for improved relations and a source of new tensions. Nara Prefecture, chosen as the venue for the summit, is the birthplace of ancient Japanese culture and a historically symbolic venue for East Asian exchange. The Korean media has called this "a crossroads between forward-looking messages and historical awareness."
UNJournal Jon Lee | President Lee Jae-myung hosted a luncheon meeting with leaders of South Korea’s major religious denominations at Cheong Wa Dae (The Blue House) today at noon to mark the New Year of 2026. Under the theme "Toward National Unity with Religion," the meeting brought together leaders from seven major religious groups—Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Won Buddhism, Confucianism, Cheondogyo, and Korean Native Religions—to seek wisdom on overcoming social divisions. In his opening remarks, President Lee stated, "National unity is the President's most paramount duty, yet there a
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will pay an official visit to South Korea from January 17 to 19, Cheong Wa Dae announced, marking the first visit by a European leader since the inauguration of Lee Jae-myung. The visit will also be the first time South Korea welcomes a foreign leader at Cheong Wa Dae since the presidential office returned there, and the first bilateral summit visit by an Italian prime minister in 19 years. President Lee and Prime Minister Meloni are scheduled to hold summit talks and an official luncheon on January 19. Expanding Cooperation in Tra
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | In his recent interview published on January 5, 2026, in the newspaper Turkistan, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev offered a comprehensive and candid assessment of the country’s development trajectory, laying out his vision for Kazakhstan’s path towards modernization. His remarks reflect not only impressive economic achievements, but also deep structural changes shaping the future of our nation. He stated that “This year will be pivotal for our country, as a number of critically important events will take place that will define Kazakhstan’s
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | On November 28, 2025, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed a dialogue platform for rural akims (mayors), outlining his vision for the long-term development of remote areas. Kazakhstan’s Political Reforms: Evolution Instead of Shock Change President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is implementing a large-scale transformation of Kazakhstan’s political system by pursuing an evolutionary path of development based on institutional reform and a carefully calibrated sequence of actions. Since 2019, Kazakhstan has adopted around twenty laws aimed at modernizing its political system
UNJournal Jon Lee | The Blue House announced that President Lee Jae-myung will visit Nara Prefecture, Japan, for a two-day, one-night trip on January 13th and 14th to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi. This visit was made at the invitation of the Japanese government, following the suggestion during the summit with Prime Minister Takaichi at last year's Gyeongju APEC summit that "the next shuttle diplomacy should be held in Nara, the Prime Minister's hometown."This marks the third meeting between President Lee and Prime Minister Takaichi, less than three months after his inaug
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | BEIJING — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a 90-minute summit on Jan. 5, 2026, agreeing to fully restore bilateral relations and significantly expand cooperation across the economic, cultural, and security sectors. A Turning Point in Strategic Partnership The summit, which took place at the Great Hall of the People, lasted 30 minutes longer than scheduled, reflecting the depth of the issues discussed. In his opening remarks, President Lee characterized the meeting as a "crucial momentum" to make 2026 the inaugural year for the
UNJournal Kayla Lee | President Lee Jae-myung on January 7 (local time) visited the former site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai, concluding his four-day state visit to China. Upon arriving in Shanghai, President Lee first attended the Korea–China Venture Startup Summit, where he met with young entrepreneurs from both countries who are leading innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies. Participants exchanged views on expanding bilateral cooperation across cutting-edge industries. President Lee then paid tribute at the former Pr
UNJournal Jon Lee | In December 2025, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is scheduled to pay an official visit to Japan and participate in the high-level Central Asia–Japan Dialogue summit, according to the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul on Dec. 17. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states on 26 January 1992, the development of Uzbek–Japanese cooperation has been one of the key priorities of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region. Based on mutual respect and trust, Tashkent and Tokyo are today building dynamic, multi-tiered cooperation cover
UNJournal Jon Lee | Representatives of the Republic of Korea and the United States of America held the 205th Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) Joint Committee Meeting at Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek, on 12 December, 2025. The ROK delegation was led by Director-General Hong Jeepio, North American Affairs Bureau, the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The U.S. delegation was led by Lieutenant General David R. Iverson, Deputy Commander, United States Forces Korea. During the discussions, the two sides reaffirmed the seven decade-long ROK-U.S. partnership, recognized the importance of the ROK-U.S. SOF
UNJournal Jon Lee | The outgoing year marks in Azerbaijan the 30th anniversary of our Constitution and the 5th anniversary of the Victory in the Patriotic War of 2020, which led to the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and full sovereignty. In recognition of these historic milestones, President Ilham Aliyev proclaimed 2025 as the “Year of Constitution and Sovereignty”. For centuries, the greatest dream of the Azerbaijani people has been to own an independent and sovereign state and to build a developed society based on national and moral values, solidarity, humanism, justice, a