By Lee Kap-soo President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to Qatar at the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, held a meeting with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar on October 25. Prior to the meeting, an official welcome ceremony was held in the main hall of Amiri Diwan Palace to celebrate President Yoon's state visit. The Qatari side escorted the President's vehicle as it entered the Amiri Diwan Palace entrance, accompanied by mounted and camel troops. The President was received by His Highness Emir Tamim in the concourse of Amiri Diwan Palace, where he was escorted by th
By Lee Kap-soo “October 29, we'll be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkiye with joy and excitement,” said Amb. Murat Tamer of Turkiye to South Korea on Oct. 24. In an exclusive interview with Diplomacy Journal, Amb. Murat Tamer said, “In February, we had devastating earthquakes in Turkey. Almost more than 50,000 people lost their lives and from all walks of life from the Korean side they rushed us to help us.” He said, “It's not just by its words, it's really has a deep affection from the heart inside. And it's really felt that we are brothers and we
By Lee Kap-soo First Lady Kim Keon-hee visited The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (TRITA) at the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Oct. 22. The TRITA opened in 2021 with the aim of inheriting and developing Saudi Arabia's traditional culture, and operates education, training, and academic programs. Mrs. Kim expressed her delight at the cooperation between the two countries, including a workshop for Korean ceramic painters at the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts and the signing of an MOU for academic exchange with Korea National University of Traditional Culture, and expresse
By Lee Kap-soo Unification Minister Kim Young-ho met with German Ambassador to South Korea Georg Schmidt on Oct. 18 and said, "I hope that the two countries, which are celebrating the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, will deepen mutual cooperation, including on reunification issues." The Unification Ministry said Kim made the remarks as he met with Schmidt at the government's Seoul office later in the day to share the recent achievements following his visit to Germany. Kim explained the South Korean government's policy direction, which focuses on denuclearizing North Korea,
By Lee Kap-soo The Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK), in collaboration with the New Jersey Investment Authority (Choose New Jersey), hosted the 'Business Reception for Middle Market Enterprises Invited by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy' at Conrad Seoul Hotel on Oct. 19. The reception consisted of an introduction of the New Jersey Investment Authority and the Economic Development Authority's 'New Jersey Investment Entry Strategy', a presentation of the success story of a mid-sized company in New Jersey by the nation's largest chicken franchise, Genesis BBQ Group, and bus
By Lee Kap-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Dong-yeon met with Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, to explain Gyeonggi-do's commitment to overcoming the climate crisis and becoming carbon neutral, and to propose international cooperation. He also expressed his intention to join the Under2 Coalition, a global coalition of local governments on climate change policy, of which The Climate Group is the secretariat. During a meeting with Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, at the Roh Moo-hyun Civic Center in Seoul, Gov. Kim Dong-yeon said, "Gyeonggi-do is the most proactive province in addre
By Lee Kap-soo Hyundai Motor Group and Georgia Tech signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 19 to collaborate on research and applications to support the future of sustainable mobility, including developing a hydrogen economy, workforce development, and making cities smarter and more sustainable, among many other areas of cooperation. The group is investing $12.6 billion in new dedicated electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities in Georgia. The investment includes the $7.59 billion Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) site in Bryan County, Georgia that will create mo
By Lee Kap-soo SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won held a series of meetings with senior government officials from Estonia and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to discuss ways to cooperate on economic and industrial issues. According to SK Group on Oct. 15, Chey held a luncheon with Estonian President Alar Karis and senior government officials at the SK Building in Seoul. The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in areas such as information and communication technology (ICT) and green energy. Related to this, SK Square signed a memorandum of understanding on ICT investment cooperation with the
By Lee Kap-soo The following article was provided by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul to Diplomacy Journal. —Ed. The 25th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is scheduled for October 16-20 this year in Samarkand. For the first time in history, Uzbekistan will host this important biennial gathering of member states and affiliate members of UNWTO. The event will bring together heads of government agencies, representatives of the tourism industry, and international business corporations engaged in the sector from around 159 countries. Heads o
By Lee Kap-soo | President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee attended the opening ceremony of the 104th Korean National Sports Festival held at the Mokpo Sports Complex on Oct. 13. The 104th edition of the National Games, which features athletes from 17 cities and provinces across the country, as well as overseas Korean athletes from around the world, was held in Jeollanam-do for the first time in 15 years since Yeosu in 2008, and will run for seven days from October 13 to 19. The 104th edition of the National Games featured overseas Korean athletes from 18 countries (Japan, the United