By Anna Kim Regarding the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree where heat waves are causing a series of heat-activated patients, President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered, "Add a tourism program to make it a memorable event." President Yoon, who is on vacation on Aug. 5, ordered Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min to "add a tourism program to see Korea's industry, culture, history and nature urgently," Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said in a written briefing. President Yoon requested cooperation from cities and pr
By Kayla lee Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang and Minister for Trade Dukgeun Ahn met with the House Committee on Ways and Means, led by Congressman Jason Smith, on July 31 in Seoul to discuss the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), CHIPS and Science Act, energy cooperation and other Korea-U.S. industrial and trade issues. Meanwhile, Korea’s Trade, Industry and Energy Vice Minister Jang Young-jin held a briefing session on Korea-U.S. industrial technology R&D on August 1 (local time) in San Francisco and conveyed the Korean government’s stance on international coop
By Kayla lee The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), dispatched to Canada on July 2 to support the suppression of wildfires therein, left Canada on August 1, local time, and arrived in Korea on August 2 after a month of firefighting operations in the country. Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to the KDRT aboard a Korean transport aircraft and extended appreciation to Korea, saying that all Canadians were moved by Korea’s dispatch of the KDRT at a time when Canada was facing difficulties due to its worst-ever wildfires. Taking a tour of the aircraft cabin, the Prime M
By Anna Kim The Busan Port Authority (BPA) announced on Aug. 4 that it signed an MOU for logistics-linked cooperation with Ishikawa Prefecture, a port authority at Kanazawa Port in Japan, at the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal in Dong-gu on Aug. 3. Kanazawa Port, located on the west coast of Honshu, Japan, is geographically adjacent to Busan Port and has eight Busan routes per week, and large shippers such as Komatsu, the world's second-largest heavy equipment company, use the route. BPA President Kang Joon-seok said, “Through the signing of this MOU, we will strive to facilitate l
By Anna Kim President Yoon Suk-yeol met with a delegation of U.S. House of Representatives on July 31 to exchange opinions on the Korea-U.S. alliance, economic cooperation between the two countries, and regional and international issues. The delegation of U.S. congressmen led by Jason Smith, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee, visited South Korea on the first leg of their four-nation tour of East Asia, Lee Do-woon, a spokesman for the president's office, said in a written briefing. Welcoming the delegation's visit, President Yoon said, "I hope that both cou
By Kayla lee President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno in Seoul on Aug. 1, asking for the Central American country's support for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. According to Presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon, both leaders discussed development of bilateral ties and stronger practical cooperation. Prime Minister Briceno visited Korea at the invitation of the Busan city government. Welcoming the Belizean leader on his second trip to the country in two months since the first in May, President Yoon said, "More Korean tourists are visiting Belize,
By Anna Kim Shim Min, governor of Imsil-gun County, Jeollabuk-do, has stepped up as a "global ambassador" to herald his county, Jeollabuk-do and South Korea to participants in the 25th World Scout Jamboree held in Saemangeum, Imsil-gun. Governor Shim welcomed Macedonian teenagers participating in the World Jamboree who visited Imsil-gun for the first time on Aug. 1 and served as a goodwill ambassador to promote Korea, Jeollabuk-do, and Imsil. On this day, 30 Macedonian teenagers visited Imsil Cheese Village and held a "hoho program, rural culture experience." Governor Shim said, "Today, we wel
By Anna Kim Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, who is on an official visit to Austria (Salzburg) from July 27 to 28 at the invitation of Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg, met with the Austrian Federal Minister on July 27, and had a broad exchange of views on strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, enhancing substantive cooperation in such areas as future industries and economic security, and regional affairs. The two ministers appreciated that high-level exchanges between the two countries have taken place actively, in
By Reporter Anna Kim K-water held a meeting with ambassadors from five countries in the Mekong River basin, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, at the Han River Basin Headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province on Aug. 1. At the meeting, K-water shared the current status of projects being pursued in the Mekong River basin, including the expansion of water facilities in Batambang Province, Cambodia, and the establishment of a climate-adaptive flood example and warning system for the Sebanghiyang River basin in Sawanaket, Laos. In addition, they discussed ways to cooperate t
By Reporter Anna Kim The World Hongik Taekwondo and World Comprehensive Martial Arts Championship took place at the Youth Sports Academy Gymnasium in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in Africa on July 27 for a four-day run. This international tournament marked the second event following the inaugural competition in Australia in March this year. From 18 African countries, located in geographically close proximity, around 5,000 martial artists and officials who had honed various martial arts disciplines such as Taekwondo, Wushu, Karate, Hapkido, ITF, and WTF, participated in the internation