Press Briefing

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Kim In-chul

June 25, 2019  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

First, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho and Vice Mayor of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Kang Tae-woong will sign today a memorandum of understanding on the operation of an Open Campus for participatory diplomacy.

The Open Campus for participatory diplomacy is a platform for participatory civic education, which will allow people to be exposed to expert lectures at lifelong education institutes of provincial governments; to get a glimpse into diverse diplomatic experiences by visiting participating Embassies in the Republic of Korea; and then to discuss diplomatic issues and to make policy suggestions.

The signing ceremony will bring together some 100 Korean people as well as Ambassadors to the Republic of Korea from the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federative Republic of Brazil, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, who are joining this program. The ceremony will be followed by a special lecture on “diplomacy in history and history in diplomacy.”

The combination of MOFA’s policy content and the SMG’s network of lifelong education is expected to help raise people’s awareness and understanding on diplomacy, and to help broaden the base of participatory diplomacy.

Moving along, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho will attend and deliver congratulatory remarks at the 11^th YoungSan Diplomat Awards ceremony, which will be hosted by the Seoul Forum for International Affairs on Thursday, June 27.

The YoungSan Diplomat Awards will be presented to former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Shin Kak-soo, and Mr. Park Hang-seo, coach of Viet Nam's national football team.

(A question-and-answer session followed.)