The afternoon began with a social lunch featuring traditional Korean Gomtang and Yukjeon, fostering a warm start to the new year. Following lunch, the members attended a 2:00 PM docent-led session to gain a structural understanding of the exhibition.

The members then spent time individually appreciating the vast collection, which included works from the Southern and Northern Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism, Realism, and Impressionism. Among the many masterpieces, Vrel’s "Interior with a Seated Woman" stood out as a favorite, leaving a lasting impression with its serene beauty. This event served as a meaningful opportunity for members to deepen their cultural insights and strengthen their bonds.

The ceremony was attended by approximately 120 guests, including Jung Dae-chul, Chairman of the Constitutional Association of Korea; Lee In-sun, Chair of the Gender Equality and Family Committee of the National Assembly; and Kim Hee-jung, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party. Also in attendance were former members of the National Assembly and ministers, as well as leaders of women's organizations, academics, diplomats, and WKIC members, all gathered to celebrate the association’s 9th anniversary.

Kim Jung Sook, President of WKIC, expressed her gratitude to all the attendees. She highlighted the association's active efforts both at home and abroad to promote women's empowerment and gender equality, citing collaborative projects with foreign embassies in Korea, participation in international conferences, historical and cultural exploration tours, specialized seminars, and various small-group activities. In particular, she spoke highly of the association's active role on the international stage, such as sending a delegation of 20 members to the International Council of Women (ICW) General Assembly in Marrakech, Morocco, last June, and the Federation of Asia-Pacific Women’s Association (FAWA) in Taipei, Taiwan, in October. She thanked the members for making these achievements possible.

In his congratulatory speech, Chairman Jung Dae-chul noted, “According to the Gender Gap Index released by the World Economic Forum, South Korea ranked a disappointing 101st out of 148 countries.” He attributed this low ranking to the scarcity of women in high-level economic positions, a male-dominated political culture, and the imbalance of gender roles within the household. As a solution, he emphasized the need to “set gender equality targets, address the gender pay gap, and support work-life balance for women.”

Chairperson Lee In-sun stated, “As the Chair of the Gender Equality and Family Committee of the National Assembly, I will strive to establish laws and systems that ensure women's status is well-maintained and allow women to live harmoniously in society, at home, and in the workplace.”

Representative Kim Hee-jung praised the association, saying, “The WKIC is one of the few organizations in Korea that takes a leading role in its field.” She congratulated the association on its 9th anniversary and its continuous efforts toward gender equality and the enhancement of women's international capabilities. There was a beautiful musical performance followed by the Baritone, Prof. Park Kyung Joon, and the Tenor. Prof. Jung and the cake-cutting ceremony as well. Co-chair Lee Minji proposed a toast to the Prosperity of the club. After the luncheon, a happy draw took place, and approximately 20 gifts were donated by the Board members of WKIC. Such a festivity!

A delegation of ten people, including President Jung Sook Kim, participated in the 25th Federation of Asia-Pacific Women's Associations (FAWA) Convention held in Taipei, Taiwan, from October 27 to 30, 2025.

Key Events by Date

• October 26 (Sunday): The delegation arrived, completed registration, and the conference officially began with a Welcome Dinner.

• October 28 (Tuesday):

  • The Opening Ceremony featured Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao of Taiwan, who delivered a speech on women's empowerment and gender equality.

  • The Keynote Speech was given by AI expert Sega Cheng on the topic, "Women in an AI Era: Breaking Barriers, Inspiring Change."

  • This was immediately followed by a special performance by Professor Lim Cheong-hwa from South Korea.

  • The morning concluded with the singing of the FAWA Song.

  • The luncheon included a "Words of Wisdom" session with the seven Taiwanese club presidents and former FAWA presidents.

  • After the luncheon, Country Presentations followed, with Secretary-General Sunny Shin presenting for Korea.

• October 29 (Wednesday):

  • The morning featured a lecture related to the Keynote Speech.

  • The afternoon consisted of a one-and-a-half-hour session with Workshops across four different fields.

  • South Korean Participants in Workshops:

    • Sun Joo Lee (Head of UNESCO Korea Branch) served as Co-Rapporteur for the 'Women and Peace' sector.

    • Hazel Kim (WKIC, Board of Director) and Sunny Shin(Secretary-General) served as Chair and Co-Chair, respectively, for the 'Women and Climate' sector.

  • Followed by Culture Discovery activities, which included a Tea Tasting Ceremony and Chinese Knotting 

  • The day ended with a Friendship Night hosted by the local clubs.

• October 30 (Thursday):

  • The delegation visited Kuang Tzu Po Ai Park for a tour of the housing and center dedicated to disadvantaged residents in Taiwan.

  • The Gala Night featured workshop reports, resolutions, and Country Performances.

  • Performances were presented in the order of Guam, Japan, Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Each country showcased their sincerely prepared talents.

  • The Korean delegation received great applause for their performance of "O Sole Mio" and "Miryang Arirang," accompanied by rhythmic movements.

The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing World Conference on Women. The Platform for Action and the Beijing Declaration, along with the practical strategy of 'Gender Mainstreaming,' adopted at the UN-sponsored Beijing World Conference on Women, have since become the behavioral norms for women's advancement for all UN member states. The 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW69), held in New York, USA, in March 2025, was a meeting to look back on the 30 years since the Beijing World Conference on Women and explore future strategies. The Women's International Exchange Association (WKIC) reported on the key discussions from UN CSW69.

During the report, Kim Jung-sook, President of WKIC, explained the history and significance of UN-centric discussions on women's advancement and introduced the parallel events held at UNCSW69 by organizations such as Welcome Clubs International, the Korean Women's Political Culture Institute, and the International Council of Women. Dr. Kim Eun-kyung, a Senior Research Fellow at the Korean Women's Development Institute, shared her observations from UNCSW69, focusing on the main agenda, schedule, and key discussion points. The primary agenda items for UNCSW69 were the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the review and evaluation of the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. Based on these, ministerial roundtables, interactive dialogues, general debates, and NGO sessions were conducted. Six action agendas for Beijing+30 were adopted, specifically including: utilizing technology for equality, freedom from poverty, zero violence, ensuring full and equal decision-making power and restructuring power structures for this purpose, women, peace and security, and climate justice. Additionally, Dr. Kim Eun-kyung summarized and explained five tasks proposed by the Beijing+30 expert group and major NGO events.

A total of 35 people attended the lecture, including WKIC executives and members, female politicians, and heads of public institutions.

On Friday, June 13, 2025, which was the second Friday of June, members of WKIC visited Jongmyo Shrine. Jongmyo is a significant site where the ancestral tablets of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty are enshrined and ancestral rites are performed. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, and the Jongmyo Jeryeak (Royal Ancestral Ritual Music), performed during these rites, was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2001. We gathered in front of the main gate at 4:00 PM and, starting at 4:20 PM, strolled through the area and learned about the newly restored Jongmyo with the guide's explanations.

After several congratulatory messages, there was a concert with three well-known singers. Such a festivity!



The exhibition was titled 'Love, Death, and Nostalgia.' Before the visit, the artist told us that the exhibition would be 'expressing photographs as videos.' So I went expecting videos that I saw a few times recently, such as the Monet's Water Lilies digital exhibition. What awaited me, however, was a completely new form of exhibition I had never seen before.

First, we were greeted by a mystic and overwhelming color that was somewhere between purple and pink. As we approached what seemed like a large photograph, the image subtly transformed. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the image was a collage of smaller screens, each displaying a moving video. These video displays were meticulously arranged to form a single, uniquely designed video piece. The colors of the individual videos and the collage video seemed to blend together as if the hues of a sunset change colors without us knowing.

I was amazed by the original composition of the video. My next thought was how much time, effort, and dedication must have gone into creating it, and I felt a deep sense of respect for the artist. I was also so proud of her for achieving such artistic heights.

Members of Welcome to Korea International Club had a lot of things going on from attending Biennial Conference of Welcome Clubs International, running regular programs as well as having some visitors from everywhere. We had Maria Fernanda from Argentina, Eshrat from United States, Grace from Taiwan, Martine and Ludovia from France, Linda from Taiwan.  

Here are some of the pictures taken. Enjoy!

Jeondong Chathedral is known for the structure, which looks like the Virgin Mary. Quite Interesting!

After delicious Bibimbap, we got on the limousine bus and went to Geumsansa temple which is very famous for its Mireukjeon Hall. Anyone would be quite surprised to see the height of the Buddha Stautue. Byeokgolje Reservoir site was the last stop of the day's trip and such a lovely and cozy tour among the common cosmos and the drizzling rain. 

 

To promote an international  education and cultural exchange, WKIC has been inviting the ambassadors residing in Korea and listening to the women's status and political policies of those countries. On Thursday, September 26th, H.E. Dawn Bennet from New Zealand came and gave us the details of the history of policies on women and current situations. She put the focus on the women's strive towards social and economic equality. Women in New Zealand began advocating for suffrage in the 1870s, and became the first self-governing country in the the world to grant women the right to vote a significant step towards gender equality. The presentation explored key milestones, challenges, and the ongoing fight for progress, In 2005, women held all the top Constitutional positions like Prime Minister, Governor-General, Speaker of the House of Representative, Chief Justice, and Attorney-General. How impressive! Policies on women implemented by women! Over 70 people joined the event and enjoyed the presentation and the luncheon. 

What's going to happen in November this year in the United States? Who is going to be the President? Trump or Biden? What kind of impact should we expect? What's going to happen to the Korean Peninsula and the around countries? 

These have been the ongoing questions and Dr. Choonkeun Lee came over to the 19th floor of the Press Center and gave us the briefing and his anticipation of the US election. It started at 11am on June 24th at the Chrysanthemum-room and Dr. Lee went over the history of the US Election and covered the terminology used for the US Presidency. Over 30 members including the heads of civic groups, scholars, and business women participated the event.