[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and requested advice on 'With Corona' policies. Prime Minister Johnson emphasized that the recently formed 'AUKUS' partnership between the UK, Australia, and the US "will not cause any problems."
On the 20th (local time), President Moon held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Johnson at the bilateral meeting room of the Permanent Mission to the UN, exchanging views on bilateral relations and practical cooperation, climate change and COVID-19 response, the Korean Peninsula, and regional affairs.
The summit was held at the request of the UK side, 100 days after the G7 summit in June.
President Moon expressed interest in the UK's 'With Corona' approach and sought advice, to which Prime Minister Johnson responded by praising South Korea's excellent response to COVID-19 and effective vaccine rollout and management.
Prime Minister Johnson also said, "I am pleased that South Korea and the UK have exchanged vaccines," and President Moon said, "The vaccine exchange is a good example of the friendly relations between Korea and the UK, and I hope that this exchange will further strengthen Korea-UK relations."
The two leaders also reaffirmed their friendship by confirming their vaccination status. When Prime Minister Johnson asked President Moon which vaccine he had received, President Moon replied "AstraZeneca," and Johnson responded, "I also received the same vaccine."
Discussions were also held regarding the recently formed 'AUKUS' partnership between the UK, Australia, and the US. Prime Minister Johnson said, "AUKUS will not cause any problems in the region," and President Moon replied, "I hope the trilateral partnership AUKUS will contribute to peace and prosperity in the region."
President Moon expressed gratitude for the UK's cooperation as a permanent member of the UN Security Council regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and Prime Minister Johnson responded that the UK would continue to support South Korea's position as a permanent member of the Security Council.
The two leaders also discussed responses to climate change. Regarding the 'reduction of coal power generation' raised by Prime Minister Johnson, President Moon replied that South Korea has already shut down eight coal power plants and plans to close two more this year, totaling ten closures. He also explained that new public funding for overseas coal power projects has been discontinued.
President Moon said, "While the UK and European Union (EU) countries have gradually reduced greenhouse gas emissions since peaking in the 1990s, we must set carbon neutrality by 2050 and the 2030 NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) based on 2018 as the peak year. We are making ambitious efforts to achieve these challenging and difficult goals."
Regarding the 'Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group' mentioned by Prime Minister Johnson, President Moon stated, "We appreciate that the visit of the Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group contributed to strengthening defense exchanges and cooperation between the two countries," and regarding the 'light aircraft carrier project,' he said, "I hope the ongoing technical cooperation between our navies can be further expanded."
Additionally, Prime Minister Johnson mentioned the 'Korea-UK bilateral framework,' and President Moon said, "We are currently reviewing the draft of the Korea-UK bilateral framework," adding, "We have a special interest in strengthening regional cooperation including the Korean Peninsula and ASEAN, and we hope to continue coordinating to enhance cooperation."
President Moon concluded, "It was very meaningful to have in-depth discussions today for the development of bilateral relations, and it was a valuable time to strengthen cooperation not only in bilateral cooperation but also on common interests such as the Korean Peninsula issue and climate change response."
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