Visit to New York by Kwan Byu, Director of the National Assembly Secretariat, Fully Committed to Attracting the Busan Expo

Lunch Meeting with Ambassadors of Pacific Island Countries
"A Platform Needed to Address Issues from Climate Change to Technology Gaps"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Bang Beom-gyu, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, has launched an all-out effort to attract the Busan World Expo. Before attending the 44th Caribbean Community Summit held in Nassau, Bahamas as a special envoy of the president, he stopped by New York, a transit point, to meet with ambassadors from Pacific Island Countries (Taedoguk) and request their full support. Director Bang emphasized the need to host the Busan Expo as a platform to discuss issues such as climate change and the technology gap.

According to the Prime Minister's Office on the 15th, Director Bang held a luncheon meeting on the 14th (local time) in New York with the UN ambassadors of six Pacific Island countries: Nauru, Maldives, Vanuatu, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Fiji.

Visiting Minister Kyu Bang, Head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, held a luncheon meeting with ambassadors from Pacific island countries to the United Nations at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the UN in New York on the 14th (local time). (Provided by the Prime Minister's Office)

At the meeting, Director Bang stated, “The year 2030 marks the starting point for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and thus a platform is required to jointly discuss solutions to common challenges such as climate change and the technology gap. The Busan World Expo aligns most closely with the spirit of the UN.” The Busan Expo plans to address climate change as a key agenda, and the Taedoguk countries are also recognizing sea-level rise, typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis caused by global warming as serious threats.

He also mentioned that the vision of the Busan World Expo will be expanded to countries around the world, including the Taedoguk. This reaffirmed the commitment to the ‘Busan Initiative,’ a customized development cooperation program declared by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo last November.

Director Bang added that the Yoon Seok-yeol administration holds a vision to leap forward as a ‘global pivotal state’ contributing to freedom, peace, and prosperity in the international community, and that cooperation with the Taedoguk will also be further strengthened.

National Assembly Secretary General Bang Moon-gyu held a luncheon meeting with ambassadors from Pacific island countries to the United Nations at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York on the 14th (local time). (Provided by the Prime Minister's Office)

He said, “The Korean government will strive to enhance the effectiveness of development cooperation projects not only through official development assistance to the Taedoguk but also by linking public-private infrastructure advancement and multilateral cooperation through international organizations,” adding, “We will continue to maintain communication with the Taedoguk region through diplomatic channels.”

In response, the Taedoguk ambassadors expressed their strong awareness of Korea’s firm will and efforts to host the 2030 Busan World Expo and pledged to continue cooperation with the Korean government. They conveyed that tourism revitalization, climate change response, and economic recovery through renewable energy development are important to the Taedoguk, and they look forward to Korea’s cooperation and support in these areas.

Meanwhile, Korea and the Taedoguk have maintained friendly relations in various fields such as climate change, clean energy, tourism, and culture. The first-ever ‘1st Korea-Pacific Island Countries Summit’ will be held in May.