Democracy Summit... Yoon to Deliver 'Freedom Solidarity' Message (Comprehensive)

Jointly Hosted with the US on the 29th-30th
Yoon Chairs First Session on 'Economic Growth'
Presidential Office: "An Opportunity to Enhance International Leadership and National Prestige"
Response to China's Objection over Taiwan's Participation: "Not Excluding Any Specific Country"

President Yoon Suk-yeol (photo) will deliver a message at the Democracy Summit, hosted by the United States and co-hosted by South Korea, on the 29th and 30th, expressing his commitment to contributing to the international community through a "Solidarity for Freedom and Prosperity."

On the 23rd, the Presidential Office stated regarding the upcoming 2nd Democracy Summit next week, "President Yoon will share South Korea's experience of achieving both democracy and economic growth," adding, "It will be an opportunity to demonstrate the will to practice norms and values, thereby enhancing international leadership and national prestige."

On the 22nd (local time), Robert Vichinsky, Senior Director of the White House National Security Council (NSC), revealed the detailed schedule of the summit during a foreign press briefing at the Washington D.C. Press Center. Earlier, on the 12th, U.S. President Joe Biden sent an invitation letter to President Yoon requesting him to preside over a plenary session.

The Democracy Summit was first held in December 2021 in a virtual format to counter the rise of authoritarian states worldwide and respond to the decline of democracy since President Biden took office. This time, the meeting on the 29th will be held virtually, and on the 30th, Asian countries will gather in South Korea for an in-person meeting. President Yoon will chair the virtual meeting on the 29th. The offline meeting on the 30th is expected to be a ministerial-level regional meeting for Asia.

At the plenary session, after opening remarks by the heads of the co-hosting countries, five sessions chaired by each leader will follow. President Yoon will chair the first session under the theme "Prosperity Alongside Economic Growth." On the 30th, at the regional meeting, South Korea will represent the Indo-Pacific region and host a session on "Challenges and Achievements in Combating Corruption."

During the summit, President Yoon plans to share South Korea's experience of achieving both democracy and economic growth. In particular, he will express his determination to contribute to the international community through solidarity for freedom and prosperity, which helped achieve these goals. The Presidential Office expects this opportunity to serve as a milestone for South Korea to take the lead in promoting democracy worldwide. The message also includes a commitment to addressing the global issue of democratic backsliding.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Sung-han, Director of the National Security Office, elaborated during a related briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day, stating, "It signifies South Korea's contribution to the international community by sharing the know-how accumulated as a developed advanced nation that overcame war and poverty and democratized, thanks to international support."

It is also seen as a stage to reaffirm the foundation of South Korea's diplomacy, which is "multilateral diplomacy through freedom and solidarity." Director Kim said, "By concretely implementing President Yoon's vision of freedom and solidarity and demonstrating it domestically and internationally, it will be an opportunity to enhance policy trust in South Korea."

Regarding the $400 million fund support related to independent media support and the war against corruption, which Director Vichinsky briefed on, a senior official from the Presidential Office responded to a reporter's question about the scale and distribution plan of support South Korea will receive, saying, "Specific plans are not yet accelerating in negotiations," adding, "We expect discussions to become more concrete and accelerate through this summit."

On the topic of anti-corruption discussions, the official mentioned, "Corruption can significantly impact economic growth, important democratic institutions, and international cooperation. The intention is to approach the global issue of democratic backsliding more deeply," adding, "The focus will be on discussions about corruption from a multidimensional perspective."

When asked about anticipated Chinese opposition due to Taiwan's participation in the summit, as was the case in the first meeting, the official emphasized, "The selection of participating countries has gone through a process where the host country, the United States, reviewed various factors and finalized them through consultations with co-host countries," stressing, "We want to reiterate that a binary framework of excluding or less excluding any particular country was not considered."

He added, "We expect multilayered discussions among leaders and ministers on how we can further develop the universal human values of democracy, from institutional, value-based, and implementation perspectives."