Korea-Pacific Island Countries Summit Meeting from the 29th
Bilateral Summit Meetings with 10 Pacific Island Countries
21 Bilateral Meetings Since President Yoon's 1st Anniversary
President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold the Korea-Pacific Island Countries Summit for three days and two nights starting from the 29th. In particular, from the 28th when the Pacific Island leaders arrive in Korea, President Yoon will hold bilateral talks with at least 10 countries, reenacting a bilateral diplomatic 'Super Weekend.'
According to the Presidential Office on the 26th, President Yoon plans to hold bilateral summits with 10 Pacific Island countries on the occasion of the Korea-Pacific Island Countries Summit held in Korea on the 29th and 30th. Since the summit will be attended by leaders of 18 member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), including French overseas territories, and the PIF Secretary-General, there is a high possibility that additional bilateral meetings will be scheduled according to the arrival schedules of the leaders.
The Pacific Island countries are not only a region with high cargo volume globally but also an economic and military strategic point where the United States and China are competing to strengthen diplomatic and economic cooperation. President Yoon is expected to actively discuss economic development cooperation, official development assistance (ODA), and climate crisis response with the Pacific Island countries during these bilateral talks to respond to the rapidly progressing globalization and fragmentation of the global situation.
Also, in the first session of the Korea-Pacific Island Countries Summit plenary meeting, chaired by President Yoon Suk-yeol, the current status of cooperation between Korea and the Pacific Island countries will be reviewed, and opinions on future cooperation directions will be exchanged. The second session, chaired by the PIF chair country (Cook Islands), will discuss regional situations and international cooperation measures.
Since President Yoon emphasized the Indo-Pacific strategy at the ASEAN summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last November, there is a high possibility that concrete implementation plans will emerge from this meeting. Especially, as the Pacific Island countries are directly affected by land loss due to rising sea levels caused by the climate crisis, it is expected that Korea will reaffirm its role and contribution plans in the 'Climate Club,' which Korea has decided to join. On the 30th, the Pacific Island leaders are scheduled to attend a side event visiting the North Port area, which will be the venue for the 2030 Busan World Expo.
President Yoon has been showing a busy bilateral diplomatic schedule this month. Since the 10th, the first anniversary of his inauguration, he has held 21 bilateral meetings. Over the one year since his inauguration (May 10, 2022 ? May 9, 2023), he held a total of 35 bilateral meetings, meaning that 60% of all bilateral meetings since his inauguration were conducted within 20 days.
Previously, around the G7 summit held in Hiroshima, Japan, President Yoon held bilateral summits with leaders from Canada, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Comoros, Ukraine, Germany, and the European Union (EU). Among these, the Korea-Japan summit was held twice: once during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to Korea on the 7th and 8th, and again on the 21st during President Yoon’s attendance at the G7 summit. A Presidential Office official stated, "President Yoon urges that for Korea to achieve its vision as a global pivotal state, it must actively meet not only major powers but also smaller and developing countries, as well as countries with which it has not had close diplomatic relations, to build friendly relations," adding, "Going forward, President Yoon and the government plan to discuss regional and global issues with various countries."
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