Park Jin: "G7 Needs Support and Participation from Korea and Australia"

Bridge Location Between Global North and South
Korea Realizes Vision as a 'Global Hub Nation'
Yoon Administration Expands National Power to G8 Level

Foreign Minister Jin delivers congratulatory address at international conference (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Im Hwayeong = Foreign Minister Jin Jin delivered a congratulatory address on the morning of the 6th at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, at the 2023 NEAR Global Survey Report Presentation International Conference held under the theme "Where is the World Going: Competition for Order in a Fragmented World."

Foreign Minister Park Jin stated, "The Group of Seven (G7) needs the support and participation of countries like South Korea and Australia." He also emphasized that South Korea and Australia are countries that have achieved democracy and advanced economies.

In his congratulatory speech at a conference hosted by the think tank Near Foundation and the Korea Foundation for International Exchange in Seoul on the 6th, Minister Park said, "Since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, South Korea has expanded its international role and responsibilities as a country with the status and national power comparable to the world's top eight powers alongside the advanced G7 countries."

Minister Park stated, "For changes in the international community to develop in a direction favorable to universal values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, the role of advanced democratic countries must be strengthened." He also mentioned the recent expansion of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and other emerging economies) to 11 countries, including Middle Eastern and African nations. He emphasized, "South Korea is in an optimal position to serve as a bridge between the Global North (advanced countries in the Northern Hemisphere) and the Global South, as well as between the Global East (led by China and Russia) and the Global West (Western bloc)."

Minister Park has consistently mentioned South Korea's pursuit of G7 membership. Last month, during a foreign ministers' meeting with France, a G7 member country, he explained the importance of G7 Plus diplomacy to maintain a rules-based international order.

He particularly stated, "South Korea's vision as a 'global pivotal state' will be a valuable asset in achieving the international community's goal of protecting and expanding a rules-based international order between the Global North and South, and the Global West and East." This explanation highlights that South Korea, as a liberal democratic country with developing country experience, can play an important role amid the Western bloc's competition with authoritarian camps such as China and Russia to gain the support of developing countries in the Global South.

Additionally, Minister Park introduced plans to open or upgrade diplomatic missions in 12 countries next year, saying, "We will elevate relations with African, Caribbean, and Pacific island countries and strengthen the diplomatic cooperation base with the Global South."