Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon (right) warmly shakes hands with Ilang Goudpaing, President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), on the 15th (local time).
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon proposed a triangular economic cooperation plan connecting Gyeonggi Province, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Latin America.
On the 15th (local time), Governor Kim visited the headquarters of the IDB in Washington, USA, and met with President Ilang Gourdpaing. He expressed, "I am very pleased to visit the IDB," and added, "It feels like it has been a very long time." Governor Kim has ties with the IDB from his time as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and during his tenure at the World Bank.
After proposing the triangular economic cooperation plan to President Ilang Gourdpaing, Governor Kim said, "I heard that among IDB's areas of interest are 'digital economy' and 'climate tech.' Gyeonggi Province is a hub for various industries such as semiconductors, bio, mobility, AI, and climate tech," and added, "I hope that cooperation between Gyeonggi Province and the IDB, especially in the fields of digital economy and climate tech, will be further strengthened starting from today."
In response, President Ilang Gourdpaing expressed agreement, stating, "Digital transformation is rapidly occurring within the IDB region and Latin America, especially in the area of climate response, which is an important field we are paying close attention to."
He further added, "Cooperation with Korea is very important, and the IDB values communication and cooperation with local governments."
In response, Governor Kim proposed, "At this opportunity, let's establish a working-level consultative body between Gyeonggi Province and the IDB to further discuss cooperation on digital transformation and climate tech, and additionally, let's promote 'youth exchanges.' Gyeonggi Province runs a program sending youth volunteer groups to about ten universities in countries around the world including the USA, the UK, Singapore, and China, and we should work to include Latin American countries as well."
The IDB was established in 1959 to promote economic and social development in South America and the Caribbean region, with 48 member countries. Its main areas of work include expanding trade among member countries, strengthening cooperation on development policies, promoting public and private capital investment for development purposes, complementing investment activities in the private sector where financing is difficult, and managing available resources through loans and guarantees.
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