1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, held a Seminar on Korea-Central America New Cooperation Vision at Plaza Hotel, Seoul, on October 14, 2020 in both face-to-face and virtual formats to mark the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Central American Integration System (SICA) in 2021. At the event, the participants discussed new directions and ways for the implementation of cooperative measures between the Republic of Korea and Central America in the post-COVID-19 era.

° The Seminar was virtually attended by the foreign ministries of seven SICA member states, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and SICA’s General Secretariat as well as the Executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America (COMISCA) and heads of the ROK’s diplomatic missions in Central American countries.

° Among the in-person participants were Central American diplomats to the ROK as well as Korean experts at the Korea Development Institute, Busan University of Foreign Studies, and Korea Medical Device Development Fund (KMDF).

2. At the Seminar, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kim Gunn asked high-level officials of foreign ministries of Central American countries to support Minister for Trade Yoo Myung-hee in the final round of the selection process for the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

° Deputy Minister Kim extended appreciation to Central American countries for supporting the ROK government’s position, including the Korean Peninsula peace process, on the international stage and stressed that, with next year marking the bicentennial of the independence of Central America and the 30th anniversary of the founding of SICA, the ROK and Central America should set a vision for post-COVID-19 cooperation on the basis of the trust and cooperation that has been enhanced through joint responses to the COVID-19 crisis.

° The Deputy Minister proposed the direction for cooperation as follows: expanding high-level exchanges and activating the ROK-SICA dialogue platforms; achieving shared growth through the ROK’s cooperation tailored to the Central American demand; and stepping up cooperation on global challenges such as climate change.

3. At the Seminar, the participants took note of the progress of cooperation, including the entry into force of the ROK-Central America FTA in October 2019 and the ROK’s accession to the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) in January 2020, which have become a new foundation for cooperation between the two regions. They went on to discuss specific ways to implement the new vision for ROK-Central America cooperation, such as activating the ROK-SICA dialogue platforms.

° The Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested developing substantive cooperation projects -- mainly in the ROK’s strong areas such as health and medical care, environment-friendly industries, information and communications technology (ICT), and the development of human resources -- that can contribute to the economic and social development as well as the integration of Central America. In particular, the Ministry proposed that the two regions consider working together by linking “the comprehensive plan for the Korean New Deal Initiative” and SICA’s regional strategies for digital and environment-friendly development.

° The other presenters from the ROK and Central America explained the shift in the economic environment in Central America triggered by COVID-19, underscoring the need for sustainable cooperation between the ROK and Central America in areas such as health, infrastructure, and digital and green industries.

- In particular, the presenters suggested taking full advantage of the ROK-Central America FTA and the ROK’s accession to CABEI to establish a cooperation model for creating mutually beneficial gains in accordance with the boost in trade and investment in the post-COVID-19 era and the moves to restructure global and regional value chains.

° With regard to bilateral cooperation between the ROK and Central America, SICA’s General Secretariat voiced hope that it would strengthen and develop into ROK-SICA cooperation on regional and multilateral levels.

4. The Seminar, which came after the meeting between Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun and members of the diplomatic corps of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) on September 28, is part of the ROK government’s diplomatic diversification efforts in Central America. It carries great significance in that the ROK, for the first time among SICA’s non-regional observers, presented a new vision for cooperation and discussed a concrete roadmap for cooperation with Central American countries, the ROK’s long-standing friends, ahead of the bicentennial of the independence of Central America and the 30th anniversary of the launch of SICA in 2021.

- As a result of reinforced bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Central America, Korean companies are expected to take a more active part in state-run infrastructure projects in Central America, such as the construction project for a liquefied natural gas tunnel in the Dominican Republic and for the Metro Line 3 in the Republic of Panama, which have recently been landed by Korean companies.

° The Seminar, broadcast in real time on the social network channels of the Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, served as an opportunity to enhance the understanding and awareness of people of the ROK and Central America on the direction of the post-COVID-19 cooperation between the two regions.