1. Foreign Minister, who is on a visit to the United Kingdom to attend the inaugural Republic of Korea-UK Ministerial Strategic Dialogue and the completion ceremony of a Korean War memorial, attended the London Conference on Afghanistan on December 4 at the invitation of the UK government. At the conference, he delivered remarks on behalf of the ROK government.

* The meeting brought together delegates from member states of NATO; the ROK and other major donor countries to Afghanistan; its neighboring countries; international organizations including the UN and the World Bank; regional organizations; and civic groups.

2. In his remarks, Minister Yun commended the first-ever peaceful and democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan in September as well as the aspirations of the Afghan people, who turned out in high numbers to vote, defying the threat of terrorism, to support democracy and national unity. He went on to stress that the ROK, seeking to be the prime water for realizing Afghanistan’s potential, has been proactively supporting the country’s socio-economic development by combining its unique development experience with the needs and demands of the Afghan people.

◦ In addition, Minister Yun noted that in order for Afghanistan to overcome numerous challenges still facing it, its government and the international community should work more closely together. In that light, he relayed the commitment of the ROK as a responsible middle power country of the international community to continue extending support, both bilateral and multilateral, to Afghanistan for its socio-economic development and public security.

3. From July 2010 through June 2014, the ROK, through its provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan, actively conducted activities to support the country’s reconstruction in the fields of medical service, public healthcare, education, governance, and agricultural and rural development, which was viewed as an exemplary case by the Afghan government and the international community. The ROK continues efforts to render both bilateral and multilateral support to Afghanistan. In that vein, the London conference is seen to have served as an opportunity for the ROK to enhance its international standing as one of the major donor countries to Afghanistan and to reemphasize its willingness to contribute to the international community. 


                       Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation