1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun had his first meeting with the diplomatic corps of a regional group in the Republic of Korea, including ambassadors of 15 Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries to the ROK, at a hotel in downtown Seoul on the afternoon of September 28 at the request of the diplomatic corps of the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) in the ROK.

2. In his opening remarks, Vice Minister Choi said that he was pleased to have a meeting with the LAC region as his first meeting with the diplomatic corps of a regional group since his inauguration. He also noted that the ROK and LAC countries share a common culture of valuing family and community, and explained that the long relationship which started with the immigration of Koreans more than a half century ago is now developing into deep understanding between the people of the two sides through such cultural content as K-POP.

3. Vice Minister Choi said that there is growing demand for environmentally-friendly policies and the development of new medicines and high technologies to address global challenges, including climate change, in the post-COVID-19 era, and suggested that through the ROK government’s Green and Digital New Deals, the ROK and LAC countries explore possible ways to work together in nurturing new digital industries, establishing 5G networks, and enhancing cybersecurity and building e-government.

4. Vice Minister Choi said that the ROK government, in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation as well as freedom for all, has provided COVID-19-related humanitarian assistance worth US$10.4 million to 24 LAC countries, and offered to continue making joint efforts to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and expand health cooperation.

o In particular, Vice Minister Choi said that the Korea-LAC Future Cooperation Forum to be held in November will address ways to increase substantive cooperation between the two sides in the health and medical sector under the theme of a new normal in preparation for the post-COVID-19 era, and asked for great attention and active participation from LAC countries.

5. Vice Minister Choi took note that LAC countries which are exerting efforts to overcome the economic downturn caused by COVID-19 have been announcing plans for large-scale infrastructure projects as part of the ‘LAC version of New Deal’ for economic revitalization. He went on to say with confidence that Korean companies which can share industrial technologies and know-how would become the most suitable cooperation partner in pursuing LAC countries’ infrastructure projects.

o In addition, Vice Minister Choi emphasized that the ROK has been steadily contributing to the economic development of LAC countries through infrastructure projects in the region since acceding to the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and joining  the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as a non-regional member.

6. Vice Minister Choi stressed that free trade has great significance for the ROK and LAC countries which have mutually-complementary economic structures, and suggested that the two sides actively pursue a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and a Trade Agreement (TA), thereby creating a mutually-beneficial environment for trade and investment.

o Vice Minister Choi commended the progress made so far in facilitating trade, including bilateral FTAs with the Republic of Chile, the Republic of Colombia, and the Republic of Peru, and called for attention from countries concerned to complete the procedures as early as possible for the conclusion of the Trade Agreement between the ROK and the MERCOSUR and the ROK’s accession to the Pacific Alliance (PA) as an associate member.

7. Vice Minister Choi said that the ROK, as a trade power that has benefited from the multilateral trading system and a middle-power country, will continue to contribute to reforming and strengthening the World Trade Organization (WTO), and asked for active support from LAC countries for Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, the ROK’s candidate, to be selected as the next WTO Director-General.

8. Meanwhile, LAC ambassadors who participated in the meeting expressed appreciation to the ROK government for offering humanitarian assistance to LAC   countries to assist in their response to COVID-19, and actively agreed on the need to reinforce substantive cooperation between the two sides for post-COVID-19 economic revival.

o Furthermore, LAC ambassadors said that the ROK, a technology powerhouse, has become even more important cooperative partner for LAC in the post-COVID-19 era, and expressed hope that the two sides would step up substantive cooperation in a wide range of areas, including the eco-friendly, digital, and infrastructure sectors.

9. Vice Minister Choi expressed appreciation to LAC countries for continuing to support the ROK government’s policy for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

10. Vice Minister Choi’s meeting with the diplomatic corps of GRULAC is seen to have served as a meaningful opportunity to share the ROK government’s diplomatic visions, including efforts to diversify diplomacy with LAC countries, and to seek ways to expand substantive cooperation in the eco-friendly, digital, infrastructure, health, and quarantine areas in preparation for the post-COVID-19 era.