1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, along with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of 
Knowledge Economy, Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and 
Tourism, and Ministry of Environment, hosted the 2009 High-Level Forum on Korea-LAC (Latin America 
and Caribbean) Partnership on November 10-11. The event was held to discuss the current state of 
cooperation between Korea and Latin American countries and seek ways to promote their relations 
in the years to come.

2. Some 500 figures -- including Chilean President Bachelet; sixteen ministerial-level officials from 12 
South and Central American countries related with trade, energy, infrastructure and culture; the President 
of the Inter-American Development Bank; and heads of relevant government agencies, business leaders 
and scholars of Korea -- attended the event, showing a high interest in the South and Central America.

3. In their in-depth discussions on trade and investment; energy and resources; cultural industry; 
development and finance; green growth; environment; and other diverse fields, the Forum participants 
shared the view that Korea and South and Central America have an enormous potential for cooperation.

4. The ministers from Latin American countries, during their visit to Korea for the Forum, had meetings 
with related government agencies of Korea to bolster the foundation for bilateral cooperation in a variety 
of sectors.

   ◊ Brazil’s Ports Minister Pedro Brito hosted a seminar on investment in Brazil. Also, he expressed 
      interest in high-quality standards of Korean bullet trains by taking a test ride as well as a tour of 
      railway facilities.

   ◊ Colombia’s Energy Minister Hernan Martinez Torres and Director Armando Zamora of the 
      National Hydrocarbon Agency held Colombia’s 2010 Oil Bid Roadshow. Some 20 Korean 
      businesses, including SK Energy, the Korea National Oil Corporation, and Daewoo International 
      Corp., attended the event and conveyed a high interest in entering South and Central American 
      markets.

   ◊ Ecuador's Oil and Mining Minister Germanico Pinto held a meeting with Knowledge Economy 
      Minister Choi Kyung-hwan, Korea Resources Corporation President Kim Shin-jong and Korea 
      National Oil Corporation President Kang Young-won, in which they explored the possibility of 
      Korean firms’ investment in oil and minerals development in the country.

   ◊ Costa Rica’s Planning Minister Roberto Gallardo and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy 
      concluded an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) on E-learning cooperation, paving 
      the way for full-swing entry of Korea’s outstanding E-learning contents and related 
      technology into Costa Rica.

   ◊ Uruguay’s Economy Minister Alvaro Garcia signed an agreement on cooperation between 
      the Korean Intellectual Property Office and Uruguay’s National Agency for Research and 
      Innovation. With the conclusion of the said agreement, Korea and Uruguay are expected 
      to see strengthened exchange of patent information and cooperation in informatization 
     and in education sector. 

5. Diverse events were held on the sidelines of the Forum, contributing to enhanced understanding on 
South and Central America as well as substantive cooperation between Korea and the said region.

6. The High-Level Forum on Korea-LAC Partnership, held on the heels of the 2008 Korea-Latin America 
Economic Cooperation Forum, has established itself as an important platform for dialogue between the 
governments of Korea and Latin American countries, facilitating outlooks on developmental future of and 
expanded cooperation between the two regions. The Foreign Ministry plans to host the Forum annually in 
a bid to continue strengthening momentum of cooperation between Korea and South and Central America.

                                Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation