1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jongmoon attended the 77^th Session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), which takes place in the format of video conference from April 26 to 29, as a head of the Korean delegation.

o At the session, the participants will discuss ways to increase regional cooperation to recover from the crises in the region, under the theme of “Building back better from crises through regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific.”

2. In his statement, Vice Minister Choi proposed the way forward for regional cooperation in the post-COVID-19 era and expressed the Korean government’s commitment to make contributions.

o Vice Minister Choi emphasized the importance of deepening digital transformation cooperation and promoting a sustainable green recovery, introducing Korea’s Digital New Deal Policy and the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit, and requested the interest and participation of the international community including Asia-Pacific countries.

o Meanwhile, Vice Minister Choi raised the issue that Japan’s decision to discharge the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the ocean in the Asia-Pacific which shares the marine environment, can have a serious adverse impact on the environment in the region. Vice Minister Choi also stressed that providing sufficient scientific grounds and sharing information, having enough consultations with stakeholders in advance, and guaranteeing stakeholders’ participation in the IAEA’s verification process are required.

o In addition, Vice Minister Choi expressed that Korea will continuously contribute to recovering from COVID-19 crisis and shaping an inclusive Asia-Pacific region in the post-COVID-19 era.