1. On March 6, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun hosted a working luncheon with the Ambassadors of 17 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to Korea, during which they exchanged views on Korea-LAC cooperation, key diplomatic issues, and the recent domestic and international situation.

※ Participating countries (17): Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Uruguay, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru

2. Vice Minister Kim noted that last year marked a significant milestone in Korea-LAC relations, as Korea established diplomatic ties with Cuba, thereby completing its diplomatic network with all 33 Latin American countries. He also highlighted the deepening of high-level exchanges during the APEC Summit in Peru and the G20 Summit in Brazil. He expressed Korea’s commitment to further advancing its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean this year through close cooperation, building on these achievements.

3. In particular, Vice Minister Kim proposed that both sides make full use of upcoming opportunities such as the APEC Summit to be held in Gyeongju and the Korea-LAC Future Cooperation Forum to maintain momentum in high-level exchanges. He also suggested expanding the current FTA networks, currently encompassing nine Latin American countries, to reinforce the institutional framework for economic cooperation. Furthermore, he expressed hope for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in fields such as the defense industry, infrastructure, and digital technologies through the dispatch of economic cooperation missions to identify tailored needs.

4. Vice Minister Kim explained that the Korean government, under the acting president, is functioning in a stable and orderly manner in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws, and that Korea’s major foreign policies are being pursued consistently and without disruption. He also called on LAC countries to maintain their trust and support for Korea’s robust democratic and economic systems.

5. The Ambassadors reaffirmed their confidence in the resilience of Korea’s democracy and emphasized their strong commitment to contributing to the further development of Korea-Latin America relations. Several Ambassadors, in particular, noted the growing uncertainty in the global trade environment and underscored the importance of enhancing economic cooperation with Korea. They also expressed their support for the successful hosting of this year’s APEC Summit in Gyeongju and voiced hope for future-oriented cooperation in emerging industries, including climate change response, aerospace, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and hydrogen.