Press Briefing

Deputy Spokesperson Lee Jaewoong

November 19, 2020  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha will deliver words of encouragement in a virtual format at the “public participatory project for diplomatic response to climate and environmental issues ahead of the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit” event to take place on November 22.

At the event aimed at collecting people’s opinions on the international role of the Republic of Korea in resolving environmental issues, Minister Kang will highlight the significance of participatory diplomacy, that is, establishing foreign policies based on people’s participation and communication.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha will deliver opening remarks at the “2020 Korea-LAC (Latin America and the Caribbean) Future Cooperation Forum” to take place in a hybrid (both virtual and face-to-face) format on November 23.

At the Forum, which will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the theme of “Cooperation between Korea and LAC in Health and Prevention of Epidemics,” Minister Kang will present a vision for strategic future cooperation between the two regions in such areas as health and disease prevention and control, climate change and infrastructure.

The Forum, the first multilateral conference among minister- and vice minister-level officials of numerous countries in the ROK since the outbreak of COVID-19, is expected to serve as a significant opportunity to share the ROK’s K-quarantine experiences and to build a partnership for shared prosperity in such sectors as pharmaceutics as well as digital health and medical care.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Taeho, together with Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Suhail Al Mazrouei, will hold the 3rd ROK-UAE High-level Consultation on Nuclear Cooperation in a virtual format on November 19.

In the upcoming High-level Consultation, the two sides plan to extensively discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on nuclear energy, including the construction of the Barakah nuclear power plant and joint entry into overseas nuclear power plant markets, R&D in nuclear energy science and technology, and nuclear security and safety regulations.

On the afternoon of November 19, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Taeho will deliver congratulatory remarks at the “2020 ROK-Africa Business Forum” to be co-hosted by the Korea-Africa Foundation and the African Union.

At the Forum, which is being held under the theme of “Emerging Industries in the Post-COVID-19 Era,” Vice Minister Lee will underscore the possibility of broadened economic cooperation between the ROK and Africa in such areas as health and information and communications technology (ICT).

Lastly, on November 23, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Taeho will deliver congratulatory remarks at “the commemorative ceremony for the 15^th anniversary of the opening of the Consular Call Center,” in which he will underline the significance of the Consular Call Center in ensuring the safety of the overseas Koreans.

A toll-free phone application and consulting services through Kakao Talk’s texting platform, which will be launched for a pilot run during the commemorative ceremony, are expected to contribute to improving overseas Koreans’ conveniences and access in asking for consular assistance.

(A question-and-answer session followed.)