Press Briefing 

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Affairs Soosuk Lim

November 29, 2022  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin will deliver opening remarks at the 7th Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Ministerial Meeting in Seoul on Wednesday, November 30.

In the remarks, Foreign Minister Park will highlight the Government of the Republic of Korea’s continued contributions and role in promoting global health security as a global pivotal state.

The GHSA Ministerial Meeting themed “Action for the Next Phase of the GHSA after COVID-19” will bring together some 200 people from 35 GHSA member states and 10 international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO).

Moving on, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin will give opening remarks at the 12th High-Level Forum on the Korea-Caribbean Partnership to be held in Seoul tomorrow. 

The Forum, themed “Korea-Caribbean Cooperation Partnership for the Global Marine Environment,” will be attended by about 100 people, including government delegates from five Caribbean countries, the Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), and those from Korean organizations related to marine environment and climate change.

The Forum is the first Caribbean-related event to be hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since the inauguration of the new government in Korea. It is expected to help build networks for mutually beneficial cooperation with major countries and international organizations in the region.

This afternoon, on the sidelines of the event, Foreign Minister Park will have a bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Frederick Mitchell, the first Bahamian Foreign Minister to visit Korea in 34 years. The Bahamas will assume the chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the first half of next year.

Lastly, the Korean government, having decided to join the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative, will contribute USD 3 million to the initiative through the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

The “Grain from Ukraine” initiative involves a humanitarian aid program that provides part of the Ukrainian grain to countries facing severe food shortages, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, through the WFP, the UN’s largest agency for humanitarian food assistance.

The President of Ukraine introduced the initiative in his speech at the latest G20 Summit, calling for participation of the international community. The Korean government has decided to support the initiative to join the efforts of the international community to help relieve the global food crises. 

(A question-and-answer session followed.)