Envoys urge cooperation in pandemic, climate change
President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration ceremony gained a lot of international attention, showing Korea’s increased role and influence in the international community.
According to Yoon’s inauguration committee, over 300 foreign guests attended the event, including 143 foreign diplomats in Korea with high hopes for working with the new administration in many aspects.
Korea’s diplomacy often engages with what Koreans refer to as the “four great powers”: the United States, China, Japan and Russia. But as Korea became the world’s 10th-largest economy in 2018 and is considered a middle power in Asia now, ambassadors here ask Korea to diversify its relations with other countries.
Carlos Victor Boungou, the Gabonese ambassador to Korea and dean of the Diplomatic Corps, identified the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change as the two formidable challenges of the times as President Yoon takes his oath, emphasizing Korea’s responsibility in the international community.
“We therefore expect the Yoon administration to continue Korea’s engagement in the fight against COVID-19, particularly since the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the Republic of Korea as a global bio-manufacturing training hub,” Boungou told The Korea Times via email, Monday.
The ambassador expects the new administration to strengthen its partnerships with African countries by contributing more vaccines to Africa, training African experts and increasing Korea’s Green New Deal official development assistance (ODA) to Africa.
“The new Korean administration should also deepen its economic cooperation with African countries by taking the opportunity of the recent African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a huge market of 1.3 billion customers,” he said.
German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel noted the significance of Korea-Germany relations from a larger perspective involving the Indo-Pacific region and Europe.
“We are convinced that our strong economic ties will prosper further in areas of common interest such as innovation, digitization, manufacturing or renewable energy. We both share the experience of national division. It is our sincere hope that Korea, too, will be able to enjoy reunification in peace and freedom in the not-too-distant future, and that the spirit of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula will prevail,” Reiffenstuel said.
“We are currently facing a watershed in the history on the European continent: President Putin’s war against Ukraine, in blatant violation of international law, has been causing horrific suffering to millions of people. We are grateful for the solidarity shown by Korea. We are confident that in the future, Korea and Germany will strengthen efforts even further to promote peace, security and stability globally, in the Indo-Pacific and in Europe.”
Solidarity within the Indo-Pacific region is another important diplomatic issue for the Yoon administration. New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Philip Turner noted how both countries are moving rapidly to reduce COVID-19 restrictions, and quarantine-free travel between both countries resumed on May 1.
“New Zealand is confident that our excellent relationship with Korea will continue under the government of President Yoon. We share core values of liberal democracy and support for the rules-based system which is currently under threat in parts of the world. We share commitments to regional security, open trade, combating climate change and promoting human rights. Korea has expressed interest in joining the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), of which New Zealand is the depositary nation,” Turner said.
“President Yoon takes power just as Korea is enjoying a ‘moment in the sun,’ globally recognized as a leading country in terms of its economic performance, its strong values and its soft power. As it does so, Korea will increasingly be expected to play more of a leading role in global issues such as supporting international law, climate change, human rights and trade rules. New Zealand looks forward to working closely with President Yoon and his government in all these areas.”