열린장관실

Remarks by H.E. Cho Tae-yul 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of Korea

Jeju Forum 

May 30, 2024

Honorable Yasuo Fukuda, former Prime Minister of Japan,

Governor 오영훈 of Jeju Province,

Secretary-General KAO Kim Hourn of ASEAN,

Executive Director Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria of APEC

Vice Chairman Emigdio Tanjuatco of the Philippine House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

Governor 이철우 of Gyongsangbukdo Province,

Member of the National Assembly 홍익표,

My esteemed predecessors,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening and warm welcome to the 19th Jeju Forum. I am honored to host this important event tonight. 

The last time I took part in this Forum was 10 years ago, when I was Vice Foreign Minister. 

Back then, I stressed the need to cultivate habits of cooperation, beginning with softer issues that would eventually lay the groundwork for achieving the more elusive goal of advancing peace and prosperity. 

Much has admittedly changed since 2014.

Indeed, as we often say here in Korea, mountains and rivers can change in a decade. 

Strategic competition among major powers and armed conflict, whether in Ukraine or Gaza, are now the order of the day.  

The rules-based international order is being buffeted like never before.

The growing divide between liberal and authoritarian worldviews is making it all but impossible to pursue pragmatic, interest-based foreign policies that are divorced from values.

The realms of security, economy and technology are increasingly becoming intermeshed, undermining the traditional separation of our diplomacy into security and economic spheres.  

What has not changed is this Forum’s abiding dedication to promoting global cooperation for a better world – as can be seen in this year’s theme, 'Acting Together for a Better World.’ 

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s foreign policy vision of becoming a "Global Pivotal State,” seeks to actively harness Korea’s growing strengths and capabilities to advance peace and prosperity across the world. 

And under its Indo-Pacific Strategy, Korea is aiming to serve as a “hub for cooperation networks in the region.”

Let me briefly highlight three major initiatives that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration is taking under the Global Pivotal State vision.

First, Korea is embedding itself into multiple mini-lateral and regional networks both in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere. 

As you may have read, the Trilateral Summit among Korea, Japan, and China was held earlier this week for the first time in four and a half years. The long hiatus was due in part to the COVID pandemic, but it is also indicative of the complicated nature of bilateral relations among the three countries. 

That is why, instead of dwelling on more challenging issues, President Yoon Suk Yeol, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Premier Li Qiang focused more on strengthening cooperation along functional domains that touch the everyday lives of our citizens.  

These include, for instance, people-to-people exchanges, especially among our youth; climate change; trade and economic cooperation; the challenges of an ageing society; disaster relief and safety, among others. 

At the same time, the three leaders also acknowledged that making trilateral cooperation more institutionalized --notably by holding meetings regularly and without hiatus-- can help spur bilateral relations and foster peace, stability, and prosperity in Northeast Asia.

Indeed, there was a flurry of bilateral diplomatic activities in the run up to the Trilateral Summit, including my own visit to China and high-level talks between Korea and Japan. 

This helped build momentum for stabilizing and strengthening bilateral ties. 

It goes without saying that the trilateral partnership among Korea, the United States and Japan is a centerpiece of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s foreign policy. 

Strategic coordination among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo has never been as tight-knit – as will be seen yet again at the Vice Foreign Ministers’ trilateral tomorrow in the outskirts of Washington. 

We are working closely to further cement and institutionalize our cooperation based on the Camp David agreements adopted in August of last year.

Korea is also stepping up its solidarity with other likeminded partners such as NATO, G7, and countries in Europe, North Pacific, the Indian subcontinent and Oceania, as well as MIKTA, in seeking to uphold universal values and the rules-based international order. 

I would add that the importance of inter-regional networks is growing in tandem with the evolving nexus between security threats from different regions. 

Second, Korea is leveraging its comparative advantage as a nation to push forward international partnerships and shape the rules of the road across a range of issues. 

For instance, as a country that has transformed itself into an industrialized democracy within a generation, Korea hosted the Third Summit for Democracy in March.

The conference addressed, in particular, the threats to democracy posed by digital technology such as misinformation and disinformation. 

The Summit also helped catalyze global partnerships to steer technological change in a direction that upholds democratic values.

Furthermore, as a country with a robust indigenous AI ecosystem and advanced manufacturing prowess in the semiconductors that enable that ecosystem, Korea is well-positioned to proactively shape the global AI governance framework.  

Last week’s AI Seoul Summit and the AI Global Forum are conspicuous examples. They brought key stakeholders together and helped forge alignment on three common priorities of AI governance: innovation, safety and inclusivity. 

Korea will also spearhead similar efforts by hosting the High-Level Conference on Responsible AI in the Military Domain together with the Netherlands in September. 

We will strive to ensure that the rules on AI in armed conflicts safeguard and uphold human rights and international humanitarian law. 

Building an open, secure, accessible and peaceful cyberspace is another area in which Korea is assuming a more salient role. 

Next month, I will be chairing a high-level open debate at the UN Security Council on how the Council can contribute to cyber security. 

Third, Korea is upgrading its partnerships with the Global South. 

The countries of the Global South are more critical than ever before for advancing global public goods, from peace and stability to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The fact that Korea’s development has not been associated with a history of exploitation makes it uniquely well-suited to deepen engagement with the Global South. 

Obviously, the Global South is neither homogeneous nor amenable to a one-size-fits-all approach. Korea is tailoring its approach to each region to ensure win-win outcomes.

Next week, we will host the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul. 

This landmark event will underscore Korea's commitment to deepening mutually enriching partnerships with African nations across a diverse range of sectors. 

These include trade and investment, energy infrastructure, food security, climate change, global supply chains, and digital transformation. 

It should also be noted that Korea held its first-ever summit meeting with Pacific Island nations last year to underscore our commitment to this increasingly important region. 

Korea’s relations with Latin America and the Caribbean also recently reached a new milestone when we forged formal diplomatic ties with Cuba. 

We will build on this momentum to enhance our partnerships across Latin America. 

In doing so, we will move towards relationships that are driven more by state-of-the art industries such as defense, aerospace, and electric and hydrogen vehicles, rather than by raw materials alone. 

Over the coming months, the Korea-Latin America Future Cooperation Forum, the Korea-Central America Special Roundtable and the Korea-Caribbean High-Level Forum will provide opportune platforms to do so. 

We also aim to elevate our partnership with ASEAN, our key partner in the Indo-Pacific. 

At the Korea-ASEAN Summit this October, we will upgrade our relationship to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ and advance mutually beneficial and substantive collaborations based on the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative.

Strengthening our “Special Strategic Partnership” with India, a leading voice of the Global South, will also be vital pillar. In March, I held the first Joint Commission Meeting with India in six years with my counterpart, Dr. Jaishankar, to do exactly that.   

As was epitomized by the state visit of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Korea this week, we are continually pushing the envelope and taking our relationship with Gulf Countries to new heights. 

Last but not least, Korea is also seeking avenues for further deepening our ties with Central Asian nations. The importance of Central Asia cannot be overstated, given the geopolitical situation and its rich energy endowments.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The major international events that Korea hosted in the first half of this year neatly encapsulate the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s foreign policy priorities. 

We kicked off the diplomatic calendar with the Summit for Democracy. This epitomizes Korea’s abiding commitment to upholding democratic values and principles. 

Last week, we hosted the AI Seoul Summit and the AI Global Forum. This attests to our readiness to help shape rules that will navigate humanity through tectonic shifts in the geo-economic and geo-technological landscape. 

Next week, we will be welcoming over 40 African nations to Seoul. This reflects our deeply-held belief that no country should be left behind; that we are all in the same boat sailing towards global prosperity.  

There is a saying that “a bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not with the branch but with its own wings.”

For Korea, our 'wings' are our growing self-confidence and the multiple networks and partnerships across various regions and domains. These ‘wings’ help secure Korea’s place in the world. 

In turn, they also serve as force multipliers for Korea’s efforts to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and its contribution to advancing freedom, peace and prosperity around the world. 

Much to our regret, the intransigence and anachronistic worldview of the northern half of the Korean Peninsula on the one hand, and the deepening rifts and divisions in our society on the other, continue to stymie such our endeavors.

But we will take the long view and a deep breath to steadfastly advance peace on the Peninsula, the region and beyond. 

The wise words of Nelson Mandela will be our lodestar: “Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day-dreaming, but vision with action can change the world.” 

Let me conclude on that positive note.

I wish everyone an enjoyable evening and thought-provoking discussions tomorrow. Thank you.  ###