JEJU, SOUTH KOREA – South Korea wants to strengthen its relations with the Middle East with a focus on hi-tech industries, according to Seoul’s top diplomat.
“In the Middle East, we hope to deepen cooperation in high-tech industries,” said Park Jin, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, while hosting a dinner, during Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity being held on Jeju Island in South Korea.
He explained that the focused high-tech industries in the Middle East are energy, hydrogen, artificial intelligence and health.
Park made these remarks while articulating his country’s foreign policy priorities towards all major regions across the globe.
The South Korean Foreign Minister continued to say, “We are endeavoring to upgrade our ties of cooperation with countries worldwide.”
The Republic of Korea is seeking to realiZe the vision of becoming a “global pivotal state or GPS in short,” Park said.
“South Korea is now taking a leap forward to join the ranks of G7 [Group of Seven, the organization of the world’s seven largest advanced economies],” the top diplomat said.
Emphasizing South Korea’s position as the world’s 10th largest economy and its seventh rank in global trade volume, Park claimed that the country’s military strength, nuclear power, information technology and space exploration indicate that “we have come close to the G7”.
“Our internet penetration rate is ranked fourth globally, and we rank first in the Bloomberg Innovation Index. Moreover, from K-Pop group BTS to K-Drama Squid Game, Korea is becoming the world’s newest cultural epicenter,” the top diplomat said.
Underscoring the theme of this year’s Jeju Forum, “Beyond Conflict, Towards Peace: Coexistence and Cooperation,” he explained that the four key words, “Conflict, Peace, Coexistence, and Cooperation” – well encapsulate the realities of the international community and provide direction to confront the present challenges.
Jeju Forum was launched in 2001 as a platform for dialogue to share visions for peace in the Korean Peninsula, East Asia, and the world, and to seek creative solutions through international cooperation.
Hosted by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, International Peace Foundation, and the East Asia Foundation, and sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the Jeju Free International City Development Centre, Jeju Forum has served as an international public forum for the past two decades.