Inaugural Korea-Pacific Islands Summit to take place in May

President Yoon Suk Yeol poses with prime ministers and foreign ministers of 12 Pacific Island nations and secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum during a meeting held in Seoul, Oct. 27, 2022. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

President Yoon to discuss ways to expand practical cooperation

By Sah Dong-seok

The inaugural Korea-Pacific Islands Summit will take place in Seoul from May 29 to 30 under the theme “Navigating towards Co-prosperity: Strengthening Cooperation with the Blue Pacific,” according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is the first multilateral summit to be hosted by Korea after President Yoon Suk Yeol took office and the first gathering between Korea and Pacific Island nations.

Korea invited all 18 members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to the summit. The 18 members are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Tonga, Palau, Niue, Nauru, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and New Caledonia.

Established in 1971, the PIF is an intergovernmental body aimed at enhancing cooperation among island countries in the region. Korea became the Post-Forum Dialogue partner of the PIF in 1995 and has since been making efforts to support the regional development and empowerment of Pacific Island nations in various fields, including healthcare, climate change, trade and tourism.

Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Young-sam, front row center, poses with senior officials of the Pacific Islands Forum during a meeting in Nadi, Fiji, March 24. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

During the inaugural Korea-Pacific Islands Summit in Seoul, Yoon and the participating leaders will discuss ways to expand practical cooperation and strengthen their collaboration on the international stage.

On the first day, the leaders will hold the summit and attend an official dinner to be hosted by Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee. On the second day, they will travel to the southeastern port city of Busan to take part in various side events. Separately, the first lady will host programs for leaders' spouses.

The summit is designed to signal the start of Korea's full-scale implementation of Indo-Pacific strategies by upgrading to the highest level its consultative mechanism with Pacific Island nations whose strategic importance is growing rapidly.

“The summit will contribute a great deal to addressing urgent issues the Pacific Island states face such as climate change and disaster response,” a foreign ministry official said, adding, “It will also serve as an opportunity to strengthen the international community's support for Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030.”