Yoon returns home after attending UNGA, holding 41 bilateral meetings

Sep 25, 2023, 10:59 am

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President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the Digital Vision Forum at the university in New York on Sept. 21, 2023. / Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Hong Sun-mi

President Yoon Suk-yeol returned home Saturday from a six-day trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

During his stay in New York, Yoon held 41 bilateral meetings with world leaders and received a promise of active cooperation for South Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan. Another achievement of the trip is the search for practical economic cooperation measures with other countries. It is significant that Yoon had bilateral talks with 41 countries, which account for more than 20 percent of 193 UN member states, according to the presidential office.

“As a field commander that stood on a silent battlefield for the national interest, the president did his best for about 100 hours given,” said Kim Eun-hye, senior secretary for public relations. “A fierce and breathtaking diplomatic war took place in New York, where you don’t know what the results will be after a hectic schedule,” Kim added.

The presidential office believes that Yoon’s attempt to win support by presenting the cooperation points that other countries want as a bargaining chip increased the probability of attracting the expo to Busan.

Expectations are rising on whether the results of bilateral talks with other countries will lead to economic achievement. In his meeting with Czech President Petr Pavel, Yoon asked the president for his attention and support for South Korean companies’ participation in the new nuclear power plant project in Dukoveny, the Czech Republic. Yoon suggested a cooperation in key minerals during talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, focusing on bolstering cooperation on economic diplomacy.

Another great diplomatic achievement is the fact that the international community has confirmed its willingness at the UNGA to jointly respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Yoon’s stronger criticism on Russia-North Korea military cooperation the call for reform of the UN Security Council is clearly in contrast to his speech last year, when he expressed opposition to the “change of the status quo by force” without naming a specific country.

Yoon also expressed South Korea’s active commitment to alleviating disparities in development, climate and the digital sector ahead of the nation’s activity as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2024-25 term.

Yoon also revealed the South Korean government’s plan to raise the official development assistance (ODA) budget plan for the upcoming year by over 40 percent, and to provide an additional US$300 million in the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to narrow the climate gap. He also said that South Korea will soon release a “Digital Bill of Rights,” which will set up five guiding principles to build a brighter digital future, garnering attention.

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