By Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in New York for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held a luncheon with the leaders of six Pacific Island Countries and the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) on Sept. 22.

President Yoon and the Pacific Islander leaders shared their assessment that the luncheon reinforced the momentum in the development of Korea-Pacific Islands relations, which was built upon the first Korea-Pacific Islands Summit held in Seoul in May.

President Yoon reiterated that the Republic of Korea will continue to build a network of mutually beneficial cooperation as a true partner for the long-term development of the Pacific Island Countries, including jointly responding to the climate crisis, which is an existential threat to the Pacific Island Countries, and that the Republic of Korea is concretizing customized projects for each of the Pacific Island Countries based on the Action Plan for a Free, Peaceful and Prosperous Pacific announced at the last Summit. 

The leaders welcomed the increased contributions from the Republic of Korea and noted that the country's development experience, particularly in the transition from a least developed to a developed country, is a good example to follow.

Prime Minister Brown of the Cook Islands, which chairs the PIF, said that Korea's engagement with the Pacific Islands is a model for the rest of the world, and he hopes that Korea will share its experience and direction in working with the Pacific Islands and other major countries.

President Yoon emphasized that the 2030 Busan World Expo's vision of a carbon-neutral fair is in line with the Pacific Islands' vision of overcoming climate change and natural disasters, and asked for the Pacific Islands' support. 

The leaders said they had visited Busan on the sidelines of the last summit to see firsthand Korea's ability to host the event and wished the country well in its endeavors.