By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

The government held a ceremony to commemorate International Development Cooperation Day at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul on Nov. 25.

International Development Cooperation Day, commemorating Korea's accession to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) on November 25, 2009, was designated as a statutory holiday under the Framework Act on International Development Cooperation this year.

Approximately 250 people, including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, foreign ambassadors to Korea, heads of international organizations in Korea, the Chairman of the Korea International Cooperation Agency, the President of the Export-Import Bank of Korea, and members of the International Development Cooperation Committee, attended the ceremony.

The first part of the ceremony featured a promotional video promoting Korea's international development cooperation, a congratulatory performance, the Prime Minister's presentation of awards to distinguished individuals, and a commemorative address.

Prime Minister Kim presented government awards to domestic and international contributors who have contributed to improving the quality of life of recipient countries and enhancing Korea's national prestige through international development cooperation activities.

Following this, Prime Minister Kim stated in his commemorative address, "In areas where we are strong, such as biotechnology and AI, we will provide practical assistance to partner countries and create a win-win model for international cooperation."

He added, "I hope to move forward, not just as a country providing assistance, but as a competent and trustworthy partner, communicating with the world. The Republic of Korea will humbly and warmly stand with you."

The second part of the ceremony featured a video congratulatory address from OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, followed by the award ceremony and words of encouragement from Office for Government Policy Coordination Director Yoon Chang-yul.

Director Yoon presented awards and other commendations to field workers who have contributed to the advancement of international development cooperation and expressed his gratitude for the hard work of the award recipients in his words of encouragement.

The following talk concert on best practices in development cooperation was held, featuring presentations by project managers from the four projects selected as best practices of the year, discussions with a youth panel, and a Q&A session with attendees, sharing representative achievements of our development cooperation along with field experience.