With a view to increasing connectivity between Korea and Pacific Islands countries, The Launching Ceremony for “ROK-Pacific Islands Trade & Tourism Promotion Project” took place at the Foreign Minister‘s residence, located in Hannam-dong, Seoul last Wendesday on March 13.

According to MOFAT explanation, bilateral relations between Korea and Pacific Islands countries began in the 1970s. Since then from 2011, high-ranking officials meeting have been held regularly while Papua New Guinea held its first APEC Summit last year.

Vice Minister Lee Tae-ho from MOFAT expressed through his welcome remarks the hope of the ROK, which shares with the majority of the Pacific island countries (PICs) such historical experiences as colonial occupation by another country, wars, and independence, to share with them its experience of and knowhow for rapid economic growth, thereby becoming a genuine partner for the PIC's socio-economic development.

KOIMA chairman Hong Kwang-hee pledged to activate bilateral relations with a priority on trade and tourism, adding the Association plans to host its annual Import Good Fair in June this year and to dispatch its delegation to Pacific Island countries at the latter half of the year.

“The ROK-PI Trade & Tourism Promotion Project” is one of the development cooperation projects conducted with “the ROK-Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Cooperation Fund,” to which the ROK government has contributed since 2008 in order to step up substantive cooperation with the PICs. The Project will be implemented over the next two years.

By conducting the Project, the ROK will broaden the scope of its official development assistance (ODA) to the PICs to include not only health and medical care, and infrastructure improvement -- the main areas of cooperation of the past -- but also trade and tourism. As such, the Project is expected to pave the way for better understanding between people and sustainable economic development of the two sides, said MOFAT.