South Korea will highlight the importance of multilateralism and Korea’s role in international issues such as climate change and poverty at the UN General Assembly, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha said Sunday. 

“Our government will clearly emphasize the country’s status as one that practices the values of UN – peace, human rights, development – in an exemplary manner,” Kang said.

“Our contributions and resolve to expand our role in the international society will once again be clarified through announcements such as hosting the P4G summit in 2020, increasing ODA by more than twofold by 2030 and hosting the peacekeeping ministerial meeting in 2021.”

The next P4G or Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 summit will be held in Seoul next year.

Kang also stressed the fact that President Moon Jae-in is the first South Korean leader to attend the UN General Assembly on three consecutive years, saying that the decision reflects the administration’s resolve to play a bigger role in the global stage.

Saying that Korea ranks 11th in terms of contribution to the UN budget, and 10th in terms of contribution to UN peacekeeping operations budget this year, Kang said that the international community’s expectations on the country has grown.

“The international community’s expectations for the country to participate actively in discussing global issues, and to be more proactive in establishing (international) norms is growing rapidly,” Kang said.

Kang went on to say that due to South Korean economy’s high dependence on trade, supporting multilateralism and helping to establish norms is directly linked to national interests. She added that the UN General Assembly sets the stage for rallying international support for South Korea’s efforts to establish peace on the peninsula.

By Choi He-suk Korea Herald correspondent (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)