Policy Updates

On December 17, 2024, South Korea and CSOs held the 9^th Government-Civil Society Policy Council on International Development Cooperation.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy and Finance, KOICA, Export-Import Bank of Korea, Korea NGO Council for Overseas Development Cooperation, Korea Civil Society Forum on International Development Cooperation, Good Neighbors, World Vision Korea, and Save the Children were in attendance.

The attendees reviewed government-civil society partnerships and ways for government-civil society cooperation to strengthen ODA implementation effectiveness. The South Korean government and CSOs noted the importance of gaining public support as the scale of its ODA continues to grow.

They agreed that next year’s 4^th Mid-Term Strategy for Development Cooperation (2026-2030) should include measures to raise public awareness of ODA. The government will continue collaborating to strengthen partnerships with civil society with long-standing field experience and expertise in international development cooperation.

On December 15, 2024, Japan hosted the 17^th THMM with China and South Korea, focusing on public health security, healthy aging, and strengthening health systems to achieve UHC.

The ministers discussed improving PPR, tackling AMR, and promoting joint clinical trials and regulatory alignment across Asia. Japan highlighted the importance of strengthening health workforces, fostering innovation, and increasing cooperation between public health institutes. The countries agreed on an updated Memorandum of Cooperation and Joint Action Plan to improve coordinated responses to future global health emergencies.

On healthy aging, the countries shared strategies for preventive care, integrating long-term healthcare systems, and using technologies like care robots and ICT to meet the needs of aging populations. They also emphasized joint research on aging-related care, considering the cultural and demographic similarities of the three nations.

The three countries committed to strengthening health systems to achieve UHC, promoting digital transformation for equitable healthcare access, and supporting initiatives like Japan’s UHC Knowledge Hub, set to launch in 2025. The meeting concluded with a reaffirmed commitment to collaborative health solutions, with South Korea scheduled to host the next THMM in 2025.

On December 9, 2024, South Korea and the UNOCHA held their 8^th policy meeting to review the status of major humanitarian crises cooperation and exchange views on how to efficiently respond to the increasing demand for humanitarian assistance.

MOFA Director General for Development Cooperation Jonghan Park and UNOCHA Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya led the meeting. Park announced that South Korea would contribute an additional US$24 million in 2024, supplementing UNOCHA’s US$6 million and CERF's US$18 million contribution in 2024.

The policy meeting strengthened the strategic partnership between South Korea and UNOCHA.

On December 6, 2024, South Korea and UNICEF held the 20^th Annual Policy Consultation to explore more effective and strategic ways to work together to contribute to the common goal of child protection.

South Korean Director-General for Development Cooperation Jonghan Park announced that the government will increase its regular contribution to UNICEF in 2024 to US$15 million and provide an additional US$30 million in ACT-A support to UNICEF for children suffering from poor health conditions globally.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden expressed her deep gratitude to South Korea for its increased contribution. She emphasized the importance of South Korea’s US$20 million contribution to ACT-A in 2023, which helped improve WASH standards for children in 22 countries. South Korea- UNICEF partnerships will continue to expand their contribution.

On December 3, 2024, South Korean Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Ki-hwan Kwon attended the Cairo Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza, reaffirming South Korea's ongoing support.

Kwon noted that since the outbreak of armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, South Korea has provided US$40 million in assistance to Gaza. He emphasized South Korea's commitment to supporting regions facing humanitarian crises worldwide.

On December 2, 2024, the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care held a Health Dialogue, building on their MOU on healthcare cooperation signed in August 2023.

They reviewed the achievements of cooperation in R&D, shared public health best practices, and explored future cooperation.

The 2^nd South Korean Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Min-soo Park highlighted international solidarity and cooperation to address growing health inequalities, and emphasized the importance of international solidarity in addressing health inequalities. Park expressed hope that this inaugural Health Dialogue would foster new horizons in healthcare cooperation between the two countries and help to advance UHC.

On November 27, 2024, the South Korean MOFA and the National Assembly’s Global Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Forum co-hosted a discussion on the future of ODA during the 2024 Development Cooperation Week.

Cheol-soo Ahn and Jae-jung Lee, co-chairs of the National Assembly's Global Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Forum, delivered opening remarks emphasizing the importance of prioritizing quality over quantity in ODA strategies.

Experts had an in-depth discussion on public-private partnerships, grants, and loan assistance. The event was attended by parliamentarians, ODA-related government representatives, public institutions, and civil society experts.

On November 23, 2024, South Korean 2^nd Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Insun Kang reaffirmed the country's commitment to global food security by contributing an additional US$6 million to the WFP’s Grain from Ukraine program.

The program aims to provide Ukrainian grain to countries vulnerable to famine and drought, such as Somalia and Yemen. South Korea contributed US$3 million to the program in 2023.

Kang highlighted the South Korean government’s willingness to cooperate with Ukraine by strengthening humanitarian assistance with the Ukraine Peace and Solidarity Initiative, a comprehensive package of assistance announced by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during his visit to Ukraine in July, 2023.

On November 19, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reaffirmed the country's support for climate change by expanding green ODA at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Yoon framed the country's role in the climate transition as 'serving as a green ladder' for climate change during a speech at the 3^rd session of the G20 Summit, which focused on themes including sustainable development and energy transition and international cooperation.

Yoon gave an update on Korea's US$300 million contribution to the Green Climate Fund at India's G20 Summit in September 2023. He also reaffirmed his administration’s plan to contribute US$7 million to the UN Loss and Damage Fund for Developing Countries pledged in June 2024, at the Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul.

While stressing the importance of the Carbon Free Energy Initiative, Yoon expressed a willingness to support climate-vulnerable countries.

On November 19, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to increase the country's contribution to IDA’s 21^st replenishment by 45% while attending the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The contribution amounts to US$604 million (KRW845.6 billion), a 45% increase from the IDA’s 20^th Replenishment.

The World Bank commended South Korea’s decision to increase its contribution and hopes that South Korea’s will further solidify its position as a key player in development finance through the December meetings.

Countries will gather in Seoul on December 5, 2024 to announce their contributions.