Overviews

The Action Plan for the Freedom, Peace and Prosperity of the Pacific focuses on three priority areas for cooperation between Korea and Pacific Islands: Resilience, Reinforcement, and Revitalization. Under the vision of serving as a Global Pivotal State, Korea will cooperate with Pacific Islands to achieve freedom, peace and prosperity in the Pacific. To this end, Korea will continue to explore customized projects for cooperation with the Pacific Islands which are aligned with the '2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent’ endorsed at the 51st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in July 2022.

• Resilience: Strengthening climate and disaster resilience for a sustainable future

• Reinforcement: Reinforcing the potential of the Pacific through capacity-building

• Revitalization: Strengthening partnership by revitalizing connectivity in the post-Covid-19 era

Resilience: Strengthening climate and disaster resilience for a sustainable future

As the dangers of climate change intensify, responding to climate change and disasters and strengthening resilience are amongst the most important areas for cooperation between Korea and Pacific Islands. Korea and Pacific Islands will strengthen the leadership on the international stage, mitigate the damage by enhancing capabilities in climate change and disaster prediction and response, and continue to strengthen cooperation for enhancing resilience.

1. Strengthening Climate Resilience

Korea and Pacific Islands will closely cooperate to effectively address climate change and enhance climate resilience of Pacific Islands, which are most affected by climate change, through capacity-building projects on climate prediction and response.

· (Climate Change Cooperation) Korea and Pacific Islands will closely cooperate with the international community to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change. Korea will also consider continuing financial contributions to the Rising Nations Initiative (RNI) with a view to protecting the statehood of Pacific Islands and safeguarding the rights and heritage of their populations from the challenges posed by rising sea levels.

Considering particularly special circumstances faced by Pacific Islands and their concerns thereto, Korea supports the 2021 PIF Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the face of Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise, which proclaims that maritime zones, established in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS, and the rights and entitlements that flow from them, shall continue to apply, without reduction, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea-level rise.

Korea and the Pacific Islands Forum will establish a system for cooperation to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change based on the MOU on Climate Change Mitigation and Reduction.

· (Enhancing Climate Prediction Services) Considering that Pacific Islands are amongst the most vulnerable to climate change, Korea will continue to enhance climate prediction and response capability through climate prediction services. Based on advanced Information and Communication Technology and Climate Prediction Technology, Korea will improve the Pacific targeted climate prediction tool(PICASO, Pacific Island Countries Advanced Seasonal Outlook), and offer training programs to working-level climate officers to enhance the efficiency of the operation of the system.

In particular, Korea will expand PICASO to include five Pacific Islands (Niue, the Marshall Islands, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau) to assist in decision-making in climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture and water management. Furthermore, Korea will seek to gradually expand the scope of the services to all Pacific Islands to contribute to strengthening the climate prediction capabilities in the Pacific region.

· (Marine and Fisheries Observation and Analysis) Capacity-building in the marine and fisheries area is important in dealing with the marine climate change crisis such as sea level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification. Accordingly, Korea will support the upgrading of the ocean acidification observation system and training of experts in observational data analysis of Samoa. Korea will also expand the scope of projects for enhancing capabilities in marine observation, analysis and response to all Pacific Islands to contribute to strengthening Pacific Islands' capacity in science and technology in the marine and fisheries sector.

· (Marine and Fisheries Resources Protection and Ecosystem Restoration) Korea will rebuild the Makogai Island Marine Research Station and strengthen research cooperation in various fields such as sustainable resource management. Korea will promote marine ecosystem restoration projects including enhancing fisheries resources using artificial reefs and managing blue carbon through seagrass and salt marshes.

· (Green Energy Supply) Korea is working on projects for increasing the access to green energy in Pacific Islands such as the Tina River Hydropower Development Project in the Solomon Islands, the Renewable Energy Expansion and Capacity Development Project in Fiji and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Technologies Project in the Marshall Islands. Korea will continue to expand the cooperation for green energy supply and streamline energy use by providing support for low-carbon aquaculture technology to Pacific Islands.

· (Establishing Joint Biodiversity Research and Specimen Storage) Korea and the Pacific Islands will expand cooperation to conserve biodiversity. Korea will continue the project to establish the specimen storage and promote the capacity-building program for conservation of biodiversity in the State of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia.

· (Forest Cooperation) Korea will play a part in mitigating the impact of climate change such as rising sea levels by promoting mangrove tree-planting projects. Furthermore, Korea will seek to secure sustainability and enhance the livelihoods of local residents by generating real income through income-generating project model that promotes cross-sector collaboration between forestry and other sectors. By fostering solidarity in the Asia-Pacific region for mangrove forests and establishing a mangrove forest technology center, Korea will continue to share relevant information and know-how with the Pacific Islands.

Korea will render support for expanding Korean enterprises’ overseas forest investment to Pacific Islands and providing opportunities to exchange information such as through the holding of seminars and providing consulting, and producing guide books on forest investment in Pacific Islands.

· (Capacity-building for Greenhouse Gas Inventory) Korea will enhance cooperation with Pacific Islands to strengthen joint response to climate change through knowledge exchange. Korea will invite government officials and experts from Pacific Islands annually with the aim of supporting capacity-building for the development of the greenhouse gas inventory and establishing a foundation for an extended network with the Pacific Islands.

2. Strengthening Resilience to Infectious Diseases and Disasters

Amidst the global spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Korea and Pacific Islands will continue to cooperate to improve the resilience of Pacific Islands. In addition, Korea and Pacific Islands will expand cooperation to minimize the damage and strengthen resilience to natural disasters through technological support and capacity-building.

· (Consulting on Infectious Disease Control Systems) Korea will provide consulting tailored to Pacific Islands based on the 3Ts (Testing, Tracing, Treatment) with a view to shaping a sustainable infectious disease response system. Moreover, Korea will seek to render support for the building of mobile test centers and walk-through screening stations for infectious diseases, and will support the development of disease control applications. In so doing, Korea will foster experts in infection control and monitoring to improve resilience against any spread of infectious diseases in the future.

· (Transfer of Disaster Safety Technologies) Korea will contribute to strengthening capabilities to minimize disaster risk by transferring disaster safety technologies such as the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) and conducting education/training programs for relevant officials and the public.

· (Establishment of Marine Weather Prediction and Early Warning Systems) Korea will establish marine weather prediction and early warning systems by providing satellite marine weather broadcast services, and customized numerical weather prediction information.

· (Development of Decision-Ready Tools to Support Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning) Korea will contribute to strengthening the Pacific Islands’ resilience to natural disasters and climate change by collecting coastal data through satellite exploration and supporting the establishment of a coastal development plan.

Reinforcement: Reinforcing the potential of the Pacific through capacity-building

Korea and Pacific Islands will work together to reinforce the potential of the Pacific Islands, strengthening the capabilities in various fields such as marine fisheries and the digital field. Korea will gradually expand the ODA for Pacific Islands and implement various projects to strengthen the capabilities, contributing to fulfilling the potential of the Pacific region and people.

1. Expanding Development Cooperation

For the sustainable economic and social development and capacity-building of the Pacific Islands, Korea carries out projects using ODA, including the ROK-PIF Cooperation Fund and Economic Development Cooperation Fund on an annual basis. Korea will gradually expand ODA to support Pacific Islands, seeking to play a part in laying the foundation for development.

· (Expanding ODA) Korea will double the scale of ODA for Pacific Islands by 2027.

· (Strengthening the Management of the ROK-PIF Cooperation Fund) Korea will gradually expand the ROK-PIF Cooperation Fund which was established in 2008, and enhance its visibility and efficient operation. Korea will engage in efforts to explore and implement more effective projects in tune with the ‘2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.’

· (Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF)) Korea continues to support the construction of infrastructure for the economic development of the Pacific Islands by providing highly concessional loans through the EDCF, such as reviewing the port construction project in Papua New Guinea.

2. Reinforcing Capabilities

Korea and Pacific Islands will continue to cooperate in various areas such as economic development, marine fisheries, the digital field, agriculture, and maritime security for the sustainable development of Pacific Islands. Korea will transfer advanced technologies and best practices, and implement educational programs for the sustainable development of the Pacific Islands.

· (Knowledge Sharing Program) Korea will contribute to the economic and social development of the Pacific Islands by providing policy recommendations tailored to the needs of Pacific Islands, with reference to Korea’s experience.

· (Strengthening IUU Fishing Response Capability) Korea will contribute to strengthening Pacific Islands’ ability to respond to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the region through the development and installation of ship detection modules for remote monitoring of illegal fishing activities and will continue to seek to reinforce the function of the modules. Korea will also provide workshops and training programs to officials for capacity-building on IUU fishing response.

· (Training of Human Resources in Marine and Fisheries) Korea will launch a Ph.D. program to train top-level marine fisheries leaders to contribute to addressing food security and developing the marine fisheries industry of Pacific Islands. Korea will also promote education in various fields such as fisheries resource management policies and gradually diversify the curriculum of the education.

Korea will promote an invitational training program to nurture marine engineers and observers by utilizing high quality shipping and maritime education tools and resources. In particular, Korea will contribute to fostering female shipping and maritime professionals to promote their active role in the shipping field and enhance their social standing.

· (Development of Marine Waste Management Systems) Korea, to effectively respond to marine waste issues, will pursue a project to establish a system for prevention, collection, delivery, disposal and recycling, promoting awareness and encouraging people to change their approach.

· (Fishing Villages Development Project) Korea will pursue a fishing villages development project providing support for the construction of small fishing ports, revitalizing tourism through the renovation of fish markets and strengthening the capacities of those engaged in the fishing field in Tuvalu to enhance self-reliance. Korea will gradually expand the scope of the project to all Pacific Islands.

· (Korea-Fiji Cooperation Center on Oceans and Fisheries) Korea seeks, through the establishment of the Korea-Fiji Cooperation Center on Oceans and Fisheries in Fiji, to explore new projects in the maritime sector, support the operation of existing projects, and pursue research and development. Furthermore, expanding the scope of the Korea-Fiji Cooperation Center, Korea will seek to establish a Korea-Pacific Islands Cooperation Center on Oceans and Fisheries for strengthening Pacific Islands’ maritime and fisheries capabilities.

· (WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement) Korea will work closely with the Pacific Islands Forum’s WTO Members to implement the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, and commit to further negotiations to conclude a comprehensive agreement, which includes special and differential treatment for developing and least developed WTO Members.

· (Capacity-building on Maritime Security) Korea and Pacific Islands will deepen ties of cooperation between the maritime security agencies of both sides. In addition, Korea will contribute to strengthening maritime security capabilities of Pacific Islands through invitation programs for maritime security officials.

· (Health Ministerial Conference) Korea will hold the Health Ministerial Conference with Pacific Islands to seek cooperation in strengthening health capacity and response to regional and global issues.

· (Training Medical Professionals) In light of the prolonged pandemic and various health threats faced, Korea will contribute to fostering medical professionals of Pacific Islands by establishing and managing regional training centers for the nurturing of experts and professors.

Korea will implement the health professionals’ education and research capacity-building project at Fiji National University, and will further expand the scope of the project to other Pacific Islands.

· (Strengthening Healthcare Systems) Korea will contribute to integrated management of chronic diseases based on telemedicine by supporting the establishment of customized healthcare and ICT response systems suitable for the geographical and environmental characteristics of the Pacific Islands.

· (Promoting Access to Healthcare Services) Korea will contribute to promoting access to health-care services by inviting Pacific Islands’ patients who have ongoing, unaddressed issues to Korea for free medical treatment.

· (Improvement of Agri-food Productivity and Distribution Structure) Korea will contribute to improving agri-food productivity and distribution systems in Pacific Island Countries by transferring agri-food technologies tailored to the geographical and environmental conditions of Pacific Islands and by strengthening capacity of stakeholders in the agricultural sector through various activities including the invitational training program for agricultural cooperation.

· (Saemaul Undong ODA Project) Korea will continue to promote the Saemaul Pilot Village Project and follow-up projects for pilot villages to improve the village environment and strengthen Pacific Islands’ self-reliance capacity. Korea will gradually expand the scope of the invitational training program to all Pacific Islands.

· (Saemaul Geumgo ODA Project) Korea will continue to promote invitational training programs for Fiji Saemaul Geumgo to support the establishment of financial cooperatives led by villagers. Korea will gradually expand the scope of target countries for Saemaul Geumgo ODA and contribute to the strengthening of financial capabilities by advancing the work system including through digital transformation.

Revitalization: Strengthening partnership by revitalizing connectivity in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Recognizing the importance of the revitalization of connectivity between Korea and the Pacific Islands, which had been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea and Pacific Islands will strengthen human, physical and digital connectivity and promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges in a range of areas for long-term cooperation.

1. Strengthening Human, Physical and Digital Connectivity

Korea and Pacific Islands will continue efforts to enhance human, physical and digital connectivity for the sustainable economic development of Pacific Islands and partnerships between the two sides. Considering that one of the Pacific Islands’ main sources of income is the tourism sector, Korea will contribute to promoting the tourism industry by seeking to promote human connectivity. Cooperation between the two sides will be deepened by strengthening physical and digital connectivity and the associated policy capabilities.

· (Promoting Connectivity) Korea will continue its efforts to build infrastructure, including cooperation in air and sea transportation to improve connectivity.

· (Promoting ICT Connectivity) Korea will continue to support infrastructure development and capacity-building to improve ICT connectivity.

· (MOU of Understanding on Establishing a Framework on Trade and Investment Promotion) Korea and the Pacific Islands Forum will jointly respond to global crises such as energy security and supply chain disruptions that pose threats to the global economy, based on the MOU on Establishing Trade and Investment Promotion.

· (Strengthening Policy Capabilities for Supporting SMEs) Korea will contribute to promoting the ecosystem of MSMEs in Pacific Islands by supporting regional activities focusing on capacity-building of MSMEs and related officials. Korea takes note of the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Initiative and Pacific E-commerce initiative and is open to further discussions on these regional initiatives.

· (Enhancing E-commerce Opportunities for Pacific MSMEs) Korea will help to mitigate the constraints that geographical distance imposes on Pacific Island Countries’ MSMEs focusing on MSMEs’ e-commerce adoption and acceleration.

· (Digital Ministerial Conference) Korea will hold the first Digital Ministerial Conference, inviting ministers in the digital sector to attend, and seek future cooperation in the digital sector.

2. Promoting Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges

Korea and Pacific Islands aim to further strengthen the partnership by revitalizing people-to-people and cultural exchanges in the post-COVID-19 era. Korea and Pacific Islands will establish diplomatic infrastructure and expand the field of communication through regular meetings to strengthen long-term cooperation.

· (Expanding Invitation Programs) Korea will expand invitation programs, inviting distinguished personnel and providing training in the Korean language and culture to diplomats of Pacific Islands, to expand the people-to-people exchanges between Korea and Pacific Islands.

· (Supporting Development of the Sports Field) Korea will expand exchanges in the field of sports through a Sports Partnership Initiative and a Joint Training Program for athletes. Furthermore, Korea will contribute to strengthening the capacity of the Pacific Islands in the sports field by expanding the Coach Education Program, which is already in progress in some Pacific Islands, and conducting the Dream Together Master Program to foster future sports administrators.

· (General Training Session) Korea will provide a general training program to Tuvalu, inviting people to seafood processing plants in Korea as part of efforts to nurture marine fisheries experts.

· (Strengthening Marine and Fisheries Networks) Korea will hold on a regular basis international cooperation conferences on marine fisheries, seeking to strengthen the networks between government officials and experts in the maritime and fisheries field between Korea and Pacific Islands.

· (Exchanges of Journalists) Korea will contribute to helping build networks among journalists and boost relevant exchanges with Pacific Islands through various projects designed to support exchange visits of journalists.

· (Strengthening Diplomatic Infrastructure) Korea and Pacific Islands will mutually seek to strengthen the diplomatic infrastructure, which lays the foundation for long-term relations. As part of such efforts, Korea and Niue will establish diplomatic relations. Moreover, Korea will open additional diplomatic missions in the Pacific Islands region.

· (Strengthening Diplomacy with Pacific Islands) Korea and Pacific Islands will continue exchanges and strengthen cooperation by holding the ministerial meeting every two years. Korea will continue to cooperate with other countries to support Pacific Islands.