SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Paul Duclos, Ambassador of Peru to South Korea, praised the evolving partnership between the two nations, describing it as “an excellent relationship that has adapted itself over time to changing bilateral and global interests.”
In an interview held on Apr. 8, the ambassador reflected on over six decades of diplomatic ties, emphasized multilateral collaboration through Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and detailed strategic areas for future cooperation.
“We’re now in the 62nd year of diplomatic relations,” Duclos said. “Some of the milestones include our 2011 Free Trade Agreement and the 2012 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which expanded our collaboration into areas like defense, digital transformation, and environmental issues.”
Last year, Peru held the APEC chairmanship and passed it on to South Korea. Duclos noted that Peru had successfully restored consensus-based decision-making within APEC during its tenure.
“We could approve up to 20 deliverables, including the Machu Picchu Declaration and the Isma Statement on free trade and investment in the region,” he said, adding: “We also introduced APEC for the Citizen, making sure citizens benefited from expert visits through community events and educational outreach.”
He confirmed that Peru has been closely coordinating with South Korea’s APEC team to share this experience. “Our senior official continued to work with the Korean side during the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in February. Both teams are passing on positive and good practices.”
Duclos stressed the growing opportunities in trade and investment, particularly in infrastructure, energy, and technology. “Peru offers a very important free trade agreement network -- almost 90 to 95 percent of our trade is covered under FTAs, including with Korea,” he said. He pointed to SK Innovation’s gas production in Camisea and Hyundai’s involvement in the new airport in Cusco as examples of active South Korean investment.
In the green sector, hydrogen was highlighted as a new frontier for collaboration. “We’ve been talking with Korean investors on how to jointly work on hydrogen. During our APEC presidency, we made it a deliverable to improve the use of hydrogen in the region,” Duclos said.
On critical minerals, the ambassador noted progress following former President Yoon’s visit to Peru during the APEC Leaders’ Summit in 2024. “Peru was officially mentioned as a stable and strategic supplier of critical minerals like zinc and copper,” he said. “This will become another pillar in our cooperation.”
The ambassador also pointed to growing cultural exchanges as a bridge between the two countries. “Last year, we were the invited country at the Andong Mask Festival. We brought a K-pop-style artist who sings in Quechua, our native language. It was his first time in Korea, and he performed both in Seoul and Andong,” he recalled. He also highlighted the debut of a K-pop-style girl group trained in Korea, now enjoying success in Peru.
Peru is expanding cultural outreach across South Korean cities. “We’re organizing photo and art exhibitions not only in Seoul but also in Busan, Daejeon, Gangwon, and Gyeongju,” he said, mentioning photographer Roberto Huarcaya’s installation currently displayed at the Korea Foundation Gallery in Seoul. “It’s a monumental exhibit using photosensitive paper and light. Truly one-of-a-kind.”
Education is also rising on the bilateral agenda, with about 150 Peruvian students in South Korea, many in engineering and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. “We see each student as an ambassador,” he said. “We support them with cultural materials and help them organize events to introduce Peru to Korean communities.” South Korean universities have also traveled to Peru to promote study programs, and the Sejong Institute recently opened a branch at Universidad de San Marcos.
Looking ahead, Duclos sees digital transformation as a crucial area of cooperation. “Since 2021, Korea has supported Peru through a digital governance cooperation center. We are glad that during Korea’s APEC presidency, digital issues are among the top priorities,” he said.
Duclos also emphasized mutual values and a resilient partnership. “We both prioritize multilateralism and free trade. This APEC back-to-back leadership allows us to align our voices on global challenges,” he said. “This is a resilient relationship that’s only going to grow.”
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