Korean Foreign Minister Jo Hyun has been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts from September 5 to 10. During this week, she has addressed various issues, including the safety of overseas citizens and supporting President Yoon Suk Yeol. On September 10, she attended a government questioning session in the National Assembly to discuss the outcomes of her visit to France and is scheduled to meet with Uganda to discuss economic cooperation.
Minister Jo visited Nepal from September 5, where she met with Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali on September 6. Nine South Koreans remain uncontacted due to severe flooding in Nepal. Following her meeting with Gyawali, a search operation by the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) was conducted in the affected areas on September 8.
However, the KDRT is concluding its mission as per the original 10-day schedule, with team members set to return on September 11. The government plans to send a second team of KDRT members to Nepal on the same day to replace the first team returning home.
Park Du-sun, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, stated during a regular briefing, "The team will consist of eight members and will operate locally for seven days." According to officials, the team will include two members each from the Foreign Ministry, the National Fire Agency, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and a medical team.
Park added, "We will work closely with Nepalese authorities to conduct reconstruction and relief activities, alongside a small search and rescue team."
After concluding her Nepal visit on September 7, Jo traveled to France to assist President Yoon, who accepted an invitation to co-chair the 'Lumiere Summit,' an international film and video conference, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
During their meeting, President Yoon and President Macron agreed to closely cooperate on ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and stabilizing global supply chains. Macron also expressed interest in collaborating with South Korea on a multinational mission for the peaceful reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
In this context, Minister Jo explained during the government questioning session that, "We achieved several memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on security cooperation and defense collaboration with France, the only nuclear-armed country in the EU. We also agreed to deepen our cooperation in the cultural sector, particularly in film."
Additionally, Jo announced that a meeting between the foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States is expected to take place this month, aiming to quell recent rumors of conflict between the two nations.
Meanwhile, Jo is scheduled to meet with Uganda's Deputy Prime Minister Christopher Walter Kiyonga at the Foreign Ministry later in the afternoon. Last year, trade between South Korea and Uganda was approximately $47 million. Uganda is seeking investment and participation from South Korean companies in various sectors, including energy, minerals, and ICT.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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