Deputy Managing Editor
South Korea will increase funding to the region by five times the current amount next year to help develop digitalisation within the region, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in an exclusive interview with Guardian Media yesterday.
He also promised to work with regional leaders to strengthen ties, trade, and investment and to share knowledge to help tackle climate change concerns, enhance food security and promote technology throughout the region.
This is the first time a South Korean prime minister has attended a Caricom meeting, but South Korea has had decades of close relations with the region.
“Next year we will make our contributions to the Caricom secretariat five-fold; now $600,000, we will make it five-fold bigger so that we can also work together with the Secretariat on how we can work together with other Caribbean members,” Prime Minister Han said.
He said South Korea and Caricom have already discussed ways to help each other in the digitalisation process through various fora at the level of ministers and at regular dialogues among vice-ministers and experts.
“So our organisations, in helping each other, are already contacting with some members of Caricom, and also Korea is working very closely with the secretariat of Caricom on how to digitalise the processes of work with the Caricom secretariat.”
Prime Minister Han said Korea was very grateful to Caribbean countries for the support given during the Korean War in the 1950s.
Among those who fought on behalf of South Korea is veteran calypsonian ‘Lord Nelson’ who has been invited to return to Korea this year.
“He is turning 94 ... young hero at that time but very old now. He was invited to Korea this year, and he will see how Korea changed from the status he was in, in fighting for freedom dispatched from T&T, so we really appreciate the members of Caricom, and we would like to work together to help each other, and digitalisation is a very important part of it.”
He will also ask Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to visit South Korea soon.
“When I meet with him on my trip here, I will invite him to Korea. To see is to believe, so I think that it’s very important to us, and we are having a very good trading relationship with T&T,” he said.
He hopes to expand agreements between the two countries through better linkages through private industries.
Climate change is among the discussions he hopes to have with Caricom leaders, noting that his country’s experiences in dealing with the effects of climate change can be passed on to the region.
“Our cooperation has already begun and Korea is one of the countries which is surrounded by seas, so we also have the same problems as some of the Caribbean countries in terms of climate change. We also have some of the experiences on how to tackle this climate change in terms of renewable energy, in terms of technology, and how to enhance the use of hydrogen and things like that,” he said.
“So our energy agency and Caricom secretariat will exchange on July 4, some of the memoranda of understanding on how we can work together on increasing the capabilities on renewable energy capabilities.”
The prime minister also plans to introduce an agricultural technology platform designed to address the challenges posed by climate change.
Caricom has been seeking to improve its ability to sustain itself through investments in agriculture following recent discussions in Guyana and Port-of-Spain.
“We will make some of the frameworks between members of Korea and the Caribbean on how to increase productivity in agriculture and jointly with members of the Caribbean,” Prime Minister Han said.
South Korea is also seeking Caricom’s support in hosting the 2030 World Expo, a massive event that can generate revenue, jobs, and global attention but is competing with Saudi Arabia and Italy.
Prime Minister Han is confident that his country is best poised to host the event through its commitment to tackling climate change and developing processes for more economic inclusivity across the globe.
“I think Korea is right in asking for the support of the members of Caricom countries because we know that we share international common values, including democracy and market economy and human rights. So we are on the same page on how we can run our country, and how we can contribute to the world through this international exposition, developments, climate change, and inclusive goals. So we really need the full support of the members of Caricom countries. It will be a real contributor to the world in those important issues in 2023.”
Prime Minister Han will leave T&T tomorrow for Panama.