1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se attended the Leaders' Summit on Refugees, which was hosted by President Barack Obama of the US at the UN on September 20. At the meeting, the Minister announced the Republic of Korea’s plan to increase humanitarian assistance in an effort to help resolve the refugee issue, which has emerged as one of the most pressing issues of the international community.

° At the Summit, which came after the high-level plenary meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants on September 19, some 50 countries announced their plans to render assistance to refugees.

2. Minister Yun delivered a keynote speech at the event, in which, recalling his visit to Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan in December 2014, he mentioned that the ROK is actively implementing humanitarian diplomacy, as the suffering of refugees across the world strikes a chord with many Koreans, who during the Korean War, had been force into displacement. He added that with many North Koreans still fleeing their homes aspiring to gain freedom, safety and human dignity, the ROK is keenly interested in the international refugee issue.

3. Minister Yun announced the ROK’s plan to offer 230 million US dollars in humanitarian assistance over the next three years in a tangible move to contribute to efforts to resolve the refugee issue. He added that with the Refugee Act in force since 2013 and a pilot refugee resettlement project under way since 2015, the ROK will continue to upgrade its policy to better support refugees.


* unofficial translation