1. Chairman of the Committee on Library and Information Policy Shin Ki-nam attended the inauguration ceremony of President of the Republic of Guatemala Alejandro Giammattei held in Guatemala City on January 14, as special envoy of the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK).

° Chairman Shin was accompanied by President of the National Information Society Agency Moon Yong-sik at the ceremony, which was attended by special delegations of about 50 countries, including the Republic of Colombia, the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Honduras and the Republic of Panama.

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2. Special envoy Shin paid a courtesy call on President Giammattei on the morning of January 14 and delivered President Moon Jae-in’s letter, in which he offered congratulations to President Giammattei on his inauguration and expressed hope to expand the friendly and cooperative relations between the ROK and Guatemala.

° Special envoy Shin extended appreciation to Guatemala’s government for its support for the ROK government’s efforts regarding the peace process on the Korean Peninsula and asked for its unwavering support.

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° The special envoy also expressed hope for stronger bilateral cooperation in various fields, including infrastructure, agriculture, the e-government system, public security and healthcare, and asked for the President’s attention to and support for the ethnic Koreans who have contributed to the economic and social development of Guatemala.

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3. President Giammattei conveyed appreciation to the special envoy of the ROK President for attending his inauguration ceremony and hope to deepen and expand the bilateral relations in more diverse areas.

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° In particular, President Giammattei highlighted the significance of the development cooperation projects conducted through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) as well as the infrastructure cooperation through the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), and expressed hope for strengthened cooperation between the two countries in these areas.

° The President also commended local Korean people and enterprises for their contribution to the economic and social development of Guatemala and expressed willingness to support the Korean community.

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4. On the evening of January 13, the special envoy had a meeting with about 20 representatives of the Korean community in Guatemala, during which he exchanged views on activities and challenges of the Korean community and offered encouragement.