1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) held the third meeting of the taskforce on the “Strategy for a Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region (Indo-Pacific Strategy),” chaired by Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won, at MOFA in Seoul on September 20.

ㅇ The meeting followed the two MOFA meetings  (on February 3 and April 27) and the working-level inter-agency meeting (on June 27) held in the first half of the year. During this meeting, the T/F reviewed the draft of the action plan for nine core lines of effort of the Indo-Pacific Strategy on the basis of the submitted plans from all relevant Ministries and government agencies.

 - The T/F is composed of the Deputy Minister for Political Affairs (Chair), the Director-General for Strategy and Directors-General of related bureaus of MOFA.

 - MOFA inaugurated the T/F for the implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, which the ROK announced on December 28, 2022. The T/F held its first meeting on February 3 and second on April 27 in 2023.

2. Deputy Minister Chung mentioned that as the Indo-Pacific region is the ROK’s expanded diplomatic horizon beyond Northeast Asia, the implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy will serve as a symbol of “responsible and contributive diplomacy” of the ROK, as it seeks to fulfill its responsibilities and role in the international community as a “Global Pivotal State.”

3. MOFA aims to unveil the action plan for the Indo-Pacific Strategy around its first anniversary which falls toward the end of this year. MOFA will seek a successful implementation of the Strategy through cooperation with other government agencies with their views reflected in the implementation process and through communication with other partner countries in and outside the region.