Ambassador Jong-uk Choi: “South Korea wants to share its development experience with Peru”

A document at the headquarters of the General Archive of the Nation shows that the record of the first immigrant Korean in Peru it dates back to 1922. It is a milestone that reflects the long history and close friendship between both countries, which this year marked six decades of the establishment of bilateral relations.

LOOK: We visit the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas: this is life on the most armed border in the world

These days, South Korea is not only Peru’s fourth trading partner, but, to commemorate the historic relationship, it is promoting cooperation in areas such as education and technological advancement, pillars of the Asian nation’s development.

In dialogue with El Comercio, the ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Peru, Jong-uk Choi, addresses the opportunities that exist between both nations, especially in the face of common challenges, and highlights the importance of our country as a key partner in the region.

—Peru and South Korea have celebrated 60 years of bilateral relationship. What are the areas of cooperation that have been most successful during this time?

There are many sectors. The two countries signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2011. After the FTA, the total volume of trade has doubled and today South Korea is Peru’s fourth trading partner. Investment is also increasing. The accumulated investment of the Korean company is of 6.2 billion dollars. In addition, there are other important sectors in cooperation such as defense and digital government. In all areas we can see many advances in cooperation with Peru. In terms of development cooperation, Peru is one of the priority countries in Latin America. Every year some 10 million dollars go to Peru in transportation, health, environment, digital government, etc. sectors.

—South Korea is a country that stands out in its professional training, science and technology. What options does South Korea offer Peruvian students?

South Korea wants to share its development experience with Peru. To develop our country we focus on education, which is why the exchange on educational issues is vital in bilateral cooperation. There are two scholarship programs for young Peruvian students. Until today almost 100 Peruvians had the opportunity to study in South Korea in undergraduate and graduate degrees through the GKS (Global Korea Scholarship) program. Every year, calls are opened for the selection of Peruvian scholarship holders. The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is also operating training programs in South Korea in which 1,000 Peruvian officials have participated, most of whom are young people.

—As part of the cooperation in digital government between South Korea and Peru, the creation of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and the development of Smart Cities in Peru have been discussed. What is it about? How advanced is it?

In this sector we began cooperation together with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Exactly in 2017, both countries established the cooperation center for digital government (DGCC) within PCM, that is why South Korea is helping in the establishment of the master plan for the Peruvian digital government including smart cities. South Korea established a formal cybersecurity course for students at the National University of Engineering (UNI).

—What are the highlights of defense cooperation?

There are two axes to advance cooperation on this issue: defense policy and the defense industry. South Korea and Peru co-produced 20 KT-1P, a training aircraft for use by Peru. Four of them were produced in South Korea and the other 16 in Peru through technology transfer. At the same time, South Korea has donated two corvettes and we are co-producing 8 patrol vessels and 2 multipurpose vessels. There is also a lot of personal exchange in the defense sector.

—What new areas of cooperation could both countries take advantage of?

There are many sectors in which there will be more cooperation, but I want to highlight climate change. The two countries are reaching an agreement to cooperate in reducing CO2 emissions. Furthermore, a Korean company can invest in this sector. KOICA is also working on circular economy projects, waste management in Cusco, among others.

—What does Peru contribute to South Korea? Why are we an attractive country for you?

Peru is a strategic partner of South Korea. Both nations established a comprehensive strategic partnership relationship in 2012. South Korea is a country with a big vision, it wants to assume a role as a ‘global pivotal state’ to contribute to peace and prosperity in the international community. To achieve that, South Korea announced the Indo-Pacific strategy. Peru is an essential partner in the Pacific region and also in Latin America. Peru is president pro tempore of the Pacific Alliance this year and next year it will host APEC. We will continue seeking to increase strategic cooperation with Peru.

The Korean role on the international scene

—The world is living in turbulent times. In Asia there are tensions involving China with the United States and also those surrounding North Korea. What are the biggest concerns right now?

The biggest concern in Asia right now is security. There are always threats from North Korea, which continues to develop its missile and nuclear weapons and satellite capabilities. All of this represents threats not only to the Korean Peninsula, but also to the international community. North Korea is developing an ICBM missile to attack other continents. This continues to escalate tension in the world and on the Korean peninsula.

—The United States, Japan and South Korea carry out joint exercises and alliances against the North Korean threat. How would you define the alliance between these three countries and what is its objective for the future?

A trilateral summit between South Korea, Japan and the United States was held at Camp David, United States, in August. We have institutionalized this cooperation, not only in the security sector, but also in economy, supply chains, technology and human exchange. In the case of security, the leaders of the three countries agreed on defensive military exercises in the face of the North Korean threat. The goal is inclusive global cooperation in all sectors

—In difficult international times, how important is Latin America for Asia and other regions of the world?

Latin America has a lot of potential for development and cooperation. In these times we face many crises and challenges. Latin America has a large young population for its development and is a great supplier of natural resources, which is very important to develop advanced technology. The region is also key to overcoming global challenges such as climate change and the digital divide. Latin America is a very important partner. Today cooperation is necessary, not separation.