Lee Do-hoon "ODA as the Core Driver for Realizing a Global Hub Nation" .. 29.3% Increase in Grant Aid Compared to Last Year

“Implementing Grant Aid in Close Coordination with External Strategy”

On the 3rd, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the '2023 Grant Aid Related Agencies Council' chaired by Second Vice Minister Lee Do-hoon to finalize discussions on candidate projects for grant aid.

More than 30 domestic grant aid implementing agencies, including government ministries and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), participated.

In his opening remarks, Vice Minister Lee Do-hoon stated, "This year's Official Development Assistance (ODA) has increased despite the fiscal austerity policy," adding, "ODA is a key driving force for realizing a global pivotal state."

Vice Minister Lee also said, "We will implement development cooperation closely linked with foreign strategy and strengthen the connection between regional security and international development cooperation." He added, "We will closely consult with related ministries and continuously communicate with overseas diplomatic missions."

The total scale of candidate projects for next year's (2024) grant aid submitted this year amounts to 3.4281 trillion KRW, a 29.3% increase compared to the previous year. This reflects the government's determination to promote development cooperation befitting the nation's status.

This year, 12 sectors and over 70 private experts participated in the preliminary review of projects. Opinions from overseas diplomatic missions and relevant departments within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were collected to reflect the perspectives and priorities of project sites. Foreign strategy, including regional cooperation and economic security, was also linked with international development cooperation.

Prior to holding the council meeting, one-on-one consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the lead agency, and implementing agencies (April 10?14), as well as a subcommittee meeting involving major implementing agencies (April 24), were held to exchange opinions on candidate projects and system improvements.

Based on the results of the council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to prepare the '2024 Grant Aid Comprehensive Implementation Plan (draft).' This draft will be reviewed by the Grant Development Cooperation Strategy Meeting (chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs) and finally approved at the next International Development Cooperation Committee (chaired by the Prime Minister) in June or July.

A total of 47 institutions submitted grant aid implementation plans. These include the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea International Cooperation Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Board of Audit and Inspection, Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Personnel Management, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, National Tax Service, Korea Customs Service, Public Procurement Service, Statistics Korea, National Police Agency, Cultural Heritage Administration, Korea Forest Service, Korean Intellectual Property Office, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea Fair Trade Commission, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, National Election Commission, and 13 local governments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.