Minister Lee Sang-min Holds Meeting with US Secretary of Homeland Security... Strengthening Disaster Safety Cooperation

Discussion on National Security Systems of Both Countries

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min visited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters in Washington D.C. on the 16th (local time) and met with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss the national security systems of both countries, cooperation measures for climate crisis disaster response, and agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min visited the Department of Homeland Security in Washington DC on the afternoon of the 16th (local time) to discuss cooperation measures between the two countries on national security systems and climate crisis disaster response with Alejandro Mayorkas, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. Photo by Ministry of the Interior and Safety

On that day, both sides deeply agreed on the necessity to proactively identify new risk factors such as climate change in the context of the expanding concepts of security and safety, and to focus on the nation's comprehensive preparedness and response capabilities. In particular, Minister Lee introduced that the Korean government is preparing the ‘Innovative Plan for Climate Crisis Disaster Response,’ and Secretary Mayorkas explained the DHS-established ‘Strategic Framework for Climate Change Response.’

Additionally, Minister Lee provided detailed explanations on Korea’s ‘Comprehensive Measures for the Reorganization of the Whole-of-Government National Safety System’ and disaster management and counterterrorism measures, including the newly established civil defense nuclear alert system this year to respond to North Korea’s nuclear threats. This visit to DHS and the meeting with the Secretary is the first since the establishment of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2017.

Furthermore, he met with Eric Hooks, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to share mutual experiences and best practices for protecting the citizens of both countries from disasters and to explore cooperation measures for responding to new types of disasters such as the climate crisis.

Meanwhile, the Public Administration Cooperation Team led by Minister Lee will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on the 17th (local time) and hold a ‘Public Administration Cooperation Forum’ to spread Korean-style public administration throughout the Latin American region.

Minister Lee stated, “Through the strong leadership and active efforts of President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden, the closely strengthened Korea-U.S. alliance will be extended to cooperation in the field of disaster safety,” adding, “We will further strengthen cooperative relations with the U.S. federal government through on-the-ground administrative cooperation.”

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