Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Insun met with Ms. Elizabeth Spehar, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 29. During the meeting, they exchanged views on recent developments in UN peacebuilding, as well as the Republic of Korea's plans to promote peacebuilding as one of its priorities during its term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Vice Minister Kang commended the role of the Peacebuilding Support Office, which oversees and coordinates UN peacebuilding activities, as well as the efforts of Assistant Secretary-General Spehar. She emphasized that sustainable peace requires not only efforts to address the root causes of conflicts but also integrated efforts to promote peace, development, and human rights.

Vice Minister Kang explained that the Republic of Korea is pursuing peacebuilding as one of its key agenda during its 2024-2025 term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. She stressed that Korea will continue to contribute to advancing peacebuilding discussions within the Security Council and strengthening the role of the Peacebuilding Commission. In this regard, she asked Assistant Secretary-General Spehar for her attention to ensure that more Korean nationals with expertise in peacebuilding could be represented in the United Nations.

Assistant Secretary-General Spehar expressed her appreciation for the Republic of Korea's leadership in strengthening peacebuilding, including its continuous contribution to the Peacebuilding Fund and its hosting of the "Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation on the 2025 Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture." She expressed her commitment to continue actively cooperating with the Republic of Korea.