South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo embarked on an 8-day diplomatic trip to Trinidad and Tobago and Panama on July 2, with an agenda centered around fostering development collaborations with Central and South American countries and garnering support for Busan’s 2030 World Expo bid. Marking a historic first attendance by a South Korean leader, Han will attend the 45th Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit in Trinidad and Tobago, where he plans to present strategies to bolster South Korea-Caribbean collaboration, such as the creation of a Korea-Caribbean Marine Joint Research Center and an Agricultural Technology Innovation Platform. In addition, Han is expected to propose a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between South Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Caribbean Development Bank to provide a framework for tailored development cooperation.

The latter part of Han’s trip will see him making an official two-day visit to Panama on July 5, marking the first such visit by a South Korean leader since 2010. He is expected to meet with Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo to discuss the expansion of bilateral cooperation in fields including trade, investment, infrastructure, resources and energy. Moreover, Han plans to visit the construction site of the Line 3 metro in Panama City, a major infrastructure project involving Korean corporations, signifying the broadened scope of Korea’s international cooperation and developmental support.