Minister Kuan Bi-ling of the Cabinet-level Ocean Affairs Council said Dec. 18 in a meeting with Lee Eun-ho, representative of the Korean Mission in Taipei, that Taiwan is committed to working with South Korea on maritime matters while jointly promoting related sustainable development.
Speaking in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, Kuan said that Taiwan and South Korea enjoy fruitful cooperation in marine research and development, citing the ongoing collaboration among OAC’s National Academy of Marine Research, the Korea Maritime Institute and the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology. She added that NAMR also inked memorandums of understanding with other facilities including the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, and expressed a hope that the countries would expand bilateral projects in areas like ocean technology, digital sharing and responses to marine environmental challenges.
The minister additionally praised South Korea’s creativity in promoting ocean-related culture. She specifically noted a presentation by South Korean experts on the preservation of Jeju Island’s haenyeo culture at the OAC-hosted workshop on fostering women’s economic empowerment for a resilient marine industry under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation earlier this year. Kuan added that the Our Ocean Conference initiated by the U.S. Department of State and the APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting will be staged in South Korea next year, pledging Taiwan’s continued cooperation with the international community at the events.
In response, Lee praised OAC’s marine conservation work and promotion of related initiatives. He pledged to urge South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to work with the council and help further strengthen the Taiwan-South Korea relationship. (YCH-E)
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