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Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)

Coordinates: 37°34′25″N 126°58′30″E / 37.573568°N 126.975080°E / 37.573568; 126.975080
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
외교부
外交部
Oegyobu

MOFA headquarters in Seoul
Agency overview
Formed17 July 1948
Preceding agencies
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1948-1998)
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1998-2013)
JurisdictionGovernment of South Korea
Headquarters60, Sajik-ro 8-gil
Jongno-gu, Seoul
110-787, South Korea
37°34′25″N 126°58′30″E / 37.573568°N 126.975080°E / 37.573568; 126.975080
Annual budget₩4.29 trillion
(US$3.13 billion)
(FY2024)[1]
Minister responsible
Deputy Ministers responsible
Parent departmentState Council of South Korea
Child agencies
WebsiteMinistry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (English)

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA; Korean: 외교부; Hanja: 外交部) is in charge of the country's foreign relations, as well as handling matters related to overseas Korean nationals. It was established on 17 July 1948.

Its main office is located in the MOFA Building in Jongno District, Seoul.[2] The ministry previously had its headquarters in a facility in Doryeom-dong in Jongno District.[3]

History

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was created in 1948 following the Government Organisation Law under the Rhee Syng-man administration.[4] It undertook matters of foreign policy, protection of overseas Korean nationals, international economy, treaties, diplomacy and the assessment of international and overseas public relations.[5] The top priority for the Ministry was initially to focus on the “international recognition of the new Korean government as the only legitimate one on the Korean peninsula”.[4] Shortly after the Ministry was established, overseas missions in the United States, the United Kingdom and France were set up.[5]

In 1963 the Educational Institute of Foreign Service Officers was established to further educate foreign public officials and improve their work efficiency.[6] In 1965 the Educational institute became the Research Institute of Foreign Affairs.[5] In December, 1976 the Research Institute was reorganised again to become the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Security.[6] In 2012, this institution developed into the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and has the largest research and training institution of its kind within South Korea.[5]

In 1998, the ministry's name was changed to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT, 외교통상부), and it was given jurisdiction over external trade.[7] In 2013, it reverted to its earlier name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following Park Geun-hye’s reorganisation plan, and the responsibility for trade matters was handed over to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, which was renamed the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE).[8] Due to this change, Office of the Minister for Trade was also relocated to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.[9]

Organisation

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The minister is supported by two vice-ministers, vice-ministerial-level chancellor of Korea National Diplomatic Academy and Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs.[citation needed]

Affiliated organization

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List of ministers

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Main article: Minister of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)

2021 P4G Seoul Summit

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The South Korean MoFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) is involved in creating environmental policies and working with countries around the world to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). As such they are hosting the P4G Seoul Summit in late May 2021. The event will be done online due to the COVID-19 crisis, and will look into improving the current climate change situation. The summit will look into improving the global public-private cooperation.[10] The foreign minister Chung Eui-yong is particularly involved in this initiative as this has a significant impact on the relationship between the ROK and other countries such as the US and Denmark.[11]

June 2015 saw South Korea publish its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), an initiative by which countries focus on improving their environmental goals. The country set the aim of lowering emissions by 37% by 2030. As well as this, South Korea has participated in many initiatives to lower their carbon footprint such as the COP21 in Paris, ratifying the document in December 2015.[12] Korea has taken a ‘green growth’ approach to climate change but despite these efforts there was actually an increase in coal usage over the past decade. Predictions have shown that Korea is not likely to reach the set targets.[13] The MoFA, however, has been in close contact with Denmark to work together on their Green Growth Alliance (2011) in an attempt to make the P4G Seoul Summit a success.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Foreign ministry's budget set at 4.19 trillion won for 2024
  2. ^ "Location." (Archive) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea). Retrieved on January 1, 2014. "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 60, Sajik-ro 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea (110-787)"
  3. ^ "Home" (English). () Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea). February 28, 2009. Retrieved on January 1, 2014. "37 Sejongno (Doryeom-dong), Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-787, Republic of Korea"
  4. ^ a b Choi, Kwang-jin (January 2019). "The Republic of Korea's Public Diplomacy Strategy: History and Current Status" (PDF). CPD Perspectives.
  5. ^ a b c d "HistoryMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  6. ^ a b "외교부 소개". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  7. ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of Korea". 2010-12-06. Archived from the original on 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  8. ^ 장, 재순 (2013-03-28). "English names of government ministries finalized". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  9. ^ Energy, Ministry of Trade, Industry and. "Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Homepage". Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Retrieved 2024-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Promotional Campaigns in Full Swing as 2021 P4G Seoul Summit Reaches D-30 Point View|Press Releases_| Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  11. ^ 김, 승연 (2021-04-27). "Gov't holds preparatory meeting for P4G summit". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  12. ^ "Climate ChangeMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  13. ^ "The Carbon Brief Profile: South Korea". Carbon Brief. 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  14. ^ "Outcome of Telephone Conversation between Foreign Ministers of Korea and Denmark View|Press ReleasesMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
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