Sejong, October 13 - The Ministry of Environment (ME, Minister Han Wha-jin) held the 1st Mekong-Korea International Water Forum on October 5 at Lotte Hotel Seoul. The Mekong-Korea International Water Forum is an international event participated by South Korea, five countries of the Mekong region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam), the US Embassy in Korea, and other development cooperation agencies for the Mekong region, such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Ministry of Environment and K-water hosted, and the Korea-Mekong Water Resources Management Joint Research Center organized the event to discuss practical ways to cooperate in resolving water issues in the Mekong region. South Korean Environment Minister Han Wha-jin, Chairman Ban Ki-moon of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future (8th UN Secretary-General), US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg, and ministers and deputy ministers of the five Mekong countries attended the forum. 

Under the theme of "Climate Resilience through Digital Water Management in the Mekong Region," Korea shared its experiences and knowledge on smart water management technologies utilizing advanced technology such as artificial intelligence with development cooperation agencies in the Mekong region. During the multilateral high-level multilateral conference, representatives of the five Mekong nations discussed "governance of the Mekong region in response to the climate crisis." In the following "development cooperation" section, development cooperation organizations, including the World Bank, USAID, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UNFAO), and Australian Water Partnership (AWP), discussed cooperation projects in the Mekong region and financial resources for the projects. Furthermore, Korea Environment Institute, UNESCO International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management, the Mekong River Commission, and other specialized organizations organized panel discussions on different topics. The US-Korea Technology Forum was also held by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and K-water on the same day.

Minister of Environment Han Wha-jin said, "The Mekong-Korea International Water Forum will serve as a good opportunity to build stronger solidarity among the Mekong nations and Korea, which have already established 'strategic partnership' during the Mekong-ROK Summit in November 2020." The minister added, "We expect that this event will serve as a foothold for developing and implementing new projects for practically tackling water issues of the Mekong region."

Contact: Jeong Jin-sook, Deputy Director

Water Industry and International Cooperation Division/ +82-(0)44-201-7633

Foreign Media Contact: Chun Minjo(Rachel)

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr