Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (right) on April 23 takes part in the United Nations Climate Summit via videoconferencing at Government Complex-Seoul. (Prime Minister's Office)

By Charles Audouin

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (right) on April 23 said, "The international community faces a complicated crisis and must reinforce global cooperation and multilateralism centered on the Paris Agreement."

He said this while taking part in the United Nations (U.N.) Climate Summit held via videoconferencing at Government Complex-Seoul.

Cohosting the meeting were Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ahead of this year's Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, aka COP30, slated for November in Brazil.

The participants included leaders from Group of 20 economies and countries that previously chaired the conference.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination, Prime Minister's Secretariat quoted Acting President Han as saying at the meeting, "The Korean government's goal is to submit its 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions, which Seoul is preparing, to the U.N. in September."

"To achieve carbon neutrality goal by 2050, the Korean government will raise the proportion of no-carbon energy sources such as renewable energy, nuclear power and clean hydrogen from 39% to over 70% by 2038," he added. "Through the Carbon-Free Energy initiative, we are pursuing international collaboration to expand the use of clean energy."

"Korea is greatly raising its overseas development assistance and actively promoting projects for carbon reduction or adaptation in developing countries," he said. "We will continue expanding climate and green cooperation with such countries."

Mentioning a ceremony Korea will host on June 5 to mark World Environment Day, Acting President Han pledged global cooperation measures to respond to climate change.

caudouin@korea.kr