Seoul, September 14, 2022 – Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) signed a three-year development cooperation memorandum of understanding (MOU). USAID also announced its new presence in the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Both these efforts deepen the United States-Republic of Korea cooperative relationship for development, especially for the Indo-Pacific. USAID Assistant to the Administrator Michele Sumilas and MOFA Director General of the Development Cooperation Bureau Won Do-yeon signed the MOU.
The MOU builds upon six prior years of global development cooperation that works to foster prosperity, security, and freedom. USAID and MOFA will continue to collaborate on a range of activities worldwide, including combating climate change in the Pacific Islands, enhancing cybersecurity in Southeast Asia, and strengthening health systems in Africa.
Once a recipient of USAID support, South Korea is now a leading democracy and strong partner of the Agency and the broader U.S. government, providing $2.9 billion in development assistance globally in 2021. “USAID is proud to partner with the Republic of Korea, a country that leverages its insights as a former aid recipient to its current expertise as a donor to help ensure that equitable and inclusive responses to global challenges are built upon the priorities, knowledge, lived experiences, aspirations, and expertise of the people who face them every day,” said Sumilas.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Philip Goldberg added, “It is a great honor to welcome USAID to the U.S. Mission to the Republic of Korea family. Our two nations have a strong history of bilateral cooperation, and the opening of a USAID office will strengthen our bond so that our global development partnerships around the world will continue to flourish.”