VIENTIANE: The Embassy of the Republic of Korea on Thursday (Feb 6) hosted an Official Development Assistance (ODA) seminar in Vientiane under the theme “Review of 30 Years of Korea-Laos Development Cooperation” to mark the 30th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Laos.
The event was co-chaired by the Korean Ambassador to Laos, Jung Yung Soo, and Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Phonvanh Outhavong.
The seminar was attended by key Korean ODA agencies such as the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) Laos Office, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare, as well as development cooperation representatives from 13 Lao ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Jung said “Development cooperation is a particularly important field in the Korea-Laos relationship, which has progressed across various sectors over the past 30 years. I hope today’s event will facilitate a free exchange of opinions and shared outlooks.”
Deputy Minister Phonvanh expressed gratitude in her welcome speech, saying “Korea has significantly contributed to Laos’ socio-economic development, and amid challenges such as climate change and the economic crisis, and I hope our development partnership will continue to deepen.”
The KOICA Laos Office reviewed the history and development of Korea’s ODA to Laos, noting that grant aid, which started in 1991 with US$20,000, had surpassed US$50 million as of 2023. Consequently, Laos is Korea’s the third-largest grant-aid recipient, and Korea ranks as Laos’ third-largest donor.
The EDCF Laos Office highlighted that Korea’s concessional loans to Laos began in 2014, with US$200 million committed over multiple phases.
While the Covid pandemic disrupted development projects from 2020-2023, a new US$500 million commitment in 2024 aims to support major infrastructure projects, including construction of the Vientiane embankment and hospital construction.
Korean ODA agencies delivered presentations on key areas of development cooperation between Korea and Laos, including water management, rural development, health, education, and the Knowledge Sharing Programme (KSP).
Dr Song Ji-sun from the Korea National Diplomatic Academy discussed Korea’s OPA policy trends, emphasising the increasing integration of diplomacy and development cooperation.
She highlighted that Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a key partner for Korea and that Laos, as a priority partner country, is seeing expanding collaboration in emerging fields such as climate change and digital transformation.
The International Cooperation Department of the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment presented Laos’ perspective, stating that “Laos is currently drafting the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2026-2030.
In this context, we expect further progress in cooperation with Korea, not only in traditional key areas such as regional development, but also in digitalisation and human resource development.”
During the open session, a representative from the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed appreciation for Korea’s contributions and interest in the UXO sector and hoped for strengthened cooperation in the future.
The Embassy of Korea announced that, starting with this event, various development cooperation-related events focusing on digitalisation, climate change, rural development and health would follow throughout 2025 to mark the 30th anniversary of Korea-Laos diplomatic relations.
The embassy reaffirmed its commitment to further deepening and advancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries. - Vientiane Times/ANN
