Korea Saemaul Undong Center(President Kwak Daehoon) held the first meeting between ministers of Saemaul Undong Global League(SGL) partner countries, “Global Saemaul Undong Ministerial Meeting(GSMM) 2023”.

This is the first GSMM among Saemaul Undong League partner countries. To induce the governments of developing countries to expand their interest in and practical participation in Saemaul Undong, and to form a consensus to host 2030 Busan World Expo, it was held in Busan this year.

The event, supervised by the Ministry of Interior and Safety and Busan Metropolitan City and hosted by Korea Saemaul Undong Center and the Busan Saemaul Undong Center, was attended by about 600 people, including ministers, vice ministers, the mayor of Busan City, the president of Korea Saemaul Undong Center, ambassadors to Korea, and officials from related organizations from 30 countries and it is considered a success.

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During the 3 days and 2 nights event, the invited guests attended the opening ceremony, ministerial meeting, special exhibition, seminar 1 and 2, field trip and Busan city tour, official luncheon & dinner, and publicity briefing for 2030 Busan World Expo.

In particular, the opening ceremony on the first day of the event was attended by Acting Minister(vice minister) Han Chang-sub of the Ministry of Interior and Safety, Senior Secretary Kang Seung-kyu of the Presidential Secretariat for Civil Society, President Kwak Daehoon of Korea Saemaul Undong Center, Mayor Park Heong Joon of Busan Metropolitan City, and Chairman Ban Ki Moon of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, who served as the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations to celebrate its opening.

At the ministerial meeting held in the afternoon of the same day, ministers and vice-ministers from 30 SGL partner countries attended and adopted a joint declaration through sharing opinions on the ‘strategy for creating a Saemaul Undong model village and localization’ and ‘development plan for self-sustaining expansion’.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, in his congratulatory speech, said, “Saemaul Undong has always been part of the prosperity and growth of the Republic of Korea. We will further strengthen the solidarity and cooperation of the international community for the spread of Saemaul Undong,” adding “We ask for your interest in attracting 2030 World Expo to Busan, where this miniterial meeting is being held.”

The 「Declaration of Global Saemaul Undong Ministerial Meeting」 contains that ministers from partner countries sympathize with the value of the Saemaul spirit of diligence, self-help, and cooperation for all mankind through the ministerial meeting held on July 5 and making 3 commitments to endeavor to model Saemaul Undong pilot village and strive for the self-sustained spread of Saemaul Undong, work with international organizations and NGOs to promote Saemaul Undong effectively, and agree to hold a ministerial meeting on a biennial basis to share the achievements of Saemaul Undong and discuss ways to improve it. 

The enthusiasm for seminar 1 and 2 held the next day was also hot. The ministers and vice-ministers who attended the ministerial meeting and other attendees attended seminar 1 and 2, which were held under two themes; one was the regional development & Saemaul Undong. The other was Saemaul Undong stretegy for sustainable development. Through lectures and discussions by speakers on both themes, attendees could raise the understanding of Saemaul Undong and deepen the thought about how to apply it in their countries. Among attendees were members of Busan City Saemaul Undong Center, officials from various related organizations, and 42 international students from 26 countries participating in Saemaul Undong Training for international students.

On the afternoon of the same day, the field trip for ministers and vice ministers from 30 countries was arranged as a tour of the Busan North Port Redevelopment Promotion Center and Busan City Hall. In particular, a group of 170 youth groups from Busan Saemaul Undong Center, a dance team, and a special performance welcomed the visiting group that arrived at the Busan North Port Redevelopment Promotion Center with a flash mob, creating a fun atmosphere for everyone to enjoy together.

On the last day of the event, Friday (July 7), a Busan city tour was held. The visiting group visited Busan X the Sky, the largest observatory in Korea, and looked around the ocean view of Haeundae and the city view of Busan.

This event is meaningful as the first high-level meeting of the Saemaul Undong attended by ministerial-level representatives from governments of developing countries.

According to the contents of the joint declaration, it will be held biennially in the future.

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