President Yoon Suk Yeol (second from right) and first lady Kim Keon Hee on Sept. 21 pose for photos with Paraguayan President Santiago Pena and his wife Leticia Ocampos at their luncheon in New York on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly.

By Margareth Theresia
Photos = Kim Yong Wii from Office of the President

President Yoon Suk Yeol, visiting New York for the 78th United Nations General Assembly, on Sept. 21 held 11 more bilateral summits and promoted Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo.

Starting his day were his first talks with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Alberto Santiago Lasso, the Office of the President in Seoul said.

 
Urging Ecuadorian support for Busan's bid, President Yoon said, "Based on the cooperation momentum formed last year to mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations, I hope to further expand the horizon of future-oriented and practical cooperative ties between Korea and Ecuador."

Turning to ongoing negotiations on the Korea-Ecuador Strategic Economic Cooperation Agreement (SECA), President Lasso said, "The conclusion of SECA will offer an opportunity to maximize the mutual complementarity of both economies by expanding bilateral trade and  investment and bolstering cooperation in supply chains."

At his luncheon with Paraguayan President Santiago Pena, President Yoon said, "With the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties last year and the launch of Paraguay's new government this year, I hope cooperation between both sides can expand in all sectors including politics, economy and culture." 

Taking office last month, President Pena said, "Our history of friendship and solidarity with Korea of over 60 years is special," adding, "We will continue working closely together with Korea in various sectors like education, healthcare and infrastructure."

President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) on Sept. 21 shakes hands with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio at their bilateral summit in New York on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly.

Later that afternoon, President Yoon held his first bilateral summit with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio.

 
Describing Seoul's plan to host a summit with Africa next year, President Yoon asked President Bio to attend the event.

In response, President Bio said, "We highly value the Korean government's intent to bolster diplomacy with Africa and welcome Seoul's hosting of the 2024 Korea-Africa summit, which we will consider attending."

President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) on Sept. 21 poses for photos with Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in New York on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly.