History of Korea in the OECD
- Korea-OECD
- Korea and the OECD
- History of Korea in the OECD
History of Korea in the OECD
In 2021, Korea celebrated the 25th anniversary of its accession to the OECD. Korea officially joined on 12 December 1996 as the 29th member of the OECD. Mr. Chang Sun-Sup, the Korean Ambassador to France, presented Korea’s formal application for OECD membership to Mr. Jean-Claude Paye in March 1995.
At the OECD Château on 25 October 1996, the Signature Ceremony of the OECD’s formal invitation to the Republic of Korea to accede to the OECD Convention took place. Mr. Gong Ro-Myung, the Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Donald Johnston, the OECD Secretary-General, signed it.
Just after joining the OECD, Korea suffered from the Asian economic crisis in 1997, resorting to an IMF loan. During its early ages in the OECD, Korea received policy advice and guide, which greatly contributed to its successful recovery from the crisis. This period could be considered as an infancy stage. Approaching 15 years in the organisation, thus becoming an adolescent, Korea chaired the OECD MCM in 2009 and led the Green Growth initiative.
Korea played a leading role in adopting the historic OECD Green Growth Declaration.
In 2010, Korea became an official member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), successfully transforming from being the first aid-recipient country to an official donor member
In 2011, the Green Growth Strategy was adopted as the OECD celebrated its 50th anniversary. Korea has hosted a series of significant OECD events, including the OECD Daejeon Ministerial Meeting – at which another landmark of the OECD, the Daejeon Declaration, was adopted – as well as the 6th OECD World Forum in 2018.
Leading the Committee on Digital Economy Policy and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Group of Experts at the OECD, Korea played a pivotal role in adopting the OECD Principles on AI in 2019, the first-of-its-kind international norm adhered to by governments. As the Chair of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme from 2018 to 2022, Korea has strived to bridge the Southeast Asian region with the OECD. Assuming the Vice-Chairmanship of 2021 MCM, Korea is working, in particular, with the United States and Luxem-bourg to support the OECD discussions on building a green and inclusive future.
