On the 22nd of last month, U.S. President Donald Trump held up a charter during a signing ceremony for the Gaza Peace Committee at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. According to the AP news agency, the South Korean government is expected to attend the first meeting of the Gaza Peace Committee (the Gaza Peace Committee) led by President Trump as an observer.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 18th that former Ambassador to Egypt Kim Yong-hyun (61, 24th class of the Foreign Service Exam) will attend the launch meeting of the Gaza Peace Committee in Washington D.C. on the 19th (local time) as a representative of Korea. South Korea will attend this meeting as a ‘non-member country’ observer. The intention is to observe the discussions at the meeting. Observer countries do not have the right to speak.
The South Korean government received an invitation to attend the launch meeting of the Gaza Peace Committee earlier this month from the United States. The Trump administration had previously sent invitations to join the Gaza Peace Committee to over 60 countries, including Korea, last month, and then requested attendance once more. The South Korean government decided to participate as an observer to support ‘peace in Gaza.’
Former Ambassador Kim Yong-hyun, who retired, will attend the launch meeting as a special envoy for the Foreign Minister. Kim, who served as the ambassador to Egypt from 2023 to 2025, is also an expert who observed the Palestinian issue on-site at the time. A Foreign Ministry official told the Hankyoreh that “the agenda of this meeting is the reconstruction of peace in Gaza, and since former Ambassador Kim was involved in related work in Egypt, he has the expertise, which is why he was selected.”
Currently, South Korea is considering whether to join the Gaza Peace Committee. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes it must consider various factors including legal perspectives, international community trends, and Korea’s role. However, given the many sensitive issues such as tariff negotiations, South Korea has decided to participate in the U.S.-led meeting despite potential international controversy.
Japan, Italy, and four other EU member countries are expected to attend as observers along with Korea. However, there is concern because the Trump administration is leading the resolution of the Gaza issue through a separate organization, not the UN, and is trying to establish the Gaza Peace Committee as a new international organization. Due to these circumstances, the Vatican plans not to participate in the Gaza Peace Committee.