The Korea International Cooperation Agency, or KOICA, has signed an agreement with the UN Development Programme to help with conflict resolution and peace efforts in Papua New Guinea. 

The signing ceremony took place Wednesday at UNDP's office in the capital city Port Moresby, attended by the governor of Hela Province and the South Korean ambassador. 

KOICA will invest three million dollars through 2024 to help establish peace among the 200-thousand residents in the two provinces of Hela and Southern Highlands.

In cooperation with the UNDP, local leaders and experts from home and abroad, KOICA will assist in faith-based conflict resolution, educating tribal leaders and setting up a dialogue network and peace forum.

Papua New Guinea consists of around 800 tribes living in isolation using different languages. This has led to a vicious cycle of combat, with the island ranking 52nd among 179 countries in this year’s Fragile States Index, which measures economic inequality and level of conflict.